We will be in Portland, OR in Sept for 3-4 days and then south down thru Oregon wine country toward Eugene. We are planning on staying at Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel. Would appreciate any recommendations in Portland area and Oregon in general. Any must sees, restaurants (we love seafood, steaks, Italian), and wineries (love Pinot Noir) would be great. Thanks for any info.
OT: Portland, OR recommendations needed (SIAP previously)
- Thread starter lb lion
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Cannon Beach is only hour and a half away.
Goonies never say die.
Goonies never say die.
Amen. Portland and Eugene are quite good, and an inland drive between them is pleasant. BUT, the Oregon coastline is exceptional. Cannon Beach may be the best of the area, and you can travel down 101.
Columbia River Gorge. Take the Historic Columbia River Highway out to see the various waterfalls and then head back to downtown on I-84 along the Columbia River.
Also, if you are into this sort of thing....Portland is known for its Ale Houses and micro-brews. Not sure about wineries though...we did not go to any in the Portland area when we were there.
Also, if you are into this sort of thing....Portland is known for its Ale Houses and micro-brews. Not sure about wineries though...we did not go to any in the Portland area when we were there.
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The Ringside Downtown is a great traditional steak house. Much like Gibson's in Chicago but a more intimate atmosphere . It is one of my favorites. Great steaks !
Jakes Crawfish House is a Portland mainstay. I haven't been there in many years but enjoyed it a lot. Now part of the McCormick & Schmidt chain.
A visit to the Nike campus in Beaverton would be interesting. I don't know if they have scheduled tours.
Portland City Grill is a top floor restaurant with great views, good food and friendly staff. We go there each time we visit.
http://www.portlandcitygrill.com/
I've eaten their as well (once), view is very cool, but thought the food was "ok" based on the price (just imho).
Portland might be the best beer city in America. Just a huge number of really excellent breweries/brew pubs and even the "regular" bars have fantastic beer selections.
Henry's Tavern is a cool spot downtown, but I really like some of the brewpubs across the river in the Burnside neighborhood (which is a very short walk across the bridge from you hotel).
I'll be out there in early August, so if you remind me I can report back with some more up to date info (I haven't been in a couple of years)
Henry's Tavern is a cool spot downtown, but I really like some of the brewpubs across the river in the Burnside neighborhood (which is a very short walk across the bridge from you hotel).
I'll be out there in early August, so if you remind me I can report back with some more up to date info (I haven't been in a couple of years)
1. Drive up to the ski chalet on Mt Hood
2. Multnomah Falls on I-84, driving back to Portland in the Gorge
3. Astoria, OR at the mouth of the Columbia River -- where Lewis and Clark ended their westward hike
4. Cannon Beach is beautiful
5. The 'Spruce Goose' is at McMinnville, OR (fully restored, just south of Portland)
6. Bandon Dunes -- golf heaven
7. Eugene and Corvallis -- if you wish to tour college campuses
8. OR/CA border -- those really big trees -- the 'Redwoods'
9. Oregon coastline -- stop at every overlook (fantastic views) -- 'Puffins' everywhere
10. Coos Bay -- 'Pre' country and home town
2. Multnomah Falls on I-84, driving back to Portland in the Gorge
3. Astoria, OR at the mouth of the Columbia River -- where Lewis and Clark ended their westward hike
4. Cannon Beach is beautiful
5. The 'Spruce Goose' is at McMinnville, OR (fully restored, just south of Portland)
6. Bandon Dunes -- golf heaven
7. Eugene and Corvallis -- if you wish to tour college campuses
8. OR/CA border -- those really big trees -- the 'Redwoods'
9. Oregon coastline -- stop at every overlook (fantastic views) -- 'Puffins' everywhere
10. Coos Bay -- 'Pre' country and home town
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If the scope is as far south as the border with CA, I might have added Crater Lake. I did the perimeter road on a mountain bike back in the 90s. Awesome scenery.
My family just spent 5 days there last summer and loved it. I'd take a day to explore the Columbia River Gorge, leave early in the morning, go to Latourell Falls it is an easy walk to the Falls, obviously stop at Multnomah Falls as well. A cool spot to stop and grab a drink and some food is Thunder Island Brewery if you are into doing a little bit of hiking I would do the Oneonta Gorge Trail, but be prepared to get a little wet! We continued on to Hood River and stopped at a couple wineries in the area. The Gorge White House had some real nice ciders and awesome views. We spent 2 evenings in Government Camp at the base of the Mt Hood so we could better explore the area. It'd probably take about 3-3.5 hours to drive it all in a day, so it'd be a long day but doable IMO. But you could do 2 day trips, 1 to the Gorge and 1 to Mt Hood and take your time more which would be my recommendation if you cant overnight.
We enjoyed Cannon Beach/Seaside area too as people have recommended.
Also, a lot of people I know think Bend is one of the best towns in the US. Lots of craft breweries.
We enjoyed Cannon Beach/Seaside area too as people have recommended.
Also, a lot of people I know think Bend is one of the best towns in the US. Lots of craft breweries.
I have lived in Portland since 1995.
I agree with a trip through the Columbia River Gorge - you may as well continue on to Mount Hood from there. The Coast is beautiful, but can be a bit foggy and dreary when it's hot and nice in Portland.
Mt St Helens is an hour+ drive and pretty cool.
I see some old school suggestions like El Gaucho and Jakes for restaurants. While these were the go-to places years ago, Portland's exploding food scene has left them in the dust. For steakhouse, go Laurelhurst Market. For tapas, Toro Bravo (the burger is actually the best in town imo) crushes it. Thai food is plentiful, but Pok Pok is the best (get the wings - trust me). Sandwiches - Lardo and Bunk. Quick breakfast - Pine State Biscuits (crowded on the weekend). South Park for seafood. Not a lot of good Italian here.
I would list brewpubs, but you really can't go wrong with any of them.
A nice way to see the Portland area is to do the 4Ts. https://www.travelportland.com/article/4t-trail/
Downtown is nice, but the east side of the Willamette River is where it's at. For walking around, try NE Alberta St, SE Hawthorne, or SE Division - all between about 20h and 39th St.
Feel free to hit me up with any specific questions. September should be a nice time of year to visit.
I agree with a trip through the Columbia River Gorge - you may as well continue on to Mount Hood from there. The Coast is beautiful, but can be a bit foggy and dreary when it's hot and nice in Portland.
Mt St Helens is an hour+ drive and pretty cool.
I see some old school suggestions like El Gaucho and Jakes for restaurants. While these were the go-to places years ago, Portland's exploding food scene has left them in the dust. For steakhouse, go Laurelhurst Market. For tapas, Toro Bravo (the burger is actually the best in town imo) crushes it. Thai food is plentiful, but Pok Pok is the best (get the wings - trust me). Sandwiches - Lardo and Bunk. Quick breakfast - Pine State Biscuits (crowded on the weekend). South Park for seafood. Not a lot of good Italian here.
I would list brewpubs, but you really can't go wrong with any of them.
A nice way to see the Portland area is to do the 4Ts. https://www.travelportland.com/article/4t-trail/
Downtown is nice, but the east side of the Willamette River is where it's at. For walking around, try NE Alberta St, SE Hawthorne, or SE Division - all between about 20h and 39th St.
Feel free to hit me up with any specific questions. September should be a nice time of year to visit.
I'm guessing Grant is not a wine guy. He omitted to mention the many quality wineries in the Portland area. Lots of wineries making quality Pinot Noir. I visited a couple summers ago, and played golf at Pumpkin Ridge (where Tiger won the Amateur back in the day), and there were a number of good wineries in the vicinity. I think that is the Willamette Valley, but am not sure.
I can second NorCalcLion's recommendation of The Ringside steakhouse. The steak was great, but "traditional" does not even begin to describe it. The place fairly reeks of the 50's. Not necessarily in a bad way, but if you're looking for a more updated brand of steakhouse, that is definitely NOT the place.
I can second NorCalcLion's recommendation of The Ringside steakhouse. The steak was great, but "traditional" does not even begin to describe it. The place fairly reeks of the 50's. Not necessarily in a bad way, but if you're looking for a more updated brand of steakhouse, that is definitely NOT the place.
I have an uncle out there that is a trail guide. You can check him out on FB, Regis Krug. We were out there in 2005 and he took us to Cannon Beach and to Multnomah Falls. If you are interested get a hold of him and he may be able to take you hiking if that is what you want.
There is a fish ladder place in the Columbia River Gorge (on the Columbia River itself, duh). It is pretty cool. Kids love the place. You can see salmon swimming upstream through the ladder,. You get a sideways view through glass panels. Also, Multnomah Falls is nearby, and they have a tank there where they have the biggest frickin' sturgeon I have ever seen. Well over a hundred years old, and something like 9-10 feet long. As Trump would say, yuuuge!
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Hope I didnt miss this thread.
My favorite restaurant in Portland - Oxhttps://www.google.com/amp/amp.oreg...20590787/2017_james_beard_awards_portland.amp
Ha. Guilty as charged. Beer and liquor for me, but if I'm having wine, I love a good Oregon pinot. Lots of great wineries within an hour of pdx.
I second McMenamins. It's a chain of sorts of brewpub/restaurants but some of them are part of a hotel. Some of them have theaters for live entertainment. The buildings are old schoolhouses or hotels or trains stations or whatever was unique and available for development. They all have a funky McMenamins vibe but they are all different. I've been to three or four. Pick one near you and check it out.
Maybe not for everyone, but you won't see this everywhere ....
https://japanesegarden.org/
There are a LOT of great wineries. Here is a personal favorite. Brian and Jill are nice people as well.
https://bellepente.com/
DO NOT MISS Heater Allen in Mcminnville for a beer break if you go down to visit some wineries ...
http://heaterallen.com/
https://japanesegarden.org/
There are a LOT of great wineries. Here is a personal favorite. Brian and Jill are nice people as well.
https://bellepente.com/
DO NOT MISS Heater Allen in Mcminnville for a beer break if you go down to visit some wineries ...
http://heaterallen.com/
1. Drive up to the ski chalet on Mt Hood--
It's the Timberline Lodge. Its exterior was used as "The Shining" Overlook Hotel. You will recognize it immediately.
