Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland

True story: Radiohead’s Thom Yorke once wanted to be Jim Morrison. Well, at least that’s what the band’s frontman sang in one of their earliest tracks, “Anyone Can Play Guitar.” During Rock Band Tuesdays at Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade, not only can anyone play guitar, but they can also be Yorke, Morrison or one of hundreds of other musicians in the iconic video game.

Ground Kontrol is a video-gamers’ Valhalla, crammed with 90+ classic coin-op masterpieces ranging from Pac-Man to Dance Dance Revolution. Serving beer and wine in the evenings, it’s a great place to relive 8-bit memories and also hosts DJs, twice-monthly free play nights and tournaments, in addition to Rock Band Tuesdays. (more…)

Oven & Shaker pizza; photo by John Valls

In high school, I would often flee campus and hightail it to Little Caesar’s for what I thought was good pizza. What I lacked in pizza IQ back then, I more than made up for in passion and commitment. Fortunately, those days are long gone and I now think of myself as somewhat of a pizza connoisseur. So, when two of Portland’s best-loved restaurateurs announced they were opening new pizza places, I bubbled with excitement.

Bruce Carey, who is the driving force behind such places as Bluehour, Clark Lewis and 23 Hoyt, and Cathy Whims of Nostrana fame (which, incidentally, has wonderful pizza) have opened Via Tribunali and Oven & Shaker, respectively, and I highly recommend them both. Both spots have amazing and creative traditional Italian pizzas: wood-fired; thin, crisp-but-chewy crust; and a less-is-more approach to toppings. They are also quite different. (more…)

One of my favorite things about Portland is all the public art. The sculptures, murals and installations can turn a pleasant walk through downtown into a treasure hunt. When the Transit Mall was renovated in 2009, I was blown away by the great new pieces (mixed with plenty of classics, like the statue made famous in the “Expose yourself to art” poster).

So I was thrilled to get to work on a new guide to public art in the central city, which Travel Portland produced in partnership with the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

Free copies are available at the Visitor Information Center in Pioneer Courthouse Square, or you can download the PDF. The guide includes a map to more than 100 artworks, including all 36 pieces on the Transit Mall.

Check it out, and take yourself on a treasure hunt through the streets of Portland!

This week marks a big change for a Portland icon that has graced the city’s waterfront for  years. The beloved Made in Oregon sign is recognized as a symbol of Portland, the gateway to a great state. It has inspired artists, authors, hoteliers and politicians; the image has been incorporated into everything from  fine photography, posters and woodblock prints (see below) to hotel décor and the Mayor’s website. Its subtle message that Portland is an indie city endears it to those bohemian and mainstream alike; Time and Travel+Leisure have used the Made in Oregon image to represent the city.

The sign has a long history in Stumptown.  (more…)