Welcome to Portland, Oregon -- the Pacific Northwest's gem on the Willamette. Portland got its name from a coin toss in 1843 (it was almost named Boston), had 800 residents in 1851, and has been growing rapidly ever since. The Portland metropolitan area is now the home to approximately 2 million "weird" residents, numerous breweries, and a professional basketball team. Join me on a journey through a few of Portland's unique and interesting aspects. I'm sure you'll find this city an exciting place to visit!

A point of pride for many Portlanders is the unique persona the city carries. This is most visibly noticeable with the "Keep Portland Weird" bumper stickers seen all over the city.

From keepportlandweird.com: "Keeping Portland weird does not have to be about being the biggest, the best, the most outrageous. Keeping Portland weird is about being true to yourself and supporting your community." This is achieved through events such as the Portland Urban Iditarod, held every year on the first Saturday in March -- the same date as the Alaskan Iditarod. It consists of teams of five (one "musher" and four "dogs") -- costumed, of course -- hauling a shopping cart along a 4 mile track through downtown and inner SE Portland. There are no winners or losers in this annual event, but that doesn't stop anyone from coming up with outrageous costumes and dropping into bars along the way.

Other unique Portland events include giant croquet in parks downtown and Santacon.

One of the many nicknames Portland has been called is "Beervana." This comes from the Oregon Public Broadcasting documentary with the same name made about Portland's role in the microbrew revolution.

There are currently 30 microbreweries operating within Portland city limits, more than any other city in the world. This is aided by the area's abundance of barley, hops, and pure water. Some of the most nationally recognized brewing companies include Widmer Brothers, BridgePort, and Pyramid.

With a plethora of locations to visit and a wide spectrum of tastes for your mouth to enjoy, Portland is a beer-lover's mecca. Even the most novice beer drinkers will be in heaven here with light lagers for the faint of heart and strong IPAs for the pros.

Portland's Trail Blazers earned the nickname "Rip City" in the 1970s with a three point shot by Blazer Jim Barnett that ripped the net off the hoop. Since then, Rip City has been host to champions, jailbirds, and the youngest team in NBA.

Although Portland has seen its fair share of controversy surrounding the team, fans continue to be loyal with "Blazermania." With the exception of only two times in the team's history, the Blazers have been one of NBA's top draws. The team plays at the Rose Garden, on the waterfront of the Willamette River, and games have been sold out since halfway through the 2007-2008 season.

 The above is only a taste of what Portland is really like. Come see for yourself!