Portland

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Oregon

A July 2000 trip to Portland by mafnet

A simple visit to my grandma's? I think not!

  • 9 reviews

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Omsi)Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

This museum is one of my personal favorites. Every now and again, they change the downstairs exhibit while the upstairs remains the same year round. The last time I visited the spectacular museum, the new exhibit was about currency! This featured interactive games and a "Currency Printed" that made bills with your picture on them after you designed each one with special pictures and backgrounds. Upstairs includes exhibits involving blue screen technology, light sensors, binary code, and earthquake simulation. The exhibits are not limited to simply that. There are many more things a person can experiment with, like brainteasers, or you can simply go into the gift store to pick out some wonderful gifts on your way out!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by mafnet on October 22, 2006

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Omsi)
1945 SE Water Ave. Portland, Oregon 97214
(503) 797-6674

Multnomah FallsBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Again, history pervades my visit to Oregon. Multnomah Falls is a tremendous sight from the bridge directly in front of the falls or from the top. A road leads up to the top of the cliff near the waterfall. Even more interesting is to find out that the who fall will freeze during the winter! A giant river of ice! That is one thing I learned from the nice-sized visitor center. Another is how dangerous the place once was. A boulder fell from the top of the falls. Fortunately, little damage occurred. Despite the danger of the past, the beauty of the present is so near that you can almost touch it. In fact, it touches you, for a slight mist flows through the air.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by mafnet on October 22, 2006

Multnomah Falls
Exit 31, I-84 Portland, Oregon 97010
(541) 386-2333

Oregon ZooBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

If you've never been to a zoo before, I highly recommend this one! It is relatively large and has many animals in their natural habitats! They had penguins in an ice room, a simulation of actual Arctic conditions! They had koalas on actual eucalyptus trees! The zoo keeper definitely went way out of his way to make his animals at home, something that I feel actually aids the overall experience. When the animal is from Africa, its exhibit looks and feels like Africa. When the animal is from the polar ice caps, its exhibit is as cold as the polar ice caps. If the animal is from Central America, its exhibit... well, you get the point. The animals are right at home and the guests do not intrude whatsoever!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by mafnet on October 22, 2006

Oregon Zoo
4001 SW Canyon Rd Portland, Oregon 97221
(503) 220-2786

City LiquidatorsBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Three stories of randomly selected retail objects marked off at liquidated prices: CITY LIQUIDATORS. Have you ever wanted to buy that chair that cost almost $100 when you knew you could build it yourself for only $10? Well, here's a place where you can find it for about that amount! Almost any object ranging from toys to furniture to kitchenware, you name it! Wall to wall, floor to floor, section to section! Nothing is too expensive! Nothing is to shoddy to buy! These are name brand objects for the price of those off-brand products. It's like they're selling Sony products at the price of Somy! ...If Somy was ever a company... Who knows? It might be some odd retailer in a third world country. But that's not the point. What I am trying to say is that you can get quality items in quality condition for low prices!
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by mafnet on October 22, 2006

City Liquidators
823 SE 3rd Avenue Portland, Oregon 97214
(503) 238-1367

Downtown Portland Sights & AttractionsBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Downtown Portland"

One way streets. Stores. Outlets. Courthouses. Museums. So much packed into Downtown Portland! From law to shopping, this area has got it all. You can go to lunch on one side of the city near the residences and take a trip to the other side to visit the Sports Museum. And in the event that the Sports Museum sues you for destroying property, you can walk down the street about a block and take it up in the courthouse! Featured are the statues of beavers, water fountains that constantly supply water for the thirsty, and the illustrious statue of Portlandia upon the tallest of Portland buildings! So if you find yourself driving up the wrong way on a one way street, remember to look for Portlandia, because she may be your only witness in the event you receive your Miranda rights...
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by mafnet on October 22, 2006

Downtown Portland Sights & Attractions
Downtown Portland Portland, Oregon

PGE ParkBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Portland Beavers & the Famous Chicken at PGE Park"

I remember a time when I was younger when I could actually sit and watch a baseball game for entertainment. During that time frame, my grandma took my brother and I to a Beavers game! I believe the Beavers actually won in that game. The stadium is full of stands and concessions, but even better are the giveaways. My brother and I went home with two binders each (we grabbed an extra one each for our little brothers), baseball cards, more cards, coupons, and my brother even snagged a couple of free tickets, which he gave to my grandma to use. Never have I felt like a revered guest in a stadium. The Beavers take the cake when it comes to generosity!
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by mafnet on October 22, 2006

PGE Park
1844 SW Morrison Portland, Oregon 97205
(503) 553-5400

Finnegan's ToysBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Finnegan's Toy Store"

This visit goes back to a time when I was much younger than I am now. My grandma has taken me to this store several time with two different brothers during the course of five different visits in five different years. It was amazing to see the colors, the objects, the TOYS! This is a child's dream store! There are toys for boys, toys for girls, keychains, magic tricks, science kits, and more! Although the toys are not cheap, they are not too expensive. I think the toys my brother and I bought years ago are now in the closet of our younger twin brothers. Nevertheless, the memories are ingrained in my mind as they were several years ago. If you have a child, take them. They will love you forever!
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by mafnet on October 22, 2006

Finnegan's Toys
922 SW Yamhill Portland, Oregon 97205
(503) 221-0306

Oregon Sports Hall of Fame & MuseumBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Oregon Sports Hall of Fame & Museum"

This is the most interactive sports memorabilia museum ever built! First off, if they still have it, ask for their trivia at the beginning for your child (or yourself). It pays off. I myself walked away from the place with 17 new baseball cards for answering questions right. As you walk through the small museum, pay attention. You may recognize these people, some of whom are locals. If you aren't interested in the history behind the sports, there is a video presentation. If you don't like videos, well, there are games to play! Play basketball, see how fast you would be in a wheel chair race, see how far you can run, play pool, play air hockey, play bumper pool. Or see what it is like to catch a pitch at 90-something mile per hour! If you don't seem interested in all of this, there is a gift shop for all of you spenders out there! Just stop by. It's not too expensive to enter into the museum!
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by mafnet on October 22, 2006

Oregon Sports Hall of Fame & Museum
321 Southwest Salmon Street Portland, Oregon 97204
(503) 227-7466

Astoria ColumnBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

From its title, it is obviously a column. But what is extraordinary about this landmark is the fact that it commemorates the story of Lewis and Clark in the form of pictures. Overlooking the coast and the bridge into Washington state, this majestic pillar is hollowed out to allow guests to climb up the stairs to the top floor for a balcony view of the state and the Columbia River. The colors are beautiful and the trees on the hill are extraordinary. It is almost as if this captivating historical column is part of nature itself.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by mafnet on October 26, 2006

Astoria Column
One Coxcomb Drive Astoria, Oregon 97103
(503) 325-2963

About the Writer

mafnet
mafnet
Lake Forest, California

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