Travel to Portland, Oregon – Episode 230

Wes

Loved the podcast, Chris. I’m traveling to the Cali desert and then on to the Portland area (for the first time besides the Oregon Coast) next week, so this is obviously a very timely podcast. Sean hit up on everything I wanted to hear about (the great outdoors, mtn biking & the food). Looking forward to it and hope it stays dry.

kjirsten

Hey Chris, nice podcast! I’m from Portland, born and raised, and I have to say Sean hit the mark, pretty spot on! The one Portland institution he left out was Voodoo Donuts. There are two locations, my favorite is on 3rd and Burnside next to Dante’s Sinferno. Its only about 10×10 inside, so it gets crowded, and the late night lines are long, but that is one place I always bring my couchsurfers! Where else can you get a voodoo doll donut filled with blood (raspberry filling) and get married (its a chapel too!) all in one stop?

Agagooga

Hmm on the iTunes enhanced feed but this episode has no pictures :s

chris2x

I did have an issue last week that cause the enhanced version to be… not so enhanced. Most likely you downloaded it before that got fixed. Try downloading the episode again.

Fred Lusk

Thanks to host and guest for an informative and enthusiastic episode, which I just caught up to.

My wife and I have been to Portland twice and really love the city and its surroundings. Based on our trips, I would like to add the following:

1. Powell’s Books is worth a full afternoon, if not all day. On our last trip, we went twice. Enough said.

2. On the south end of Forest Park (mentioned in the episode) is the much more developed Washington Park, which is home to several things worth seeing. On top of my wife’s list was the International Rose Test Garden. Roses are her favorite flower. Even though we missed the peak rose season, she was very impressed. The Japanese Gardens is outstanding. We didn’t have time to visit the zoo (one of my favorite things to do), but it looks to be top notch. Washington Park is about a mile west of downtown Portland and we will spend more time there on our next visit.

3. On Saturdays, there are several craft fairs all within walking distance in downtown. IIRC, the whole thing is called “Saturday in the Park.”

3. IMHO, Portland’s best day trip is the Columbia River Gorge, immediately east of the City along Interstate 84. First stop should be Crown Point/Vista House State Park. The views from here are outstanding. Heading east are dozens of waterfalls, ranging in size up to the renowned Multnomah Falls (640′ tall in two beautiful drops). Some of the waterfalls are drive-to, some require a short easy stroll, and some require a real hike. If you’re a waterfall fan like me (I live 90 miles from Yosemite Valley), this is the main reason to go. However, you can also visit Bonneville Dam, see wind surfers, etc.

4. If you continue on to Hood River to spend the night, you can complete a 2-day loop around Mount Hood via Hwys 35 and 26. It’s a beautiful drive. You can do it one day, but I recommend at least two.

5. If you want more waterfalls, head south to Salem, Oregon’s capital, then east a bit to Silver Falls State Park. This is another place I want to see again.

6. Mount St Helens is an easy day trip….assuming your rental car doesn’t break as you get ready to leave. Then it becomes a LONG day trip.

7. The Pacific coast west of Portlant has lots to see and do. The City of Astoria is worth a stop. The prettiest section has got to be Cannon Beach, which has several seastacks (massive rock islands just off the shore). The best view of Cannon Beach is from the headlands in Ecola State Park. This is where the locals and tourists gather to watch the sunset and see the fog roll in. If you’re into cheese, the head south an hour or so to Tillamook and its chees museum.

8. Back to Portland. On our last trip, we took a dinner cruise on the Willamette River. The food was good, the price was OK, and the trip was interesting. However, we don’t need to do it again.

Nadine Cresswell

Where the Forest Meets the Sea

https://www.jeanniebaker.com/book/where-the-forest-meets-the-sea/