Vintage music, whimsical creatures, sparkling lights – for families in the Portland area craving inexpensive, old-timey fun, these five carousels, all located within about an hour and a half of Portland, will have you and the kids twirling with delight. Most are open daily year-round and cost $1.50-$4.00 per ride. Photo: Jeff Muceus via Flickr […]
Portland Kicks off the Northwest’s 2017 Cider Season
Cider season 2017 is here! In Portland on March 25, the Northwest Cider Association (NWCA) launched the region’s 2017 cider events season with the annual Cider Rite of Spring, a cider-tasting extravaganza. It was held at The Evergreen, an elegantly renovated c. 1908 ballroom in the Buckman neighborhood. photo: Carrie Uffindell There, 31 veteran and […]
Best Fondue Restaurants in Portland
Ever since I first dipped my first chunk of crusty bread into a warm ceramic pot filled with gooey Emmentaler and Gruyére cheeses, I’ve been a goner for this classic alpine dish, which originated in the mountains of Switzerland centuries ago. Today, fondue can encompass any melted cheese, desert, broth or oil dish that’s served […]
6 Portland Cupcake Shops to Sink Your Teeth Into
Gourmet donuts, chocolates, candies and cupcakes – Portland certainly loves its high-end treats. And what could be sweeter than a decadent, frosting-topped cupcake? Sprinkled throughout the Portland Metro Area, these six independent, brick-and-mortar bakeries create some of Portland’s best cupcakes (many of which are filled, flavored and decorated by hand) using top-notch ingredients. photo: Carrie […]
Discovery, Conservation and Fun at the Oregon Zoo
Lions, tigers and bears—oh, my! The Oregon Zoo has always been one of Portland’s most popular family attractions, and it’s only getting better! With five major collections housing 232 species of animals in 23 specially designed habitats, visitors can get up close to birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects from all around the world. […]
Five Portland Tea Purveyors In Which to Steep Yourself
Tea lovers, rejoice! Portland may seem to run on coffee, but more and more high-quality teahouses and teamakers are setting up shop in the Rose City. Here’s a list of five of my favorites. All offer high-quality teas, herbals, tea ware and specialty tea drinks, so you’ll never run out of fine blends to sample. […]
A Tale of Two Portland Bridges
Portland has been undergoing a great transformation over the last few years. Our borders are expanding in every direction and the city’s distinctive profile is changing right along with it. Only the rivers remain unchanged—although, there’s been a recent addition that proves “Bridgetown” is looking toward the future as it redefines itself as a 21st […]
The International Test Rose Garden, Portland’s Most Fragrant Park
Summer is in full bloom in the Pacific Northwest and there’s no better place to take in that beauty than Portland’s International Test Rose Garden, where you can find 7,000 varieties of roses in every shape, size, and color of the rainbow. There are four official gardens cultivated in the 4.5-acre park. The Shakespeare Garden […]
A Guide to the Portland Art Museum
Getting lost in a work of art is one of my favorite ways to escape reality. A thought transformed on canvas or stone transports you into an artist’s mind at the moment inspiration strikes. At the Portland Art Museum, the West Coast’s first museum dedicated solely to artistic endeavors, great masters from the past and present display their works in a sprawling collection […]
The Portland Penny or How Portland, OR, Got its Name
During one of my recent jaunts in downtown Portland, I popped in at the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) to check out a very small but very significant artifact in our fair city’s history: the Portland Penny. The Portland Penny came to be over dinner one evening in 1845, in the parlor of an Oregon City […]