10 Best Healthful Activities in Portland

Portland is called the City of Roses for its proliferation of brightly hued blooms, but the color that best describes this city is green. Portland prides itself on being environmentally friendly, boasting an award-winning public transportation system, 277 miles of bike paths, and city planning that minimizes sprawl.

The soft seasonal drizzle that falls over the city (actually, there's more annual rainfall in Atlanta) makes it literally green as well. Consequentially, Portlanders enjoy 227 parks and 146 miles of lushly forested hiking trails, rain or shine. The climate also nurtures the fabulous food and wine produced here, helping make Portland fourth in the nation in per capita farmers' markets and top for its number of organic restaurants.

1. Eat at Park Kitchen: Chef-owner Scott Dolich is so dedicated to locally grown food that he's on the board of directors for the Portland Farmers' Market. His passion for all things local continues at his restaurant, in the chic Pearl District, where the menu changes daily based on ingredients procured from as few miles away as possible.

2. Take a city hike: The best in-city hiking can be found in Forest Park (503-823-7529); covering more than 5,000 acres with almost 70 miles of sereneforested trails, it's the largest wooded city park in the country. Sign up for a half-day naturalist-guided hike with the Friends of Forest Park organization (503-223-5449) to learn about everything from wild thimbleberries (similar to a raspberry) to the ecology of the park's old-growth forest.

3. Try a taste of Portland: One of the best meals you'll find anywhere is at Higgins.  Chef Greg Higgins is creating a Northwest style of cooking that adds to the great tradition of cookbook author and Oregon native James Beard. Order any item–from the local salmon to the house-cured pastrami made with locally raised, organic beef–and it will be a true taste of Portland.