Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland

Since recently moving from Portland to Beaverton, the door has been opened to new opportunities to explore attractions on the west side of the hills — and I am never one to turn down a chance for adventure! One of my favorite outdoor discoveries is the Tualatin Hills Nature Park: 222 acres of forest, creeks, wetland and wildlife in the heart of Beaverton.

You can take a walk through tall stately cedars, read a book in the sun next to a bubbling creek, watch owls, hawks and other wildlife amid the paths – and you can do all this after hopping off MAX light rail, only 30 or so minutes from downtown Portland (take the Blue Line to the Merlo Road stop). Go west, go exploring, go have fun!

Took a lovely tour of the Oregon Zoo yesterday with some colleagues and snapped this photo of the elephants, which were acting pretty frisky.

Obligatory marketing push: Out-of-town visitors can save more than 25 percent off admission to the zoo, museums, gardens and more with our online attractions passes.

Obligatory personal note: After this visit, I’m excited to return for yet another (consider yourself warned) photo-op with my toddler.

With warmer weather and sunnier skies ahead, my thoughts turn to one of my favorite summer treats: ice cream. At Portland grocery stores, it’s easy to find the big national brands, as well as a plethora of locally made treats. Other made-in-Portland ice creams appear only at their dedicated establishments, where you can pick up cones, sundaes or to-go pints for late-night hotel snacking.

Ruby Jewel: The best-known Portland ice cream creator, Ruby Jewel is famous for their delicious artisan ice cream sandwiches. My favorite is the honey lavender ice cream/lemon cookie combination. Grab their goodies at local farmers’ markets, New Seasons Markets and their own retail location on North Mississippi Avenue.

Fifty Licks: Pioneering creative combinations like Slabtown Whiskey, Stumptown Coffee and the sinfully delicious vegan Coconut Saffron Lemon Sorbet, Fifty licks is a mobile cart at Southeast Belmont and 43rd. Their offerings are also available around town at spots like Prasad and Pacific Pie Co.

Salt & Straw: This “farm to cone” cart on Northeast Alberta eagerly anticipates the opening of their scoop shop at the end of the summer. In the meantime, they’ll be in front of Aviary, offering sea salt ice cream with caramel ribbon, honey balsamic strawberry with cracked pepper, pear with blue cheese and other decadent meal-in-a-cone creations. (more…)

Forest Park (photo by Dr. Burtoni, via Flickr)

“In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.”

So wrote William Shakespeare ages ago, and I think the sentiment holds today. As we emerge from a long, wet spring into summer, the love endures, and it’s time to head outdoors. In Portland and the surrounding area, it couldn’t be easier to find a way to get out and hear that ding a ding.

The city offers hikers plenty of trails. At 5,100 acres, Forest Park boasts more than 80 miles of paths, including the Wildwood Trail, a National Recreation Trail which stretches for more than 30 miles, connecting historic Pittock Mansion, Hoyt Arboretum and the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary. Along Portland’s southwest border lies Tryon Creek State Park, a 670-acre forest with a fully staffed nature center and a network of trails winding past trickling streams. (more…)

Summer is finally here! For the majority of Portlanders, that means one thing: getting a table at an outdoor patio or grabbing sidewalk seating at a favorite bar or restaurant. Summer is a glorious three- to four-month stretch when we enjoy our world-famous microbrews, spirits and food outside without the fear of getting rained on.

When downtown, I enjoy taking a seat with fellow beer enthusiasts on the sidewalks outside of Rogue Distillery & Public House and Deschutes Brewery or lounging on the patios of BridgePort Brewpub or Henry’s 12th Street Tavern. The outdoor scene isn’t limited to beer; great dining options abound at The Heathman Restaurant & Bar, Nel Centro or Jake’s Famous Crawfish. If you’re looking for a view to go along with your food or drink, but still want to feel the breeze blowing through your hair, try Departure’s 15th floor open air patio.

For a complete list of outdoor options, Portland Food and Drink has put together a wonderful list of Portland Area Outdoor Dining.

Flanked by Violetta and Elephants Delicatessen, downtown Portland’s Director Park — once the site of a parking lot — is a popular lunch spot for shoppers, office workers, people-watchers and (ahem) snap-happy parents chasing their toddlers through the fountain.

For more downtown adventures and ideas, check out downtownportland.org.

Conceptual rendering of new bridge courtesy of Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project

Call it the City of Roses, Stumptown, Rip City or P-Town, but to me, “Bridgetown” is Portland’s most fitting nickname. In the central city, eight spans (for now — see below) cross the Willamette River, connecting the two sides of the city and uniting those who use them. Three upcoming events offer different perspectives on Bridgetown: 

Construction on Portland’s first new Willamette River bridge in nearly 40 years will kick off in July 2011. The as-yet-unnamed bridge, expected to open in 2015, will run from South Waterfront to OMSI. Carrying the sixth MAX light rail line, as well as buses, streetcars, pedestrians and bicyclists (but no cars), it promises to be a striking addition to the downtown skyline. Once construction is underway, you can watch it live via webcam.  (more…)

The Fruit Bats playing at Pickathon, photo by Tim LaBarge

Am I the only one who’s been listening to the Decemberists’ latest album nonstop since it came out in January? The Portland band’s most recent record, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, is filled with songs at the same time fresh and nostalgic, channeling musicians like Tom Petty and R.E.M. in the band’s distinctive style.

“The King is Dead” was recorded in the Workshop Barn at Pendarvis Farm, one of six venues at the annual Pickathon music festival, coming up Aug. 5-7, 2011. (more…)

Spoke art by Carye Bye.

Portland celebrates the bicycle all year ‘round, but summer is when our spoke cards really fly. The season gets up to speed with Pedalpalooza – “2+ weeks of bikey fun” – with events throughout the city in June. Feeling adventurous? Strip down for Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride (ours was the largest in the Americas last year) on June 18. Check the Pedalpalooza calendar for other events, including bike-in movies, mobile dance parties and unicycle jousting. (more…)

Portland International Rose Test Garden (photo by M.T. White)

It’s natural to have a few questions as you wander through 4.5 acres of parkland bursting with 550+ rose varieties and more than 6,800 blooms. What is that variety? How is the garden maintained? How long are the roses in bloom? Now, thanks to Portland Walking Tours, visitors to Portland’s International Rose Test Garden can take a guided garden tour any day of the week through mid-October (Portland Parks also offers tours at select times and days between June 1 and Sept. 21).

Offered daily from dawn until dusk, the 45-minute Roses Gone Wild tour ($8 for anyone ages 8-88; all others free) sheds light on the garden’s history, select varietals, the city of Portland and more.

The International Rose Test Garden was conceived by Jesse A. Currey in 1915 and approved by Portland Parks in 1917 as a safe haven for hybrid roses grown in Europe during World War I. Roses started arriving in Portland in 1918 and the garden and amphitheater were dedicated in 1924. The garden now welcomes more than half a million visitors annually.

Portland Walking Tours also offers these other tours: Best of Portland, Underground Portland, Beyond Bizarre, Epicurean Excursion and Chocolate Decadence.