I recently traveled to Portland, Oregon, for the first time. There's one piece of advice I'd give every visitor.

"When I told friends I was visiting Portland, Oregon, for the first time with my partner, they all gave me similar suggestions: Visit the Japanese Garden, try the food-cart pods, grab a doughnut from Voodoo Doughnut, and browse Powell's Books. One thing no one mentioned, though, was renting a bike. Our hotel offered us free bicycles to use during our trip, and exploring the city in this way completely transformed our experience."

"We decided to make cycling our primary transportation for all five days, motivated by three goals: saving money, getting off the beaten path, and working up an appetite for all the amazing food we planned to eat. As an Australian used to driving on the left, I'm always nervous about biking in the US. I've cycled in American cities that have a reputation for being biker-friendly, like San Francisco, but still had challenges. This trip was different, though."

Two travelers used free hotel bicycles and made cycling their primary transportation in Portland for five days, saving money while exploring offbeat neighborhoods. Portland's flat terrain, protected bike lanes, clear signage, and respectful drivers created a confident, cyclist-focused environment even for someone accustomed to left-side driving. Cycling allowed the travelers to cross multiple bridges for varied city perspectives and to stage a progressive food tour across neighborhoods. The bike-based approach reduced transit costs, increased mobility, and uncovered parts of the city unlikely to be seen by car or traditional tourist routes.

Read at Business Insider