July 23, 2004, Newsletter Issue #11: Honeymoon in Beautiful Portland

Tip of the Week

It’s about an hour’s drive to that big mountain, which offers the longest ski season in the country (some 340 days’ worth) and four ski resorts; or you can drive west to dramatic Pacific Ocean beaches. You can head east in about the same time to the magnificent Columbia River Gorge, home of Multnomah Falls and some of the world’s best windsurfing. Don’t forget to take a day trip (about an hour southwest) for some world-class wine tasting and cuisine in Oregon’s famous wine country.

Okay, I’ve spent lots of time all over the state, and could fill pages gushing about what a great place it is for a romantic holiday. Instead, I’ll just list some facts along with “must-see” spots for your consideration.

Fact: There’s NO sales tax anywhere in Oregon. So, when you learn the price of a meal, a bottle of wine, a hotel room, souvenirs, or anything else, that’s exactly what you’ll pay. Sweet.

If you like books, you must go to Powell’s City of Books, right downtown, where you’ll find thousands of new and used books to suit any taste or budget. Powell’s is renowned by bibliophiles everywhere as the largest English language bookstore in the world and the largest bookstore in the U.S. Plus, in spite of its size, it somehow manages to be cozy and inviting.

If you like a variety of good beer, Portland may be just about the best town this side of the Atlantic, with around 50 brewpubs and microbreweries. If you’d rather drink superb coffee, Portland rivals Seattle as a java mecca.

Portland is consistently rated one of the best cities to bicycle in, and there are so many places to cycle to and through! The city‘s 37,000 acres of greenspace include five-acre Forest Park (the largest urban forest in the nation), the authentic Japanese and Classical Chinese Gardens and, of course, the International Rose Test Gardens, a romantic delight of color and scent with nearly 600 varieties of roses.

Spend a day at Saturday Market, one of the oldest and coolest craft fairs in the country. Its been going strong from March through Christmas Eve every weekend since 1974, and with hundreds of artisans and dozens of food vendors, is the largest outdoor arts and crafts fair of its kind in the U.S.

Okay, this is getting long, but let me add that there are many luxurious hotels in town, romantic B & B’s all around, especially on the coast. Check out www.newportnet.com/ for more info. Plus, there are the McMenanmins’ quirky (in a good way!) restaurants, hotels and brewpubs, Pioneer Courthouse Square (Portland’s “living room”, in the heart of town), world-class golf courses, and if you’re an art lover, check out the galleries in the Pearl District.

I’ve left out lots of great stuff, so by all means see more about what a great and gorgeous place Portland really is, at www.pova.com/ or at www.oregonlive.com.

Well, that’s all for now. Next, we’ll cover lush Oregon wine country, then hit the road for the prettiest of California’s wine country in Sonoma County. We’ll have a taste or two for you, and report the results.

Yours for TheBigDay,

Jill

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