[Read all of the articles in our Portland Fun Guide HERE! Looking for a print copy? Look at this handy-dandy map!—eds.]

After years of depending on TriMet to get around Portland, I’ve developed a complicated relationship with the city’s transit system. One can direct many valid criticisms TriMet’s way—it’s plagued by asshole fare cops, a troubled Safety Response Team program, and board members who maybe-do, maybe-don’t even ride the damn thing. But I’m still grateful to live in a city with a beefy transit system, especially one that carried me virtually everywhere for close to a decade. So let’s channel some positivity, shall we? 

By “positivity,” I mean “I spent six hours riding the bus on a rainy Monday.” And surprise: There’s still plenty to love about riding TriMet. The murmurs, clinks, and sighs of the bus, its familiar rattles and dings and disembodied robot voice announcing the stop. The requisite “thank you”s and occasional curb jumps. Light streaming into the streetcar when the drizzle subsides and a streak of sun breaks through the clouds. The first cherry blossom branches dipping into my path as I walk to my MAX stop. 

Sure, public transit can feel like sensory overload. But it’s also a complex and interesting chorus we miss out on when confined to cars. I’ll go ahead and say it—sometimes it’s fun. So, let’s get into it. Here are ten of the most fun routes in the city.

The Day Trip

The 35 line is an easygoing bus with beautiful sights and stops, including Tryon Creek, River View Natural Area, Mary S. Young State Park, and Lewis & Clark College. Ride all the way to the Oregon City Transit Center to explore the downtown area, which offers more than enough fun to fill an afternoon. You can hop on the free Municipal Elevator, snag a dollar cone at Mike’s Drive-In, browse instruments at Wally’s Music, or grab coffee at Black Ink’s cafe-slash-bookstore. For a little more adventure, trek across the Oregon City Arch Bridge to Camassia Nature Preserve, an underrated trail that explodes with purple camas in late spring.

For a change of pace, catch the 33 to head back into town—it trails the eastern side of the Willamette and cuts through downtown Milwaukie. (You get extra fun points if you stop at the old-school Main Street Collectors Mall & Soda Fountain or the elegant Ledding Library, which borders the tranquil, duck-laden Scott Park.)

The Workhorse

At first, calling this route “fun” felt a bit like finding excitement in taking a Vitamin D supplement. I wasn’t thrilled about it or anything, it just helped me navigate the city more easily. But the wide-windowed, brazenly green FX2, which swoops across Tilikum Crossing, down Division, through the Jade District, and clear out to downtown Gresham, passes some lesser-known—and definitely fun—landmarks along the way. My advice? Ride hungry, and cruise past SE 82nd. You can stop at barbacoa hideaway La Herradura, nun-founded vegetarian eatery Van Hanh, Try Me Ethiopian Cuisine, or grab jianbing and congee at Master Kong. Oh, and FX stands for Frequent Express. That means the bus runs every 12 minutes, just enough time to grab a seltzer at Plaid.

Another option is the 15 line, which rolls from the Northwest Industrial Area through downtown, over the Morrison Bridge, and out past Montavilla. I’m partial to this line because it runs straight to the top of Mt. Tabor, with several deboarding options along the park’s northern edge. Bring a picnic blanket and stop at Tabor Bread for breakfast sandwiches first. 

The Panoramic

Past NW 23rd, the 20 line to Beaverton Transit Center curves through the greenest swaths of W Burnside, with expansive views of Forest Park from either side of the bus windows. Hop off at SW Barnes and Leahy to explore the Cornell Farm plant nursery and munch scratch-made pastries from their on-site cafe.

You’re probably already familiar with line 63, which winds from Pioneer Square through Washington Park with pit stops at the Rose Garden and Japanese Garden. (It beats trying to park up there.) You’ll find a less-frequented, but still leafy trek off the 24 line. Hop off at NE Fremont and 89th and take a winding 30-minute walk to Rocky Butte’s panoramic city view. Back on the west side of town, the 51 line to Council Crest leads from Goose Hollow through the Southwest Hills and ends at Healy Heights, one of the highest points in the city. This line runs only twice a day, Monday through Friday, but offers unmatched sights of the city and a woodsy stroll to Marquam Nature Park’s Towhee Trailhead.

Honorable mention: I imagine the view from the aerial tram is dramatic, too, but I’m afraid of the Big One coming the second I climb aboard. Try it and let me know what it’s like: lindsayc@everout.com.

The Long Haul

The 16 line is reliably empty on a weekday morning—perfect for resting one’s head on the window and pretending they’re the protagonist in a Sofia Coppola movie. The route runs from downtown through St. Johns and up, up, up to Sauvie Island. If you’re into bridges, this is your route: The 16 cruises beneath the Fremont Bridge, allowing one to view its inner workings from interesting angles. Then it sails over both the St. Johns Bridge and the Wapato Bridge, with Mount St. Helens in view on clear days. The route offers a front-row seat to the goings-on in the Northwest Industrial Area—anonymous warehouses, rail lines stacked with old train cars, and moody sights of Forest Park’s eastern edge. 

If you’re not keen to ride to the island, deboard at N Lombard and Alta—you’ll be right on the doorstep of Revolutions Bookshop. After perusing activist-friendly lit, grab the 75 line to head back south. It glides all the way from St. Johns to Milwaukie and illustrates the shifting landscapes of the city’s east-side neighborhoods. Look out for P’s and Q’s Market’s mural of a dog playing a banjo, the mountain vistas on NE Columbia, and the Hollywood Theatre marquee. Hop off at SE Cesar Chavez and Knight, then take a 15-minute stroll down Woodstock, past Reed College’s rolling lawns and some schmancy Eastmoreland homes. You’ll wind up at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, a botanical sanctuary with solid birdwatching.