Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland

Our short and sweet stop to pick up Bridget Sheffler in Albany got us a short and sweet video! Watch it now…

We’ve made it to Roseburg and the the wheels are rolling. The welcome wagon is here to send us off and they’re wishin’ they could come. Next stop, Medford!

We stopped this afternoon at the Fifth Street Public Market for a bite to eat and a little shopping R&R. Next stop: Roseburg!

We just stopped at Woodburn Company Stores, the largest tax-free shopping outlet in the West Coast, to pick up a few more delegates. We’ll let Lisa Itel from Travel Oregon, Douglas Jenkins of The Oregon Garden and Lauren Umbdenstock of Woodburn Company Stores tell you more:

Our first nine delegates embarked at 9 a.m. this morning from Portland International Airport, courtesy of OC&W Coachways.

Check the video below for a little taste of what’s to come and for some information about our incredible airport.

We’ve finally made it — after months of preparation, a dedicated group of Oregon tourism pros are headed to Reno, Nev., for the National Tour Association Annual Convention.

We’re excited to share our experiences road-tripping through Oregon with you. Make sure to visit Portland Spoke every few hours this Wednesday, Nov. 11, for our live video updates from throughout the state.

In the meantime, check out this video which features two of my favorite Portland spots, as well as a reminder about our special offer for NTA tour operators:

See you on the road.

The next stop on our road trip around Oregon is sunny Southern Oregon. The region is home to a bustling theatrical town, Ashland, which features the Tony-Award winning Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The country’s deepest lake – and Oregon’s only national park — Crater Lake wows with its crystal blue water, while the huge marble cave and pristine hiking trails have drawn visitors to Oregon Caves National Monument for 100 years. Lovers of the outdoors will appreciate Southern Oregon’s world-class fishing and rafting rivers, year-round golf and mountains for skiing, biking and hiking. And these are just a few of many features of picturesque Southern Oregon.

During a visit, you might find yourself enjoying a multitude of farms and wineries around Medford, driving through Wildlife Safari in Roseburg, taking a jet boat ride in Grants Pass, or savoring a weekend at the Oregon Chocolate Festival (held every March).

Check out the video above for a peek at road-trip-ready snacks and treats made in Souther Oregon.

I recently met up with an old college friend for the first time in about 20 years. We first went to Japan together in 1976; she’s been there pretty much ever since.

We caught up … marriages, kids, yadda, yadda, yadda. She told me about her career in Kyoto. It sounded very impressive.

Impressive, but not necessarily enviable.

No mistake about it, I LOVE Kyoto. It’s my second favorite city on earth. Ever the Portland booster, though, (courtesy of a profound passion rather than mere professional self-interest) I think I may have even beamed as I told her of my work here at Travel Portland, how I have the best job ever: getting to show off the most cozy, comfortable, progressive and genuine metropolis — warts and all — on our weary little rock. Ah-men.

My friend’s response: “Yes, I’m sure. (Sniff, sniff.) But isn’t it a little, well … small?”

What now? (more…)

Want to bike, hike, walk, paddle or bird-watch (in other words, make like a Portlander) during your next visit?

If so, check out this handy new website that connects nature lovers with The Intertwine, the region’s network of trails, parks and natural areas.

The site highlights more than 20 outdoors experiences and itineraries, including:

• running or walking on the Wildwood Trail;
• going fully multi-modal (train, trail, tram, trolley) on the 4-T Experience;
• exploring the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge; and
• strolling through the organic gardens of Luscher Farm.

Check out the site and let us know what you think. Are any of your favorite outdoor adventures missing?

Here’s the final version of our new video, which we’ll use to promote Portland to convention delegates, meeting planners and tour operators.

This being the age of YouTube, we’re also hoping the piece grows legs of its own and introduces our fair destination to travelers around the globe.

And this being Portland, the hardest part of the project was culling 70 hours of film down to less than four minutes. (A scratch behind the ears goes to our friends at Sockeye Creative, which produced the piece.)

Tell us what you think — and if we missed any of your favorite spots.

Enjoy. We hope to see you soon in Portland.