Multnomah Falls Photo: Karen Asp

I'm in love with Portland, Ore. -- and not just because this ultra-hip, eco-conscious city doesn't have sales tax, which even this non-shopper goes nuts over (hello, lululemon!). Hands down, Portland is one of the best places to take an active vacation. Not only does this area offer dozens of fun adventures, the beauty of the area is also simply stunning. Looking for suggestions on what to do? Check out this four-day itinerary.

Day one: Arrive in Portland, check in at the pet-friendly Hotel Monaco and hop on one of the hotel's complimentary bikes. Then ride the streets, cruising through fun neighborhoods like Pearl District, where you'll find some of my favorite restaurants, including Oba and Andina. Grab grub there at night or ride the fare-less light rail to Old Town Pizza or Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub, two of my other favorites.

Day two: Eat breakfast at the Red Star Tavern & Roast House, next to the hotel, which serves delicious sustainable meals. Then hop in your car and drive the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway on your way to Hood River. Wear hiking gear, as you'll pass numerous trails on the highway, many of them leading to waterfalls. The most popular? The Multnomah Falls, the country's second-tallest year-round waterfall at 620 feet, which has a restaurant at its base. Hike to the top of the waterfall and then keep going on the trail. Or move on to one of the other dozens of trails along the highway. Once in Hood River, check in at the Columbia Gorge Hotel and watch windsurfers on the river behind the hotel. Hood River is famous for its windsurfing, so if you've ever wanted to take lessons, now's the perfect time. For dinner, head into town to Celilo's for an amazing eating experience. After dinner, take a stroll on Hood River's main street.

Photo: Portland Marathon

By now, you know I'm a travel hound who will do anything to travel. Even if that means tackling a marathon. Granted, I could do a marathon close to home and spend no time on the road. But half the fun of doing a marathon is escaping to a cool destination. Which is why I decided to tackle the Portland, Ore. marathon two years ago.

Not only is this marathon consistently ranked in the top 10 in the country, Portland is also one of my favorite cities with its tax-free shopping and awesome restaurants. But there's another reason: Portland is the only U.S. marathon to sanction a division in Nordic walking, an activity I'm addicted to. As crazy as it sounds, it's also the Nordic Walking World Championship.

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), if you live in Austin TX or Boston MA you might want to think twice before going out to eat.

CSPI has ranked 20 US cities from best to worst using criteria from the city's food inspectors. The ranking considers "how often city inspectors found five major health hazards and five less critical concerns in 30 high-end, medium-range, and fast-food eateries in each city." Hand washing, maintaining food at a proper temperature, and improper cooking are some of the major health hazards. Minor infractions include poor employee cleanliness and hygiene, rodent and/or insect infestation, presence of sick restaurant workers, and contact of bare hands with food.

The CSPI encourages cities to adopt a restaurant grading program similar to a program in LA County where restaurants have to post what health inspection grade they received -- A, B, or C. (Lower grades would result in temporary or permanent closure).

Keep reading to see the CSPI's "Dirty Dining" list from worst to best.

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Using factors such as stress levels, cardiovascular mortality, high blood pressure, smoking, and the number of people who commute by foot/bike instead of car, the American Heart Association ranked the best cities/metropolitan areas for women's heart health. Did your city make the list?

• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota
• Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, District of Columbia
• Denver-Aurora, Colorado
• Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts
• Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington
• Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Oregon
• San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California
• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California
• Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona.
  
  

Nashville, St. Louis, and Detroit metropolitan areas were ranked as the three most unhealthy cities for women. Want to see more? Read Chris' post about the 20 healthiest US cities.

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Veganism is hip and trendy, but can it be used to sell sex? A Portland, Oregon strip club owner recently tried. The Casa Diablo Gentlemen's Club featured pleather wearing dancers and a soy-based menu. Johnny Diablo is a long-time vegan, and many of his dancers were vegetarians themselves.

The club is up for sale, a sign that perhaps customers just don't care that much if their exotic dancers care about animal rights. (As my spouse pointed out matter-of-factly, "They're strippers. It's what they don't wear that matters.")

But this isn't the first time that the vegans and sexuality have met. In fact, sex is often used to sell the lifestyle, including PETA's naked celebrity ad campaigns and peta2's latest: Ink, Not Mink. It's causing a stir in the vegetarian/vegan world, where many are complaining that women's rights are being trampled on in the effort to support the rights of animals, and that though sex may sell, people become drawn to the lifestyle for the wrong reasons.

The NYT has an excellent article on the topic. Learn more here. What do you think?

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In just a few weeks, the city of Paris will be debuting their new Cyclocity program, putting thousands of rental bikes at locations across the city. Though credit card information is required to rent a bike, the first half hour of each rental is free. Because most rides in the city are under a half hour, users of the system will essentially be able to commute and only pay a negligible fee. By implementing the program, the city hopes to reduce pollution and noise and create a slower paced, more relaxed feel.

France's third largest city, Lyon, put the system into place two years ago and it's been a huge success. I can only imagine, because I think it's a fabulous idea. Less carbon monoxide being spewed into the air, less traffic noise, and all those people out getting fit on their daily commute -- sounds perfect! In testing, city leaders found that when comparing commute by car, bus, biking, or walking, biking was the fastest form of travel in the city.

Cyclocity hasn't caught on in the U.S. yet, but some cities, like Portland, have tried similar programs. And at least one blogger is pushing her city leaders to adopt the program in Chicago, so maybe Americans may get a shot at this program yet!

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