NDAA Summer Conference– Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon, has been voted America’s “Best Eating Destination” and “One of the World’s Top Travel Destinations for 2007,” and NDAA is providing an opportunity to visit this impressive city. From July 29 through August 1, NDAA will host its annual summer conference in Portland, also known as the “City of Roses.”

Portland was once 640 acres of lush land sitting on the banks of the Willamette River until it was purchased in 1843 for only 25 cents. Since that date, the city has grown and become a spectacular, charming town brimming with culture, entertainment and great food.

Portland is probably best known for its breathtaking parks. The city has more open space than any city of its kind with 37,000 acres of undeveloped land. Portland’s parks “range in size from 5,000-acre Forest Park (America’s largest urban wilderness) to tiny 24-inch Mill Ends Park,”1 and their beauty is enhanced by the flourishing gardens that decorate the landscape. Three rose gardens are scattered throughout the city; the Hoyt Arboretum is “home to plants from all seven continents;” and the Japanese Garden found in Washington Park is “known as the most authentic Japanese Garden outside of Japan.”2

Vintage trolleys provide easy (and free) access to Portland’s unique neighborhoods from the modern Pearl District, to Victorian Nob Hill and the funky Hawthorne District. Each neighborhood provides a distinctive dining, shopping and cultural experience. A diverse selection of vibrant art galleries, excellent shopping and delectable dining is abundant in the city.

Children and families can enjoy the Oregon Zoo, which recently completed the “Great Northwest” exhibit. The exhibit, 10 years in the making, is massive and features mountain goats, endangered salmon, cougars, a petting farm, elk, sea otters, sea lions and bears. The older crowd might be more interested in partaking of beer tasting at Portland’s famous brewpubs. And those who appreciate the quieter side of life should visit Powell’s, the nation’s largest bookstore.

Museums abound in the city of Portland. Art museums provide a taste of artistic culture beyond that of the galleries scattered throughout the city. The Science and Industry Museum is well known for its interactive exhibits and high-tech shows. Sports fans can visit the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, which honors Oregon’s “athletic greats.” And, for those who would prefer cleaning to watching sports, Stark’s Vacuum Cleaner Museum “showcases the most complete collection of vacuums in the United States.”3 There is truly something for everyone in Portland.

NDAA is looking forward to another exciting and productive summer conference. We hope that you are able to come out and enjoy the wonderful city of Portland with us. To register, please visit NDAA’s Web site at www.ndaa.org.

1 “Parks and Outdoor Activities.” Travelportland.com, 9 May 2007, www.travelportland.com/visitors/visguide/outdoors.html.

2 “General Media Kit: Major Attractions.” Travelportland.com, 9 May 2007, www.travelportland.com/media/genmedkit/gm_major_attract.html.

3 Ibid.