Portland, Oregon at Thanksgiving?
 

My two sons are in college in Oregon and Washington, and my husband and I are thinking of traveling to them, rather than them coming home. This is probably not the time of year to vacation in this area (or is it?). We would be staying for 3-4 nights. Does anybody have any suggestions for accommodations and activities in Portland or in any charming nearby towns at this time of year?

Well, if you like wineries it is one of the best times to visit. That weekend is huge for them! But weatherwise...yeah, usually not the nice sunny weather. But that doesn't stop us locals from getting out and doing things, so come and just wear a jacket with a hood and you should be set:)

The chance of drizzle and overcast skies is pretty good at Thanksgiving. Don't plan on any outdoor activities, expect rain, and if you are lucky you'll get some decent weather at least a day or two of your visit. The Oregon Coast and the Columbia River Gorge are both very worth seeing (even as day trips) even in November, unless it's positively pouring rain, which is only slightly likely. If it's overcast you'll probably lose those breathtaking views of the Gorge, but you can still see the waterfalls. On the coast you can still enjoy yourself though the days are short by late November so you'd want to leave early in the morning to get the most light and make it worthwhile (about 90 minutes each way from Portland.)

Portland also has some nice neighborhoods for strolling and walking around or even walking along the waterfront downtown. It may be just a bit chilly; as long as it's not raining heavily, as mms says, bring a jacket and you'll be fine. :-)

Indoors in Portland...there's always Powell's. Many people could spend half a day or more there, easily. Saturday Market goes rain or shine though it's outdoors (Saturday and Sunday - should be busy that weekend).

Actually, I think Portland is a charming town .. As Andrew says, you can spend hours wandering the NW area of town with boutiques and shops and cafes and chocolate shops.. ( NW 23rd) and NW 21 for bakeries, and restaurants ( Cinema 21) ... the Arts & Crafts houses next door to gingerbread Victorians with gardens all year round.. the Pearl District with the old warehouses now art galleries and boutiques and apartments and restaurants, Powells, Whole Foods, In Good Taste, Sur le Table and great clothing stores.. Pearl Bakery for the best coffee and fresh baked wonderfulness.
On SW 10th, is the Living Room Theatre movie place ..
Portland is easy for walking and you can take a Streetcar to save too much walking in rain if there is some and save your feet too.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDet...ng_Around.html
I absolutely second the suggestion to rent a car and go to the Gorge.. I have been in all kinds of weather, it is beautiful no matter what .. the same with the Japanese Gardens, right in town..

1. Portland Japanese Gardens
http://www.japanesegarden.com
The Japanese Gardens are in the West Hills of Portland, making it very easy to visit them, you can even walk to them from certain parts of town.
The Japanese Gardens are quite beautiful, serene and inspirational, they are one of the Most Authentic Japanese Gardens outside of Japan.
They are strolling gardens, tea gardens and sand and stone gardens. Smooth stone paths lead the visitor through areas full of flowers, green and shady areas, past the Koi ponds and waterfalls and offer amazing views of Portland. The Gardens are about 500 feet above sea level.


2. The Classical Chinese Gardens
http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org
The Portland Classical Chinese Gardens are located in town, on NW Third and Everett.
The Gardens are a replica of the Gardens in Suzhou China ( Portlands sister city in China)
The entire walled in garden, occupies an entire city block.


I am going to post my lists from another forum here for you , hotels etc.

1. Hotel Monaco Portland
http://www.5thavenuesuites.com
Great location, cheerful suites, great room service. A health club and internet room keep you in touch and in shape.

2. The Heathman
http://www.heathmanhotel.com
Elegant lobby, small rooms that are comfortable and excellent service. The restaurant and bar are busy and serve very good food. Great location.

3. Hotel Vintage Plaza
http://www.vintageplaza.com
Kimpton sister of the 5th Avenue Suites Hotel, comfortable rooms, complimentary wine tasting and nice restaurant..Pazzo.

4. The Govenor Hotel
http://www.govhotel.com
Grand old building in downtown Portland with large guest rooms and very good restaurant, Jakes Grill.

5. The Paramount Hotel
http://www.portlandparamount.com
Trendy hotel in good downtown location. Large rooms and very large marble bathrooms. Dragonfly Restaurant downstairs is popular with an excellent bar.

** Construction going on indefinitely making the hotel area quite noisy and congested with traffic. **

6. The Westin Portland
http://www.westinportland.com
A standard Westin property with a large health club and great for business travelers, in a good downtown location.

7. Hotel Lucia
http://www.hotellucia.com
A charming hotel in downtown Portland, located next door to the Vintage Plaza Hotel. Charming and quirky, with a great Thai restaurant ( Typhoon) downstairs.

8. Mark Spencer Hotel
http://www.markspencer.com/
Right on the streetcar line, blocks from Powells, Whole Foods and the Pearl.

9. Inn at Northrup Station
http://www.northrupstation.com
Boutique Hotel..modern, convenient and affordable. Enjoy rooftop deck and easy access to Streetcar which stops right outside the hotel.

10. The Ace Hotel
http://www.acehotel.com/portland/
Very different, really interesting hotel, at the edge of the Pearl District in downtown Portland.
The original building was an old hotel, it covers the whole block , with a coffee shop, a deli next door as well as the Streetcar stop on the corner.
Very artistic and different rooms and theme. Young and "hip" might be the description as well as light hearted.
There are 4 Ace Hotels, one in Seattle, one in Portland, one in NY and one in California.

Hood River is a charming town 62 miles to the east--up the Columbia River Gorge, and Cannon Beach is a delightful place 80 miles to the west, on the magnificent Oregon Coast.

HTTY

Thank you for all the great responses. I made reservations at the Hotel Monaco for 3 nights--great price for a suite for 4 people. I've stayed there before and loved it.

I would love to go to the Oregon Coast for part of the trip, but I don't know if we should stay there a night or just do a day trip. I guess it's about a 1 1/2 hour drive to Cannon Beach.

Any recommendations on a great restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner?

Yes, it is a 90 minute drive from downtown Portland to Cannon Beach. I think it would be a fine day trip, we used to do it all the time. You can still be back in town for a nice dinner.
Paleys Place does Thanksgiving dinner, Hurleys the turkey restaurant lol , a lot of restaurants do Thanksgiving.. oh, Mothers Bistro ! they do it too.

Glad you like the Monaco , we stayed there so many times, even the dog is a preferred customer lol ..