5 o'clock is puppy hour at the Fields. On the north end of the park is an enclosed area designated…read morefor doggies to frolick with each other. For those who choose to stroll with their pup, a one-way track encircling the field is packed from nose-to-tail during this peak time. No one really uses the field as 'leash at all times' rules apply. Perfect for all the PD condo residents surrounding who need to let the dogs out ;)

We stumbled across The Fields while grabbing coffee in the area and I'm so glad we did. This park…read moreis a really nice open patch of green grass surrounded by an interesting mix of old industrial buildings and modern development. The views are really different from a typical park and there were so many dogs. I love seeing lots of happy pups! There are signs posted that say that dogs are supposed to stay on a leash, but there were quite a few locals letting their dog run around play fetch and socialize. Everyone seemed friendly and the park had a very relaxed energy. There's a cement path that goes near the streets and kind of around the side of the park and some people were walking their leashed dogs on that path. There is also a small play area for kids that was empty but if you have little ones or a dog and you're in the area, this is definitely a good place to relax for a bit or let them get there energy out.

So far the best rest area I have experienced based on all my drives from NorCal to SoCal is now…read morelocated in Oregon. Take notes California this is the way to do it! :) I love that you can walk as much or as little as you want.

Nothing like a little revisionist history…read more The Grove of the States qualifies (barely) as a roadside attraction. Tucked in a corner of the Baldock Rest Area on the southbound side of Interstate 5, around Milepost 282. In concept, it is actually quite sweet, especially for a rest stop. A shady circular path takes you past each U.S. state's tree with a plaque and description. The grove was planted in 1967 as part of the Highway Beautification Act and well, there have been a couple of casualties. Too bad, so sad, Arkansas. If you are a student of such things, or a visitor from another state, you'll also notice a few substitutions or repetitions for a variety of reasons. Some states have changed their official state tree (Nebraska) and other states or territories have trees that can't really survive in our Oregon climate. The rest stop is currently maintained by the Oregon Travel Commission and they are trying to decide whether to update and possibly expand the grove. But, I wouldn't hold my breath. Instead, I consider it a quirky part of our state's history. Is this an exciting tourist attraction? No. Is it a fun little diversion when you are taking a road trip south? Sure.

A fun way to explore the city whether you live here or not. The website does not have very helpful…read moreinformation, keeps going in circles and most links are expired. But starting from the Oregon Zoo could be good idea since there is a lot of signage out there. Look for the 4T sign and keep following it. All Trails has the route too. The Zoo entrance has the entire map as well. The hike up to Council Crest and then to OHSU was great! Very shaded and great elevation. Taking the tram was so fun, the view of city was so beautiful and I fell in love with Portland all over again. The trolleycar has a frequency of 30 mins from OHSU commons so if you miss that one there is a long wait or you could take the bus or train. Getting back to the zoo is easy with a lot of options. The beautiful day was an added bonus. All in all a GREAT day playing tourist in my own city!

An off track way of seeing the wonderful city of Portland. We started at the Pioneer Courthouse…read morebought a $5 adult ticket for adults and $2.50 ticket for kids (all day pass) for MAX - we got off at the Oregon Zoo and walked the trails to Columbia Crest - we had a small picnic there before proceeding to OHSU ( about 4 miles of walking) and then took the aerial tram (free downhill )to South Water Front. We took the street car (covered in the all day pass) and did the outer city loop - the trail took us about 4 hours and gave us a wonderful sense of what the city was about. If you want to take a bus to a specific destination for a happy hour afterwards ( your bus ride is covered in your all day pass) - highly recommended !!! The 4 T's - trails, train, trolley and tram ( if you were wondering)

Well, isn't this neat! In one of the weird/confusing/whatever crossings in the Alemeda Ridge exists…read morethis little 'rain garden.' This area exists to soak up all the rain and other pollutants and uses them to feed these plants. This helps keeps the roads safer, by eliminating a lot of the water, and cleaner, by eliminating all the pollutants. Plus, it sure is pretty to walk by. There's a couple of little bridges that take you to nothing. Seriously, just dirt and grass. Maybe put in a bench?

This nice bronze sits on a rough looking pedestal. It is located by the parking area behind the…read moreHolocaust Memorial. It is set surrounded by trees and a few picnic tables. That all makes for a nice setting. The statue depicts a couple guys, one is pointing north to where the Seattle area is now I'm pretty sure they are saying that thanks for visiting. You don't have to go back but please don't stay here. We have enough trafic and we don't want gentrification here.... some things never change. It's a nice statue though.

The Coming of the White Man Statue is located in Washington Park and is a short walk from the…read moreOregon Holocaust Memorial. It depicts two Native American men, including Chief Multnomah, looking towards the Columbia River upon the arrival of Lewis and Clark. This is all a bit politically incorrect, and maybe being a little out of the way helps appreciate this still fresh and interesting work of art better.

As a destination, there's not much going on here. It's a shady pullout off the side of the road…read morewith some parking spots (not many though) and a giant metal shelter with some signs and picnic tables. But if you're a hiker, it's probably a good spot to enter a number of urban trails that either start or run through here. Unremarkable scenery-wise.

Another great trail system in the metro. Seems to be a favorite of trail runners. The paths are…read moremostly narrow, lots of winding and ups & downs. Most of the trail surface is dirt, so the trails get pretty muddy and can be a bit slippery. Peaceful and shady environment, with decent street parking and good signage.

The downtown area of Portland has so much lovely green space. This is dedicated to a former mayor…read more It has a lot of space to sit and think, or stop a moment while you rush along your busy day.

This is a pretty nice park. My dog always finds something interesting to sniff here, probably…read morebecause so many people come here to sit and eat their lunches. The daycare/preschool up the street in the Portland Building often takes their kids here to run and play when it's not rainy. The kids are cute, except I feel like a weirdo for staring at children.

The Marine Drive multi-use path is a sweet little section of biking/hiking/walking and generally…read moreanything-without-a-motor-ing path that hugs the Columbia River from NE 33rd out past the I-205 bridge. It's mostly flat and set down a bit from Marine Drive in many areas, so while on the path you definitely feel like you're out on the river. However in some areas, like near the airport, it's set up above Marine Drive, offering fun views of aircraft landing and taking off, etc. I've biked this path a few times on the section between 205 and the airport. On weekdays during the daytime it's pretty deserted. As this path connects with the 205 Multi-Use Path, it offers a lot of miles of fairly un-interrupted dedicated paved path for riding. The zero inclines along the path add to ease for family outings. There's pretty much no cover from the sun, however, so anyone planning to go the distance on this path should definitely be rocking the sunscreen, especially with the water right there next to the path. There are some spots available for parking along the length of the path however I've always accessed this path via the 205 connection, which you can take across the river to Washington (exhaust is an issue) or down south all the way to Oregon City. All told, this is part of a much larger system of trails that lets you stay out of traffic and get some serious mileage in. As an added bonus, once you get east of the 205 bridge, the views of Mt. Hood up the Columbia are stunning.

Safe and easy to access, this is beginning to be one of my favorite walking paths. It stretches…read morefor miles, and I appreciate the Columbia / Mt. Hood views, especially to the east of the 205 bridge. Fellow walkers and cyclists are friendly and respectful of each other's space, and there's lots of space out here. If I'm driving to this pathway, I like parking at the Brighton Beach area.