PORTLAND IS THE SPIRIT OF THE WEST; not the cowboy West but the independent, colourful Pacific Coastal West. It’s an uplifting mix of San Francisco to the south and Seattle to the north – full of music, theatre, innovative restaurants and cool bars.

It’s a river town – the Columbia on its outskirts serenely heads for the sea while the Willamette bisects the lively city centre. Among its 12 is the stunning new Tilikum Crossing: Bridge of the People, the longest in the USA open only to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. At night, it’s enhanced by a lighting display that changes with the river’s height and temperature.

Portland is a great place to stroll, whether along the river (there’s a three-mile loop walk) and the attractive streets, or through such special places as Waterfront Park, home to America’s largest weekly (Saturday) open-air arts-and-crafts market, and Pioneer Courthouse Square, which hosts everything from summer concerts to the city’s Christmas tree.

Along the way there are such attractions as the Oregon History Museum, with its pioneer artefacts, the Portland Art Museum, oldest in the north-western USA, and the ornate Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, home to early talking pictures in the 1930s and now to everything from the Oregon Symphony to top bands and comedians.

Then there are all the horticultural attractions, among them the International Rose Test Gardens in Washington Park (the city hosts a three-week Rose Festival in early June), the Japanese Gardens in Forest Park, and, in Chinatown, the enchanting Lan Su Chinese Garden. For young people, there’s a zoo and the action-filled Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and for stately home lovers, the mountaintop French Renaissance style Pittock Mansion.

Each of the numerous neighbourhoods has its own appeal. Mississippi-Williams is full of bars and restaurants; Alberta Arts District stages an outdoor arts-and-crafts festival along Albert Street on the last Thursday of the month; Belmont is known for its vintage and indie shops, and the picturesque, riverside Pearl District for its entertainment venues and stylish lofts sited in converted warehouses along cobbled streets.

In additional to its numerous, often-innovative restaurants, Portland is a beer-drinker’s paradise, with an almost endless array of local brews. Newly-opened Loyal Legion has the biggest selection of Oregon beers (99) on tap, plus a notipping policy, and the new Great Notion brewpub uses clay vats lined with beeswax to add a honey essence.

Lewis and Clark walked this way 210 years ago, discovering untouched territory. It’s a very different place now, yet still has the same air of discovery and adventure.