Impressions of Portland, OR
Aug 7th, 2005, 12:31 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 311
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Impressions of Portland, OR
Since so much good information has been -- and continues to be -- posted on what to do and not to do in Portland, I felt it would be redundant to give my advice. However, impressions are fair, I thought. Everyone has them, and SOMETIMES they are beneficial to others.
Perhaps the following will be useful for those planning or considering a trip up there...
CASUAL -- Portland was surprisingly casual. In 10 days we spotted three people wearing ties. I took a sport coat and "dress" shirt for our "special night out" but did not wear them. It takes about 15 minutes to get used to it. It also appeared that every person under age 30 has things pierced or body parts tattooed. Maybe that's replacing ties...?
FRIENDLY -- Everyone is. It's a laid-back, kick-off-your-shoes kind of town. This tied directly into the casual atmosphere.
COMPACT -- The rapid transit system, especially its free transportation zone, encourages travel in the city and it's easy to use. Should you want to venture further out, it's readily available, but you can reach virtually anywhere in the city without a car.
DRIVING -- If you do drive outside the city, you'll notice a rare phenomenon: (at least it is here in Texas) people actually drive in a civil manner, and most either are either on or within 5 mph of the speed limit! This is a radical concept, and for those of us who are used to competitive driving, it takes considerable effort to adapt.
WEATHER -- It was hot (daytime in the mid-90's) but without accompanying humidity. As a result, it was not unbearable. The skies were crystal clear, deep blue, and cloudless -- just like it is year-round, I am sure...
COAST -- Do the Columbia Gorge, of course, but the coast provided the greater attraction because of its (A) lower temperatures, (B) rocks and water, (C) shopping, and (D) amplified casualness (if that's a word...) Caution: do not be fooled by one visit when it is a bit warmer than you expected, and go back the next time in the skimpiest of shirt and shorts. You could burn your goosebumps and get a spotted tan!
WINE -- This is not northern California, but it can hold its own in terms of abundance of wineries. There are far too many to visit, and probably some are not worth the time. Among the ones we hit, we enjoyed Argyle, Rex Hill, and Sokol Blosser especially. The Pinots rule, of course.
FOOD -- Generally speaking, very good, but not extraordinary. Admittedly, we did not make it to all of the top ranked restaurants on our Fodor-inspired list, but did eat in Bluehour, Jake's seafood, Nick's in McMinnville, and Pozo. Fratelli's was our favorite. Caution: check out operating hours; we missed breakfast at Mother's because it was closed on Mondays.
HOTELS -- Rates are a real bargain, IMO. We had a suite in the Vintage Plaza for $134, and a large room in the Governor Hotel over the weekend for $129. The same rooms in other cities would be bumping $200. Overnight parking for your car is another matter. I think they are making up profit lost on room rates by what they charge for your parking.
GOLF -- We played Pumpkin Ridge, and were very impressed, by the layout and condition of the course. It seems that everyone associated with the game, however, puts Bandon in one category and everything else in another. The person helping us with our bags when we arrived asked our plans and suggested "You will want to play Bandon before you leave." When we finished, another employee asked how was our round, and when we said we enjoyed it immensely, he responded "You think this is enjoyable, you should play Bandon."
To top it all off, the guy sitting behind me on the flight back to Houston was wearing a Bandon golf shirt. Yes, he had played, he said, and yes, it was great. But Gawd, the wind almost blew him off the course. There, I thought, vindication!!
Overall impression: Portland and its surroundings provide travel enjoyment on a par with any place in the U.S. that we have visited.
Beachbum, mms: We did all we could to boost the local economy! Scarlett will have to take if from here....
Jim
Perhaps the following will be useful for those planning or considering a trip up there...
CASUAL -- Portland was surprisingly casual. In 10 days we spotted three people wearing ties. I took a sport coat and "dress" shirt for our "special night out" but did not wear them. It takes about 15 minutes to get used to it. It also appeared that every person under age 30 has things pierced or body parts tattooed. Maybe that's replacing ties...?
FRIENDLY -- Everyone is. It's a laid-back, kick-off-your-shoes kind of town. This tied directly into the casual atmosphere.
COMPACT -- The rapid transit system, especially its free transportation zone, encourages travel in the city and it's easy to use. Should you want to venture further out, it's readily available, but you can reach virtually anywhere in the city without a car.
DRIVING -- If you do drive outside the city, you'll notice a rare phenomenon: (at least it is here in Texas) people actually drive in a civil manner, and most either are either on or within 5 mph of the speed limit! This is a radical concept, and for those of us who are used to competitive driving, it takes considerable effort to adapt.
WEATHER -- It was hot (daytime in the mid-90's) but without accompanying humidity. As a result, it was not unbearable. The skies were crystal clear, deep blue, and cloudless -- just like it is year-round, I am sure...
COAST -- Do the Columbia Gorge, of course, but the coast provided the greater attraction because of its (A) lower temperatures, (B) rocks and water, (C) shopping, and (D) amplified casualness (if that's a word...) Caution: do not be fooled by one visit when it is a bit warmer than you expected, and go back the next time in the skimpiest of shirt and shorts. You could burn your goosebumps and get a spotted tan!
WINE -- This is not northern California, but it can hold its own in terms of abundance of wineries. There are far too many to visit, and probably some are not worth the time. Among the ones we hit, we enjoyed Argyle, Rex Hill, and Sokol Blosser especially. The Pinots rule, of course.
FOOD -- Generally speaking, very good, but not extraordinary. Admittedly, we did not make it to all of the top ranked restaurants on our Fodor-inspired list, but did eat in Bluehour, Jake's seafood, Nick's in McMinnville, and Pozo. Fratelli's was our favorite. Caution: check out operating hours; we missed breakfast at Mother's because it was closed on Mondays.
HOTELS -- Rates are a real bargain, IMO. We had a suite in the Vintage Plaza for $134, and a large room in the Governor Hotel over the weekend for $129. The same rooms in other cities would be bumping $200. Overnight parking for your car is another matter. I think they are making up profit lost on room rates by what they charge for your parking.
GOLF -- We played Pumpkin Ridge, and were very impressed, by the layout and condition of the course. It seems that everyone associated with the game, however, puts Bandon in one category and everything else in another. The person helping us with our bags when we arrived asked our plans and suggested "You will want to play Bandon before you leave." When we finished, another employee asked how was our round, and when we said we enjoyed it immensely, he responded "You think this is enjoyable, you should play Bandon."
To top it all off, the guy sitting behind me on the flight back to Houston was wearing a Bandon golf shirt. Yes, he had played, he said, and yes, it was great. But Gawd, the wind almost blew him off the course. There, I thought, vindication!!
Overall impression: Portland and its surroundings provide travel enjoyment on a par with any place in the U.S. that we have visited.
Beachbum, mms: We did all we could to boost the local economy! Scarlett will have to take if from here....
Jim
Aug 7th, 2005, 01:00 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 17,749
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jim--You definitely got the right idea about Portland! LOL! Glad you got to see a few different areas around here. The driving comments...so true! When we moved back to the PNW after being in NY and CT, we found ourselves driving much more aggressively than we used to. We have been back long enough now that we have mellowed once again, lol! Scarlett just called me this afternoon. They arrived and are headed out right now to help the economy, lol! I hope you come back again and can visit more of our state such as the central and eastern areas.
Aug 7th, 2005, 01:45 PM
#3
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,242
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great to read you enjoyed your visit, Jim, and thanks for posting your impressions. Except for the DRIVING comments, it appears you experienced the real Portland, even if you didn't see its real weather. As for the driving, you must have been on roads outside of my normal routes. Were the three guys in ties part of the wait staff at Bluehour?
Seems the guy behind you on the plane caught Bandon on a good day; only one element. I have only played it during "off season" when it's not unusual to have temps of 40-45, 40mph winds, and driving rain. Hope you have the chance to experience it someday.
Seems the guy behind you on the plane caught Bandon on a good day; only one element. I have only played it during "off season" when it's not unusual to have temps of 40-45, 40mph winds, and driving rain. Hope you have the chance to experience it someday.
Aug 7th, 2005, 01:51 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,936
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sounds like a great trip...I wanna go too! It's funny, til I got hooked on Fodors, I never really put Portland on my wish list but now it has firm footing near the top.
But what if I don't have any tattoos or multiple piercings? Will I fit in w/only my diamond stud earrings? Oh, wait, you said that was for the under 30s. I'm older than 29 by a couple of years...
But what if I don't have any tattoos or multiple piercings? Will I fit in w/only my diamond stud earrings? Oh, wait, you said that was for the under 30s. I'm older than 29 by a couple of years...
Aug 7th, 2005, 04:34 PM
#5
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't believe it is an Oregonian's bias to say that Portland is perhaps the most civilized major city in the USA. It's more Canadian than American. At any rate, some awfully nice comments above by Jim.
Aug 7th, 2005, 10:40 PM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,369
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The "extremely clean" comment is one I often hear from first-time visitors to Portland. I guess I take it for granted after living here for so long. I ride the MAX and the streetcar fairly often and I often overhear tourists commenting on the city.
Yesterday I was on the Portland Streetcar heading toward NW 23rd Ave and found myself sitting next to two women visiting from California. One was considering moving here. But she seemed to know little about the city. Never heard of Powell's. Never heard of the International Rose Test Garden. Gosh, those were destinations of mine on visits before I moved here. Amusingly, though, as the streetcar moved through the Pearl into NW Portland, I explained that both of these areas were two of Portland's premiere, trendy neighborhoods. She kind of shrugged - barely interested. Her friend wanted to get off and walk around NW 23rd, but the other one didn't feel like it. Her biggest question to me after this ride was, "Where is it *greener*?"
I think one of Portland's biggest selling points is our urban neighborhoods like NW and the Pearl. If you aren't interested in the city, as she didn't seem to be, there isn't a huge advantage to living in Portland. You can live in the suburbs anywhere.
Andrew
Yesterday I was on the Portland Streetcar heading toward NW 23rd Ave and found myself sitting next to two women visiting from California. One was considering moving here. But she seemed to know little about the city. Never heard of Powell's. Never heard of the International Rose Test Garden. Gosh, those were destinations of mine on visits before I moved here. Amusingly, though, as the streetcar moved through the Pearl into NW Portland, I explained that both of these areas were two of Portland's premiere, trendy neighborhoods. She kind of shrugged - barely interested. Her friend wanted to get off and walk around NW 23rd, but the other one didn't feel like it. Her biggest question to me after this ride was, "Where is it *greener*?"
I think one of Portland's biggest selling points is our urban neighborhoods like NW and the Pearl. If you aren't interested in the city, as she didn't seem to be, there isn't a huge advantage to living in Portland. You can live in the suburbs anywhere.
Andrew
Aug 8th, 2005, 06:29 AM
#8
Thanks for the great report, Jim! Funny about the weather. Living in Seattle people seem amazed when it is nice during their visit... like expecting it to pour rain every day all year 'round (which it doesn't, that's just what we tell the tourists -LOL local joke).
Aug 8th, 2005, 07:15 AM
#10
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,305
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Andrew, we were not that impressed with the Pearl District during our recent visit to your fair city and its environs. We loved the NW district, but found the Pearl District "bland" (for want of a better word). We were there on a Saturday afternoon, if that makes a difference. How/why did we miss the special attraction of the area?
Aug 8th, 2005, 07:15 AM
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 311
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Actually, I could have gone on and on about the city, but cut it off when my wrist began to cramp... lol
The view of mountains from all over the city -- especially from the mansion -- is something we missed almost immediately upon driving from the airport home. While Houston has numerous advantages, it's not an area renown for natural scenery. Portland is.
The Saturday morning market was a toot. And those of you who know the city, tell me, what was that wall-like structure on the street? I saw old pictures of the Lewis and Clark Centennial, and it looked like it could have been a remnant from that, part of a larger building.
Clean, yes. In fact, we commented "this city has no trash on the street," but soon noticed some, albeit very, very minor.
The International Rose Garden, ah, yes. A few years ago we visited Buchart Gardens in Victoria and apparently I have not yet learned to photograph these beauties -- too much color contrast floods my exposures. I just wish I had more time to experiment. Next time...
Oh, and I have to tell one last fond memory of this trip. We were outside a shop on the main drag of Lincoln City, and the wind was blowing, and all of a sudden, I see a $5 bill coming toward me. I looked like a cartoon character, chasing it down the street, trying to trap it under my foot and stomping like mad. Wife was laughing, anyway.
I caught it, though. So, if anyone lost a fiver on the streets of Lincoln City last Monday, I got it!
Jim
The view of mountains from all over the city -- especially from the mansion -- is something we missed almost immediately upon driving from the airport home. While Houston has numerous advantages, it's not an area renown for natural scenery. Portland is.
The Saturday morning market was a toot. And those of you who know the city, tell me, what was that wall-like structure on the street? I saw old pictures of the Lewis and Clark Centennial, and it looked like it could have been a remnant from that, part of a larger building.
Clean, yes. In fact, we commented "this city has no trash on the street," but soon noticed some, albeit very, very minor.
The International Rose Garden, ah, yes. A few years ago we visited Buchart Gardens in Victoria and apparently I have not yet learned to photograph these beauties -- too much color contrast floods my exposures. I just wish I had more time to experiment. Next time...
Oh, and I have to tell one last fond memory of this trip. We were outside a shop on the main drag of Lincoln City, and the wind was blowing, and all of a sudden, I see a $5 bill coming toward me. I looked like a cartoon character, chasing it down the street, trying to trap it under my foot and stomping like mad. Wife was laughing, anyway.
I caught it, though. So, if anyone lost a fiver on the streets of Lincoln City last Monday, I got it!
Jim
Aug 8th, 2005, 07:24 AM
#12
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 9,642
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I always thought Portland was a clean city as urban centers go. But on a trip to Salt Lake City (from Portland), I rode in from the airport to my SLC hotel with a middle-aged lady from the Portland outer burbs. I was saying how much I enjoyed the city; she frowned and said she never went there, it was "much too dirty and dangerous!" LOL, to each her own.
Aug 8th, 2005, 07:33 AM
#13
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,639
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Pearl District is very quiet. You could hear a pin drop when we were there mid-week. Pho Van Bistro and Bluehour are two great places to eat in this area. We like the Nob Hill area, lots more excitement there. I'm still enjoying my box of Moonstruck truffles. 
Escape from New York is a really cool place for a slice of pizza and Papa Haydns has some killer desserts there. ***kim***
Escape from New York is a really cool place for a slice of pizza and Papa Haydns has some killer desserts there. ***kim***
Aug 8th, 2005, 08:30 AM
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,242
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
emd, The Bend, OR area might be better suited to the lifestyle you're describing. For the very criteria you've stated, places like SunRiver Resort and Black Butte Ranch have attracted vacation and summer retiree home owners for years. Because of size, there isn't the same diversity in cultural offerings as in Portland. But I think that just might be a matter of time.
Aug 8th, 2005, 09:43 AM
#18
Join Date: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,294
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I agree completely on the driving. Was quite surprised a couple years ago driving out to the Gorge and later down to the coast. I couldn't believe people actually were driving 55 in light traffic.
The Pearl - we love that neighborhood. Not so much as a tourist, but more for thinking "how cool would it be to live here". It's so close and accessable to d/t while being so quiet and urban. And the idea that much of it is reclaimed makes it attactive too. But I can certainly understand how the casual tourist might be unimpressed.
The Pearl - we love that neighborhood. Not so much as a tourist, but more for thinking "how cool would it be to live here". It's so close and accessable to d/t while being so quiet and urban. And the idea that much of it is reclaimed makes it attactive too. But I can certainly understand how the casual tourist might be unimpressed.
Aug 8th, 2005, 09:54 AM
#19
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 8,305
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The reason why we were disappointed in the Pearl District, as everyone (local and tourist alike) told us that it was a "must-see" for any visitor to Portland, and so we expected a lot more than what we experienced!
Aug 8th, 2005, 10:27 AM
#20
I wouldn't call the Pearl a "must see", but I love just wandering there. So many little galleries, antique places, unusual shops and lots of great little restaurants. You don't really see much until you start walking and peeking in windows, and it does cover a lot of territory. I think its appeal is more to shoppers and wanderers.
I especially love discovering little galleries stuffed next to car repair places- although the car shops are rapidly going elsewhere!
I especially love discovering little galleries stuffed next to car repair places- although the car shops are rapidly going elsewhere!
