It's that time of the year, again: Back-to-school shopping season, that time where cut-off shorts and tank tops are replaced with shiny new shoes and the latest fashions. This year, catch up with the latest trends while saving some dough.

Oregon has no sales tax, which makes shopping in Washington County a shopaholic's dream, and the area has a multitude of boutiques, brand-name fashion clothing stores, and top-of-the-line retailers that will entice even non-shoppers to shop 'til they drop.

Bridgeport Village is one of Oregon's newest shopping, dining and entertainment lifestyle centers. Located on the border of Tualatin and Tigard, Bridgeport Village is a European-style upscale center with a unique blend of upscale national and local retailers, restaurants, bookstore, supermarkets, spa and a first-run, multiplex movie theater.

The teenager (and pre-teen) will no doubt find duds to start the new school year right at the trendy Urban Outfitters, preppy teens may find comfort at Anthropologie or American Apparel. College-bound students may prefer Banana Republic or White House, Black Market.

After a day of shopping, relax with a cup of Joe at Borders Books & Music, while grabbing some cool school supplies, dictionaries and reference books. Or take in the latest box-office splash at Regal Cinemas.

Located in Hillsboro, The Streets of Tanasbourne is a lifestyle retail center that mixes "main street charm with shopping center conveniences," with more than 50 specialty shops, locally owned and nationally-recognized retailers.

'Tweens, pre-teens and teenagers can find the hottest new trends for the 2008-09 school year at stores such as Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, Express, Hollister, Hot Topic, Pac Sun and Zumiez. Not to be left out, grade schoolers can rock a cool look with clothes from Abercrombie, Gap Kids and Limited Too. Shop for the entire family at Macy's, also located at The Streets of Tanasbourne.

Complete the back-to-school look with a new 'do from Salon 17, Great Clips and Pigtails & Crewcuts, a salon for children.

For the largest selection of stores under one roof, visit Washington Square Mall, a high-end mall located in Tigard. Washington Square is a Portland-area mainstay and has more than 170 retail shops, which will make the shopping experience more manageable.

Kids of all ages can start the school year on the right foot with the latest shoe styles at Vans, Journeys, and for the kiddies, Stride Rite. Clothing retailers, such as XXI Forever, Ruehl, Hollister Co., American Eagle Outfitters, Lucky Brand Jeans, as well as staples such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Abercrombie, Gap Kids, Zumiez and more. Anchor stores include Nordstrom, Macy's, JCPenney, Sears and Dick's Sporting Goods, with items that will excite all of the members of the family.

Whether shopping for back-to-school clothes for the kids, updating a wardrobe, searching for an ideal gift, or just looking to splurge, the art of shopping is always in fashion in Washington County. Let us know if you find any great deals!

Day two of my ideal Washington County weekend starts a little on the late side - we definitely enjoyed ourselves at Cornelius Pass Roadhouse the night before! So, much in need of coffee and treats, we head over to Longbottom Coffeehouse where the breakfast menu is available all day on weekends. Their "Dutch Baby German Pancakes" have intrigued me since the first time I saw them on the menu, and today will be the day to try them for the first time!

After our oh-so-indulgent breakfast, it's time for some girlie fun: shopping at The Streets of Tanasbourne! This great shopping center is one of my favorites, because it has a little bit of everything. We'll pick up some great buys at Macy's, then window shop our way through the early afternoon. For a late lunch, we'll head right across the street to ChennaiMasala for some fantastic Indian cuisine. We'll load up our table with lots of things to share as we sample our way through the authentic South and North Indian dishes.

If we can roll ourselves out the door after so much wonderful food, we'll head down the road to Orenco Station where we'll wrap up our day with a spa treatment at Opulence Women's Spa. I've been dying to try their "Snap Out Of It!" facial, so today's the day! This Washington County weekend will be such a hit, that all my friends and family from the East Coast will be begging to visit!

By Terry Goldman

So a couple of Friday's ago, I called my wife on my way home from work and asked what she wanted to do that evening. She had been home with the kids all day and wanted to just do something fun. We have a three year old little boy, and a seven month old baby girl and it was a nice night, so we decided to head down to Bridgeport Village for some shopping and a little dinner. Bridgeport Village is an outdoor shopping complex with a variety of wonderful stores, a multi screen movie theater, and several fantastic restaurants to choose from. It is located in Southern Washington County, right off Interstate-5 in Tigard.

The weather was great and the moment we arrived, my son wanted to go directly to the play area.  This is a great feature at Bridgeport Village.  I was able to be outside with my son, watching him enjoy the big toy they have in the center Plaza, and my wife was able to pop into a couple of her favorite shops and do a little window shopping with our daughter in the stroller.  There was lots of activity at Bridgeport and lots of families must have had the same idea as we did, but there is so much space to spread out and move around, that we felt very comfortable.  It was nice to see so many people taking advantage of a fantastic spring evening.  After a little bit we decided to grab a bite to eat and from the many wonderful choices available, picked Romano's Macaroni Grill.  We were seated within a few minutes and this is a great place to go with kids, because they cover the table with paper and have crayons available to draw and color with.  We drew a few streets and some stop signs, pulled out a couple of matchbox cars and let our son play to his heart's content, while my wife and I were able to have a nice conversation.  Dinner was great, my wife and I split the Mama's trio, which consisted of chicken cannelloni, three meat lasagna and chicken parmesan and our son enjoyed grilled chicken, spaghetti and steamed broccoli.  This was a terrific meal for kids and there was plenty left over that we took home for him to have for lunch the next day. 

After dinner we strolled over to Crate and Barrel, and I walked the kids around in the stroller, while my wife picked up a wedding and a shower gift for some friends getting married this summer.  After Crate and Barrel, we stopped in one of our favorite stores, Good Night Room, a children's specialty shop with furniture and accessories, for kid's rooms and a really fantastic selection of books and toys.  After that we headed home, but left feeling refreshed and grateful we have a great place like Bridgeport Village here in Washington County where the whole family has something to enjoy. 

In order to show off the county that I live and work in to someone who would really appreciate it, I invite my Mom to join me on my "perfect" Washington County weekend.

We start our day with coffee at Ava Roastaria in Beaverton, like any God-fearing Oregonian would do. After our caffeine fix we are ready to shop.

We'll head to Bridgeport Village to hit our favorite stores: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Oblation before breaking for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.

After lunch, we stock up on goodies from the Sweet Factory and head out towards Sherwood so my Mom can indulge her favorite pastime, Christmas shopping, at Sleighbells of Sherwood.

We then decide to head over to Washington Square Mall to do some damage at our mutual favorite, Nordstrom. On our way out of Beaverton, we stop at Portland Running Co. to get fitted for some new shoes so we can take a nice long run once we get back to McMenamins Grand Lodge, where we will be spending the evening.

After our run through the picturesque campus of Pacific University and the charming town of Forest Grove, we head back to the Grand Lodge to get cleaned up for our spa treatments at Ruby's Spa. My Mom hardly takes time to relax, so my "evil plan" for the weekend includes lots of extra pampering for her.

While she finishes up her extra long treatment, I scout out the movies playing at the Lodge. When she's done, we head to the theatre to watch "Horton Hears a Who," our favorite Dr. Seuss tale, before heading to our room to rest up for the next day of adventure in Washington County. 

Day 2

Our second day begins with exercise. With those new running shoes we bought yesterday, we head drive over to Tualatin Hills Nature Park to take a run on the miles of trails found there.

Since it is an unusually sunny day for Oregon, we decide to spend most of it outdoors, and after our run, head to Beaverton Farmer's Market to check out the produce and indulge in some locally-grown treats. After chatting with some of the vendors, the Gardener in my Mother gets inspired and she decides we simply must head to Al's Garden Center so she can find something to spruce up her yard.

After the Garden excursion, we head over to Old Town Sherwood to fuel up on caffeine at a local coffee shop. Not being one to skip over the history, my Mom insists that we explore. We walk around the Old Town district, discovering all of the antique stores, galleries and gift shops a girl could ever dream of.

After all this walking and exploring, I am in need of some major sustenance, so we head over to my favorite Chinese Restaurant, P.F. Changs, in Hillsboro for dinner.

To round out our Washington County weekend, we decide to take in some local theatre at Hillsboro's Hart Theatre, where they are currently showing Oklahoma, one of our very favorite Roger and Hammerstein's productions.  My Mom says she can't wait for another chance to explore the rest of Washington County!

I'm so well rested from my night at McMenamins Grand Lodge, that I've decided to get on the road early. My motivation for doing this? A huge maple bar from Beaverton Bakery. After my sugar rush, I'll stop by the Beaverton Farmer's Market and stock up on fresh veggies for the week.

Now, I don't think it's any surprise to those who know me, that I'm going to spend the better part of my day two shopping. Washington Square Mall is where I'll head on my way home from my busy weekend. They have all my favorite stores, and Oregon's largest Nordstrom. Which, I often refer to as my happy place. There are plenty of places to stop for a quick bite to eat to replenish my energy before I'm off to Bridgeport Village for guess what? MORE SHOPPING, because you know what? I've been saving up for this fantastic weekend, so why not go all out? It's on the way home anyway!

After my long day of shopping, I'll enjoy a quiet meal at M&S Grill, then maybe stop for a glass of wine at Split. Then, it's back home for this girl. I can't wait to do this again!

Note: To celebrate our new blog, our writers will be sharing what a perfect weekend in Washington County would look like for them. Stay tuned! There will be a chance for you to tell us yours, and maybe even win something in the process.

For me, the perfect Washington County weekend would involve shopping....lots of it. A day of marathon shopping requires a caffeine-load, so the first stop would be at Bridgeport Village to partake in a little nosh before my credit card gets a workout.

After gaining sustenance, the diversity of shops and the endless hours of browsing - not to mention the countless trips to the car to drop-off my bounty - will no doubt leave my tootsies aching. So, a trip to Coldwater Creek The Spa will help regain the needed rest to continue marching on.

With my wallet slightly lighter, and my mind and body refreshed, I head on over to Sherwood for a very lady-like brunch at the Lavender Tea House. Over a platter of delicious tea sandwiches and scones and a pot of tea, I reminisce over the day's riches, trying to decide which outfit to wear out on the town tonight.

After brunch, I pop into the antique shops that surround Sherwood's "Old Town," including the Railroad Street Antique Mall. The oodles of antiques and collectibles are a bit overwhelming, but it doesn't stop my pursuit of things past.

Newly acquired treasures in hand, I decide to head over to my new home-away-from-home, Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast, to relax a bit, check my e-mail and admire my new stuff - all tax-free, of course.

As the evening hours approach, I head on over to one of the newest restaurants in Beaverton, Decarli, to have a gourmet-style meal made with the freshest, local ingredients, and a glass of Oregon wine from the impressive wine list.

Next to shopping, live entertainment is one of my favorite things to experience while on vacation, and comedy clubs rank high on that list, so I head over to The Jester to catch one of the nationally touring comedians on the evening's roster. 

A couple of hours later, my muscles aching and my voice completely gone from the non-stop laughing, I head back to the B&B where sweet dreams of another fabulous Washington County weekend await.