• Powell's Books (and Technical books)
• 23rd Street and NW Portland area
• Voodoo doughnuts
• Rose Garden
• OMSI
• the Pearl district
• Hawthorne district (around the Bagdad theatre)
• Events in Pioneer Courthouse Sq.
• Hit up the dozens of microbrews
• peek in the offices of weiden+kennedy
• shows at the doug fir lounge
• kennedy school
• take the OHSU tram once (weird and fun)
• some fun stuff around Alberta St. and the Hollywood district
• parks! (I like laurelhurst, the arboretum, and forest park)
• washington park zoo, if you like zoos. (really great for kids)
Resident here: this is a great list, except I would not bother with the Rose Garden this time of year (kind of boring outside of May-July when flowers aren't in bloom), and instead would hit up the Japanese Garden (just next door), or Chinese Gardens downtown.
Japanese Garden is great. Worth the $8. It's in Washington Park which is accessible via public transit. Forest Park is adjacent. Good hiking, as long as you don't mind a little mud.
I actually wasn't all that impressed by OMSI. As far as science museums go it seemed quite small and kid-oriented, without all that much in the way of actual stuff to see.
Maybe it is, as another commenter said, in the top five science museums in the country, but if it were it would have to be a very distant fifth because it's nothing like the Smithsonian or the New York Museum of Natural History or the California Academy of Sciences or the one whose name I forget in Chicago.
I also think Voodoo Donuts is overrated, but that's just me. Dinner recommendation: Andina.
Pok Pok is expensive, but I have never in my life had better buffalo wings. I am salivating just thinking of them.
Speaking of buffalo wings, for a so-so but still tasty/fun experience (lots of sauces to choose from!) hittup fire on the mountain. Two locations so it's easy to get to.
Watch out for the gorge hikes mentioned - don't bother if it's a weekend and not raining - the amount of people on the trails is unenjoyable. Swing a weekday to avoid the crowds, or hike when it's rainy (still cool, but I am an oregonian...)
+1 for pok pok, although I like whiskey soda lounge more. Across the street, same owners, similar menu, excellent whiskey and scotch selection, and authentic (i.e. no ketchup) pad Thai.
Regarding the gorge: some hikes are fine on weekends. Eagle Creek Falls trail requires a $5 per car day use fee, which keeps out the crowds. It's one of the best trails in the gorge. Skip it if you don't like heights though, and be careful if it's raining.
When I went, it was an all out dinner sort of thing. I guess it's not crazy, especially for the OP coming from the bay area, but two people with no drinks tipping the $65 scale is steep for my bootstrapped self :)
I'll have to checkout the whiskey lounge, and great tip on Eagle Creek. Gotta love that slick drop off to the raging river below :)
> Pok Pok is expensive, but I have never in my life had better buffalo wings. I am salivating just thinking of them.
$11 for the plate of wings is actually not bad. It is pretty big. And they are really delicious. If you get cocktails and go all out it is gets expensive. No doubt. The cocktails are killer too
