LOCATION: ORENCO STATION

Visitors to Orenco Station Manor House can leave their cars behind and take a short walk to the MAX light rail station, which stops at all the major Portland-area destinations. An evening stroll leads quickly to the local coffee house, ice cream shoppe or the wine and cigar specialty store. Dine on fine Indian or Italian cuisine. Enjoy the convenience of a neighborhood dentist, optician and other friendly neighborhood businesses. Just a few blocks away is the Orenco Station Retail Center featuring even more great shops and services, including a full service natural foods grocery store, with tasty take-out. Click here to view a map of the surrounding area and businesses.

OUR FAVORITES

We have some favorite spots that are definitely worth sharing. The Japanese Garden anchors one of Portlands premier tourist destinations, 330-acre Washington Park. One of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan, it is a haven of tranquil beauty. The garden is open daily, excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day. Allow about an hour to take it all in. The garden is within minutes of the Oregon Zoo, the World Forestry Center, the Hoyt Arboretum, the Vietnam Veterans Living Memorial and a brand new childrens museum, all accessible by light rail.

Your visit to the Rose City wouldn't be complete without a visit to the International Rose Test Gardens, also in Washington Park. During World War I, this Portland treasure became a haven for varieties European growers feared would be destroyed during the bombing, and today it is the oldest continuously operating public rose test garden in the United States with more than 8,000 rose plants. Free to the public, the best time to "stop and smell the roses" is early to late summer.

Take in Portland's beauty from the Portland City Grill, located on the 30th floor of the US Bancorp Tower right downtown. Named one of the nation's top 100 restaurants, clients and fellow travelers will love it.

And if you want to soak up the sun, Portland is home to the world's largest inland island. Lying just outside downtown, Sauvie Island is home to various recreational beaches, including the ever popular Reeder Beach. Family farm markets, pick-your-own berry patches and miles of walking trails make Sauvie Island a unique city get-away.