• Portland is a pretty place to explore with the family.portland bill cottages image by susie peek-swint from Fotolia.com
  
  Portland offers tourists diverse attractions: there are traditional family attractions, museums, shopping opportunities and the chance to explore the natural world and different cultures. Visitors come to sample microbreweries, restaurants, coffee houses and the scenic backdrop of the Pacific northwest.
  
  

Oregon Zoo

• Oregon Zoo divides its exhibits into The Great Northwest, Pacific Shores, Fragile Forests, Island Pigs of Asia, Asian Elephants and Africa. There are also gardens, including a sculpture garden. The zoo's original name was the Washington Park Zoo when it opened its doors in 1887. Today, the zoo engages in conservation programs for species indigenous to the Pacific northwest including the Californian condor. Two diesel-powered trains and one replica of an 1800s-style steam locomotive take passengers around the zoo.
  
  Oregon Zoo
  
  4001 S.W. Canyon Road
  
  Portland, OR 97221
  
  503-226-1561
  
  oregonzoo.com
  
  

Oaks Park Amusement Park

• Oaks Park Amusement Park is close to Portland's downtown area. In addition to the rides, there are picnic areas, a go-kart track and a wooden roller skating rink where an organist entertains on the Wurlitzer pipe organ. Six of the rides are classed as thrill rides and include the Looping Thunder Roller Coaster and the Scream-N-Eagle. There are less scary family rides, such as bumper cars, slide, ferris wheel and an attractive 1912 carousel. A train takes passengers along the waterfront and around the park.
  
  Oaks Park Amusement Park
  
  7805 SE Oaks Park Way
  
  Portland, OR 97202
  
  503-233-5777
  
  oakspark.com
  
  

Portland Saturday Market

• Portland Saturday Market is the largest weekly open-air arts and crafts market in America. Operating since 1974, it is a fixture of the Old Town on Saturdays and Sundays when more than 250 artists and artistic businesses sell their wares. Vendors travel from across the northwest region, selling jewelry, pottery, toys, woodcarvings, metal sculpture, paintings and other items. Food is sold in the international food pavilion and musicians entertain the crowd.
  
  Portland Saturday Market
  
  S.W. Ankeny & Naito Parkway
  
  Portland, OR 97209
  
  503-222-6072
  
  PortlandSaturdayMarket.com
  
  

Explore Chinatown

• The culture of Portland's Chinese community is on display in Chinatown in a series of shops, galleries and restaurants. Restaurants include cuisine from around the world, including Chinese. Stores sell clothing, homewares, traditional Asian gifts, Chinese medicine and Chinese herbs and spices. There is a nightlife scene with contemporary dance clubs and live music.
  
  Chinatown Gateway
  
  N.W. Fourth Avenue and Burnside Street
  
  Portland, OR
  
  oldtownchinatown.org
  
  

Portland Japanese Garden

• The Portland Japanese Garden claims that it is the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan. Visitors can join a guided tour through the five different areas, known as The Tea Garden, Natural Garden, Sand & Stone Garden, Strolling Pond Garden, and Flat Garden. The gardens use the traditional combination of stone, water and plants with the addition of arbors, pagodas and bridges. These elements are designed to promote peace and harmony according to Buddhist, Shinto and Taoist principles.
  
  Portland Japanese Garden
  
  611 SW Kingston Ave
  
  Portland, OR 97205
  
  503-223-1321
  
  japanesegarden.com