Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

With no man-made vantage points, the best place to catch the perfect Portland panorama is Mount Tabor. Strike out early to watch the sun rise over the city from the peak; the park opens its gates at 5am.

Arts and culture

On the first Thursday of every month,all galleries in the Pearl district host free receptions for the month’s new exhibitions; Blue Sky Gallery (www.blueskygallery.org) is an exhibition that promotes photography in the community and is a lively place to start. Art on Alberta (www.artonalberta.org) organises a similar event on the last Thursday of the month, and Alberta Street is awash with galleries and restaurants opening their doors to celebrate the local artistic talent. For the edgiest independent cinema, head to the Living Room Theaters (www.livingroomtheaters.com) on Tenth Avenue.

Something for nothing

Pioneer Couthouse Square (www.pioneercourthousesquare.org) is known as Portland’s ‘living room’ and hosts a mixed programme of mostly free outdoor events all year round. The Noon Tones Summer Concert Series are lunch-hour showcases of the best local music.

Shopping

Portland is bursting with boutiques, and a day strolling around the city is sure to yield a host of exciting finds. To get you started, here are ours. Una (www.una-myheartisfull.com) is owned by Giovanna Parolari, a woman who knows everything there is to know about Portland. Her shop is an impossibly cool collection of beautifully chosen womanswear, jewellery and home goods. To keep Mr. Smith happy, stop off at Winn Perry (http://winnperry.com) for the latest in dapper duds. To bring a piece of music-loving Portland home with you, 2nd Avenue Records is the only place to go. Canoe (www.canoeonline.net) is an emporium of functional, yet gorgeous, homewares harvested from around the world.

Daytripper

For the outdoors enthusiast, hiking, climbing and water sports are all within an hour’s drive of Portland at Mount Hood, which is also home to the US’s longest ski season. Timberline Lodge (www.timberlinelodge.com) ski school and outdoor centre is the place to go for a dose of of snowy mountain thrills.

Perfect picnic

The International Rose Test Garden (www.rosegardenstore.org) in Washington Park is a fragrant and romantic place for a summer’s picnic among the flowers.

Activities

Portland’s hippest hang-outs are constantly changing, so for the latest when you land, check out the Portland Mercury magazine (www.portlandmercury.com). Sample the region’s vineyards in a wine flight at the city’s most stylish bar, Noble Rot (http://noblerotpdx.com). Ecotours (www.ecotours-of-oregon.com) offer a microbrewery tour of Portland to small groups from 6pm to 10.30pm with the promise of delivering you back to your hotel at the end. The Tom McCall Waterfront Park is the prime example of Portland’s commitment to tackling green issues head on; it used to be a downtown freeway and is now a grassy and broad stretch along the riverbank.

And

If you needed a reason to splurge, unusually for a US state, Oregon has no sales tax.