L (updated!)

Lacrosse
For tickets and information about Portland's lacrosse team, go to:
Portland LumberJax

Ladd's Addition
Gardens

Liquor & Distilleries
Clear Creek Distillery,
Highball
House Spirits (maker of Medoyeff Vodka)
Marteau
New Deal Distillery.
For more Oregon distillers, see OregonGetaways, the Companies & Products section, under L. Also, check out Oregon Bounty for information on events on Distillers' Row, between SE 7th and SE 20th Avenues and E Burnside & East Division Streets.

G (updated!)

Go Biodiesel

Guy W Talbot State Park
Picnicking, trails, waterfalls.

GR Scrub
As featured in Sunset magazine, March 07. One stop shop for all you need to clean, specializing in non-toxic items.

Grand Floral Parade
Takes place in June.

Grotto
The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, a beautiful 62 acre Catholic Shrine and botanical garden. You don’t need to be Catholic to enjoy the beauty and serenity here. Perfect for a picnic.

C (updated!)

Carousels:
Jantzen Beach Supercenter Merry-Go-Round 1920s carousel.
Noah's Ark Carousel. A 2 deck, Herschell-Spillman 'menagerie' model.

Charity Where do our values lie?
According to a 2007 Oregon Community Foundation report, Multnomah County residents gave $639 million to charity. (Portland Monthly, May 08)
The largest percentage (22%) was given to Education, compared to a national average of 14%. Philanthropy and volunteerism came in at 17%, not ranked nationally.
Human Services 17%, national 10%
Arts, Culture & Humanities 12%, national 4%
Health 9%, national 7%
Other 8%, national 9%
Environment 7%, national (includes animals) 2%
Youth Development 3%, not ranked nationally
Religion 2%, national 33%
Animals 2%, national percentage combined with environment
Public-society benefit 1%, national 7%
Not ranked in Multnomah Co giving: Foundations & International Affairs (10% & 4% respectively for national)

Cheese
Curds & Whey, 8036 SE 13th Ave, ph: 503-231-2877

Chinese Garden
Located in NW Portland, you enter to find a surprisingly peaceful and serene setting. The tea service is wonderful.

Chocolate
Alma Chocolate, Cacao, Chocosphere, DePaula Confections, The Meadow, Moonstruck Chocolates (one of Oprah’s faves), Portland Truffle, Sahagun, Xocolatl de David.com.
Interested in a chocolate tour? Check out Chocolate Tasting & More.
For more Oregon chocolatiers, see OregonGetaways, the Companies & Products section.

Christmas Ships
During the month of December, boats decorated with holiday lights parade up and down the Willamette River.

Cinco de Mayo
One of the largest Cinco de Mayo festivals in North America in Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

Clear Creek Distillery

Coffee
Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Guatemala Finca Injerto was featured in Saveur magazine, Oct 08: "With a faint taste of rose petals and a toasted-almond finish, this delicate, medium-roast coffee shines when drunk without milk or sugar."

Crafting
Classes: DIY Lounge at Collage
Monthly get together Crafty Wonderland

Cupcakes
There are a few great places in the city to get cupcakes. Here's one:
St Cupcake

B (updated!)

Baseball: Triple A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, Portland Beavers. The Beavers' fate is unknown now that MLS is coming to town and will be taking over PGE Park.

Basketball:
NBA Trailblazers

Beyond Bizarre
A Portland walking tour taking you to the creepiest parts of town.

Bicycling:
March 2006, Bicycling magazine named Pdx the best overall cycling city in the U.S.
According to Forbestraveler.com, Portland ranks #2 among bicycle-friendly cities in the world (Portland Monthly, Aug 08).
Portland ranks #1 among U.S. cities for % of residents who commute by bicycle (Portland Monthly Aug07).
Check out these websites for more information on bicycling in Portland:
Zoobombing, Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Pedalpalooza, Livestrong Challenge, Providence Bridge Pedal, Mini-Bike Winter Olympics, Tour de Fat, Reach the Beach, Hottest Day of the Year Ride, 40-Mile Loop, Cross Crusade

Bite of Oregon
Benefiting the Special Olympics, this is your opportunity to “taste” some of Oregon’s restaurants & wineries. Takes place in August.

Blue Lake
A natural lake for a day of play.

Breweries
Famous for its microbrews, Oregonians drink more beer and better beer than folks in other states. If you’re visiting in July, don’t miss the Oregon Brewer’s Festival, the largest beer festival in N America attracting about 50,000 people from all over the world, and if you’re visiting in the spring, The Spring Beerfest.
Gallons of beer that the 45 brewer-members of the Oregon Brewer’s Guild produced in 2005: 20.77 million.
Roots Organic Brewing Company
Hopworks Urban Brewing (great Event listing!)

On A Budget

W (updated!)

Waterfront Blues Festival
Not only does this festival attract some of the finest Blues musicians but, it also raises funds for the Oregon Food Bank. Takes place over the 4th of July weekend on the waterfront.

Weather
Average # of fully sunny days a year in Portland: 68
Average daily temperature in Portland: 60.2

Wine
Grape Escape Winery Tours
See also OregonGetaways.

Winter Hawks
Hockey.

World Forestry Center

Woodworking
Northwest Woodworking Studio, featured in Sunset Magazine, Jan 2010, offers woodworking classes and more.

R (updated!)

Rebuilding Center

Restaurants
See Restaurants section.

River View Cemetery
Offering gorgeous views of Mt St Helens and Mt Hood, River View is the final resting place of Virgil Earp, governors, US Senators, baseball player, Carl Mays, the first US policewoman, Lola G Baldwin and more.

Rose City Rollers
Women's Roller Derby League.

Rose Festival
A variety of activities, parades and other celebrations during the month of June.

P (updated!)

Pacific NW College of Art

Peacock Lane
During the month of December, the homeowners on this street decorate their homes with sparkling Christmas light displays.

Pearl District
NW Portland.

Peninsula Park Rose Garden

The Perfume House
Your favorite perfume discontinued? Looking for some of the rarest perfume in the world? Find it here, all with the help of one of the world’s 26 “noses”.

Pirate Festival
Held in Cathedral Park.

Pittock Mansion
Completed in 1914, the mansion also features a beautiful view of the city and beyond. The former Oregonian owner, Henry Pittock commissioned it’s construction.

Pizza
Featured in VIA, AAA's magazine as "Uncommonly good pizza places": Apizza Scholls, Flying Pie Pizzeria, Hot Lips (see H)

Plate & Pitchfork
21 and over. Delectable meals made with locally produced ingredients, served with local wines, and the privilege and experience of dining at local farms.

Portland Art Museum

Portland Cacophony Society

Portland Center Stage
Theatre

Portland City Grill
Although I’m not (many) listing restaurants in this bio, this one is the exception. It earns a listing not for the food (it’s good) or the fantastic happy hour they offer but for the spectacular view of the Willamette River, the mountains and the city. They have a large bar area (reservations unavailable) and a more elegant dining area (reservations suggested).

Portland Festival Symphony

Portland Farmer's Market

Portland International Airport
While PDX is the airport's code, you'll notice that locals frequently refer to the city, itself, as PDX.

Portland International Rose Test Gardens
FREE.

Portland Jazz Festival

Portland Marathon
A qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

Portland Opera

Portland Spirit
Beautiful, romantic and not too expensive. They offer a number of short cruises down the Willamette including brunch & dinner cruises.

Portland Taste
Taste of the Nation, an event benefiting statewide projects fighting hunger.

Portlandia
The 2nd largest hammered-copper statue in the country (the Statue of Liberty is the largest). Artist: Raymond Kaskey. Installed 1985. Dimensions: 36' 10" high. Made from copper and steel. Location: 1120 SW Fifth Ave.

Powell's Books
Built in 1971, Powell's is one of the largest independent book distributors in the U.S. Used books, rare books, new books. There's something for everyone at Powell's. Get lost in reading.

Pride NW