July 1, 2006
Portland, Oregon: a bit of tourist information
A reader emailed me these tips:
In Portland the McMenamins are pretty cool places to stay. Kennedy School is a converted school with a movie theater, a few bars, and a spa. It’s in Portland’s old streetcar neighborhood. If you have a car its a perfect place to stay and explore PDX. If you have to stay Downtown then the Benson or Governor hotel are both nice.
Washington Park in the WestHills is amazing and the Rose Garden is a can't miss. Take a Day trip to the Oregon Coast or the Columbia River Gorge (both are good day trips). Another nice day trip is to Oregon wine country.
Take the streetcar to NW Portland Neighborhood for restaurants and shopping. Some Portland restaurants: Sungari Pearl and Heathman.
Posted by James Trotta at July 1, 2006 6:03 AM
What is a "McMenamins"? A "PDX"? Gosh, I wish I was an insider like you.
Posted by: steve at July 2, 2006 1:56 AMAs I understand it, McMenamins Kennedy School is one of the McMenamins hotels. Never having been to Portland, I don't know much about these hotels.
PDX is the symbol for Portland's airport. Now I don't know the person who emailed me this personally, but from the context I guessed that he meant Portland (not the airport specifically).
Posted by: James Trotta at July 2, 2006 4:23 AMYes, PDX and Stumptown are affectionate nicknames for the beloved city. The McMenamins family-chain own a number of pubs and hotels in OR and southern WA.
Posted by: william barron at July 2, 2006 7:05 AMMcMenamins are totally cool joints for the whole family. The theater at Kennedy School is an old auditorium. It features sofas and love seats situated around tables. The snack bar sells pizza and pitchers of beer. The teachers lounge has a soaking pool. The rooms feature blackboards. The are several different options for dining and embibbing on the premises. We found the staff to be exceptionally friendly. Once you check in your set for the evening.
Posted by: fast eddy at July 2, 2006 11:28 AMThe McMenamins in Troutdale is an old poor farm. It has a movie house, Chip and Put 18 hole golf course. A Cool little bar that seems like it may have been plucked from the Irish countryside in the eighteenth century or maybe out of the Lord of The Rings. A 19th hole that looks like it could of been a location in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, it also has a distillery.
Posted by: JG Hitzert at July 3, 2006 4:55 AMOne last thing I'd mention on Kennedy school. Despite 3 bars, a restaurant, and a theater, it was remarkly quiet. The old plaster walls really keep noise to a minimum. There were young singles, couples, and families all staying there while we were there.
If you are a young single, there is a place called the Jupiter (downtown) that adjoins a bar called the "Doug Fir". It sounded a bit like Ikea meets MTV spring break, so we didn't stay there. The bar has a lot of live music and will be hopping til 4 am, which is why we didn't stay there. I googled Jupiter/Portland and found reviews from a lot of folks who said don't stay there unless you plan to party til 4, because you will be kept awake.
Posted by: Javaun at July 3, 2006 9:03 AMJavaun - that's just awesome information. Thank you!
Posted by: James Trotta at July 4, 2006 2:35 AM