Portland is… well… a little different.
Here are some hints to help you fit in.
GO to AZA’s official conference web site
to register, view the program and get details on social events.
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Weather or not
- Don’t pack an umbrella, even though it probably will rain. The local rule is “If you’ve got a hood, it’s all good.” It may be hot during the day, but September mornings and nights in the Pacific Northwest can be darn cold. To look like a native, dress in layers with a warm fleece jacket and a rain parka. Oh, and bring your sunglasses, because Septembers in Portland usually have gorgeous, sunny weather. CHECK TODAY’S WEATHER.
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Go outside and play!
- People move to Portland because it is one of the country’s best-situated locales for outdoor adventure. Pack your hiking boots. Bring your binoculars. Rent a bike or a kayak. The conference’s hospitality booth volunteers will have lots of ideas for outings, many of which will be a walk or away from the Convention Center. MORE INFORMATION.
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Bag it—sustainably
- Go green when you go shopping by packing your own reusable bag. Bring extra shopping money, ’cause there’s no sales tax in Oregon. And, sure, we have chains just like everywhere else, but there are also lots of one-of-a-kind stores that you don’t have at home. Take for instance, Powell’s Books, the largest independent bookstore in the country. It takes up a whole city block and goes three stories high.
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Extend your stay
- If you haven’t been to the Northwest before, you’ll want to plan to stay at least a few extra days. If you have been here before, you are already planning this. Right? There are glaciated mountains an hour and a half to the east. The Pacific Ocean is an hour and a half to the west. There’s a bona fide steam-puffin’ volcano a couple of hours to the north. Award-winning vineyards are peppered along the valley to the south. And there are five other AZA-accredited institutions within a three-hour drive. MORE PRE– and POST–TRIP IDEAS.
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Bring your appetite
- The locals are serious foodies. Food tends to be fresh, locally grown and preferably organic. Chefs are on a first-name basis with the farmers that supply them. Almost all good restaurants have vegetarian options. Portlanders are also serious about wine from nearby vineyards, microbrewed beer, locally roasted coffee and even locally made organic soft drinks. Get suggestions on where to partake at the conference hospitality booth. Columbia River salmon, Hood River pears, hazelnuts and marionberries are local delicacies to seek out. Check out some of our favorite PLACES TO SATE YOUR HUNGER.
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Get around like a native
- Even if you wouldn’t dare ride public transit at home, you’ll enjoy doing so in Portland. Portland’s award-winning light rail system (MAX), streetcar and even city buses are free in the 330-square-block Fareless Square, which encompasses the entire downtown core. You’ll be using MAX to go between the hotel, the conference center and the zoo. MAX-riding locals are friendly and helpful, even if they are a bit quirky. MORE INFORMATION.
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Sip sustainably
- Portland’s tree-hugging reputation has been earned by its award-winning sustainability practices. Look like a native by toting a refillable travel mug and/or stainless steel water bottle. Fill your mug with award-winning locally roasted brews from places like Stumptown Coffee. Fill your bottle with water right from the hotel faucet. Our pristine tap water comes straight from a mountaintop.
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Bring your résumé
- Uh … had you heard that Portland is looking for a new zoo director? Filling Tony Vecchio’s shoes will be tough, but he’s leaving the incoming director with record attendance and a recently passed $125 million capital construction bond measure. APPLY NOW!
- Fashion, Portland style
- Don’t bother to bring a suit if you want to look like a local. Portland is a very casual place where people dress as if they are ready to go hiking or running on a moment’s notice. That’s because they are. A business meeting can follow a hike, which can follow some time at a brewpub. Temperatures vary greatly as day turns into evening, and the natives don’t go home to change. The world headquarters of Columbia Sportswear, Nike and Adidas are here. Need we say more?
GO to AZA’s official conference web site