farmerwife

Another good beach for walks - Cape Kiwanda at Pacific City (with an award winning brewery and pub right on the beach - Pelican Inn)

http://www.pelicanbrewery.com/pages/pacific-city.html

meauxna

ha ha.. you keep trying to triangulate me...

Glad to see Cannon Beach made the grade!

gsnichol

NOW I'm hungry! Sadly meat is not allowed in, otherwise I'd bring a ton of bacon.

Kaffy Mintcake

I'm enjoying all these tips too! We'll be going to Portland in September and are narrowing down our things to do now. I think we'll spend a couple of days on the coast, a day or so in wine country, a day white water rafting perhaps on the Deschutes River, and a few days in the city itself.

Ruby - can't wait to hear what you thought of the train ride - we're thinking of doing the dinner one ourselves! Have a great time!

meauxna

Sounds good (and busy)!
Drive out to the rafting via the Columbia Gorge and thru Hood River (Hwy 84).. it will be beautiful in September!

Kaffy Mintcake

Lol - I just cut a lot to try to make it less busy believe it or not! I've been convinced that I want to move to Portland for years, but thought it might make sense to actually go there to check it out. Then ... maybe someday ... I'll just need to convince Nike that they can't live without me, right?

We will have 7 days there (not including travel to and from) - so I'm hoping we can hit a few areas. I'll look up Hwy 84 - thanks for the tip! We're still trying to work out good home bases.

My husband just read about a haunted pizzeria and told me, "I'll go to Oregon, but only if I get to go here!"

MattOR

Good choice.

MattOR

I lived in Seaside for nine months about ten years ago. It was miserable. There is practically nothing to do there except watch drunken teenagers tear around town in over-sized pickups. Probably the one place in Oregon I would advise avoiding unless you're into hiking as there is a pretty walk that connects Seaside to Cannon Beach via Ecola Head. It's about ten miles and takes all day but the views of the ocean are well worth it.

Newport is a pleasant enough town. They have the Rogue Brewery and a very nice cafe on the waterfront called The Coffee Shop which does delicious breakfasts. The much hyped aquarium there is a little over-rated but worth visiting at least once.

meauxna

ha ha.. Old Town Pizza! While you're in that neighborhood, don't miss Voodoo Donuts... there is also an underground tour in the Old Town neighborhood (by the pizza) that I've always meant to get around to.

With only 7 days, you may want to cut the rafting unless you are really gung ho for it--it's a full, long day with the drive.

Re: Nike.. well, I just ran into yet-another-3-ex-employees last week.. let's just say it may not be all it's cracked up to be.
Adidas America is HQd here though, and Columbia Sportswear...

eek cubed.
It hasn't improved much in the interim.

Kaffy Mintcake

Thanks for the tips! I've heard of Voodoo Donuts - maybe it was featured on the Travel Channel? The tour/evening, etc. sounds right up my husband's alley.

I'll think on the rafting, OH wants to do that, so I was trying to work it in.

And re: Nike, etc - I just mentioned the first employer I could think of in that area. I'm open. Would just need to find something in market research, and client-side is likely the primary option for that.

Boylerz

Don't forget the Goonies house in Astoria! My fav movie!

I am in Portland since last September and love it althogh I spend a huge chunk of time in Seattle and my girlfriend lives there. It is a very Euopean style city with great public transport etc. I recommend any of the McMenamins restaurants as somebody already has. The Kennedy school one is great. It is an old boarding school converted into a hotel which has a great restaurent so check it out! Check out the website!

Boylerz.

lansbury

Well the Oregon coast isn't Blackpool or Southend or just about any well known UK seaside resort it is more the scenery and outdoor activities such as hiking. If you want UK type night life Oregon coast just doesn't do it. Fortunately the locals haven't spoilt it to much in the name of making money.

BrightontoBoston

As previously said, take the I84 out of Portland, BUT turn off at Troutdale, following the historic highway. Stop at Vista point for awesome views of the gorge and Washington. Carry on through the waterfalls - a stop recommended at any, but the most popular being Multnomah falls. Lunch good at the restaurant. Carry on the scenic hiway until it ends, and becomes the I84 again. A stop at the hatchery is good, you can see 'Herman' - an 18 foot sturgeon, plus all the hatchery salmon. Carry on to Hood River, some good brew bars (Hood river bewery) etc. Get on the 30 / 35 for the loop around mount hood, when on the 26, take the drive up to Timberline lodge, some nice food etc and great views (it's 6500 ft) you will see for miles on a good day with views of other mountains in the cascade range. The 26 can then be followed back towards Gresham and back on to the I84 back to Portland.
For other Noobs to the area, Lady Di's in Lake Oswego is a great English store and tea rooms. They have bacon, tea and many other nice things!
Crowleys of cork, in Hillsboro does bacon, pasties and sausages to go. It's by the Hawthorne Farm Max stop behind Intel.
Astoria cropped up a bit.... I like the Wet Dog brewery -144 11th St. Astoria great bar food and a huge range of beers, and a great view of the river before it becomes the Pacific.
Around Portland, the International rose garden at Washington Park is nice, lots of walks, and a great view of the city, with mount hood in the back ground.