Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Hi,

I am planning a wkd break from Calgary and have flights booked to Portland Oregan. I arrive Friday evening and depart 1500 Monday afternoon.

I would love some advice or suggestions. I am keen on aviation so was thinking of goig to the aviation museum (especially the bit about Howard Hughes). I also didn't know if I should split the trip in two and hit the coast? I understand seaside is a 90 minute drive from Portland.

Being in landlocked Alberta I would love to feel the sand, sea breeze etc and sample seafood, but am I missing out on things to do in Portland.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions given.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

Oregon. It has been a long time since I've done it -- but the drive on the south bank of the Columbia River to Astoria is quite beautiful.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

How much running around do you like?

It's about an hour & a half from Portland down to the air museum, and it is fan TAS tic. Well, if you like planes. If you really really like planes, you can burn the best part of a day there no problemo.

From McMinnville, you can make it straight over to the coast, but it is an extremely slow road there. If you plan it, plan on speeds equal to about 45 over the mountain there.
I would recommend Cannon Beach over Seaside; you will be charmed.

The city is great, but you live in a great place too. With only two days, I'd tend to focus on what you can't get in AB no matter what.. the ocean (it's no pansy sea!).

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

I agree with meauxna. Head for the beach. If you want to stop overnight in Cannon Beach book something now. This weekend looks like great weather and it will get busy there.

Anything from Seaside down to Newport is an easy trip from Portland. You could land at PDX and be on the coast 3 hours or so after, (depends how many Portlanders decide to head to the coast at the same time). As well as the big aviation museum in McMinnville, worth the trip on its own, there is also a much smaller one at Tillimook in an old airship hanger. No airship unfortunately.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

If you are hiring a car and like road trips, a drive all the way down to Newport will make a good weekend trip; stopping off at places on route like the Devils Punchbowl and Depoe Bay. The Oregon Coast is beautiful

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

God, isn't that the truth! Was just down this past Thursday to Sunday.... the highway is a parking lot... Oh wait, you don't want to know how much I love going down there....:D

It is beautiful, though. If you like driving along the coast, its a very pretty drive.:)

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

I visit Portland every now and then as I have family there, but it just another city and I look forward to getting out of it more than I do being in it. The coast to the west, Mt Hood to the east. When visiting a book store (Powells) is a highlight of a city, maybe its not a tourist town, its pleasant enough, just not somewhere that for me has great unique things to do as a visitor. (For me thats most places in America, the landscape is the best bit)

I will be going down to Portland this weekend for a soccer game.

Apart from seeing Portland get hammered, I am looking forward to fish and chips the most. These for me are almost worth the trip, nothing like it near me so if you are in need of a British fish and chips hit, its at 1218 N. Killingsworth St

http://www.thefishandchipshop.com/

For dessert try Rimsky-Korsakoffee House at 707 SE 12th Ave

Food trucks are famous in Portland, but they change so maybe ask a local or meauxna may be able to chip in with where is good now.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

What was bad, the 101? Can't help that, come June 1. I was thinking of the 22 across from McMinnville going north. That road is soooo winding and awful. :(

I'm pleased I didn't have to go over for work this month, that's fer sure. ;)

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

Oh dear, didn't we tell you we've found a better joint?
No sit down, but you can walk a block to Director Square for outdoor public tables (with attendant!) and restrooms on site.
Superior product (sorry, Mick, but it's true) and price, by half.

The Frying Scotsman

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

Yes you did, I was being a bit me-centric, as I will not get there in time on Saturday (close at 3), and they are closed on Sunday.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

rats, that happened to you before, now I remember.
You might message Jimmy & ask him if he does anything different for game night.. IIRC he has before.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

Yes, the 22 isn't very nice. But yes the 101....:frown:

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

Where are the outdoor tables?

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

Try zooming in here: http://www.yelp.com/map/violetta-portland-3
9th & Yamhill, so just 2 blocks from the cart pod.
It may have been a parking lot last time you saw it, but it's a nice new park. Oh I know how to tell you.. "behind Nordstom". :lol: Actually kitty corner from the back of Nordy's.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregan, what do you suggest?
 

Hahahaha.....:p

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Timberline Lodge.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Canadian Rockies.
:D

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Just to say I had a great weekend in Portland, with an English edge.

Several pints of Speckled Hen at The Horse Brass on Saturday night, fish, chips and mushy peas washed down with Dandelion and Burdoch on Sunday.

Plus the highligh; seeing Portland beaten on their own turf. It was great to have the attmosphere of a proper away game, a good crowd with lots who travelled down from Seattle, and I was able to wear my colors around town beforhand, which I would not do in blighty. There was ribbing, of course, but that was all.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

If that is a high for Seattle they must be normally as bad as they played Sunday. :rofl:

The Timbers are just a bunch of largely untalented individuals, as clearly demonstrated by the lack of skill resulting in the penalty. At least Seattle seem to know that they were a team. Cracking goal from the free kick.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Newport for the Rogue Brewery tap and then south to Bandon beach:

http://www.dariusphotography.com/ima...andonBeach.jpg

We stayed at a Best Western that literally hangs off the side of a cliff overlooking this. Simply beautiful.

And there was a wildlife sanctuary nearby that lets you grope the animals.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

I have been here long enough that local supporters culture has rubbed off on me, and so, beating Portland is a definite highlight.

Its been a battle with Seattle, they are starting to work more as a team, Montero who got the first two goals, has a lot of natural skill, but can be so lazy, there have been lots of false dawns where he works his socks off for a few weeks then goes quiet again.

MLS is what I watch now, so its skill level is my de facto standard. Watching football is about more than just being entertained by the skill of the play.

Who will be out first from Piggy Park, Cooper or Spencer?

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Cooper if they have any sense, a lumbering Ox. Reminds me of Barry Endean from my early Watford days. Watford made a donation of £50 for Barry to a pub team in Hayes.

Spencer might well take the hit, it is the way blame the coach. With what he has got to work with I think they would be lucky if he wanted to stay. Hope he does, but I do wonder how any of the locals understand a word he says. His Alaska Airlines advert is a classic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhlhV0iCsgM

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Bandon Beach is the MOST amazingly gorgeous beach on the coast, my total favourite.. but the OP isn't around for long and that is a lonnnnng drive down!

Me personally I will skip all the towns and stay in a yurt in one of the state parks, Cape Lookout (Tillamook), Nehalem Bay (Manzanita), so many much nicer places than Seaside (IMHO), but if you do want to stay in a town try Manzanita over the rest of them.

Have fun, and let us know what you decide to do!!

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Cute.. hadn't seen that before. :)

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

WOW!!! I think Oregon is one of the most beautiful states in the US.

Portland is so lovely! Just a walk by the riverfront is so much fun. My wife lives in Eugene, and whenever I visit her (we live in different states for work reasons) we often love to spend a day in Portland and on the coast. This is what we do (I know we are very easy to please!): we drive out to Portland early morning and walk around in the city (including coffee at Union Square). Then we have lunch at one of their spectacular restaurants. Next we drive west to Tillamook and visit the famous cheese factory, where we treat ourselves to the fabulous free cheese samples and $2 yet delicious ice cream. Then we continue westwards towards the Pacific. We love to go to a place called Cape Meares, which has a lighthouse. At Cape Meares, you can also hike up a hill and get to a lookout point. Words can't describe the view from there! Anyway, then we keep driving south along 101 S and stop wherever we feel like.

When its dark and we're tired, we pull over at one of the hotels on the coast (its nice to find one right on the waterfront), spend the night, and get back to Eugene!

All of the state parks are fabulous. I'd specifically recommend Cape Kiwanda, where they have a really nice hotel right on the waterfront. The next day you can have fun at a HUGE sand dune right on the beach (at least 1000 ft high I think) that's a lot of fun to climb (and a great workout!). There is also a fabulous bar/seafood place to eat lunch at, on the beach as well.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Next time you go, when you leave Cape Meares, look for the sign to the scenic route going south. Follow that route, joins 101 further south and is much better from the scenic standpoint.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Thanks lansbury, will definitely keep that in mind.

Ah! Just saw someone talk about Bandon above. Its a bit too far of a drive from Portland, I think, but man, its UNBELIEVABLY beautiful there. Summer is a great time to visit the Oregon coast. I was there a couple of years ago in the summer, and I'll never forget the emerald color of the ocean on a bright sunny day.

Another amazing place is Crater Lake. I won't try to describe that - best to just say that its one of those views that makes life worth living. I got a similar feeling when I saw a total solar eclipse or the sunrise at Tiger Hill in Darjeeling. (This is unrelated to the Oregon discussion - but I wouldn't recommend visiting Darjeeling now, unless one has a time machine that allows you to visit it at least 10 years ago, or during the British Raj)

OK I'd better shut up and get back to building that time machine now (being a theoretical physicist by profession)....:)

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Do tell more, whats happened? (I visited about 20 years ago)

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

I lived in Darjeeling for about 2 years, between 97-99, working at ANZ Grindlays Bank on Laden La road (I'm sure you changed traveller's checks there when you visited!). That was my first job, fresh out of college, and I was extremely excited and LOVED every second of it. I'll never forget the late night walks I took through the mountain roads to various lookout points to catch a glimpse of the Kanchenjungha in the moonlight.

So naturally, after getting married to my American wife (who had never been to India before), I put Darjeeling on our India itinerary last year. it was SUCH a shock! That place is over-crowded beyond imagination. The roads (which once had zero motor vehicle traffic) are as bustling as streets in Delhi. There are high-rise buildings,supermarkets and seedy hotels on both sides of the street which cut out all the views, and apparently the city has not been able to figure out a way of cleaning the filth that comes from so much overpopulation. So there is trash and filth and garbage lying around everywhere. Very often (and mostly during the night) they just light random bonfires to get rid of the garbage, but that causes the air to filled with the stench of burning trash, from which there is no escape.

It was very sad for me to realize that the Darjeeling that I once adored, exists only in my imagination.

Needless to mention, all this was a bit too much for my wife (who also fell violently ill from a stomach infection) - and we had to cut short our trip and get back to Kolkata.

Re: Portland / Seaside Oregon, what do you suggest?
 

Sounds like it is the victim of India's booming economy. A pity we so often seem not to be able to keep the best of the past when we get the new.