The Thorns and Roses of Portland

Althought the highlights of the city depend on when you visit, don't miss the summer Rose Festival, or the great concert series at the Portland Zoo - which is in itself a great destination. Go shopping on Northwest 23rd Ave or Hawthorn Blvd, and don't miss out on picking up something to eat along the way. It is also worthwhile to head downtown to shop at Pioneer Place, the classiest mall around, and also check out the Tiffany and Co. which just opened. While you are in the area, visit the recently renovated Multonomah County Public Library, and then catch an event at the Portland Art Museum.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Many, if not most, of the best destinations can be reached on "MAX", our light-rail system. Unless you are visiting friends, however, it might be wise to rent a car if you like hunting down some of those hidden shops and stops.

We stopped in a Saturday morning, in a rush because I had to be at work. The place was packed, but they found us a seat in the back corner (a great place to be in this restaurant) and promised us that they would do their best to get our food to us quickly. I ordered the Brioche French Toast, one of their house specialities. The waitress described it as "one of our super-yummy secret things." Super-yummy was right! Not only was it the best french toast I had ever had, but the serving size and price were perfect as well. My boyfriend ordered one of their egg scrambles - the choices for these range from everything from Italian spices and tomato to a fabulous Greek mix that includes feta cheese. This is the one that we chose, and the eggs had a wonderful, smooth texture. Both dishes arrived promptly, and the service was some of the best I have had in the city. Even with a large tip, our bill came to under $20. We have every intention of making a regular breakfast destination - and we may even have to try their lunch menu.

I have to be in the right mood for pizza. When my boyfriend suggested we try his favorite pizza place, I objected. And then I walked into the Caro Amico Italian Cafe. It is a very large restaurant, and since my first experience there I have seen it both packed and as empty as can be. Monday nights are the slowest, and I think the best time to visit. The first night I visited was a Monday, and the first thing I notices was the sign on the door, "Serving Slow Food since 1949." It sets the mood for the entire place - even when they are busy, it doesn't feel rushed. The tablecloths are paper, and come with a side of crayons, to spend your time scribbling while waiting for your meal. What fun! In all honesty, the wait time is not very long, considering that they make your pizza at the time you order it. The pizza is thin crust, and you can choose to have it orginal Itlian style, or with any combination of some fifty toppings they offer. Their very authentic Italian dishes are terrific, too: these people know their sauces! The servers are some of my favorite in Portland: they are all friendly, and ours always seem to have a good sense of humor. They always deserve a good tip. Depending on what you order, you can expect to pay about $30 for two people, but I would say that the experience there is worth much more!

The Pied Cow is one of Portland's two secret coffehouses. Among certain circles, everyone has heard of it, but to many others, it is an undiscovered diamond. It is on Belmont St., one of the many homes to casual counter-culture that Portland embraces. People of every type go to sip an espresso and chat there - from businessmen to college students. It is a renovated Old Portland style home, with about ten or twelve tables, and a variety of seating arrangements including a very comfortable pair of couches. The dining area consists of two small rooms, giving it a very inimate feel, and people will usually talk long after their coffee is gone. In the spring through early fall, there are about five more tables available outside , set well away from each other to keep the private atmosphere. The waitresses are friendly and prompt, and the coffee and food are some of the best in town. On their menu they have coffees, teas, beer and wine, appetizers and desserts. If you are on a tight budget, I recommend a Tea-for-Two in either the Ginger Peach or Vanilla Almond flavors, with a Truffle in a Teacup to split. The Truffle is a rich, thick chocolate with a consistency falling somewhere between chocolate mousse and fudge. The teas are served in mis-matched tea pots and cups, with no two being alike. The bill will come to about $6, leaving more than enough room for a generous tip. If you feel like spending a bit more, the Brie Cheese plate, which comes with apples and other fruits next to a brie baked with walnuts is also one of my favorites, and the Chocolate S & M cake is one Portland's best desserts. If you are worried about not having the time to spend, go late! This is not an early morning coffehouse - they are open until 12am Sunday through Thursday, and until 1am Friday and Saturday. Be prepared for a wait on weekends, however; despite being relatively unknown, it is a very popular spot!

The building is huge, and arranged into rooms which each focus on a certain type of science. One of my favorites is the Earth Sciences, in which you can ride the Earthquake machine (which feel just like a real California earthquake, something many people have never experienced)or learn how the tides work. In another room, a combination of medicine and industry, there is area in which you can explore disabilities. This is a great learing experience for children - they can put on glasses that make them see the way a color blind person does, or ride about a house in a wheelchair. Further on, you can see the stages of fetal developement, and like many of the displays, press a button to hear all about it. There is a room of new technology, in which you can experience your voice vacant of bass, and see where the future of sound and music may be headed.

Once you have explored the museum itself - there is enough that it takes hours to see, go relax in the Omnimax theater. It is an IMAX theater, which means that the screen actually curves around you, and you see the picture peripherally as well as right in front of you. Over the years I have taken flights through the Grand Canyon in IMAX, gone swimming with the whales, and been rocketed out into space. They always have one or two of these breath-taking, educational films showing, and no matter what topic, it is worth the experience. The cost to see as movie is the same as admission to the Museum, but sold separately. If you decide to visit, mark out an entire day for it - the kids won't want to leave, and most probably, you won't either.

Powell's City of Books is exactly that - like visiting another city entirely, one entirely made up of the written word. They have nine different rooms full of books, and also an Arts and Crafts annex just across the street. All told, the downtown branch of this local chain has become the largest bookstore in the United States. Not only do they carry all the books that you might be looking for, but they almost alway have a used copy as well - which can usually be bought for about half the price of a new one. Looking for something old and ancient? Their Rare Book Room is one of the most complete in the nation, featuring an excellent selection of hard-to-find children's books, such as the Wizard of Oz books, or early Disney pop-ups. If you are looking for Literature and Poetry, visit the Blue Room. If you want Fantasy/Science Fiction, browse through the Gold. And if you need to know how to do something, find the informational books in the Pink Room. When you have located a book that interests you, wander down to their coffee shop - you are more than welcome to bring in the books and browse while sipping a cup of Portland's best java. Being so near to Seattle, Portlanders know how to order a cup of coffee, and Powell's can make the most complex latte you can think to order. The cafe is almost always crowded - but that is a nice change for a bookstore. The store is often overlooked as a tourist attraction, but considering the fact that it brings back hundreds of repeat customers every day, it is well worth the time to stop by on your trip. I stop in almost once a week, and I never fail to find something.

Anyone whose sense of style tends toward that of yesterday will love the look and feel of Torso Boutique. Of the vintage stores around town, it is by far the most expensive, but also offers the highest quality of merchandise. They carry everything from unlabeled clothes that stand on their beauty alone to the classiest of yesterday's designers, including Chanel and Valentino. The shop is dim, as antique and collectible shops should be, but has just enough light to be able to see the true colors of the clothes. The manager is also one of the shop's highlights - he is friendly and helpful, and knows clothing and colors inside out. It is unfortunate, however, that some of his employees are not as helpful - based on age and clothing, they may tend to discriminate or be "snooty" toward customers whom they do not think fit into their potential buyer's profile. Usually I would not ignore unpleasant salespersons, but if you are a fan of vintage style - both men and women's - it is worth putting up with. The clothes you will walk away with will be unique, and you will not find the store's equal elsewhere in the city.

When I found that there was no way for me to escape to my yearly vacation this last summer, I resolved to take as much of a vacation as I could here in Portland. I became a tourist in my home town, and consequently went places I had never been, found restaurants I had never heard of, and looked at my favorite shops in an entirely new way. It has been seven months since I started, and I am no where near finished exploring the city. I am still organizing my pictures and trying to record all my experiences, but I am thrilled to have a forum to record them on. I hope you enjoy, and that you will be patient with me, as this journal will take a long time to complete! Please message me with any questions or comments you may have.
Thanks,
Julie

In order to get to some of the hard-to-find destinations, you really have to have a car. You won't want to use it the whole time, however. MAX, the LightRail train system for the city, goes from the far ends both east and west to head into the City Center, and anything that you can find to do downtown can be easily reached with a short walk from the MAX line. It only costs $1.40 for an adult to ride through all zones as many times as you please for three hours, or pay a little more - about $3.50 for an all day pass. It is less expensive by far than any parking garage, and you can always get on at one stop and travel to the next a few blocks down to find new stores and restaurants.

Some of the highlights along the MAX line are Pioneer Place mall, Pioneer Square, Lloyd Center Mall, the Chinatown area, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, the Galleria, and the beautiful Multnomah County Library.

Of course, to get to some of the charming little cafes and shops I have reviewed, you will still want an automobile. Leave it parked for at least one day, however, and let Portland's terrific public transportation do all the work for you.