"The Hunt For Red October" And Other Fun Things To Do In Portland, OR

It's no wonder that our neighbor  - Oregon- is one of the best states in the US for outdoor adventure. When it comes to outdoor activities and adventures, there is always something to do for everybody all year round. Surfing, kite-boarding, skiing/snowboarding, hiking, biking, rock climbing; you name it and you can find it somewhere in or close to Portland, Oregon.

Recently we went on a 5 day road trip around Central Oregon, and our first stop was in downtown Portland. 

Portland has earned the reputation of the most bike-friendly in the U.S., with more than 171 miles (275 kilometers) of bike lanes (and more soon on the way) and a 40-mile (64-kilometer) loop trail system (www.40mileloop.org). It's also home of the beautiful Forest Park, the biggest urban forested area in the country; the 5,100 wooded acres (2,064 wooded hectares) have more than 70 miles (113 kilometers) of hiking trails, including an epic 30-mile (48-kilometer) loop called the Wildwood Trail.

Unfortunately, we only had just a few hours in Portland, and before the trip, I had to find something fun, adventurous, and outdoorsy to do in downtown Portland for my 8 year old and I. 

Lucky for me, it wasn't hard !

I was recommended to visit the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Even though we love visiting museums, I wanted to make sure the trip was fun, and outdoorsy. And that exactly what OMSI was. 

Located in downtown Portland,  the museum offers hands on experience for kids and adults of all ages. I couldn't believe how much fun my son had learning about science and industry ! The museum also features Planetarium, with 360 degree, full-dome projection that combines thousands of images into a 3D journey across the cosmos. It was his first time in a planetarium, and he was in complete awe throughout the entire show !

But the best part of visiting OMSI was a live tour inside the infamous USS Blueback submarine, the one that appeared in the 1990 movie The Hunt for Red October. During the 45-minute long guided tour, we got to peer through a periscope, touch a torpedo, climb in a bunk in the crew's quarters, and learned how a submarine worked, and got a glimpse into how a crew of 85 lived and worked within the Blueback's hull for months at a time.

Another great thing about OMSI is that it's located near the bike-friendly Tilikum Crossing bridge. Even though we didn't have our bikes with us, we had fun crossing the bridge on foot to take a ride in a scenic Portland Aerial Tram ( only take about 20 min from OMSI ).

Even though the ride only lasted about 5 minutes, it was quite exciting for my little fellow, and we took beautiful bird-eye pictures of downtown Portland.

On the way back, we stopped by Portland Spirit Cruises & Events to go aboard one of  their beautiful dinner cruises to finish our fun and adventure filled day  in Portland.