23% off (Sale price $73.85, Reg. Price $95.91) :: Hotel at a Glance: Best Western Inn at the MeadowsBest Western Inn at the Meadows is just a 12-minute drive from downtown Portland and offers free parking. It’s also three blocks from a Yellow Line light-rail stop, 8 miles from Portland International Airport, and minutes from the Portland Expo Center and Portland International Raceway. Start the day right with a hot breakfast including eggs, meat, fruit, cereal, and more. In-room amenities: free WiFi and cable TV Within 30 minutes of Downtown Portland and Multnomah Falls, in the Columbia River Gorge Need help? The hotel’s staffers can make recommendations on what to do, see, and eat in Portland. Shopping: Take advantage of Portland’s chic boutiques and pay 0% sales tax.Portland, Oregon: Quirky Riverfront City Known for Its City ParksExtensive bikeways, edgy chefs, indie-rock bands, and progressive environmentalists—counterculture is almost a way of life in Portland. And it’s certainly a source of civic pride. Locals have adopted the slogan “Keep Portland Weird,” which is brandished on bumper stickers and in businesses all over the town. The city has always been a little ahead of its time; it was originally planned with strict urban-growth boundaries that left plenty of room for parks and other green spaces. Today, in new developments, shops are built at street level with apartments above them—following a European model that complements Portland’s slightly European, laid-back atmosphere.The downtown area is a refreshing mix of the traditional and the offbeat: high-rise buildings are interspersed with clothing boutiques and restaurants serving sustainable cuisine. Streets here are narrow and the blocks are compact to encourage walking, which visitors are wont to do to take in the parks, plazas, and fountains. A popular place to hang out is Pioneer Courthouse Square, a 40,000-square-foot public space often referred to as “Portland’s living room.” In warmer months, the square hosts free shows and festivals, as does Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Par
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