The short answer
Build your Portland days around a neighborhood, not a checklist of landmarks. Start with Powell's City of Books and the free International Rose Test Garden; add Forest Park or Mt. Tabor when it's clear, and OMSI or Lan Su Chinese Garden when it rains. A lot of the best of Portland is free — and the MAX Red Line runs from PDX straight into the city center, so you don't need a car.
Best free thing
International Rose Test Garden — 10,000+ rose bushes, free, in bloom late May through October
Best rainy day
Powell's City of Books — an entire city block of books, free to browse
Best with kids
OMSI, plus the USS Blueback submarine tour on a separate ticket
Best view
Pittock Mansion grounds — five Cascade peaks on a clear day, free, open until 9pm
Best night out
Revolution Hall — live music plus a roof deck open seven days a week
Getting around
MAX Red Line runs PDX to the city center — no car needed
Portland rewards people who pick a neighborhood and dig in rather than sprinting between landmarks. The city is compact, the good stuff is spread across the east and west sides of the Willamette, and a lot of what makes it worth visiting costs nothing at all. This page is the short answer to "what should we do" — sorted by the way people actually ask it.
