Only in Portland.

To pinpoint one thing that makes Oregon’s largest city a fun place to visit is difficult, because there are many: Nine walkable neighborhood districts with charming tree-lined shopping streets, a blend of history and architecture with the best in retail, art, food and, of course, beer.

It’s also slightly quirky. Where else can you become legally married at a 24-hour donut shop like Voodoo Doughnuts ( http://voodoodoughnut.com/) and serve Bacon Maple Bar donuts to your guests? Or buy a book at Powell’s City of Books ( www.powells.com), the world’s largest independent bookstore that takes up an entire city block with more than 1 million new and used titles – and requires a map to navigate?

Quick trip

It’s easy to get there from Spokane – a scenic drive along the Columbia River Gorge will take less than six hours. If you’d rather just gaze out the window, and don’t mind early mornings, hop aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder. It’s scheduled to leave Spokane at 2:45 a.m. daily. Or choose from several daily flights out of Spokane.

Are you ready for your close-up?

Conde Nast Traveler named the pet-friendly Hotel deLuxe one of the Pacific Northwest’s top 25 properties last year. You may feel as though you’re stepping into pre-war Paris when you enter the lobby of the restored 1912 hotel, where a floor-to-ceiling video wall projects a rotating selection of international movie star portraits that date to the 1930s. Eight guest floors display 400 rare film and studio shots celebrating Hollywood’s Golden Age. One of the city’s best happy hours is found in the hotel’s retro Driftwood Room. If you find yourself with a midnight craving for artisan ice cream locally produced by Salt and Straw, room service will deliver it by the pint. The next day, walk off the calories – the hotel is close to downtown and the Max light rail. ( www.hoteldeluxeportland.com, www.travelportland.com/article/max-light-rail)

Weirdly cool

Somewhere in the last decade, the city whose top-selling bumper sticker is: “Keep Portland Weird” got really cool – especially in the areas of food and drink. Talented chefs migrated from across the country and began dishing up noteworthy farm-to-table meals with organic produce grown within miles. In a city obsessed with dining out, there are many worthy choices. But some of the best chow can be found in hundreds of food carts that are organized in “pods” around the city. You’ll find a complete roundup to suit every taste at www.foodcartsportland.com.

Local suds

There are 51 – and counting – microbreweries, from neighborhood brewpubs reinvigorating lost brewing traditions to nationally distributed Oregon brands. One of the oldest and most esteemed is Deschutes, a family-owned brewery that began production in Bend, Oregon, with Black Butte Porter in 1988 and subsequently gained a national following. A visit to its lively Portland Public House in the Pearl District is to understand how important the microbrew industry has become to the city’s identity. Visitors and locals alike come to sample a rotating selection from 19 taps. An added draw is the chef-driven menu, which complements the beers with regional and locally sourced ingredients and technique. Be sure to order the house-made Brewery Pretzel, steaming hot, sprinkled with locally harvested Jacobson Salt and served with creamy white cheese and black butte porter stone-ground mustard dip. Yum. ( www.deschutesbrewery.com)

A creative hotbed

If you’ve wondered what happened to the tag “Made with Pride in America,” it’s thriving in Portland. Made Here PDX, newly opened in the Pearl District, showcases local designers and makers. You’ll find everything from custom clothing and beautifully machined leather goods to handcrafted paddleboards, guitars and cast iron cookware. Two treats to take home: Jacobsen Salt Co.’s Salty Black Licorice for you, and for Fido, gluten-free dog biscuits, made with bacon and beer. Both irresistible. ( www.madeherepdx.myshopify.com)

Meet your maker

The Portland Saturday Market, open Saturdays and Sundays from late February through Dec. 24, is the oldest open-air arts and crafts market in the country, celebrating 42 seasons of continuous operation this year with more than 250 artists who each handcraft what they sell. There’s a broad selection, in addition to exotic food and live music. You’ll find everything you can imagine here, except the sales tax. ( www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com)

A city by any other name

Portland has many nicknames, among them “Bridgetown,” (there are 12 bridges crossing the Willamette River in the city) and “Rip City” (famously coined by play-by-play announcer Bill Schonely at a tense Portland Trailblazers game against the LA Lakers in 1971.)

“The City of Roses” is thanks to the annual Rose Festival each June – and three public rose gardens, crowned by the International Rose Test Garden that dates back to 1917. From May through September, you’ll find no fewer than 10,000 plants in bloom, as well as views of Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens, and even Mount Rainier on a clear day. ( www.rosegardenstore.org/international-rose-test- garden.cfm)

Speaking of gardens, the city has several standouts, among them The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, where right now, there are 2,500 rhododendrons and azaleas in bloom through June. ( www.rhodies.org)