I know some of you Genespagers made the trip in 2002. What's some can't miss stuff to do out there, inside the towns and out in the wilderness? I would think Mt. St. Helens and the park around it would be a pretty good thing to check out. I'm looking for pretty much anything from California to Washington, on the western side of the state.
Stuff to do around Portland and Eugene, Oregon......
- Thread starter Railin Jemmye
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OR makes some great wine. Pinot's are excellent. OR coast is none better. Little fishing villages all up and down the coast great seafood. Living in the SF area, try to go to OR coast at least every year. Always a little cool except Aug/Sept. If you go inland Carter Lake.
I went to law school at UO, so here goes.
Definitely drive at least some of the coast, you can hit the coast directly west from Eugene and drive up to Astoria and then back over to pdx. If you have time check out crater lake (several hours south of Eugene). Also, if you like fishing, it's most definitely worth checking into a fly fishing day trip. There's several great rivers within a few hours of Eugene. Also great wine country around Salem, definitely worth an afternoon of tasting.
In Eugene, definitely eat at pizza research institute and get the apple/walnut/Gouda pizza. If you like beer, go check out the bier stein, plus multiple breweries in Eugene, ninkasi being the biggest. Might be worth a tour. Get a burrito at las morenas, total **** hole on an industrial type road off the beating path, but one of my favorite burritos ever. Sam bond's garage is also a great local bar where you can avoid the college scene. they have local music most nights. They used to have a bingo night that we hit up regularly. And then the campus is really nice to walk around, check out Hayward field (America's most famous track and field stadium) and MacArthur court (pretty sure it's still there even though they opened a new arena). I haven't been back to Eugene since 2007 though so there's probably new stuff to do too.
I also lived in Portland about 8 months before getting a job in DC. Eat at toro bravo. Get donuts (a maple bacon bar) at voodoo donuts. Get breakfast at stepping stone cafe. If you'll be with a wife/gf, walk from burnside up nw 23rd st. Tons of boutique shops and sidewalk cafes/restaurants, very chic area. Also, check out the rosé garden (not the basketball area, the actual garden). If you are there during MLS season and can land reasonable tix to a timbers game, it's worth it for the atmosphere. The best atmosphere in American soccer. Check out Mississippi studios, and the whole Mississippi/Alberta neighborhood in NE. Very cool area. Belmont st and Hawthorne streets in SE are both very cool streets with lots of unique shops. And of course, if you like beer, you can't throw a rock without hitting a brewery in pdx. Depending on when you are going, check on any kind of festivals on the waterfront, during summer, there's some kind of food/beer/music fest almost every weekend. And it's worth wandering around powell's bookstore, the country's largest independent bookstore. It takes up an entire block in downtown. And of course check out the foodtruck scene for lunch at least 1 day. Since I left pdx in early 2008, I've been back a couple times, but don't know all the new stuff, and there's been a huge explosion in new, interesting, highly regarded restaurants, so just use yelp to help guide to more places to eat.
Hope it helps. Sorry if I rambled and got a bit disjointed. I love Oregon though, and Portland is probably the most lovable relatively big city I've ever seen. I'm hoping to move back later this year. Feel free to ask about anything else.
Definitely drive at least some of the coast, you can hit the coast directly west from Eugene and drive up to Astoria and then back over to pdx. If you have time check out crater lake (several hours south of Eugene). Also, if you like fishing, it's most definitely worth checking into a fly fishing day trip. There's several great rivers within a few hours of Eugene. Also great wine country around Salem, definitely worth an afternoon of tasting.
In Eugene, definitely eat at pizza research institute and get the apple/walnut/Gouda pizza. If you like beer, go check out the bier stein, plus multiple breweries in Eugene, ninkasi being the biggest. Might be worth a tour. Get a burrito at las morenas, total **** hole on an industrial type road off the beating path, but one of my favorite burritos ever. Sam bond's garage is also a great local bar where you can avoid the college scene. they have local music most nights. They used to have a bingo night that we hit up regularly. And then the campus is really nice to walk around, check out Hayward field (America's most famous track and field stadium) and MacArthur court (pretty sure it's still there even though they opened a new arena). I haven't been back to Eugene since 2007 though so there's probably new stuff to do too.
I also lived in Portland about 8 months before getting a job in DC. Eat at toro bravo. Get donuts (a maple bacon bar) at voodoo donuts. Get breakfast at stepping stone cafe. If you'll be with a wife/gf, walk from burnside up nw 23rd st. Tons of boutique shops and sidewalk cafes/restaurants, very chic area. Also, check out the rosé garden (not the basketball area, the actual garden). If you are there during MLS season and can land reasonable tix to a timbers game, it's worth it for the atmosphere. The best atmosphere in American soccer. Check out Mississippi studios, and the whole Mississippi/Alberta neighborhood in NE. Very cool area. Belmont st and Hawthorne streets in SE are both very cool streets with lots of unique shops. And of course, if you like beer, you can't throw a rock without hitting a brewery in pdx. Depending on when you are going, check on any kind of festivals on the waterfront, during summer, there's some kind of food/beer/music fest almost every weekend. And it's worth wandering around powell's bookstore, the country's largest independent bookstore. It takes up an entire block in downtown. And of course check out the foodtruck scene for lunch at least 1 day. Since I left pdx in early 2008, I've been back a couple times, but don't know all the new stuff, and there's been a huge explosion in new, interesting, highly regarded restaurants, so just use yelp to help guide to more places to eat.
Hope it helps. Sorry if I rambled and got a bit disjointed. I love Oregon though, and Portland is probably the most lovable relatively big city I've ever seen. I'm hoping to move back later this year. Feel free to ask about anything else.
Lots of cool pubs and breweries. Here's a link to to check out.
McMenamins is a chain of of breweries, pubs and hotels. It's nothing like you normally think of when you think of a "chain".
http://www.mcmenamins.com/
Lots of great scenery along the Columbia River Gorge and along the coast.
McMenamins is a chain of of breweries, pubs and hotels. It's nothing like you normally think of when you think of a "chain".
http://www.mcmenamins.com/
Lots of great scenery along the Columbia River Gorge and along the coast.
Crater Lake is pretty incredible. I would highly recommend going there. Take a camera.
Did the football trip whatever yr that was, highlights were whitewater rafting on the White Salmon River and a helicopter ride up to top of Mnt St Helens. Pretty awesome dropping down to the crater w/ it still giving off steam and seeing small elk herds on the non torched side of the mountain. Lots of good micro beer to be had
Their homeless are the best dressed and most technological. I swear every one of them has a laptop....... and everybody smokes weed. I know this has been said but it's worth saying again. Lots of dopeheads. Oh, and if you go by Lewis and Clark Law school, take a look at their bulletin board. They actually have groups that get together to learn about masturbation.
Breweries
They have a ton of breweries in that area and they are producing some of the best beers in the country right now. Check out this link.
http://www.portlandbeer.org/breweries/
Of the ones listed, I'd definitely go to Hair of the Dog (try Adam and Fred, and whatever From the Wood Beer they have at the time), Bridgeport (IPA, Hop Czar, and Old Knucklehead), Deschutes (Black Butte Porter, Obsidian Stout, The Abyss), Widmer Brothers (Any of the IPAs and bourbon barrel aged stuff, Rogue is in Newport, and Ninkasi is one of the fastest rising breweries in America located in Eugene.
They have a ton of breweries in that area and they are producing some of the best beers in the country right now. Check out this link.
http://www.portlandbeer.org/breweries/
Of the ones listed, I'd definitely go to Hair of the Dog (try Adam and Fred, and whatever From the Wood Beer they have at the time), Bridgeport (IPA, Hop Czar, and Old Knucklehead), Deschutes (Black Butte Porter, Obsidian Stout, The Abyss), Widmer Brothers (Any of the IPAs and bourbon barrel aged stuff, Rogue is in Newport, and Ninkasi is one of the fastest rising breweries in America located in Eugene.
I wouldn't say potheads are dopeheads. Dopeheads generally refers to crack and heroin addicts, not a guy that smokes weed.
Who cares, I would love to sit on a patio with a good beer and try out the new laws in Washington, so I'd head across the river to Vancouver, WA for an afternoon. It's five minutes from downtown Portland.
Ain't no body getting arrested in Portland either, regardless of what the laws say.
The Kennedy school is the best mcmenamin's establishment. It's an old school converted into a restaurant, several different bar rooms, a cigar bar, and the gym is converted into a movie theater for movies that have been out a few months. All the seating are old couches and chairs with coffee tables out front. Order a pizza and they'll deliver it to you during the movie. And movies are super cheap (I think like $3).
Another cool mcmenamin's establishment is edgefield. It's like 15 miles outside pdx down I-84. They have a restaurant and hotel out there and a very par 3 golf course (you only need a wedge and putter and they'll supply you). They also have pretty good shows out there in the summer (think wilco, modest mouse, etc sized bands).