During our eight-night famil, Portland and Arizona offered two different but equally special experiences.
Portland has so much soul. I expected to love its café and craft beer scenes, but there is culture packed into every corner of the city.
The Portland Japanese Garden alone stopped me in my tracks. It’s considered one of the most authentic outside Japan, with a stillness and beauty that felt genuinely transportive.
Then, within hours, we were courtside at an NBA game for a night of electric, roof-raising joy. The range of experiences in the city is remarkable.
In Arizona, it was Williams that caught me off guard. I’d been mentally prepared for Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Those are destinations you’ve seen in photographs your whole life. But Williams? Nobody warned me.
At night, the main street glows with the most gorgeous vintage neon signage, making it feel as though you’ve walked straight into a 1950s film set. It was utterly charming and completely unexpected.
Sue (left) with Linkd Tourism’s Mel Newton
Meet the locals
We encountered many incredible people across both destinations, but Mirna Delgadillo of Seligman in Arizona stood out.
We only spent an hour in this small town on the original Route 66, but in that short time, Mirna gave us one of the most moving experiences of the entire trip.
She took us on a tour of the historic stretch of road and shared the story of her father, his life and love for Route 66, and what the road has meant to her family and community across generations.
It was told with such warmth, pride and generosity of spirit that several of us became visibly emotional.
Portland also offered community connection. There is something about the city’s neighbourhoods, the way locals move through them and how small businesses are supported and celebrated that, remarkably quickly, makes you feel like an insider rather than a tourist.
That energy is contagious and absolutely translates into a travel experience worth recommending.
Portland’s many facets
Portland is a food lover’s city in the truest sense. It champions local, celebrates the independent and rewards the curious.
Voodoo Doughnut is the fun, headline-grabbing icon and rightfully so, but the dining culture runs much deeper than that.
There is a genuine paddock-to-plate ethos woven through the city’s food scene you can taste in every meal.
Being at a live Portland Trail Blazers NBA game was an absolute highlight. Sport in the USA is a full-blown cultural event and the atmosphere, production and energy in that arena was something I wasn’t prepared for. I’d recommend that experience to anyone, without hesitation.
Get your kicks on Arizona’s Route 66
Culturally, Route 66 is unlike anything else I’ve experienced. It is not just a road; it’s a timeline.
Every town along it has a story to tell and the people who have dedicated their lives to preserving that history are extraordinary.
Elsewhere in Arizona, the Grand Canyon South Rim with Buck Wild Hummer Tours is an experience I am already mentally packaging for clients.
Standing there, on the edge of the canyon, is one of the most profound experiences of my life. The scale, the silence and the colour of the rock are things nothing can prepare you for and no words can adequately describe after the fact.
Prescott also lodged itself in my heart. The e-bike tour around Watson Lake delivered some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen. Dinner at The Copper Note afterwards was the perfect full stop on a great day.
Uncovering another side to the USA
I think many Australians feel like they have America figured out. They’ve seen it in films, visited Las Vegas or San Francisco and assume they understand it. This famil dismantled that assumption entirely.
Portland alone rewrote everything I thought I knew. It is one of the most genuinely creative, community-driven cities I have ever visited.
Then that Arizona stretch of Route 66 is one of the great American road trip experiences, yet it sits well under the radar for most Australian travellers.
The communities along the highway have their own distinct stories, histories and extraordinary characters. There is an entire world out there most people simply drive past.
Great famils help us serve clients better
Every experience during this famil felt considered and purposeful. From our first night at Sentinel Hotel in Portland through to the final walk in Phoenix’s Desert Botanical Gardens, every single day was built with care and intention.
As a Marketing Leader, I now have two destinations I can market with first-hand knowledge and that is invaluable. I’ll be building them into itineraries for clients from now on.
Travel Portland and the Arizona Office of Tourism clearly understand what agents need – not a highlight reel but real immersion – and the team at Linkd Tourism delivered exactly that.
They have created a very passionate and very vocal group of advocates for these destinations and we will absolutely be sending our clients to both.
