Portland trip in April

[mordecai]

My lady and I will be driving up the coast from Los Angeles to Portland and back April 21-April 29. We plan to spend the night of the 21st in San Francisco, night of the 22nd at a converted farmhouse on the Oregon border, and then the next few days with friends in Portland before heading back down. Would love recommendations on places to go and eat, things to do, etc.. in Portland. We are also trying to figure out our return trip. We were thinking of spending a night in Wine Country, so would love any recommendations for inns or restaurants (not *too* expensive please) in that area, or really anywhere between there and the Oregon border as we've never been north of Point Reyes within the Western US. Thanks.

 

[Bhowie]

You'll fit in, have fun.

 

[mordecai]

Thanks, guy I've never met.

 

[mordecai]

bump

 

[itsstillmatt]

Have fun in unimportland. Tell the Mrs. not to shave her legs for a while.

 

[Xericx]

Eat:
Le Pidgeon/Little Bird Bistro
Pok Pok
Toro Bravo
Tasty n' Sons
Pine Street Biscuits
Food Pod (eastside, not downtown..there's one across from Pok Pok but there are better ones)

See:
Japanese Rose Garden
Multnomah Falls
Portland Timbers Game
Walk around the Parks district (near the Oregon Historical Museum)
Hawthorne district on the eastside (small street but really captures portland like you would see on Portlandia).
Maybe take a sternwheeler cruise on the Wilamette River. http://www.portlandspirit.com/sternwheeler.php

Drink:
McMenamins Kennedy School
Portland City Grill Happy Hour (view)
Stumptown Coffee (one at the Ace Hotel)
Departure Lounge at the Nines (rooftop bar overlooking Pioneer Courthouse Square)


Shop:
Powell's City of Books
Pearl District (main part by Powells, sucks, but walk towards the Filson store on 13th)
Tanner Leather goods (belts made while you wait), also near Blackbird Portland and a few others
Lizard Lounge (near Filson store)
Cargo (strange chinese goods from around the world) http://www.yelp.com/biz/cargo-portland#query:cargo
23rd (Blake, etc). A few cool bakeries. Gotten more chainy though but interesting character

Stay:
The Nines
Hotel Monaco

 

[Xericx]

I would check out the Oregon Coast. Maybe stay in Cannon Beach or something or further down south hit up the sea lion caves, etc. maybe drive that way back up to the California border.

 

[mordecai]

we need to stay somewhere midway between portland and san francisco one night, is mt. shasta a good spot? any other ideas?

 

[Xericx]

I haven't made the drive in some time, but I recall Mt. Shasta being pretty bare, might just be motels.

Maybe Ashland might be good, the Shakespeare Festival, they probably have some interesting small town attractions/tourist crap. I recall its a quaint little town.

http://www.osfashland.org/index.aspx

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

the narration in the video is pretty :foo:

 

[mordecai]

Ashland is where we are staying on the way up. Wish Napa was a little further north. Decided it would be stupid to stay there when we want to see friends in San Francisco

 

[Xericx]

Chico, CA for Sierra Nevada brewery tour? about 8 hours from Portland according to google maps. but you're right by SF now...but might be cool.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Medford! Or Ashland, and catch a play and a nice dinner.

 

[mordecai]

Maybe I'll just do Ashland on the way back too. Are you being serious about Medford? It looks like the city that Extended Stay built

 

[imatlas]

Can you go up 5 and down 1, or the other way around?

 

[imatlas]



Chico, CA for Sierra Nevada brewery tour? about 8 hours from Portland according to google maps. but you're right by SF now...but might be cool.

I'd skip Chico.