Where the Willamette and Columbia rivers join, lies Portland, a bustling city in the Pacific Northwest. The city overlooks the scenic Mount Hood, a snow-capped stratovolcano of 11,250 feet. 2.4 million people call the greater Portland metro area home, making it the largest city in Oregon and the second largest in the Pacific Northwest.

People in Portland never lack something to do. The city is famous for its casual dining scene, and wine connoisseurs love the tasting tours of Willamette Valley wineries. If beer is more to your taste, you'll enjoy the breweries and pubs, especially the spooky haunted pub tour.

The Portland Saturday Market invites you to browse the wares of local artists and food trucks in a spacious outdoor setting. Mountain bikers, windsurfers, and kayakers enjoy the Columbia River Gorge. The beautiful river canyon features scenic waterfalls and rock formations. Mount Hood and the surrounding nature areas offer trails for hikers of any skill level with beautiful forests and scenic vistas. Visit the site of the Dollar Lake Fire, a 6,300-acre graveyard of trees. Burned in 2011, you can see the new growth rising from the ashes.

Portland also features a variety of fascinating sites to explore. The Oregon Zoo is the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi and features over 230 species of animals, 19 of which are endangered. Horticulture enthusiasts will be enchanted by the Portland Japanese Garden. The 12-acre site features ornamental shrubs, step waterfalls, and plants.

If history and architecture are more your thing, you won't want to miss the Pitlock Mansion, a 1914 chateau in the style of the French Renaissance. This 46-room estate is now a museum open to the public. The land that is now Portland was once home to the Multnomah and Clackamas tribes of the Chinook. It was also one of the most densely populated areas of the Pacific coast. The region was also visited by Lewis and Clark on their famous expedition at the turn of the 19th century. While on the Oregon trail, settlers began setting up shop in the Willamette Valley around the 1830s. The rivers gave it access to important shipping routes, helping the settlement grow throughout the 19th century. The region's plentiful timber contributed to its economic boom, and Portland saw a huge influx of Japanese immigrants. Sadly, more than 3,000 of the city's population were interned during World War II.

During the 1960s, Portland became a hub of the counterculture, with an influx of people from all over the country seeking an eco-friendly lifestyle. That's one reason Portland is famous for its many trees.

With everything the city has to offer, why spend your weekends climbing and trimming those trees? Yes, we want to keep them healthy and safe, but without all the hassle. LawnStarter makes tree care simpler. Simply download our app or log into our website, enter your ZIP code, and certified arborists and expert tree technicians are just a click away. Let LawnStarter take care of your trees so that you can visit that winery, waterfall, or open-air market.