lovelytravels

Your guests had such a good time on their first visit to Portland, they have returned. (See prior blog: First Time Visit to Portland). What do you do the second time around?
Here is the rundown. If it’s the weekend, start at the Saturday Market by the Burnside Bridge to pick up an artisan-made northwest souvenir. Then work your way up to the Park Blocks for a dose of art at the Portland Art Museum, making sure to visit the new wing.
Walk across the street to the Oregon Historical Society if you have a history buff on your hands. Then hit the Farmer’s Market right there and procure picnic ingredients for a tasty lunch or detour into Elephant’s Deli just north of the Fox Theatre for sandwiches, salads, and best soup in town. Eat in the park blocks, and walk straight north into the Pearl.
Check out Contemporary Crafts on NW Davis for their latest stellar craft exhibit and the Froelick Gallery next door. Take a right and go to the Portland Classical Chinese Garden at Third and NW Everett. Stop in for a cup of green or black tea and some moon cakes, enjoying this slice of peace in a busy city.
Proceed up to NW 23rd for an hour or two of browsing the shops. If you need a coffee to revive your legs, skirt down to NW 21st and go to Ken’s Artisan Bakery. This is an easy part of town to walk all the alphabet streets, especially the section from Burnside down to Lovejoy or so. Walk and walk. Portland is a great walking city. Later, go out to Mint or the hip Doug Fir on the eastside for drinks and maybe a concert. Pick up take out Thai at Pok Pok on SE Division and go home, or go to Café Mingo for intimate, homey Italian on NW 21st.
The next day, on the way to the beach, brunch at the Oregon College of Arts & Crafts for good food and a peek at the creative campus and gallery. Get to the beach midday. The best beaches within two hours are Canon Beach, Manzanita, Gearhart, Arch Cape, Cape Meares and Oceanside. Spend the night. Unless you want to spend two nights, you will probably have to go to a hotel (house rentals at VRBO.com, etc, usually go for minimum of two nights). Try the Ocean Lodge, Ecola Creek Lodge or Stephanie Inn in Canon Beach, the Gearhart Ocean Inn in Gearhart, or the Inn at Manzanita. Or camp. Maybe Nehalem Bay State Park with its cozy sites or a yurt at Fort Stevens near Astoria (reservations required).
Hike the next morning: either Ecola State Park, Neahkanie Mountain or through the tunnel at Oceanside (not for claustrophobics) to the other side, a panoramic beach to collect a bag full of agates.
Finally, mid-afternoon, drive a loop into wine country. Among many choices, you might stay at the Brookside Inn on Abbey Road or the Carlton Inn, both in Carlton, the Kelty B&B in Lafayette, or the Dundee Manor B&B.
Eat dinner at the Dundee Bistro or Tina’s and enjoy your last night. Next time your guests come, you are going to go to Portland City Grill at the top of Big Pink (US Banktower, downtown), order a bottle of local wine and some appetizers, look out the window, and ask them what THEY want to do…

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