Difference between revisions of "Visiting Portland"

Revision as of 18:27, 18 October 2007

When we show people around Portland, these are the top priorities

• drive the freeway around the city to show off the bridges
• walk around the reservoir in Mt Tabor park if the weather is nice
• drive out to Multnomah Falls
• hang out in Powell's books if the weather is bad

Other nice things to do if there is time

• walk through the Rose Garden
• walk through the Japanese Garden
• walk through the Chinese Garden
• drive up to Mt Hood lodge and have hot chocolate (day trip)
• drive out to the coast (day trip)
• drive to Mt St Helens and see the hummingbirds and devastation (day trip)
• architecture tour of downtown Portland
• Pittock Mansion (to see how the newspaper barons lived)
• Lumber Museum (never actually been there, but it sounds like local color)
• shop at Saturday Market (locally made goodies)
• browse Movie Madness
• walk through Mt Tabor

We used to always make a stop at the Church of Elvis, but I don't know where that is anymore.

Another favorite that is no more, is Jiffy Squid for coffee and waffles.

Restaurants that we like to show off to visitors

• Esparza's (Tex-mex)
• Lemongrass (elegant Thai)
• Nicholas' (Lebanese)
• Pho Van (Vietnamese)
• Legin (Chinese)
• Burgerville (fast food from local suppliers)
• Mio Sushi (the local sushi joint)
• Toji Korean Grill
• Laughing Planet (burritos and fresh juice)
• Pied Cow (coffee house)
• Rimski Korsicoffee (coffee house)
• Tao of Tea (tea house)

Schedule with Phil

How to pack

The weather in Portland should be sunny and 50 during the day and clear and 35 at night. The daytrip to the mountain will involve running from the car to the lodge through 40 degrees and heavy wind. The daytrip to the beach probably will be rainy and 40s. Don't bring an umbrella or you will be ridiculed as an outsider.

Saturday

• try to get a seat near a left window to get the best view of Mt Hood, it is pretty amazing because the landing pattern goes very close to it. The right side window gets a view of Mt St Helens, but it isn't as awesome.
• Arrive 2:30pm or so
• Decompress and meet Elliott
• tour the house and garden
• relaxing walk or drive around Portland
• see some bridges, volcano, hippies
• Julie cooks goulash for dinner

Sunday

• Can't get out of church, so Ryan and Julie will be busy until 1pm. Relax and get used to the time change or cruise around and explore on your own. Gramma's Cafe at the end of the block is a good breakfast joint.
• drive west to the beach or east to Mt Hood (Julie stays home to visit another friend visiting Portland)

• Option A: Cannon Beach
  

Drive about 2 hours west over the Coastal Range to Cannon Beach

Walk the beach even if it is really windy and rainy

See Haystack Rock and the transition from big coniferous trees to beach scrub

Make corny Lewis and Clark jokes

Tour the Keefe house

Have dinner at Camp 18 on the way home

• Option B: Timberline Lodge

I recommend driving up to Mt Hood because that is really different than anything in Indiana

45 minute drive to Multnohmah Falls, through the gorge

another 1 hour drive up to Timberline Lodge on Mt Hood for hot chocolate

get back into Portland for dinner out (Julie is having dinner in with Jen) Anything sound good from the list above?

• get home after dinner, around 9pm.

Monday

• Phil at conference until 4pm
• cruise around downtown, see the rampant yuppification
• browse through Powell's Books
• dinner out?
• See local movie made good at 8pm: What the Bleep Do We Know, director's cut at the historic Bagdad Theatre Our babysitter is scheduled for 7:00 to 10:30

Tuesday

• Phil at conference until 3:30
• Jo visits her cousin
• See the Lewis and Clark exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society
• Evening stroll choices:

riverfront esplanade

downtown park blocks

Washington park (see some old growth)

Mt Tabor, our neighborhood volcano (end at Dairy Queen)

Sellwood park (see Ryan's office)

• fabulous Valentine's dinner out, maybe with the Keefes