Portland

Esther’s Yelp: http://esthery.yelp.com (click on “Lists” tab at the top for my Portland lists)

http://www.yelp.com/list/summer-events-in-pdx-portland

http://www.yelp.com/list/best-of-pdx-portland-2

http://www.yelp.com/list/happy-hour-in-pdx-portland

http://www.yelp.com/list/brunch-in-pdx-portland

http://www.yelp.com/list/best-of-the-oregon-coast-seaside

Travel Blog: http://eyeseestars.wordpress.com

For all the places listed below, check Yelp first for reviews and maps! ^_^

Best Brunches:

Mother’s Bistro (SW Stark & 2nd) – my favorite brunch place

Besaw’s (NW Savier & 23rd) – second favorite brunch place

Waffle Window (SE 36th & Hawthorne) – quick and fresh delicious waffles, best I ever had!

Screen Door (E Burnside & 23rd) – third favorite brunch place

Detour Café (SE 30th & Division) – great breakfast sandwiches

Broder (SE Clinton & 25th) – delicious Scandinavian brunch

Night Light Lounge (SE Clinton & 21st) – delicious bottomless mimosas

Pine State Biscuits (SE Belmont & 26th) – best biscuits ever!

Helser’s on Alberta (NE Alberta & 15th) – get the Scotch egg! Take home a dozen crumpets and eat them

in the morning toasted with marionberry jam topped with blueberries…mmm!

Sanborn’s (SE Milwaukee)

Other famous places I haven’t tried: Tin Shed, Bijou Café, Everett St. Bistro, Stepping Stone Café

(ginormous pancakes), Tasty and Sons, Merriweather’s, Utopia Café, Cricket Café, Gravy, Zells, Petite

Provence

Activities:

Wine tasting in Hillsboro & Forest Grove

o David Hill Winery

o Oak Knoll Winery

o Purple Cow Winery

Fruit picking in Hillsboro or Sauvie Island

o West Union Gardens (all kinds of berries, this is the one I went to)

o Smith Berry Barn

o Sauvie Island Farms

o Or if you just drive around Sauvie Island there should be a number of smaller farms and also

lavender picking farms

OMSI – fun science museum with beautiful views along the waterfront

Food cart pods – very Portland!! http://www.foodcartsportland.com/

o http://www.sunset.com/travel/top-10-portland-food-carts-00400000039975/

o Many have been featured in magazines and on the Food Network!

o 12th & SE Hawthorne – this one has crepes, Mexican food, crazy gourmet fries, and more

o 23rd & NE Alberta – cute pod

o Downtown: 10th & SW Alder, 5th & SW Stark, 3rd & SW Stark – Korean BBQ tacos and more!

o End of N Mississippi Ave – this is one of the most famous ones, has a bunch of famous carts

o Koi Fusion – best Korean BBQ tacos, check website www.koifusionpdx.com for current location

Nice Views:

o Pittock Mansion – beautiful views of Portland, beautiful gardens and a mansion, nice picnic place

(free to go enjoy the views/gardens, costs $8 to go into the mansion if you want a tour)

o Mt. Tabor City Park – more views of Portland but slightly blocked by trees, fun playground

o Forest Park

o OHSU Aerial Tram – free to go down, $4 to go back up, or take the Streetcar into Downtown

Portland (see my tour suggestion)

o Bike down Springwater Corridor to Oaks Amusement Park and Sellwood Riverfront Park

o Sauvie Island – has beaches (including a nude beach) with views of mountains

o Washington Park – has a great International Rose Test Garden (free), Japanese Garden ($$),

Vietnam Memorial (free), a zoo ($$) and other museums ($$)

o Columbia Gorge:

Crown Point Vista House – the most gorgeous view of the Columbia Gorge ever

Multnomah Falls to Wahkeena Falls hike – 6 mile hike, 3 major waterfalls and some

smaller ones along the way, plus a great viewpoint of Columbia Gorge

o Mount St. Helens

o Mt. Hood – Timberline Lodge, year-round skiing, etc., also some hikes, Ramona Falls is probably

the most beautiful falls in Oregon

My Downtown Portland Tour:

o Take the OHSU Aerial Tram down the hill to South Waterfront

o Then take the Streetcar into Downtown (the Streetcar is right outside the tram station)

If you like rice pudding, stop at PSU and walk over to 1503 SW Park Ave to Pudding on

the Rice – best rice pudding (15+ flavors displayed like gelato, made from the owner’s

grandmother’s Swedish recipe), crepes ($5 customize your own), and frozen yogurt, and

the sweetest and nicest owners that work there!

Stop at Yamhill and check out Pioneer Square

http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/map.php

Lots of shopping around here

o Then keep walking down 10th to Burnside

Powell’s City of Books – must-visit largest bookstore ever, takes up a whole city block

and 4 stories!

o Then head up to Portland City Grill (111 SW 5th Ave)

Great views of Portland, very nice restaurant/bar

Happy hour 4:30-6:30 pm, awesome food deals, drinks are not on sale but they have the

best mojitos I’ve ever had (and cool ones like passion fruit mojito, mango mojito, etc)

o Then go to Voodoo Doughnuts (22 SW 3rd Ave) – extremely famous donut shop, there’ll probably

be a line when you get there! I recommend the Glazed Crueller, Maple Bacon, or the Tangfastic

donuts, but there’s a lot of other fun donuts!

o Then walk along the Waterfront Park and just enjoy the view!

o Chinese Garden in Downtown Chinatown, admission fee (I haven’t been here, heard it’s nice)

Events:

o Last Thursday on Alberta St – every last Thursday of the month, big street fair! Fun people

watching. Lots of vendors and food carts!

o First Thursday in Pearl District (NW) – every first Thursday of the month, galleries open late and

have special events, also a big art fair on the street. Better than Last Thursday, in my opinion. No

food carts though! =(

o Saturday & Sunday Market – every weekend on the SW waterfront, ginormous market

reminiscent of the Asian night markets. Great place to shop for gifts. Lots of good food too. I

recommend getting Elephant Ears! I also bought some delicious fresh marionberry jam for pretty

cheap from one of the vendors.

o Farmer’s Market at PSU (Sat) – best farmer’s market ever, lots of good food stands too

Best Happy Hours:

Saucebox (4-6 pm) – real swanky restaurant with yummy Asian-style foods. Third best happy hour.

Night Light Lounge (3-7 pm) – lots of games, good food

Voicebox Karaoke (4-7 pm) – super fun karaoke with a bar, $4/hr during happy hour

Doug Fir Lounge (3-6 pm) – steak for $3?!?!? Real nice looking place too. Tied for third best happy hour.

Portland City Grill (4:30-6:30 pm) – great views, great deals on food, and best mojitos. Definitely the best

happy hour.

North 45 (4-6 pm) – great food and drink deals, and the food is amazing! Second best happy hour.

Bar Mingo (3-6 pm)

Noble Rot (5-6 pm) – really good food, great cocktails, and wine, pretty nice view too!

Someday Lounge

Backspace Café

Ringside Steakhouse

Jake’s Famous Crawfish

Red Star Tavern

Davis Street Tavern

The Observatory

Carafe

Oba!

Salvador Molly’s

Best Desserts:

Pix Patisserie – near our house! Amazing desserts (passion fruit mousse!) and macaroons.

Papa Haydn in NW or SE

Alotto Gelato in NW

Mio Gelato in NW

Cool Moon Ice Cream Company in NW

Jade Teahouse & Patisserie in SE (Sellwood)

Two Tarts

Ruby Jewel – handmade ice cream

Moonstruck Chocolate Café

Best Dinners:

Navarre – Tapas, delicious! Menu changes all the time.

Nicholas – Lebanese/Mediterranean food, tons of food, pretty cheap, best hummus and falafels ever!

Toro Bravo – Tapas

Andina – Peruvian

Du Kuh Bee – Chinese/Korean, some of the best noodles I’ve ever had, great dumplings and Korean BBQ

too! Cheap. I’ve gone here 3 times already haha.

Burgerville – fast food chain…but really delicious burgers, nice retro ambiance, and all the food is fresh

and local!

Saburo – hugesushi rolls, cheap

Lovely’s Fifty Fifty – delicious homemade ice cream, woodfired pizzas

Pok Pok – Thai, very famous

Thai Noon

Pambiche – Cuban

Biwa – really good ramen

Bewon – really good Korean food

Tanuki – Japanese izakaya

Du’s Grill – best teriyaki in town, my friend’s family owns it, his name is Anthony Park, tell him you’re my

friend and you’ll probably get more meat ;)

Apizza Scholl’s – BEST pizza in Oregon!! Get there early!!

Montage – good food, and they wrap your leftovers in foil and make cool figures out of them!

Syun Izakaya Japanese Restaurant & Sake Club

Check out my bookmarks on Yelp too (3.5+ stars is good, preferably 4 stars, look for ones with at least 50

reviews, the ones with 200+ reviews are super famous and probably really good too)

Best Bars/Breweries:

Moloko Plus – nice ambiance, great mojitos

Crowbar – dive bar, pretty cheap, has some games

Prost – German bar, can get a Das Boot

Lupa – intimate wine bar =)

Amnesia Brewery – lots of beer?

East Burn

Doug Fir Lounge

Oregon Coast

Seaside – fun little beach town, Broadway has a ton of fun little shops, restaurants, and candy stores!

Cannon Beach – most beautiful beach in Oregon, just 10 min south of Seaside (so I’d recommend going to

both in one day)

Tillamook – famous for their cheese, yogurt, and ice cream

o Check out the Tillamook Cheese Factory – free cheese samples, factory tour, and buy some

delicious ice cream to try! More flavors here than anywhere else (40+ flavors?)

Cape Meares Lighthouse – really cute little lighthouse with great views about 15-20 min away from

Tillamook

Shopping (tax-free!!!!)

Woodburn Company Stores – big outlets! About 30 min south though.

Clackamas Town Center – huuuuuuge mall and another shopping center across the street

Lloyd Center – big mall but kinda ghetto area, I’d recommend Clackamas

o However, it’s within the free zone for the MAX, so you can park your car at Lloyd Center and take

the MAX into downtown for free!

The following is the original Google Doc that I created this new document from. It has more details and a slightly

different organization, feel free to read it if you’d like!

Portland Area: Esther’s Yelp Lists: http://www.yelp.com/list/summer-events-in-pdx-portland http://www.yelp.com/list/best-of-pdx-portland-2 http://www.yelp.com/list/happy-hour-in-pdx-portland http://www.yelp.com/list/brunch-in-pdx-portland http://www.yelp.com/list/best-of-the-oregon-coast-seaside Google Maps -- Essential Stores All On One Map (e.g. Target, grocery, etc): http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=106637619893758207276.000487e94d0b1cba42256&z=10

Public transportation: www.trimet.org

Bus ($2), the MAX (light rail), Streetcar (free in downtown Portland, $2 outside for an all-day ticket that can also be used on the bus), OHSU Aerial Tram (can get there from the VA, go to the 2nd floor, cross the Sky Bridge, follow the signs for the Sky Tram, the tram goes down to South Waterfront and connects to a Streetcar station that you can take into downtown; tram is free downhill, $4 uphill)

Free zone: Lloyd Center to downtown...you can park near Lloyd Center and take the MAX into downtown for free! Spares you the trouble of finding parking and paying for meters.

iPhone app: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pdx-bus/id289814055?mt=8

Websites: o AAA Travel Guide o http://www.portlandguide.com/ o http://www.portlandlogue.com/ o http://travelportland.com/ o The AAA 4T’s self-tour (train, trail, tram, trolley):

http://www.viamagazine.com/top_stories/articles/portland_jul10.asp o Someone’s food blog - http://www.pdxploration.com/ o Fruits/berry picking, pumpkins and Christmas trees - http://www.pickyourown.org/OR.htm

http://www.mapwith.us/map/m/V3127/portland-area-u-pick-farms o http://www.nwportlandhostel.com/nw_ttdattractions.htm

Events: (AAA Guide) o Spring:

Spring Beer & Wine Festival at the Oregon Convention Center o Memorial Day Weekend:

Multnomah County Fair at Oaks Amusement Park o Early June:

Portland Rose Festival

Sandcastle Day at Cannon Beach o Late June:

Organic Beer Festival at Overlook Park Blues Festival at Waterfront Park Oswego Festival of the Arts at Lake Oswego

o Early July: Portland International Beerfest in the Pearl District Mississippi Ave Street Fair (huuuuge fair, super fun!)

o Late July: Oregon Brewery Festival at Waterfront Park (4 days) Mt. Hood Jazz Festival at Gresham

o Early August: Bite of Oregon at Waterfront Park (foodies!) North Plains Garlic Festival Providence Bridge Pedal

o October: Portland Marathon Pick your own pumpkin at Kruger’s Farm Market on Sauvie Island! Also a corn maze. Another pumpkin patch & corn maze at http://www.BaggenstosFarms.com

o September: Oktoberfest in Sandy and at Oaks Amusement Park

o Late November: Zoolights Festival at Oregon Zoo (through late December:

o December: Holiday Cheer: A Celebration of Oregon Authors at Oregon Historical Society Christmas Festival of Lights at The Grotto

o “First Thursdays” in Pearl District (NW) - http://www.firstthursdayportland.com/, http://www.portlandlogue.com/first-thursday

On the first Thursday of every month, art galleries in Portland (primarily in the Pearl District and downtown Portland) hold receptions and stay open later into the evening to launch their new shows. Most galleries have some kind of food and drinks available, and the artists are on hand to talk about their work. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn a little more about art, without feeling like you’ve got to be among the uber-rich to attend. For an even more informal First Thursday experience, be sure to check out the street gallery for independent artists - it’s outdoors, so only runs from April through November, but it’s a great chance to see even more local artists who aren’t represented by galleries. (Check out the second link for map)

“Last Thursdays” on Alberta between 15th & 35th (NE Portland) - On the last Thursday of every month there is a street fair that takes place in galleries and shops during the winter months, and outdoors during warmer weather, with tables set up by local artisans and traveling merchants along the sidewalk. Street performers and food carts also participate in the street fair.

Groceries: o 3 Costcos nearby, pretty equidistant from house o Fred Meyers - like a Super Target

The nicest one is on Hawthorne & 39th Ready-made food (delicious sushi! there’s even a sushi bar you can sit and eat at while

sushi comes to you on a conveyer belt!), groceries, and household supplies. o Safeway

Best one is on 39th & Powell -- large and new o New Seasons market within walking distance (8 blocks)

http://www.newseasonsmarket.com/

Eddie likes it better than Safeway and says it is similar to Whole Foods but cheaper When I (Esther Y.) went, I felt it was very similar to the new Berkeley Bowl, the produce

section is not quite as extensive though. But there’s a deli/hot foods area that Eddie says is pretty good and he gets lunch there sometimes.

o Asian markets: H-Mart (Tigard)!!!!!!!!! -- BEST Asian market in town, huge, best selection, very spacious,

cheapest, also has a yummy food court and fresh bakery http://bit.ly/hmartportland Fubonn (82nd & Division) -- big but the worst one, IMO, expensive, small selection, not

fresh, some things were rotting http://bit.ly/fubonnportland

This is the largest Asian Shopping Center in Oregon. It is Chinese-owned and houses a supermarket & deli, bubble tea, a bakery, a noodle house, a couple of restaurants, a beauty salon, clothing stores, jewelry and art stores, a bookstore, a gift shop, a music store, a Shiseido store, and even a Starbucks.

Uwajimaya (Beaverton) -- Japanese market, much larger selection/cleaner/cheaper than Fubonn, also has a bakery http://bit.ly/uwajimayaportland

This large chain Asian grocery store has locations in Beaverton, Bellevue, and Seattle. It is Japanese-owned, and you'll find lots of fresh produce and seafood. They have an amazing selection of Pan-Asian items. They even offer cooking classes. There is also a bookstore, a restaurant, a travel agency, and a cosmetics store.

An Dong Market Anzen Hiroshi’s

Shopping:

Target - there’s several of them around, but the nicest one is in Clackamas Town Center, it’s new, HUGE, and in a large shopping center/mall with a Kohl’s, Nordstrom Rack, Panera Bread, REI, Macy’s, JC Penney, Sears, Century Theaters, and other stores Southeast Sunnyside Road, Clackamas, OR

Dollar Tree near where we live - huge, has everything you need, and everything is literally $1 b/c there’s no tax!! Has brand-name products like Reynold’s foil. 6868 Southeast Foster Road, Portland, OR

Lloyd Center (really nice and recently remodeled large mall with an ice skating rink and huge food court and movie theaters, kinda sketchy part of town though) - http://www.lloydcenter.com//index.cfm

Other malls - http://portlandor.about.com/od/shopping/a/Shopping_malls.htm

Outlets (yay for tax-free shopping! o http://www.woodburncompanystores.com/ - about 30 min south of us, really big and similar

to Gilroy Outlets! o http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=28

Portland is well-known for its food carts, often located in hubs taking up a whole block o http://foodcartsportland.com/ o Map: http://speakeasy.org/~aeschright/maps/ o http://twitter.com/seriouseats/street-food-portland-or o http://twitter.com/PDXfoodcarts/pdxfoodcarts o http://twitter.com/PDXCartGroupies/pdx-carts o http://www.viamagazine.com/top_stories/articles/food_cart_jul10.asp

Suggested Brunch Places:

Mother’s Bistro (Downtown) **highly recommended**

Broder Cafe (SE, like 2 blocks from us on Clinton) **recommended**

Nightlight (SE, a few blocks from us on Clinton) **recommended*

Detour Cafe (SE, 3 blocks from us on Division) **highly recommended**

Waffle Window (SE) **highly recommended**

Bread & Ink Cafe (SE) **recommended**

Sanborn’s (SE)

Utopia Cafe (SE)

Cricket Cafe (SE)

Any of the food stands at the PSU Portland Farmer’s Market (SW)

Bijou Cafe (SW)

Screen Door (E Burnside) **highly recommended*

Helser’s (NE) **recommended**

Tin Shed (NE)

Pig ‘N Pancake (NE)

Besaw’s (NW) **highly recommended**

Everett Street Bistro (NW)

Stepping Stone Cafe (NW)

Meriwethers (NW)

Gravy (N)

Tasty n Sons (N Mississippi)

Zells

Pambiche

http://www.yelp.com/topic/portland-best-breakfast

SE Portland: o This is where our house is located, within walking distance from many cafes, shops, restaurants o Apizza Scholls - BEST pizza in Oregon - get there early!!! o Tart = frozen yogurt place o Sushi Mazi o Bamboo Sushi o Pix Patisserie = bakery, desserts o The Waffle Window (literally a window that serves waffles, pretty famous), connected to Bread &

Ink Cafe o Pok Pok (extremely popular Thai restaurant with famous chicken wings, always a wait) o Pine State Biscuits - best biscuits ever! o Grand Central Baking Company o Crema Coffee & Bakery o Clinton neighborhood (the street bordering us) -- http://www.yelp.com/list/the-clinton-

neighborhood-life-portland Night Light Lounge - great brunch with $10 bottomless mimosas, great happy hour,

games, good place to hang out o Mt. Tabor City Park - great beautiful views of downtown Portland (good for sunsets), you can run

here if you’re a runner too o SE Belmont around 30th o SE 39th Avenue and Stark Street is lush Laurelhurst Park, which has a lake, paved paths, green

meadows and lots of trees. o Bars:

Doug Fir Lounge EastBurn - downstairs area has games, skeeball, arcade games

o Food cart pods: 12th & Hawthorne

o SE Hawthorne, around 30th ave, lots of restaurants and shops, people watching

Hawthorne District, east Portland's most diverse neighborhood. S.E. Hawthorne Boulevard between 17th and 43rd avenues is lined with cafes, restaurants, coffee shops, vegan bakeries, antique stores, offbeat clothing retailers and very cool gift shops. This is a neighborhood to stroll around, not drive through, with an atmosphere that's a mix of hippie '60s, retro '70s bohemian and '90s alternative. That blend is evident at such landmarks as the Bagdad Theater & Pub, an old relic of a building brought back to life by a local theater chain. The Bagdad's interior is pure golden age movie palace, and you can order a slice of pizza and a fresh pint of ale to enjoy while watching the show. Outdoor tables at the casual pub fronting the theater are jam-packed for dinner in the summertime.

Another Powell’s Books is located on Hawthorne o Oaks Amusement Park, along the Willamette River southeast of downtown, is the real deal as far

as amusement parks go: a looping roller coaster, a Ferris wheel, thrill rides, kids' rides, a roller skating rink, bumper cars, carnival games. It's pure old-fashioned fun. The park, surrounded by the trees for which it was named, first opened its gates in 1905, and many people in those early days arrived by trolley car.

o Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

North Portland: o N Mississippi Ave has a ton of restaurants, pubs, and foodcarts, fun place to hang out on Friday

nights o Mee-Sen Thai Eatery o Lovely’s Fifty Fifty - homemade ice cream (you can just get ice cream and not sit for dinner), good

food o Food carts:

There’s a pod located at the end of Mississippi (& Skidmore) Moxie’s Rx - pretty famous food cart, great for brunch, listed on some Top 10 food carts

list, located pretty close to Lovely’s Fifty Fifty Koi Fusion - here at the beginning of Mississippi Ave (& Failing St) on Fridays, best

Korean BBQ tacos/burritos...they’re friends with Kogi BBQ in LA and were modeled after them

o Bars: Prost! - German bar with Das Boot! Moloko Plus - we call this the “White Bar” because all the furniture is white. Really nice

bar to hang out at. Crow Bar - fun dive bar with pinball, Pacman (25 cents!), pool, and maybe some other

games Lupa - really intimate wine bar, great for romantic dates =) or just to hang out, like we

did! Amnesia Brewing (memorable beers and ales)

o Gravy (serious meat and potatoes), Laughing Planet Café (healthy fast food), Lorenzo’s (classy pastas), and Por Qué No? (irresistible tacos and flautas). "There are other streets with more foot traffic," says Michael Ring, who sells graphic novels at Bridge City Comics. "But here there’s a sense we’re all in it together."

NE Portland: o Du’s Grill - known as the best teriyaki in town, Esther’s friend Tony Park works here, say hi to him

for me! o Helser’s on Alberta - great for brunch o Screen Door - Southern, Cajun/Creole o 28th & Burnside area is known as “Restaurant Row” - lots of restaurants, like Navarre (great

tapas place!)

o Food cart pod on 23rd & Alberta

Downtown Portland: o Powell’s City of Books (1005 W. Burnside St) - extremely famous giant bookstore takes up a

whole block and 4 stories high, worth a visit even if you don’t like reading o Voodoo Doughnut - good crueller donuts and a variety of interesting donuts like Tang donuts and

The Loop (Fruity Loop donut), and of course the jelly-filled voodoo doll doughnut. There’s another one on our side of the river, Voodoo Doughnut Too but I’d recommend going to the original one first for the experience. Featured in VIA Magazine

o Portland City Grill - awesome view (30th floor), has a happy hour The view is the calling card at Portland City Grill, on the 30th floor of the Unico/U.S.

Bancorp Tower in the Financial District—namely the fabulous panoramas of downtown, the Willamette River and the Cascade Mountains. Northwest, Pacific Rim and Asian influences inform the cooking, whether it's an appetizer of lobster pot stickers or teriyaki chicken spring rolls, a summer salad of baby greens, strawberries and goat cheese or Hawaiian mahi mahi with papaya salsa and a banana curry coconut sauce. If you like sushi, Portland City Grill offers a la carte items as well as California rolls and sashimi plates. And you also can get a USDA prime steak, a burger, a grilled Reuben or a triple-decker club sandwich. Nightly piano music in the restaurant's lounge adds to the enjoyment of this very popular spot. Note: Reserve a window table well in advance to avoid disappointment.

o Saucebox o Mother’s Bistro - extremely famous for their brunch o Piazza Italia o Pioneer Courthouse Square. Portland's “living room,” six blocks from the riverfront between S.W.

6th Street and Broadway, is the site of more than 300 organized events each year—but it's just as much fun to dawdle for half an hour on any old afternoon. Get your favorite caffeinated concoction to go from the conveniently located Starbucks, check out the bronze chessboards, test the Echo Chamber's sonic amplification and then relax on the brick steps and watch the city go by.

Also where Pioneer Mall is, lots of stores, including the Apple Store! o Food carts pods:

5th & Stark 3rd & Stark 10th & Alder

o Trendy with a capital “T,” the Pearl District, just north of downtown between N.W. Park and 15th avenues, is one of those urban neighborhoods that simply demands to be wandered. Not so long ago this was a dilapidated area of aging warehouses and vacant buildings—that is, until enterprising Portlanders began transforming them into galleries and artists' lofts. Today the Pearl is a magnet for cool stores, spiffy restaurants, wine bars and brew pubs.

SW Portland: o Portland Farmer’s Market at PSU on Saturdays - best farmer’s market ever, lots of good food

(especially Pine State Biscuits), food samples at booths, and fruits, veggies, honey, pesto (best pesto ever), and more. Live music too.

http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/ Saturdays @ Portland State University

o Pudding on the Rice - near Farmer’s Market, amazing customized crepes for $5 ($6 savory), tart frozen yogurt, different kinds of Swedish rice pudding, and a cute shop to hang out in

o The Original Pancake House o Waterfront Park - along the river, really pretty, Saturday Market starts at Ankeny St at the

waterfront, also lots of festivals here, like the Blues Festival, Oregon Brewery Festival, and more

Check out http://www.travelportland.com/event_calendar/ From RiverPlace Esplanade, a mix of promenades, restaurants, and a marina where you

can rent kayaks, I see cyclists pedaling through Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The park plays host to huge gatherings such as the Waterfront Blues Festival (July 2–5), the Oregon Brewers Festival (July 22–25), and Bite of Oregon (August 6–8).

Take a riverside walk along Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The promenade follows the Willamette from the Hawthorne Bridge north to the Steel Bridge. Here you can cross the river and follow the Eastbank Esplanade south, taking in terrific downtown vistas while learning about the region's rich history from interpretive markers along the way. This 4-mile round trip is guilt-free exercise, courtesy of the urban views.

o “Saturday Market” - HUGE weekend artisan/food market (Sat & Sun), toooonns of booths selling delicious food and crafts, interesting items, great place to buy gifts and fun stuff

http://www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Saturday_Market http://www.yelp.com/biz/portland-saturday-market-portland

The Portland Saturday Market is a grand outdoor emporium and a treat for all of the senses. The wares range from clothes to candles to jewelry to one-of-a-kind crafts created by local artisans you can stop and chat with, and the food court offers a similarly eclectic spread—everything from pad Thai noodles to vegetarian Himalayan grub. It sets up Saturdays and Sundays from early March through Christmas Eve in the blocks along Naito Parkway just south of the Burnside Bridge; hop on the Metropolitan Area Express (MAX), Portland's excellent light-rail system, and get off at the Skidmore Fountain stop.

o Portland Art Museum.Two facilities—the historic Belluschi Building and the Mark Building, a former Masonic temple that underwent a recently completed expansion and renovation—exhibit American, European, Asian and Native American art. Don't miss the outstanding collection of masks, bowls and other objects fashioned by Northwest Coast Indian groups.

o Just across the blocks from the museum is the Oregon Historical Society, dedicated to preserving the history and development of the Beaver State. Its most striking features are the two exterior trompe l'oeil murals that depict such key events as the Lewis and Clark expedition. You can't miss these monumental works: They soar eight stories high.

NW Portland: o Forest Park

Crowning a densely wooded ridge in northwestern Portland, Forest Park is the largest naturally forested area within any U.S. city. Put on your walking shoes and hit one of the park's more than 70 miles of trails. Unpaved Leif Erickson Drive runs for almost a dozen miles and is closed to cars, making it perfect for a bracing bike ride or hike free of drastic elevation climbs, with views of the Columbia River a scenic bonus.

o NW, Nob hill or Alphabet district – NW 21st and NW 23rd, cute area o Alotto Gelato o Blueut - frozen yogurt o Pizzicato Gourmet Pizza o Voicebox Karaoke Lounge - highest rated private-room karaoke o Papa Haydn o Coffeehouse Northwest o Ken’s Artisan Bakery o Adjoining the Pearl District on the west is northwest Portland, variously referred to as the

Northwest District, Nob Hill or “Trendyfirst and Trendythird,” a nod to the shopping and people-watching magnets that are N.W. 21st and N.W. 23rd avenues. The neighborhood's narrow streets are lined with refurbished turn-of-the-20th-century Victorians, many housing boutiques and bookstores, and lovely historic homes. It's the kind of place where 20-somethings scarf down microbrews at sidewalk cafes and well-heeled shoppers search out high-end purchases at stores like Zelda's Shoe Bar, on 23rd Avenue, or jewelry emporium Twist, on 23rd Place. Audiophiles will

definitely want to check out Music Millennium on 23rd Avenue for its groovy collection of vintage vinyl as well as releases by all the latest buzz bands, a prerequisite in a city that does not take its hip music credentials lightly. For an afternoon pick-me-up, try one of the decadent confections at the Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe on 23rd Avenue; their specialties include hand-crafted chocolate truffles and unusual beverages like chocolate chai tea.

Asian Portland: o Mostly around 82nd & Division o More in Beaverton (esp. Korean, Japanese) o “Chinatown” is in downtown Portland and actually is not really a Chinatown...it’s pretty dead, no

people there, almost everything closed, but looks kinda nice/clean

Hillsboro/Forest Grove: o Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve o Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals o Stratford House Tea Parlour o Hillsboro Pharmacy - thick milk shakes from original soda fountain o Syun Izakaya Japanese Restaurant & Sake Club. This eatery, located in the basement of the old

Hillsboro Public Library, entices patrons with some 70 appetizers, creative sushi rolls, and more than 50 kinds of sake. Sup on one of the house favorites: char-grilled squid with horseradish or steamed clams in sake. Leave room for the rich but surprisingly refreshing Earl Grey pudding.

o Farms - pick your own fruits West Union Gardens is great; lots of different berries here

o Vineyards - wine tasting (look for a winery map) Oak Knoll Winery in Hillsboro Purple Cow in Banks near Forest Grove. David Hill in FG. Inexpensive and really good. Dundee area to the West.

Bella Vida supposed to be nice.

Anne Amie Winery very pretty, wines decent. McMinnville, Newberg Skip Carlton winemaker studio - sucks

Sauvie Island: o Kruger’s Farm - pick your own fruits, pumpkins. Corn maze. o Sauvie Island Farms - pick your own fruits o Lavender Farm o Beaches here with views of Mt. Hood, takes about 30 minutes to get there from the entrance to

Sauvie Island There’s a NUDE beach (mostly old men haha)

The Oregon Coast: o San Francisco to Vancouver: A Scenic Drive o Tillamook Factory Tour (cheese, ice cream samples)

This is near the coast, so check out Cape Meares Lighthouse - beautiful! o Astoria (Bumble Bee Tuna Museum) o Cannon Beach (crazy rock formations, nice town like Carmel)

Top Places To Watch Sunsets: Cannon Beach, Ore. "I've sat for nearly an hour on a hillside in this coastal park and watched the sky blaze with color," writes Bonnie Jacquemin of Hillsboro, Ore. "The ocean vistas here are truly spectacular." (503) 436-2844, oregonstateparks.org/park_188.php.

o Oysterville

o Oceanside (has a tunnel) o Manzanita (Oswald Park) o Westport, Pacific City, Rockaway o Long Beach Peninsula drive o Lincoln City/Newport

Lincoln City/Newport are larger, further and more tourist oriented, but have the Newport aquarium and tidepools at the Undersea Gardens beach, where you can walk into the Devil's Punchbowl at low tide. Tides are predicted especially low this weekend, you can check an Internet tide site to find lows if you will be near tidepools.

o Seaside

Nature o Mt. Hood - Ramona Falls is one of the most BEAUTIFUL falls ever o Hiking from Multnomah Falls TO Wahkeena Falls (not the other way around, takes ~4 hrs,

recommended by Esther Lee ‘1 ) o Columbia River Gorge

Oregon's Eagle Creek Trail might be the perfect hike. It hugs steep canyon walls above a glittering stream and passes towering waterfallsthat plunge toward the Columbia River just east of Bonneville Dam. But the hike is more than the sum of its vistas. "The trail matches world-class natural beauty with engineering genius," says outdoors writer Bill Sullivan. Workers blasted shelves into canyon faces and installed bridges to give the trail a gentle grade. Thousands of hikers have walked the 3.5 miles to High Bridge, 120 feet above the canyon floor. Many continue to Tunnel Falls, where a man-made bore leads behind a roaring waterfall. Do these developments spoil the experience? Hardly. For visitors, the trail is a thundering success. (541) 308-1700, www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia.

Crown Point Vista House is free and has the most amazing breathtaking views of the Gorge. You drive up the Historic Columbia River Highway to get there. You can also stop by the Women’s Forum Scenic Viewpoint (Chanticleer Point) since it’s on the way.

o Gardens: International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park - free

Washington Park is a must-visit, if only to be entranced by the botanical beauty on display at the International Rose Test Garden and to experience the zen-like serenity of the Portland Japanese Garden. The park's several kid-friendly attractions include the Oregon Zoo, where elephants, giraffes, monkeys, mountain goats and a host of other animals reside in a setting that calls to mind the Cascade Mountains.

http://www.japanesegarden.com/ http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/

o If you’re a runner, click the link for some suggested runs at mapmyrun.com o Council Crest Park is the highest point in Portland - great views

Breweries: o Brewery Block or Brewery Row NW 14th Ave in the Pearl District o Bridgeport o Lucky Lab, SE 7th o McMenamin’s – http://www.mcmenamins.com/ o Amnesia Brewing on N Mississippi Ave

More cute/fun areas of town: o Sellwood area (SE) o Woodstock area

HAPPY HOUR PLACES: http://www.urbandrinks.com/happyhour/usa/or/portland/ This list is from the 2009-2010 interns 1) Jake’s Famous Crawfish

a. HH: 3-6 pm daily and 9pm-closing Sunday – Thurs, 10pm-closing Friday + Sat b. A must go place if you’re a sea-foodie. Get the garlic butter mussels and oysters on the half shell, on and the artichoke spiniach dip for $2 – yes two bucks! c. No drink specials

2) Portland City Grill (also recommended by Sarah) a. HH: 4:30-6:30 pm daily, 10 pm- midnight Mon-Thurs, 4pm-closing Sunday b. Great city view from 30th floor – go at night and grab a window seat. IT’s open seating so you gotta fight for tables or wait patiently until a table gets uncomfortable enough from your hovering to leave (GO EARLY TO GET A WINDOW SEAT!) c. Good beef satay, kung-pao calamari and shoestring fire fries. No drink specials

3) Red Star Tavern a. HH: 4-8 pm daily b. Good food and drink specials c. $3 food, $3 drink specials d. Good beef-gravy fries, pork sliders, and Red Star cocktail

4) Bar Mingo a. HH: 3-6 pm daily b. Food and drink specials. Food items limited, but really cute ambiance. Good girls evening out spot

5) Mama Mia Trattoria – Italian a. HH: 5-7 pm daily b. Ok food, but will get you full - $3 pasta plates c. Calamari’s good d. No drink specials

6) The Observatory a. HH: 3-6 pm daily b. Decent food. Not huge selection, good tomato bisque, garlic rosemary fries c. Good drink specials - $3 draft beer, and well drinks d. 2 blocks form the Academy theatre, which shows older releases for $4 per person – I think it’s BOGO on Tuesday e. Shady part of town f. No view (contrary to name)

7) The Waffle Window a. Not a HH, but def worth checking out b. All kinds of delish waffles for $4 a pop c. To name some: pumpkin pie waffle, nutella pear, bacon brie basil (3 B’s), and the mouth watering list continues…

8) The Oyster Bar a. HH: 4-6 pm daily b. $15.95 for a dozen oysters on the half shell c. Great fish tacos d. No drink specials

10) Carafe – French a. HH 3-6 pm daily b. Small portions as expected c. Alright dishes

d. Drink + food specials e. Cheap escargot!

11) Powell’s City of Books a. Spans a whole block, 4 stories high of new and used books, 1st time there can be a bit overwhelming – the stores has a map for itself that’s how big it is b. Organized into different colored rooms by category

12) Aura (across the street from Powell’s Books) a. HH: 5-7 pm daily b. Good modern ambiance; very weird restrooms – I was not comfortable going potty there, but something you have to see for yourself I guess c. $3-4 drinks d. $2.50-5.50 foods, yummy shrimp cakes

13) Saucebox a. HH: 4:30-6:30 pm (mon-thurs) b. Awesome food specials – Asian themed c. $1 miso soup, $3 pad thai etc. Good portions too! d. Thumbs up for sweet potato spring rolls e. Must go!!!!

14) Oba! a. HH: 4:00-6:30 b. Puerto Rican restaurant, good ambiance c. Good food, mojito was a little too limey, good café con leche

15) Faccini a. HH b. Lots of cheesy HH foods c. $1.50 glass of beer d. On a college campus – kind of a cross between Beckett’s and Faculty Club e. Next to Portland Art Museum

16) Salvador Molly’s a. HH: b. Foods from around the world c. $2 HH bites yummy pork sliders (3)!!! d. Deliciously unhealthy cheesy poofs e. Volcano fries – spicy chili powder f. Not in downtown, SW Portland

17) City Thai cuisine a. Not a HH, but an approved Thai restaurant near apt J (on the way home from VA) b. Fast to-go service c. Cute ambiance, everything looks good and yummy! d. Green curry is spicy – order mild