Welcome to Portland!

Thanks for coming to our wedding - we are really excited to see you and to share our city with you! Below is information about things to do in Portland, and some of our favorites restaurants, breweries and pubs (Portland is famous for its beer).

I have also included information about day trips and overnight trips to amazing places in the Pacific Northwest. If you rent a car, an easy (but equally amazing) trip is to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Take Route 84 East and you will enter the Gorge after Troutdale after about 20-30 minutes. Soon you will see the Historic Columbia River Highway sign (take the 2nd one, as the 1st is a bit long), which is the old highway built by the CCC that parallels Route 84 and the Columbia River for approx 20 miles. There are many waterfalls and great hiking throughout the gorge. This area was featured quite heavily in the movie Twilight.

Here are some odd facts about Portland:

• Oregon Has No Sales Tax - great for shopping. There is a mall downtown (the Pioneer Place Mall @ 700 SW 5th Ave), and NW 23rd Street and the Pearl District have great shopping.
  
• All Gas Stations are Full-Service in Oregon. If you rent a car and go to a gas station in Oregon, you have to let the attendant pump the gas.
  
• All Streets running North to South in NW Portland are in alphabetical order. This area encompasses 23rd Street / Nob Hill, as well as the Pearl District and Old Town / Chinatown, and begins directly North of Burnside Ave with Couch Street, Davis Street...and ending with Vaughn Street. If you are looking for "Savier Street", and you're on Davis, you'll know which direction to head (ie. North) and will also have a sense of how far away it is (ie. 8 letters away = 8 blocks away). This makes it easy to find your way in NW Portland, The Pearl District and Old Town / Chinatown.
  
• Portland has more craft breweries (microbreweries) per capita than anywhere else in the United States. Beer and coffee are taken quite seriously in Portland.

If you have general questions, please don't hesitate to contact Tim or Lisa.

Most Events @ The Governor Hotel (http://www.governorhotel.com/, 614 SW 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97205; 503-224-3400)

Also, here are some great travel websites for Portland and the Pacific Northwest:

• http://www.traveloregon.com/
  
• http://www.finder.com/
  

Great Things to Do in Portland

Here are some of the places that I would recommend you check out on your first visit (there are other great places, but these are essential, a bit touristy, places that you should enjoy):

• Portland Farmer's Market at Portland State University - Saturday's on the campus of PSU. One of our favorite things to do each weekend. Great samples! (http://www.portlandfarmersmarket.org/)


• Saturday Market - longest running craft market in the US. Every Saturday and Sunday underneath the Burnside Bridge. A Portland institution. (http://www.saturdaymarket.org/)


• Waterfront Park


• Washington Park / Rose Garden - Beautiful rose gardens that overlook the city - great view of Mt. Hood on clear days. Washington Park also includes the Portland Zoo, the Japanese Gardens, the Arboretum, and the Children's Museum. Note there are 2 "Rose Gardens" - the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park and the Rose Garde Arena where the NBA's Portland Trailblazers play. (http://www.portlandrosesociety.org/)


• Pioneer Square - open air square in the heart of downtown. great people watching. call "Portland's Living Room". (http://www.pioneercourthousesquare.org/)


• Aerial Tram - take a ride to the top of the West Hills and a great view of Portland and the Cascade Mountains. Rides cost $4/person. (http://www.portlandtram.org/)


• Park Blocks - greenspace that includes the Portland Art Museum, Oregon Historical Society, Portland State University, Portland Farmer's Market on Saturdays from 8am-2pm.


• McMenamins Pubs & Theaters - a Portland institution...The best part of the pubs are the pubs themselves - historic buildings, cool murals, artwork, etc. They have approx. 50 properties in Portland, and around Oregon and Washington States. There are 5 or 6 movie theater pubs, they own the dance hall The Crystal Ballroom, provide info for Ringlers, Ringler's Annex, Ram's Head, Blue Moon. (http://www.mcmenamins.com/)


• Powell's Bookstore - largest independent bookstore in the United States. Just a few blocks north of the Governor Hotel on Burnside. (http://www.powells.com/)


• Portland Japanese Garden (http://www.japanesegarden.com/)


• Portland Classical Chinese Garden (http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/)


• Walk around the city - it's free and there are great neighborhoods, shopping, pubs, and architecture to check out. Some of our favorite places are NW 23rd Street, the Pearl District, Waterfront Park (along the Willamette River downtown), and Pioneer Square.

MUSEUMS:

• Portland Art Museum (http://www.pam.org/ - 1219 SW Park Ave - (503) 226-2811; MC Escher Exhibit thru 9/13/09 )


• Oregon Historical Society Museum (http://www.ohs.org/ - 1200 SW Park Avenue - (503) 306-5198; Will Vinton Exhibit thru 9/13/09 - claymation pioneer from Portland / "Learn what goes into making some of the world's best-known animated characters, including the Domino's Pizza "Noid," the famous California Raisins, and Eddie Murphy’s "Thurgood Stubbs," from the television show, "The PJ's.")


• Museum of Contemporary Craft (http://www.museumofcontemporarycraft.org/ - 724 NW Davis St - 503.223.2654; FREE!)


• Pittock Mansion (http://pittockmansion.org/ - 3229 NW Pittock Drive - 503-823-3623; need a car to reach the Pittock Mansion; amazing views of the city; adult admission is $7; kids $4)
  

ODD & Interesting:

• Alibi Tiki Bar on Interstate Ave - Tiki / Kareoke bar (4024 N Interstate Ave; 503-287-5335)


• Voodoo Donuts - a Portland institution that has been featured on many travel and food shows, open at night only in the heart of Old Town (http://www.voodoodoughnut.com/, 22 SW 3rd Ave; 503-241-4704).


• Velveteria - World's Only Velvet Painting Museum (http://www.velveteria.com/ - 2448 E. Burnside St - 503-233-5100; admission is $5)


• Bart Simpson sidewalk on SW 18th Lincoln High School. Matt Groening of The Simpsons grew up in Portland and graduated from Lincoln High off of NW 18th Street (note, many streets in the Historic NW District share names with Simpson characters).


• Ground Kontrol Video Arcade - classic video game arcade, approx. 30-40 video games and 10-15 pinball machines, with a full bar. (http://www.groundkontrol.com/, 511 NW Couch St; 503-796-9364).

Tours & Bike Rentals in Portland

Great Neighborhoods to Walk...Nob Hill (23rd Street / Alphabetic Historic District), Old Town / Chinatown, the Pearl District, Waterfront Park (along the Willamette River), SE Neighborhoods (Hawthorne Blvd, Belmont Ave, Division Street, Irvington National Historic District). Great neighborhoods, historic architecture, food, shopping/pubs/coffee.

PORTLAND TOURS:

• Portland Walking Tours (www.portlandwalkingtours.com, 503-774-4522) - options include Portland Underground Tours, Best of Portland, Food / Restaurant Tour, Haunted (Bizarre) Tour

BIKE RENTALS:

• Waterfront Bicycles (www.waterfrontbikes.net - 10 SW Ash Street #100; 503-227-1719)

Tours, Day Trips and Overnight Trips in the Pacific NW

General DAY TRIPS: There are truly amazing places near Portland. If you have the time, I would recommend the following places - they are all great and will not disappoint.

• Gorge / Historic Columbia Highway (30 minutes to 1 Hour one way) - http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/forest/ - This is an amazing area that is very close to Portland. The Columbia River is a very large and beautiful river, with cascading waterfalls, gorges and trails lining its banks for hundreds of miles east of Portland.


• Hood River, OR (1 hour one way) http://www.hoodriver.org/ - Great historic mountain town in the heart of the Gorge. Famous for windsurfing and other outdoor sports (sits along the Columbia River, and is close to Mt. Hood).
  
• Mt. Hood (1.5 hours one way) - Go to Timberline Lodge, which sits at around 6,000 feet. This was the setting of the Overlook Hotel from the movie The Shining. Mountain is beautiful and the drive is great.


• Mt. Saint Helens (1.5 hours one way) - Get within 5 miles of the crater of the famous volcanoe. Beautiful setting.
  
• Mt. Rainier National Park (1.5 hours one way) http://www.nps.gov/mora - Beautiful mountain (my favorite of the Cascade Range) located north of Portland.
  
• Oregon Coast: Cannon Beach, OR; Astoria, OR; Cape Meares Scenic Loop (1.5 hours one way)
  

Guided DAY TRIP TOURS:

• EcoTours of Oregon (http://www.ecotours-of-oregon.com/, 503-245-1428): includes Columbia Gorge / Waterfalls / Mount Hood Loop, Mt. St. Helens, Northern Oregon Coast, Whale Watching Tour & Coast Sightseeing.
  
  
• E & E Specialty Tours - 503-655-3251: includes City Tour, Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood Loop, Mt. St. Helens, Northern Oregon Coast.
  

Overnight Trips: there are great places in the Pacific NW that are over 1-2 hours from Portland, and are best for an overnight trip (although we have gone to Seattle and back in 1 day several times - it is a very long day). All of the places listed below are amazing.

• Seattle, WA (3 hours one way)
  
• Bend, OR (3 hours one way)


• Mid/Lower Oregon Coast (3-5 hours one way)


• Port Townsend, WA & Olympic National Park (4 hours one way)
  
• Crater Lake National Park (approx. 5 hours one way)
  
  

PHOTOS:

Astoria, Oregon

Hood River, Oregon

Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington

Cannon Beach, Oregon (Oregon Coast)

Food & Drinks in Portland

FOOD:
Below are some of our favorite places to eat and drink in Portland. We are spoiled here with great food, with an emphasis on seasonal and sustainable at most restaurants, so you really can't go wrong. Also, I have highlighted restaurants in the core of downtown - there are many other great areas and restaurants in the city, but those listed below are within walking distance / train of downtown.

Please note, there are many great options and your concierge may have other suggestions (note, if you make dinner reservations through your concierge, you should be able to get deals at some of the nicer restaurants in town) - again, these are just some of our favorites:


Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch:

• Morningstar Cafe (http://www.morningstarcafe.com/, 500 SW 3rd Ave; 503-241-2401)


• Kenny & Zukes Delicatessen (http://www.kennyandzukes.com/, 1038 SW Stark St; 503-222-DELI)


• The Original (http://www.originaldinerant.com/, 300 SW 6th Ave; 503-546-2666)
  
• Kornblatt's Delicatessen (628 NW 23rd Ave; 503-242-0055)
  
• Isabel in the Pearl (http://www.isabelscantina.com/, 330 NW 10th Ave; 503-222-4333)
  
• Stepping Stone Cafe (http://www.steppingstonecafe.com/, 2390 NW Quimby Street; 503-222-1132)
  
• Besaw's (http://www.besaws.com/, 2301 NW Savier St; 503-228-2619)
  
• There is a Starbucks at the Governor Hotel.
  
• Lunch carts - there are various collections of great lunch carts in downtown, as well as single carts located throughout downtown Portland. There are a large collection of food carts by the Governor Hotel at SW 10th Ave and Alder Street. A website dedicated to food carts in Portland is http://foodcartsportland.com.
  
• McMenamins (lunch and dinner only) - there are several McMenamins Pubs near your hotel downtown. They only serve lunch and dinner, and is good pub food in really neat historic settings. Information about all McMenamins pubs, hotels, and other properties throughout the Pacific NW can be found at http://www.mcmenamins.com/. The pubs near you are Ringlers Pub - pub underneath the Crystal Ballroom (1332 W Burnside; 503-225-0627), Ringler's Annex - underground bar (1223 SW Stark; 503-525-0520), The Ram's Head (2282 NW Hoyt at 23rd Street; 503-221-0098), Blue Moon Tavern (432 NW 21st; 503-223-3184).
  

Pizza:

• Pizzacato - Great pizza, sandwiches and the salads are great. There is a Pizzacato on SW Alder Street off Broadway that is a few blocks from the Governor and is also right around the corner from the Marriott. (http://www.pizzicatogourmetpizza.com/, SW Alder off Broadway, and another location at NW 23rd Street & Glisan; 503-226-1007).


• Hot Lips - main location is in the EcoTrust Building in the Pearl District. Great re-use of a historic building. Has a great patio for people watching. The Streetcar stops at the EcoTrust Building, and is a 10-15 minute walk from the Governor / Marriott. This is probably my favorite pizza in Portland (http://www.hotlipspizza.com/, NW 10th and Irving; 503-595-2342)


• Old Town Pizza - pizza is pretty good, but the building is the coolest thing. Historic building sits above part of the Shanghai Tunnel system. These were a wide-ranging and interconnected underground tunnel system, which was used to hold people against their will who would soon be sold to sailors headed to Asia. (http://www.oldtownpizza.com/; 226 NW Davis, 503-222-9999)
  

Lunch & Dinner (higher end...a nice thing about Portland is the food is generally excellent but not priced high. At the nicest restaurants, many listed below, entrees are still in the $25-35 range):

• Portland City Grill (on the 30th floor, the restaurant has amazing views of the city and the mountains) (http://www.portlandcitygrill.com/, SW 5th Ave # 3000; 503-450-0030)
  
• Higgins - Great food and excellent beer menu featuring many English and European beers (http://higgins.ypguides.net/, 1239 SW Broadway; 503-222-9070)
  
• Hubers - Portland's oldest restaurant, they are known for Spanish Coffee (http://www.hubers.com/, 411 SW 3rd Ave; 503-228-5686)
  
• Papa Haydn / Joe Bar - great food and known for their dessert, great location on 23rd Street (http://www.papahaydn.com/, 701 NW 23rd Ave; 503-228-7317).
  
• Paley's Place - Renowned chef located in a historic house in quiet area near 23rd Street (http://www.paleysplace.net/, 1204 NW 21st Ave; 503-243-2403)
  
• Fenouil Brasserie - Amazing location next to Jamison Square in the heart of the Pearl District. Amazing food (http://www.fenouilinthepearl.com/, 900 NW 11th Ave; 503-525-2225)
  
• Bluehour (http://www.bluehouronline.com/, 250 NW 13th Avenue at Everett Street; 503-226-3394)


• Oba (http://www.obarestaurant.com/) 555 NW 12th Ave; 503-228-6161)
  
• Urban Farmer at the Nines Hotel - in the atrium of the Nines Hotel on the 9th Floor. Brand new boutique hotel that has replaced the top 9 floors of the old department store Meyer & Frank (now Macy's, which is on the bottom 5-6 floors). Very cool space. (http://www.urbanfarmerrestaurant.com/, 525 SW Morrison Street on top of Macy's; 503-222-4900)
  
• El Gaucho - steak and seafood place, cool old bar. Located next to the Historic Benson Hotel on SW Broadway. (http://www.elgaucho.com/; 319 SW Broadway; 503-227-8794)
  
• Typhoon! - great Thai food (http://www.typhoonrestaurants.com/; 2310 NW Everett St @ 23rd Street; 503-243-7557)
  

Lunch & Dinner (great, but a bit cheaper...note, most pubs and microbreweries in the city have really good food...any listed far below under Craft Breweries will have good food):

• Henry's 12th Street Tavern - Restored brewery building, great food and an amazing selection of beers - around 100 beers from all over the world on tap. Casual Dressy place. Great place in a great setting located near your hotel (http://www.henrystavern.com/, 10 NW 12th Ave @ Burnside Ave near Powell's Bookstore; 503-227-5320)
  
• Bridgeport Brewery - Historic brewery building. Really good food and great beer(http://www.bridgeportbrew.com/, 1313 NW Marshall Street; 503-241-3612).
  
• McMenamins - there are several McMenamins Pubs near your hotel downtown. They only serve lunch and dinner, and is good pub food in really neat historic settings. Information about all McMenamins pubs, hotels, and other properties throughout the Pacific NW can be found at http://www.mcmenamins.com/. The pubs near you are Ringlers Pub - pub underneath the Crystal Ballroom (1332 W Burnside; 503-225-0627), Ringler's Annex - underground bar (1223 SW Stark; 503-525-0520), The Ram's Head (2282 NW Hoyt at 23rd Street; 503-221-0098), Blue Moon Tavern (432 NW 21st; 503-223-3184).


• India House - great Indian food around the corner from the Governor and close to the Marriott (http://www.indiahouseportland.com/, 1038 SW Morrison; 503-274-1017)
  
• Koji Osakaya - great sushi located close to Marriott (http://www.koji.com/, 606 SW Broadway; 503-294-1169)

Dessert:

• Papa Haydn / Joe Bar - known for their dessert, great location on 23rd Street (http://www.papahaydn.com/, 701 NW 23rd Ave; 503-228-7317).
  
• Rose's Deli - great deli with great desserts on 23rd Street (http://www.eatatroses.com/, 838 NW 23rd Ave; 503-222-5292).


• The Original - hip "diner-restaurant" that recently opened. Cool mid-century design and good food (http://www.originaldinerant.com/, 300 SW 6th Ave; 503-546-2666).
  
• Voodoo Donut - a Portland institution that has been featured on many travel and food shows, open at night only in the heart of Old Town (http://www.voodoodoughnut.com/, 22 SW 3rd Ave; 503-241-4704).
  

Ice Cream / Gelatto (Portland has 4-5 great gelatto places):

• Cool Moon (ice cream only) - located across from Jamison Square in the heart of the Pearl District. Great ice cream (http://www.coolmoonicecream.com/, 1105 NW Johnson St; 503-224-2021).
  
• Mio Gelatto (gelatto only) - Great gelatto as well as sandwiches. Located near your hotel just across Burnside near Powell's Bookstore (http://www.mio-gelato.com/, 25 NW 11th Ave, with another location on 23rd Street; 503-226-8002).


• Alotto Gelatto (gelatto only) - Located on 23rd Street (http://www.alottogelato.biz/, 931 NW 23rd Ave; 503-228-1709).

DRINK:
Portland is called "Beervana" and is the epicenter for craft breweries (microbreweries) in the United States. Portland actually has the most craft breweries, per capita, in the United States. Bottom line - great pubs are everywhere, and the beer in Portland is quite excellent.

• Bridgeport Brewery - historic warehouse in the Pearl. Great beer (tied with the Rogue for my favorite). Food is really great. (http://www.bridgeportbrew.com/) 1313 NW Marshall Street; 503-241-3612)
  
• Rogue Ales Public House - amazing beer and good food (http://www.rogue.com/, 1339 NW Flanders Street; 503-222-5910)


• Henry's 12th Street Tavern - Restored brewery building, great food and an amazing selection of beers - around 100 beers from all over the world on tap (Not a microbrewery, but an amazing selection of great beers). "Casual Dressy" place. Great place in a great setting located near your hotel (http://www.henrystavern.com/, 10 NW 12th Ave @ Burnside Ave near Powell's Bookstore; 503-227-5320).


• Deschutes Brewery & Pub - great pub based in Bend that recently opened a pub in Portland in a historic building in the Pearl District. Typically has a very long wait on Thursdays-Saturday (http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/) 210 NW 11th Ave; 503-296-4906).
  
• Widmer Brothers - with the Bridgeport, the oldest craft brewery in Portland. Located on the Yellow Max line in Northeast Portland (http://www.widmer.com/, 929 N Russell).


• Laurelwood Public House & Brewery - Pub is located in a historic house just off of 23rd Street. Great beer (http://www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com/, 2327 NW Kearney Street; 503-228-5553).


• McMenamins - there are several McMenamins Pubs near your hotel downtown. Good pub food in really neat historic settings. Information about all McMenamins pubs, hotels, and other properties throughout the Pacific NW can be found at http://www.mcmenamins.com/. The pubs near you are Ringlers Pub - pub underneath the Crystal Ballroom (1332 W Burnside; 503-225-0627), Ringler's Annex - underground bar (1223 SW Stark; 503-525-0520), The Ram's Head (2282 NW Hoyt at 23rd Street; 503-221-0098), Blue Moon Tavern (432 NW 21st; 503-223-3184).

NOTE - all have very good food as well. For a complete list of all craft breweries in Portland, go to www.oregonbeer.org.

Getting Around in Portland

Walking, especially when staying in downtown, is the best way to see most of downtown Portland. It's a very compact city with great (mostly free) public transportation. Here are options for getting to your hotel from the airport, as well as information for taxi service, mass transit, and other options:

From the Airport:

• Light Rail (The Max) is available from the airport, located near baggage claim. The red line comes within a few blocks of the Governor Hotel, the Portland Marriott City Center, The Hilton - it comes through the heart of downtown. It is the cheapest option (around $2/person) and takes about 45 minutes. The Red Line is what you'll want to take - this is the only option, as the airport is the last stop on the Red Line, so the only option is the red line train to downtown.
  
• White Van Shuttle. Cost is $15 from airport to downtown. Reservations can be made at http://www.whitevanshuttle.com/ or by phone at 877-774-9750. Should take about 15-20 minutes to get to your hotel.
  
• Taxis - located at the airport. Cost will be around $30-40 and should take about 15-20 minutes to get to your hotel.
  

Getting Around Portland:

• Again, walking is a great option, so if you aren't planning on leaving downtown you won't need a car (but there are amazing places to go within 30-90 minutes of Portland...see below for day trip ideas).
  
• Portland Streetcar - modern streetcar line runs through downtown Portland. It is free for much of downtown, so is a great option, even if you want to jump on for a few blocks. Their website is at http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/. A printable map (which will be available at your hotel) is available at http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/map/map_printable1.pdf.
  
• Max Light Rail Service - Portland's light rail is free through much of downtown (Fairless Square). The Max is similar to the streetcar through downtown, so they are pretty interchangeable in downtown. The Max does go to the Airport and to the outer neighborhoods and suburbs of Portland. A map is available at http://trimet.org/schedules/maps/railsystem.htm.
  
• Taxi Service - there are a number of taxi service's in Portland. Calling is the best option, as they aren't as plentiful as NYC and other major cities. Here are good taxi services: Radio Cab (503-227-1212; http://www.radiocab.net/); Green Cab (503-234-1414 / 877-853-3577 http://www.greentrans.com/) Portland Taxi (503-256-5400 http://www.portlandtaxi.net/).
  
• Pedi-Cabs - a fun way to get around downtown. Here are some different pedi-cab services: PDX Pedicab (503) 733-3222; Cascadia Pedicabs 971-998-TAXI.
  
• Renting Bicycles - Portland is a great biking town, with bike lanes literally everywhere. You can rent bikes on the waterfront from Waterfront Bicycles (http://www.waterfrontbikes.net/ - 10 SW Ash Street #100; 503-227-1719) or Kerr Bikes at (1020 SW Naito Parkway, Portland, OR 97201 * http://www.kerrbikes.org/ * (503) 808-9955).

Below is a map of downtown Portland, displaying the Max Light Rail lines (Blue and Red lines represent the Blue and Red Lines) and the Portland Streetcar Line (in Green). The Red Marker is the location of The Governor Hotel and the Blue Marker is the location of the Portland Marriott City Center hotel (click image for larger view):