Frommer's Top Destinations Hot off the presses, the editors at Frommer's Travel Guides and Frommers.com have named Portland one of the top 12 travel destinations in the world for 2007. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland, with a metropolitan population of roughly 2 million, is a city of discreet charms. That it claims a rose garden as one of its biggest attractions should give you an idea of just how laid-back this city is. Sure, Portlanders are just as attached to their cell phones and PDAs as residents of other urban areas, but this is the City of Roses, and people still take time to stop and smell the flowers. Spend much time here, and you, too, will likely feel the leisurely pace seeping into your bones.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/portlandor/0025020001.html

Some of our favorite places include:

Powell's City of Books  .  1005 W Burnside . Portland . Daily 9am to 11pm. From humble storefront beginnings in 1971 on a derelict corner of northwest Portland, Oregon, Powell's Books has grown into one of the world's great bookstores, with seven locations in the Portland metropolitan area, and one of the book world's most successful dot-coms (www.powells.com), serving customers worldwide.

International Rose Test Garden - Washington Park . 400 SW Kingston Avenue . Portland . Garden hours: 7:30am to 9:00pm. Portland has long had a love affair with roses. In 1888, Georgiana Burton Pittock, wife of pioneer publisher Henry Pittock, invited her friends and neighbors to exhibit their roses in a tent set up in her garden; thus the Portland Rose Society was established. By 1905 Portland had 200 miles of rose-bordered streets - a strategy to draw attention to the Lewis and Clark Centennial celebration - and was dubbed the 'City of Roses.' Featuring over 6,800 rose bushes representing 557 varieties, the International Rose Test Garden received The Garden of Excellence Award from the World Federation of Rose Societies in 2006.

Portland Classical Chinese Garden .  NW 3rd and Everett . Portland . Daily 10am to 5pm. The Portland Classical Chinese Garden is dedicated to furthering all people's understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters .  128 SW 3rd Avenue . Portland . 7am-9pm M-Sat; 7am-8pm Sun.  Stumptown is a pleasant little roaster with several cafes in Portland, serving amazingly fresh coffee and espresso beverages.

Voodoo Doughnuts . 22 SW 3rd Avenue . Portland . Closed 11am-1pm M-F; Closed 4am-6am Sat.  Famous for their girth, their doughnuts are made fresh with love and care.