Need advice for the Portland area

We (husband, 2-yr-old %26amp; me) will be in Oregon in July for a week. We fly into Portland in the morning (10am or so), and we%26#39;ll stay the 1st night in Portland. The next 4 days/nights we will be touring around Oregon. The last 2 nights we will be in Portland again before we fly home. BTW, we are staying in a hotel close to the airport (near the Maywood Park neighborhood), but we%26#39;ll have a car to be able to travel wherever.

Here are my questions:

1) What are some things we can do/see around the Portland area in the afternoon the day we fly in?

2) What are some kid-friendly restaurants (but still interesting and preferably NOT big chain restaurants...we like going to locally-owned places)?

3) The day before we leave we plan on going to Washington Park to the zoo and gardens. Is this a full-day activity? If not, suggestions on other things to check out?

4) Is it feasible during any of our stay (beginning or end) in Portland to go see Mt. Saint Helens?

Thank you in advance for any advice!

Need advice for the Portland area

Take the streetcar or walk in the Pearl District, Jamison park is great for children, plus parents can sit and relax , the neighborhood is good for exploring. You can go about a block or 2 away to Piazza Italia for lunch, inside or out ..

Most of the places in town are kid friendly except for the very trendy places like bluehour etc..

I always thought Henrys was best, big pleasant rooms, booths and good food and menus for all ages.. Old Town Pizza is nice, I like Miso Happy on NW 23rd but I read one bad review.. NW 23rd is a good street for cafes, browsing, wandering and eating..pizza, ice cream, etc.

The Zoo is wonderful , Washington Park is huge, you will need to drive from there to the Japanese and Rose Gardens.. Chinese Gardens are right in town .. NW side..

Go to the Pittock Mansion too since you will have the car ..

Mt St Helens is a day trip .. full day trip.

Here are some lists of restaurants , the museums and the Gardens websites.

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i972-Portland_M鈥?/a>

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i1394-Portland_鈥?/a>

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i1398-Portland_鈥?/a>

tripadvisor.com/GoListDetail-i966-Gardens_in鈥?/a>

Need advice for the Portland area

The waterfront area is very fun and scenic, there is the Marina Fish House (a floating restaurant) that is casual and would be great for kids. Have fun! :)

Heck, why not head up to St. Helens the day you fly in? Plan on a five-hour drive round-trip (so maybe too much time cooped up in plane/car for one day?). But you%26#39;ll have daylight until about 9:00pm, so it%26#39;s not as if you won%26#39;t have the time. Otherwise, my only added suggestion for that afternoon since you last asked the question would be Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. Best though is probably just to get the lay of the land; walk the waterfront.. Pioneer Courthouse Square... let your toddler splash around in a copule of the fountains.. find some of the restaurants Scarlett recommended.... But save Pittock Mansion for Zoo and Gardens day, as it%26#39;s in the same area.

Don%26#39;t have much to add in the way of restaurant recs. But I think you%26#39;d enjoy walking along NW 21st %26amp; 23rd, Hawthorne Blvd, N. Mississippi, NE Alberta, or through the Pearl District and just picking a place that appeals to you. Odds are pretty good that you%26#39;ll enjoy it.

Since you%26#39;ll be on the east side, I think Laurelwood would be a good restaurant for you. It%26#39;s pretty famous for its kid-friendliness. Hopworks too, of course. The whole zoo right now seems to be under construction, but maybe it will be better by july. You can make the zoo/wash park thing a whole day%26#39;s event by adding a stop at the childrens%26#39; museum across the parking lot from the zoo. Maybe park in Goose Hollow so you can take the MAX through the tunnel. My 2-year-old likes that part best.

I%26#39;d skip St. Helens completely and head out for a half-day trip to the gorge after you check in to the hotel--unless that%26#39;s part of your plan for the 4 days you%26#39;re out of portland.

Laurelwood is a great suggestion. Also, if you did head out for a drive in the Gorge, you could stop at Edgefield. You can walk around the grounds and eat in one of the restaurants.

The waterfront is a great place to walk. Wide walking path right along the river. As mentioned Pioneer Square is good for a small stroll. I also agree with Jamison Square. Excellent place for children. There are always lots of kids in that little park.

You mentioned staying near Maywood Park....just a little trivia....Maywood Park is actually a city. The neighborhood ';ceded'; from the union several years ago and actually formed their own city, bordered on all sides by Portland. ;-)

www.oregoncities.us/maywoodpark/about.htm