Greetings from Portland, Oregon. Below is an update on the area’s newest travel-related developments. We hope you will find this information useful. If you prefer not to receive future media updates on Portland, please click here.

JUNE TOPICS

Family Travel – Five Friends from Japan Visit Portland Children’s Museum

Green News – Portland Named America’s Most Sustainable City

Hotel News – Heathman Hotel Completes Second Phase of $2.5 Million Renovation

Five Friends from Japan Visit Portland Children’s Museum

Designed to entertain and educate children about Asian culture, Five Friends from Japan will visit the Portland Children’s Museum, Oct. 6, 2006-Jan. 15, 2007. The excitement begins as children step into an exhibit area that looks like a typical Japanese elementary school classroom. Here, visitors will discover video messages from the five friends. After getting acquainted with their new pals and participating in customary activities in the Japanese school, visitors will follow the friends home, where each of the friends shows off a space in her/his house.

Sakiko’s Bedroom – Kids can dress in typical Japanese attire and check out real manga (Japanese comics).

Ken’s Tatami Room – Visitors can experiment with Japanese calligraphy, try out futon bedding, and learn about traditional home architecture. Kids will also notice that Ken is a fan of baseball and Harry Potter.

Aisa’s Kitchen and Tofu Shop – This is the place to fill up on information about the variety of foods eaten in Japan, as well as the traditional festivals that take place in Aisa’s town.

Yusuke’s Yard – Kids can practice aikido moves in a yard filled with Yusuke’s athletic equipment.

Shoko’s Living Room – Visitors can both listen to and create different types of Japanese music. Sharp-eyed kids will notice that Shoko’s living room looks a lot like those in the United States.

This exhibit is geared to kids age 5-12 and their parents. The Portland Children’s Museum is located at 4015 S.W. Canyon Road (in Washington Park, across the street from the Oregon Zoo). For more information on the museum and its exhibits, call 503.223.6500 or click here.

Media Contact: Martha Wright, Public Relations Manager, Portland Children’s Museum, 503.471.9909, mwright@portlandcm.org, www.PortlandChildrensMuseum.org

Portland Named America’s Most Sustainable City

Portland has been named America’s most sustainable city by SustainLane, an online community/website dedicated to promoting healthy, sustainable lifestyles. In its 2006 survey, SustainLane measured the performance of U.S. cities in 15 economic and quality-of-life categories. The categories included air quality, tap water quality, green building practices, local foods/agriculture, city innovation, transportation, planning/land use, and others. Portland was ranked no. 1 on the list, followed by two other West Coast cities: San Francisco and Seattle. The ranking by SustainLane follows several other kudos for Portland, including being chosen as Bicycling magazine’s top cycling city for 2006 and the “best place to live in the U.S.” by Men’s Journal. For more information on Portland’s sustainable practices, visit the Portland Office of Sustainable Development. For information on visiting Portland, click here.

Media Contact: Stephanie Swanson, Portland Office of Sustainable Development, 503.823.7109, swanson@ci.portland.or.us, www.sustainableportland.org

Heathman Hotel Completes Second Phase of $2.5 Million Renovation

Portland’s historic Heathman Hotel recently announced completion of the second phase of a $2.5 million renovation. The soft-goods project brings new fabrics, furniture and touches to the hotel’s corridors and 150 guest rooms. Most noticeable are touches of opulent art deco style, prominent in the hotel’s lobby and historic tea court. Guests will find art deco-accented rooms featuring 310-thread-count sheets, down comforters, custom wool carpeting and made-to-order furniture. Best of all is the “Art of Sleep” amenity, which allows guests the opportunity to select their bed preference upon check-in. Bed options include European featherbeds, European pillowtops and Tempur-Pedics. Built in 1927, the Heathman is a member of Historic Hotels of America. In 2005, the hotel received its 21st consecutive Four Diamond distinction from AAA, as well as inclusion on Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best Hotels” list. The hotel is located in downtown Portland at 1001 S.W. Broadway; 503.241.4100; www.heathmanhotel.com. For more information on The Heathman Hotel, click here.

Media Contact: Emy Noel, Public Relations Account Representative, Lane P.R., 503.546.7883, emy@lanepr.com