I'm occasionally asked for suggestions on things to do in some of the cities that I've visited, so figured I'd put the items in a blog posting that I can point people at instead of having to dig up the list from my sent emails each time. Here's a list of my favorite haunts in Portland, Or.
Embers Avenue (110 NW Broadway)
This is basically Portland's version of Neighbours - a dance club that's nominally gay, but gets a fair amount of gals having a night out too. I come here mostly for the 80's music, almost on par with Neighbour's 80's night. Here, you get 80's on Fri and Sat nights, from 10:30ish onwards. Music starts getting more techno-ish around midnight. The club has two rooms: one side is the dance area, with a decent dancefloor, the other room usually has a drag show taking place. Be sure to check out the bar in this room - much of the counter on the North end of the bar is a fish tank! This being Portland, both bars have about 12 beers on top, which is an almost unheard amount for a dance club.
I've also heard good things about the 80's night at Lola's Room at the Crystal Ballroom (right where Burnside hits 405) - but by the time I got there one time - around 11pm - the line was long and not moving very fast. So I walked to Embers, where there was no line at all, and danced my ass off with plenty of space on the floor.
Voodoo Donut (22 SW 3rd Ave)
24 hour donuts, close to the Burnside area bars/clubs. Famous for their bacon and maple bar on weekends. I usually go for the Portland Creme (which is really a Boston Creme - Portland was named after Portland Maine instead of Boston Mass. as a result of a coin-toss between two of its founders).
Cupcake Jones (307 NW 10th Ave web)
Best cupcakes anywhere, in my opinion. Cupcakes are not only topped with frosting, they are often also injected with filling. Lemon meringue cupcake, for example, may have lemon cream on top, but also lemon jelly inside. Menu has three cupcakes that are always available, and three that change depending on the day of the week.
Trickier to get to, since this is across the river from downtown (though there's a bus stop just a couple of blocks away), this is a house converted into cafe, with good coffee and desserts. Note that it's only open from 7pm or so onwards. The main reason to come here is the quirky scenery - kitch and decoupage all over the place, tables named after famous composers, and a rather interesting restroom.
Deschutes Brewery (210 NW 11th Ave web)
One of the many brewpubs around. Features beers from their main brewery which is located in Bend, OR; but they also brew many of their beers on-site. There's usually also one or two casked beers, which are quite good. (I've also seen organic and gluten-free beers here...) Also notable is their veggie burger (which they call a "love burger") - tastiest veggie burger I've had anywhere: they use spent grain from the brewing process, which gives it quite a bit of character.
Papa Haydn's (715 NW 23rd Ave)
Located in the Nob Hill area - take the streetcar to get here. Pricey but good upscale brunch place, expect to have to wait for a table. The real reason to come here though is for the cakes by the slice; again, they are pricey, but really really good.
Stark's Vacuum Cleaner Museum (107 NE Grand Ave web)
(Closed Sundays, I think - check website first). This original branch of the Portland-based chain has a corner of the store dedicated to old vintage vacuum cleaners, from carpet sweepers to bellows-type contraptions, and to early electric models such as Kirby. There's some gems here, such as the cannister model that features a depiction of "Vacuna, Goddess of Leisure".
Lloyd Center Mall (2201 Lloyd Ctr)
It's a big shopping mall - Portland's answer to BelSquare or Southcenter, if you will. Big whoop. But wait - when was the last time you were in a mall that had an ICE RINK in the main concourse??? Tonya Harding first learned to skate here, apparently... There used to be an As Seen On TV store here, but alas, it appears to have closed some time ago.
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Daytrips from Portland
Gordon House (Frank Lloyd House), Silverton (web)
Possible day-trip from Portland, this is the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in the Pacific Northwest that's open to the public. They're just finishing up a renovation project, and it's in pretty good shape. It's a fairly small house, really a summer chalet than a year-round residence.
If you're headed down this far, also worth checking out in the area are German-themed Mount Angel (like a miniature version of Leavenworth) and the Abbey nearby. Also of interest is the state capitol in Salem - you can get a guided tour where you get to stand on the roof of the cylindrical dome.
Also worth checking out are the various waterfalls along the Columbia gorge to the east of Portland - Multnomah Falls are perhaps the most famous, but there's a handful of others in the same area (Wakeenah Falls, Bridal Veil Falls). For a great view of the Columbia river, check out the Vista House at Crown Point, which sits on a cliff overlooking the gorge.
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