This popular riverside park, which lines the west bank of the Willamette River, was finished in 1978 after four years of construction. It replaced an old freeway with 2 miles of paved sidewalks and grassy spaces, attracting heaps of joggers, in-line skaters, strollers and cyclists. During the summer, the park is perfect for hosting outdoor events like the Oregon Brewers Festival. Walk over the Steel and Hawthorne bridges to the Eastbank Esplanade, making a 3-mile loop.

Salmon Street Springs Fountain, on Salmon St near the river, cycles through computer-generated patterns. On hot days, kids (and adults) take turns plunging through the jets. North of the Burnside Bridge is the Japanese-American Historical Plaza, a memorial to Japanese Americans who were interned by the US government during WWII.