Portland Trip Summary

I just completed a good 3-night business trip to Portland, and thought I%26#39;d share a bit about my experiences. Perhaps it will give others some ideas....

* Took MAX to/fr PDX. It costs $2.30 each way, and takes about 40 min. On the return trip, they were doing construction to the rail line, but had a bus to take us directly to PDX so it might have been faster (there was another bus that made all the stops).

* Stayed at the Embassy Suites downtown. Now I%26#39;m a HHonors member, so may be a bit biased, but this place was fantastic. It is in an historic building, but fixed up nicely. I was upgraded to a King Exec suit; had a huge sitting room, conference/dining table for 6, huge bedroom, and newly renovated bathroom. Certainly more than adequate for 1 person.

* Restaurants I ate at--

--night 1: Hubers: fantastic, just a few blocks from the hotel. I don%26#39;t eat red meat, and Huber%26#39;s specializes in turkey, so it was a natural fit. It is the oldest restaurant in town. Surprisingly reasonable prices (about $15 for dinner).

--night 2: Oba (Pearl dist). I asked the front desk how to get to the Pearl, they gave me a map (said to avoid Burnside), then I asked for a good restaurant. This place uses sustainable means for feeding/growing, organic when they can, etc. A bit on the pricey side, but great food, and the hostess went way out of her way to help me (sometimes tough when I%26#39;m eating alone).

--night 3: Henry%26#39;s (downtown/Pearl)...was on a list someone gave me as a place I had to go. It was good, but now that I%26#39;ve been, I don%26#39;t know that I%26#39;d go out of my way to go again. Good prices ($15-20 for most dinners). Very similar to BJ%26#39;s, Rock Bottom, Gordon Biersch, etc.

* Other things I did

--much walking. I didn%26#39;t rent a car, and walked from my hotel to my office (near the courthouse) every day, about 10-15 min. Walking from the hotel to the Pearl Dist took about 15-20 min (and once took Burnside).

--a few runs. I%26#39;m a runner, and the front desk manager at the hotel recommended a great run along the river for me. I went up to the Steel Bridge, crossed then down to the Hawthorne Bridge...the whole loop twice (and did it Tues %26amp; Wed). Saw MANY others out, running, walking, biking, etc.

--explored a little...thought of eating at Portland City Grill, went up to the 30th Floor of the US Bank Bldg, walked around, the restaurant/lounge wasn%26#39;t my thing, but did get some good views

--went to Powell%26#39;s Bookstore. This place is simply amazing. I stopped in after eating at Henry%26#39;s, thinking I%26#39;d spend 5-10 min...and before I knew it I was there at least 20 min. They have all kinds of books.

Of course I worked during the day, and drank a bit of coffee too. There%26#39;s Starbucks all over. I did try a few local places also, and think I liked them better.

Anyway, feel free to share comments, and/or ask if you want more info about anything.

I%26#39;ll be back a few more times this year, next probably in June, so I%26#39;m open to more ideas/suggestions of things to do/restaurants/etc.

Portland Trip Summary

My recommendation regarding Henry%26#39;s would be to hit the bar/lounge during happy hour. More than 100 great brews ON TAP! Great eats...after which, you might not need dinner. Their restaurant is a totally different experience.

Portland Trip Summary

Sounds fun, Andina (Peruvian food) is also good in the Pearl District. Park Kitchen, Fenouil, Bluehour, Ten 01 and Olea are all wonderful as well in this area. :)

Thanks syrahgirl, I%26#39;ll use those for my next trip up. There seems to be an over-abundance of great restaurants in the Pearl District, and all an easy walk. I want to spend more time exploring Powell%26#39;s too.

I don%26#39;t drink, so going to a bar was probably a mistake. The chain places I mentioned (BJ%26#39;s, Gordon Biersch, Rock Bottom) all seem to have a half-decent menu, but they all kind of seem the same after a few trips.

I%26#39;ll have to take my DD to Huber%26#39;s. She lives for turkey and mashed potatoes. We used to go to a place in NJ called Larison%26#39;s Turkey Farm which was also the oldest place around, but unfortunately it is no more.

20 minutes in Powells? I think two hours is my minimum!

One thing I really like about your report is how you planned your time to do what you like to do, not just the usual must-do%26#39;s.

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