Ep. 37 Things to do in Portland

Have you thought about visiting Portland, Oregon? 

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Be On It, episode 37. Hey Jessica, what's going on in the beehive today?

SPEAKER_01 0:04

Hi, Debbie. I was thinking about Portland, Oregon, and Oregon in general and what a beautiful place it was for me to grow up in. Yeah. I feel like Portland, Oregon, it's such a unique city because of our close proximity to the ocean, mountains, and desert. Any given day, you could get in your car and you can drive two to three hours max to get to the ocean, the desert, and shorter amount of time if you're going to Mount Hood. So we're just kind of right smack in the middle, surrounded by the Cascades to the east, and then the coastal range to the west. And then in the backdrop is beautiful Mount Hood and Lush Forest. And we've got all this outdoor beauty going on. Our city's geography is shaped by volcanic activity that features, you know, a you know, a viewpoint like Pal Butte and Rocky Butte, and they kind of tower nearby over the city. Additionally, Portland's location merges the Columbia River and the Willamette, and it's been historically vital for trade and transportation. So we've got a really unique city that offers so much. Most people know of Portland, Maine, but I don't know if they always know about Portland, Oregon and what it has to offer.

SPEAKER_00 1:16

Right. Because you're a Portland native, born and raised. Born and raised in Portland. I was born and raised until high school in Texas and moved over in the mid-90s. Some people might not be familiar with where Portland lies on the map. Portland is in the state of Oregon. It's part of the West Coast. From the north to the south, there's Washington State, Oregon, and then California. And we're we're basically sandwiched in between Washington State and California. Portland, the biggest city in Oregon, is situated near the border of Washington State. And like you said, it's it's in a very unique position because it's accessible in all points from the from the east to the south to the west to all these different different typographies, as you mentioned.

SPEAKER_01 2:03

Right. Another interesting thing is we have one of the largest urban forests in the United States. Forest Park is our urban forest and it features more than 80 miles of trails, including the 30-mile wildwood trail, which connects to the city's 40-mile loop system. And it in this park, it's a very vital ecological, you know, resource and it supports a diverse range of wildlife. When you're looking at the city of Portland, you can see this range. And it's just massive.

SPEAKER_00 2:35

If you're flying in, you'll definitely notice that the difference when you reach Oregon, especially our um evergreens. It's breathtaking.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Yeah, it really is, especially on a bright sunny day. You can see not only Mount Hood, but you might even see into Washington, Mount St. Helens and Jefferson on a really good day from different vantage points throughout the city. It's a beautiful, breathtaking city on a nice clear day, but oftentimes our weather is very rainy. And this is what brings our green is all the rain that we get. Yeah, temperate weather is our warm seasons, I would say June through September. Okay. The rest of it's pretty rainy.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

So we're rainy and wet from October until summer. Let's say sometimes in June it can be pretty wet and rainy.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

It just depends. I mean, the thing about our weather is we might get an 80-degree day one day and rain the next day. It's very spring weather is very all over the place. I've seen it literally rain, snow, and sunshine in one day in the spring. And that might be March, that might be April. It's random. And from year to year, depending on if it's La Nina or not, you'll get a wide range of weather. It's been a warmer season this winter. We didn't have the snow that we normally had, which is worrisome because we do have wildfires. And so that is something that we have to be concerned about in the summer. It's going to get very dry. It's a concern.

SPEAKER_00 4:04

Traveling wise, the summer would be a good time to visit.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Oh, for sure. There's just more going on. Like there's there's more activities. If you're an outdoors person, come in the summertime. There's more festivals going on, there's more to do. It's warmer. You can reserve camping spots. So I would say it's the best time to come to really just observe all the beauty that we have to offer. I mean, if you want to come in the wintertime, there's some things going on as well, but not as much. It's going to be spread out. You do a lot of indoor activity during those cooler months and rainier months. Also known for our waterfalls. We have our gorge area where we have our most known waterfall, Mount Noma Falls. It's a stunning two-tiered waterfall with an upper drop at 542 feet and a lower drop of 69 feet, totaling 620 feet in height. That's huge. It makes it the tallest waterfall in Oregon and one of the tallest in the United States. That's a very popular destination for people to come visit. And I would say if you're going to come visit, make sure that you purchase a time-slotted timer with a tour. If you want to come with your own car that you've rented, I would come before 8 a.m. and you'll be able to get in and look around and hike up to the bridge with no problem. With Portland, everything's spread out. You definitely have to have a car and you have to have the mindset that you're not going to see everything while you're here. If you want to see multiple things, I would stay in multiple places. I wouldn't just stay at one hotel or Airbnb. I would pick several places for a couple of days and exploring one Highway 101, which is along the coastal range. I would recommend staying down there for a couple of days. And then if you're planning on going to the desert area, Bend area has Sun River Resorts. There's tons of places that you can stay if you want to explore the Bend area, which has a whole lot of our caves and our volcano that you can walk up and explore hiking. There's Smith Rock. So many cool features that Oregon offers. Oh there's so much to see. If you're gonna if you're gonna go to Multnomah Falls, I would say Hood River is a cute little town and it's known for its windsurfing and kiteboarding. It's a renowned destination where people come from all over the world because of the way the river is in the wind. It's like the perfect wind tunnels. Very popular destination with lots of restaurants and places to stay. So worth worth checking out if you're going to Multnomah Falls anyway. There's several waterfalls along the way.

SPEAKER_00 6:47

That's important for people to know before they come travel here. Is that obviously they're gonna need to do their research and customize their trip to their interests, but you know, you definitely want to have a car because we are spaced out. We're you know, in order to get a really a good array of things, I I you know, I kind of think of it as a segmented itinerary because they're gonna want to maybe see parts of Portland and then and then they might want to go to eastern Oregon or southern Oregon or to the beach. So if that is the itinerary, then obviously staying at multiple places for lodging is the way to go.

SPEAKER_01 7:22

We have so many unique Airbnbs and resorts here in Oregon that I don't think you can go wrong. I think that you're gonna find something that fits your needs and your family's needs. It's worth mentioning our uh Canida Resort. It's a tribal-owned resort, and it's a part of my childhood. We grew up going there and swimming, and there's whitewater rafting. I think they still offer horseback riding. There's a casino for those that like casinos. It's just kind of midway between Portland and Central Oregon and Ben. It's a it's a nice kind of stop to kind of check out our desert area and check out what they have to offer. If you're heading in another direction um down to the beach areas, there's Astoria where that's most famous for the Goonies Festival in June. That's worth checking out. It's very easy to spend a day in Astoria or a half a day and then make your way down 101 to Cannon Beach. You could basically go all the way down 101 and like have your reservations for hotels and check out our cute beaches. Besides gonna be more of your like touristy area with lots of gift shops, very big and busy for spring break time and summer. Cannon Beach is more a little bit more laid back, and visually, you're gonna have the Haystack Rock and you'll be able to check out the beaches. Newport Beach is gonna have your aquarium and Lincoln City is going to have your fun outlets, shopping that you can do at the beach. Seaside has it too. They're just smaller. It has like a little river attached to the ocean that's a little bit warmer. Our oceans are not warm, just to keep that in mind. Um, and even in the summertime, it's very, very cold. I would recommend a wetsuit, and they can be very dangerous. Don't turn your back on the ocean. It is very powerful, and unfortunately, you really have to, you know, be aware of the warning signs that are that are posted.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

I know it's windy, and I always am cold when I'm at the beach, unless it's like midday and the sun is out. It is not a warm beach, so you need to bring your gear with you. It's the Pacific Ocean, so be very careful.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

I would say fun things to do around Portland in the summertime. We have the Rose Festival. That's a beautiful time to come to observe parades and we have the dragon boat races. Beautiful time to come and look at our rose gardens at the Washington Park. We have the zoo, we have the Japanese gardens, we have the Pitok Mansion. These are all great local Portland things to come and do and visit. We even have walking tours and underground tours. We have special tunnels that you can explore that have a history. Being a um trade and port city, it's it's very eclectic with its history. So you can learn a lot about Portland that way. I would say it's one of the oldest since 1905 amusement parks still running is Oaks Amusement Park. It has a roller rink and it has amusement park rides. It's pretty impressive. So that's in the Selwood area, which is a lovely family-friendly neighborhood. You're gonna find that it's so spread out that it's about different neighborhoods. You're gonna find different food options in these neighborhoods and they're worth exploring.

SPEAKER_00 10:37

You mentioned the Rose Festival. You'll need to research when that will be happening in Portland, Oregon, but I think late May to early June.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

First couple weeks in June, I believe, are when the Rose Festival happenings. You'd have to research the exact dates. Right. Also in July, we have the Jazz Blues Festival. The Saturday Market, I think, is open spring to late September, I believe.

SPEAKER_00 11:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:03

That's worth exploring. Just little markets of local vendors. All the neighborhoods have farmers markets in the summertime, and that's really fun. You're gonna find fresh fruits and different like art and different vendors available.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

And also just to mention, if we're talking about downtown Portland, what's available there is city transit is like buses, uh, there's the Portland streetcar, and then that there's the Max, which is light rail.

SPEAKER_01 11:29

I would say downtown in most downtown areas and cities, that's where you go and you hang out, and there's a lot to do down there. Ours is a little bit different, especially since COVID. When COVID took place, there were a lot of unfortunate things that happened where a lot of homeless and people that were drug addicted took over. And so they Portland has spent a lot of time trying to clean up downtown area and make it open to everybody. A lot of shops close down. Yeah. And I think they're still trying to recover. I would say it's a it's an area worth visiting. It's an area that you should be aware of and be careful of, would be near Burnside area where you're gonna see more of the drug addicted and the houseless. Just something to be aware of, especially at night if you're in that area. You just want to be aware of your surroundings and your safety.

unknown 12:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

There's Powell's bookstore. Oh, I love Powell's in the upper Burnside area in Northwest, like right before the Pearl, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Or like right after the Pearl or before the Pearl District, I think depends on which way you're coming.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

Depends on which way you're coming from. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:33

It's not quite on Burnside, but it's a little off of Burnside. And um, it's pretty historical. I just went there recently, but it's multiple floors. It's has if you are a book lover, you'll just probably spend a few hours there. It's wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 12:49

We have a beautiful Portland art museum, too. I always like to talk about that because it's fun going to they have different features, especially things to the north like uh um things related to the northwest. You'll see a lot of like tribal art and um artifacts and things like that. So I always appreciate and they always feature uh different artists. What's really unique to our state is the enchanted forest. It has been around for a long time. Family-owned amusement park, and just no place like it. It's an unusual part of Oregon. I think it's worth visiting if you have the time. I've driven past it. I've never been though. It's unique. I grew up going there. We went there for field trips as kids. My kids are familiar with it. I don't want to give too much away, but check it out for your guys as self and determine if that feels like it's a fun place for you to go visit. It's Oregon nostalgic.

SPEAKER_00 13:39

It's in Portland. There's Omsi 2, which Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens. Is that in Southeast? Southeast Portland. Elvis beautiful. Um, and there's just a lot of coffee shops in the Portland area.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

I would say Alberta area, Alberta neighborhood's a good area for coffee and food. I would say Mississippi is a fun area for different shops and restaurants. Southeast Portland Division, Belmont area, fun for different bars and restaurants. It depends on what you're coming here for. Portland's a very foody town, but it's very spread out. So do your research, ask on Reddit. Depends on, you know, what you're loving. I would say we have fun themed bars if you're really into that. Great restaurants, especially in the southeast area. Even Beaverton out in the suburbs have really good restaurants. So everything is so spread out. It depends on really what you're looking for. You may be all over the place if if you're, you know, in Oregon or Portland for a week, you might be popping all over neighborhoods.

SPEAKER_00 14:42

I do a lot of- I encourage that. I think that's encouraging.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

You'll really get a fill for um the neighborhood by doing that.

SPEAKER_00 14:51

I went to this recently is the Sky T this the tram. It's the OHSU Sky Tram. Have you been on that? I have. It's been a while. Yeah, that was interesting. I it'll take you from the campus at Oregon Health and Science University down to by the Tillicum Bridge area. And I've never been on the Tillicum Bridge either, have you?

SPEAKER_01 15:13

Beautiful, yes. I've walked in if you walk across it, you can kind of walk the trail to get to Omse. There's some different like cafes and things over there. It's a good walk. I think I think our bridges are fun. You know, they're easy to walk or bike. We're a very bikeable city, and that's what we're known for. Um, walkable, it depends. It's more neighborhood-based. I I think you know, you could definitely walk over some of our bridges, like the Hawthorn Bridge, the Telecom Bridge. There's a few other bridges that are pretty walkable. You definitely need a car if you want to get around and see all the things.

SPEAKER_00 15:44

To make the most of your time.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Make the most of your time.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

I agree.

SPEAKER_01 15:49

So I would just say the takeaway is do your research. We're a beautiful city that has a lot to offer. Um, we're not a big city. We're, you know, we're spread out. And, you know, I think we're we try to be welcoming. People kind of keep to themselves. But you don't, you're necessarily gonna get good morning if you're walking by somebody. It might be hit and miss. And it doesn't mean that they're rude. It they kind of keep to themselves. They try not to bother us, but it doesn't mean we're not like wanting to talk to people.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

That people might find our lack, our no sales tax hospitable, though. We don't have a sales tax here in Oregon. So if you find something that's on sale for $2.99, that's exactly how much you'll pay.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

Which is really nice and economical in this day and age.

SPEAKER_00 16:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 16:34

There's a lot of yeah, there's a lot of free things to do here, especially in the summertime. A lot of like parks you can go visit for free. Oh, yeah. Central Library's beautiful, lots of events like farmers markets and um, like we were saying, Saturday markets free. You just have to look up local events, and there's a lot of like trivia nights and all sorts of fun things going on.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

I will say that that the vibe here is kind of relaxed. And I feel like because I'm I'm I'm not good at doing this. Once you develop your itinerary, that's great because you'll have a game plan of how you're gonna see this and that that's customized to you. But take a moment to take it in, take it all in because that way you'll just get a really good broad impression of Oregon, of Portland, or wherever you visit inside of Oregon. Have your itinerary, but you know, you might want to be flexible and be loose about it because there might be things that catch your interest, and you might want to take a little detour, so to speak, and be observant. I think you are really observant, Jessica, and you take it all in. But when I go somewhere, I'm just like very focused on hitting point A to point B and all the things on my itinerary. And I kind of get a little myopic that way, but it's good to just be really observant and take in all of that this state has to offer because there's a lot of things here that really activate your visual sense, your sense of touch, you know, the climate. All your senses will hopefully be activated and just take a moment to just appreciate that because when you visit and then you go home. I I feel like, in my opinion, the cool thing that you'll remember is the natural beauty of this place and the climate, especially if you come during the summer. I think you'll have some appreciation of how of it being warm here and how beautiful it is here.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

I agree.

unknown 18:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:26

If you enjoyed this and you like what we're all about, join us next time.

SPEAKER_00 18:30

Join us next time and send us some fan mail. Bye. See you next time. Just so you know, this is for entertainment purposes only. We are speaking from our lived experiences and are not licensed therapists.