vacationing in portland, or

i am going to portland in may. who, what, when, were, and why. help me make it a great trip.

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Permalink Reply by Davo on February 11, 2013 at 11:35am

Voodoo Doughnuts, Japanese Gardens, Powells Book Store, Saturday market, Check out the East side of the river, Stump Town Coffee, North west side has some good shops as well. Also Brewery Bike tour.

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Permalink Reply by Tricolor on February 11, 2013 at 11:41am

Bring me back a rust free Volvo 240, stick shift. 1986 or later so it's not the pain to maintain four speed with overdrive.

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Permalink Reply by Duppie on February 11, 2013 at 11:44am

The four times I've been there we spent most of the time on the east side.

Make sure you have access to a bike. We rented bikes from Clever Cycles and had a great time moseying around the East Side. Clever Cycles is also a great bike shop to peruse and is credited by some by starting the bakfiets trend in the US. Traffic is generally very friendly and while somewhat hilly, the city is very navigable, especially downtown and the East side.

Also make sure you like beer. Lots of brewpubs in Portland. I like the Lucky Labrador on Hawthorne and the Kennedy School on the Northside. This last one is a converted elementary school with a half a dozen bars and restaurants, a movie theater and stage. It is also a B&B.

If you like books, make sure to visit Powell's. The store is so big, you're bound to get lost in it.

And as Davo said, the Saturday market (which is open on Saturday and Sunday) is a good time as well. When visiting the market, make sure you have at least one facial piercing or tattoo, otherwise you immediately will be branded as tourist.

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Permalink Reply by S.Presley☠ on February 11, 2013 at 12:03pm

I read this a few years back.

here is the ebook------> HERE

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Permalink Reply by Agnieszka Z. on February 11, 2013 at 5:52pm

Exquisite and cheap food cart offerings: http://www.foodcartsportland.com/maps/

Also, if whimsy's your thing, go to http://www.yelp.com/biz/rimsky-korsakoffee-house-portland

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Permalink Reply by SarahB4.0 on February 12, 2013 at 3:59am

hike the Columbia River Gorge and spend a night or two in Hood River kitesurfing or white water kayaking. And this might only be good in Summer, but ride the Fruit Loop, visiting farms and picking up fresh fruits/veggies and other products. If you have time, the Oregon coast is absolutely beautiful. And all the stuff they said above about the actual city of Portland.

Fruit Loop - http://www.hoodriverfruitloop.com/index.html

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on February 12, 2013 at 4:41am

Big thumbs up for all of these, plus the classical Chinese garden, rose gardens and Jake's. Ace Hotel is cool: bonus - bikes for guests. Also, if you're a fan of Icebreaker merino wool clothing, Portland has one of their few stand-alone stores - within easy walking distance of Ace and the Powell's mothership.

Crossing the steel bridge and riding the East Bank Esplanade is a sweet trip. The Esplanade path connects with other bike routes.

Davo said:

Voodoo Doughnuts, Japanese Gardens, Powells Book Store, Saturday market, Check out the East side of the river, Stump Town Coffee, North west side has some good shops as well. Also Brewery Bike tour.

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Permalink Reply by Koltraned on February 12, 2013 at 5:17am

The McMenamins empire has nice/cheap/interesting places to sleep/eat/drink: http://www.mcmenamins.com/

Plenty of hiking options and waterfalls to see if you want to get out of the city for a bit (and have a car rented): http://www.oregon.com/attractions/multnomah_falls