A quick trip - One Afternoon Wonder
Jan 21st, 2004, 02:42 PM
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A quick trip - One Afternoon Wonder
Hello All,
Can anyone suggest what there is to do in an afternoon in Portland on a Monday Jan.25th. I will be there for business and have the afternoon off. I do have the evenings available for a week and will be staying near the Lloyd Center Mall and Oregon convention center .( Double tree hotel)
Can you suggest some fantastic food places as well as any nature trails and other must see culture sights , and shopping secrets.
I would so appreciate this. As I have never been to Portland but live close in Victoria BC.
Thanks
Can anyone suggest what there is to do in an afternoon in Portland on a Monday Jan.25th. I will be there for business and have the afternoon off. I do have the evenings available for a week and will be staying near the Lloyd Center Mall and Oregon convention center .( Double tree hotel)
Can you suggest some fantastic food places as well as any nature trails and other must see culture sights , and shopping secrets.
I would so appreciate this. As I have never been to Portland but live close in Victoria BC.
Thanks
Jan 22nd, 2004, 10:19 AM
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Will you have a car?
If you'd like to do some hiking, Forest Park is nearby. It's a lush forest in the city with great hiking trails. You can enter the park at the end of NW Thurman or NW Upshur.
For restaurants, I tend to like funky & different. You can find info/directions on portland.citysearch.com
East Side:
Le Bistro Montage - Cajun Bistro with great mac & cheese
Esparza's Tex Mex - great margaritas
La Buca - Good pasta
West Side:
Wildwood - PNW cuisine, great drink selection
Bridgeport Brew Pub - Pizza and very good beer
Mother's Bistro - Home cooking with a twist
If you'd like to do some hiking, Forest Park is nearby. It's a lush forest in the city with great hiking trails. You can enter the park at the end of NW Thurman or NW Upshur.
For restaurants, I tend to like funky & different. You can find info/directions on portland.citysearch.com
East Side:
Le Bistro Montage - Cajun Bistro with great mac & cheese
Esparza's Tex Mex - great margaritas
La Buca - Good pasta
West Side:
Wildwood - PNW cuisine, great drink selection
Bridgeport Brew Pub - Pizza and very good beer
Mother's Bistro - Home cooking with a twist
Jan 22nd, 2004, 10:37 AM
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Hi there! You will love Portland, it's one of my favorite places. you could go to Tom McCall waterfront park and walk around, it's beautiful. Start at the RiverPlace Hotel and stroll the shops.
The Harborside is very good if you like seafood, also Newport Bay is pretty good.
We love the shopping at the Pioneer Place. You could spend hours walking around there. Jake's Crawfish is very good for lunch or dinner.
There's the Rose Gardens/Japanese Gardens, the Portland Zoo is very fun.
Wildwood and Cafe Azul (mexican food) were recently listed in Gourmet magazine for the top 50 restaurants in America. I hope to try these in June when we're there.
When you go downtown, take note of all the beautiful bronze sculptures in the city. We love the one of the man with the umbrella. It's great for taking pictures in front of this.
Oh, The Verirtable Quandary in downtown Portland looks very good. We drove by it on our carriage ride through town. The next day I went back and got a menu and looked around. We will also be trying this place for lunch or dinner in June.
I don't know about nature trails in Portland, but you could take the short drive to Sauvie Island. In the summer it is beautiful. We pick our own flowers and berries and there are many nature trails there to hike around. Enjoy Portland! ***kim***
The Harborside is very good if you like seafood, also Newport Bay is pretty good.
We love the shopping at the Pioneer Place. You could spend hours walking around there. Jake's Crawfish is very good for lunch or dinner.
There's the Rose Gardens/Japanese Gardens, the Portland Zoo is very fun.
Wildwood and Cafe Azul (mexican food) were recently listed in Gourmet magazine for the top 50 restaurants in America. I hope to try these in June when we're there.
When you go downtown, take note of all the beautiful bronze sculptures in the city. We love the one of the man with the umbrella. It's great for taking pictures in front of this.
Oh, The Verirtable Quandary in downtown Portland looks very good. We drove by it on our carriage ride through town. The next day I went back and got a menu and looked around. We will also be trying this place for lunch or dinner in June.
I don't know about nature trails in Portland, but you could take the short drive to Sauvie Island. In the summer it is beautiful. We pick our own flowers and berries and there are many nature trails there to hike around. Enjoy Portland! ***kim***
Jan 22nd, 2004, 01:14 PM
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Thanks for all the great suggestions. I noticed some people mention McMenamins , i was looking at of its properties The White Eagle. Can any one reccomend this for hotel or food?
I was also looking for some food ideas near the convention center as I don't have a car. Something funky...and of course the best place for a latte within walking distance.
Thanks again,
Andrea
I was also looking for some food ideas near the convention center as I don't have a car. Something funky...and of course the best place for a latte within walking distance.
Thanks again,
Andrea
Jan 22nd, 2004, 02:31 PM
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The light rail is free from near the convention center all over downtown. It is easy to use and impossible to get lost. Take the rail to downtown grab a latte at Pioneer Square sit and watch people.If you are there at noon you can watch the Weather Machine predict the days weather. It fun to see if you are there. "Portlandia" is at 1120 Sw 5th Ave. it is the 2nd largest hammered Bronze Statue in the country 2nd only to the Statue of Liberty. It is really a great statue.
You cant miss Jakes Seafood in Portland
they have great food and is really a landmark.
The Japanese Garden in Washington Park is a nice place for some nature.
You might check out Frommers "Portable Portland" guide it has good maps and descriptions of many different things to do. I wished I had it when I lived there I wouldnt have to keep going back to see all the stuff I missed!
Have fun!
You cant miss Jakes Seafood in Portland
they have great food and is really a landmark.
The Japanese Garden in Washington Park is a nice place for some nature.
You might check out Frommers "Portable Portland" guide it has good maps and descriptions of many different things to do. I wished I had it when I lived there I wouldnt have to keep going back to see all the stuff I missed!
Have fun!
Jan 22nd, 2004, 03:15 PM
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I love eating at Higgen's, Jakes, Mothers, Blue Hour and I think having drinks at the Sauce Box and Red Star are super fun!
The art museum in Portland is fantastic! We drive down from Seattle for exhibits all the time. http://web.pam.org/index.asp
Pioneer Place is ok for shopping but really it's the same places as most downtowns. Maybe stroll around the Pearl distric, great interior design shops and the like. If you don't have a Saks there is one just across from the PP.
Portland is a good walking town but you will need to grab transit to get you to the other side of the river.
If you want to rent a car the wineries are just 30 mins west on hwy 99. Fantastic pinot noirs and some awesome wineries just off the hwy.
The art museum in Portland is fantastic! We drive down from Seattle for exhibits all the time. http://web.pam.org/index.asp
Pioneer Place is ok for shopping but really it's the same places as most downtowns. Maybe stroll around the Pearl distric, great interior design shops and the like. If you don't have a Saks there is one just across from the PP.
Portland is a good walking town but you will need to grab transit to get you to the other side of the river.
If you want to rent a car the wineries are just 30 mins west on hwy 99. Fantastic pinot noirs and some awesome wineries just off the hwy.
Jan 22nd, 2004, 04:00 PM
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The Pearl District is a great suggestion. I found a couple of really cool Portland websites that may be of help. www.shopthepearl.com and portlandwalkingtours.com I'm missing Portland now!!
Also, when we were there last summer, we found a really cool street with funky shops, a Moonstruck Chocolate shop and a fantastic pizza place with huge slices of pizza. Can someone tell me what the name of that area of Portland is? It's not to be missed! ***kim***
Also, when we were there last summer, we found a really cool street with funky shops, a Moonstruck Chocolate shop and a fantastic pizza place with huge slices of pizza. Can someone tell me what the name of that area of Portland is? It's not to be missed! ***kim***
Jan 24th, 2004, 08:18 AM
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The White Eagle is a great place to listen to live music. It's an old pub in a industrial area that McMenamin's has re-done. I wouldn't recommend staying there, not that great of a neighborhood. The food is okay, but no one goes there for the food. Cheap beer, and good music.
There's a Starbucks right next to the convention center
There's a Starbucks right next to the convention center
Jan 24th, 2004, 08:22 AM
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Oops, hit post too soon.
Not much that's funky by the convention center, mostly chains. I'd take the Max into downtown. Burgerville, also next to the convention center, is great for a burger or local-ingredients milkshake. They've got Chocolate Hazelnut right now
Not much that's funky by the convention center, mostly chains. I'd take the Max into downtown. Burgerville, also next to the convention center, is great for a burger or local-ingredients milkshake. They've got Chocolate Hazelnut right now
Jan 24th, 2004, 11:01 AM
#10
I presume you mean Monday the 26th not Sunday the 25th.
The forecast is for blah - cold and rain. That being the case, think about indoor pursuits, the best of which IMO is Powell's Books, on Burnside at the N. egde of downtown. Powell's is either the biggest or in the top couple of biggest bookshops in the country, and if you like books (and no sales tax/GST) you can spend hours - days - wandering around, having coffee or snacks in the cafe, real bliss for bookworms. Take the streetcar from downtown.
Then continue with the streetcar to NW 23rd and stroll the shops and galleries, culminating with a meal or nosh at Papa Hadyn's. Calories don't count when you're in the presence of their pastry.
The forecast is for blah - cold and rain. That being the case, think about indoor pursuits, the best of which IMO is Powell's Books, on Burnside at the N. egde of downtown. Powell's is either the biggest or in the top couple of biggest bookshops in the country, and if you like books (and no sales tax/GST) you can spend hours - days - wandering around, having coffee or snacks in the cafe, real bliss for bookworms. Take the streetcar from downtown.
Then continue with the streetcar to NW 23rd and stroll the shops and galleries, culminating with a meal or nosh at Papa Hadyn's. Calories don't count when you're in the presence of their pastry.
