Portland, Oregon – Discover the Romance of This Award-winning Town

Author: Barbara Wade

by Barbara Wade

Would it surprise you to know the town named North America’s “Best Big City” (according to Money magazine) is Portland, Oregon? Luxury hotels, natural beauty, theaters and local attractions combine to create a sophisticated city that’s quickly gaining the attention of the entire nation.

Arts & Culture in Portland

Luxury hotel accommodations are not the only sign of sophistication in this northwestern town. A vibrant cultural scene has attracted worldwide attention recently, centering on the Cultural District downtown. Two primary venues offer exceptional theater, symphony, opera and other performances: Artists Repertory Theatre and Portland Center for the Performing Arts.

The Artists Repertory Theatre is located downtown, five minutes from the famed Hotel Monaco Portland luxury hotel. Portland’s oldest professional theater company presents classic performances along with new releases. The Portland Center for the Performing Arts is host to a wide range of cultural entertainment including the Oregon Ballet Theatre, Oregon Symphony, the Portland Opera, White Bird Dance Series as well as various lectures. Portland is even a stop on the Cultural Cascades tour, which takes passengers through hotbeds of culture, cuisine, art and artists.

Romance Abounds

From the grace of the Classical Chinese Garden to the delight of performances and events at Rose Quarter, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the romance of Portland, Oregon. Hotels throughout the city offer packages designed to dissolve the stress of everyday life and release the inner Cupid in all of us.

Tour a working vineyard and experience a world-class wine tasting. Dine at award-winning, nationally ranked restaurants serving quiet, candlelight dinners for two. Or take your sweetheart by the hand, stroll down Main Street at night and watch the skyline sparkle.

Food, Fun and Festivals

Year round, Portland is abuzz with festivals and special events. Pioneer Courthouse Square (Portland’s “living room”) hosts more than 300 events per year. Welcoming over nine million visitors annually, this square includes a 75-seat surround sound theater, an amphitheater with echo chamber and a stunning garden bursting with colorful blooms.

The Rose Festival offers interesting activities from parades to dragon boat races while the Platform Animation Festival delivers laughs via retrospectives, rare screenings and guest speakers. The Waterfront Blues Festival, the second largest in the country, is always popular and draws big crowds, as does the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, the nation’s longest-running event of its kind. Attending the Bite of Oregon festival in August is also a must, with plenty of entertainment, beer or wine tastings, and plenty of delectable dishes, courtesy of the top chefs from the area.

The next time thoughts of a romantic getaway occur, think of Portland, Oregon. With riverfront views, a vibrant nightlife and gorgeous natural beauty, this is the perfect place for love.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hotels-articles/portland-oregon-discover-the-romance-of-this-awardwinning-town-179646.html

About the Author

Barbara Wade writes articles for the newly renovated Hotel Monaco Portland luxury hotel. With well-appointed accommodations and a profound sense of environmental responsibility, the Hotel Monaco offers a convenient, central location. Visit http://www.monaco-portland.com. © 2007, All Rights Reserved

Portland Oregon a Treat

Author: Gregory Colvin

At home! That was the feeling as soon as I began walking the streets of Portland, Oregon. People here are some of the friendliest of any city I have visited. This is a town with a little of everything. Great restaurants, city parks, free public transportation downtown, the river, the river walk, and the view of the mountains. Portland has a little of everything.

There seems to be festivals happening every weekend. While we were there, the city had a beer festival and a maritime festival, side by side. The two Bs: beer and boats.

Not just any beer festival, but micro brewers from across the country. People came from all around. Sitting by the outside fireplace at our hotel, the couple across from us came from California just to attend the festival. If you can imagine a row of beer trailers with taps dispensing the best beer brewed, then you get an idea of the flavor of the event.

Located on the riverfront, it was accessible by walking. It was, I must admit a little farther from the hotel than I thought. But the walk helped burn off the calories consumed at the fest. If you became too tired to walk, there were always the bicycle taxis to carry you back.

Though we only stayed three nights, the city enchanted me. Probably the choice of hotels helped. A stay at the Hotel Modera is a treat. The décor is artistic, clean and European. The rooms are very comfortable and appointed with fine art and extremely comfortable beds. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. We were always greeted with a smile. Collin at the front was a fountain of information on where to go and what to do around town.

The lobby is large and open, filled with art and spaces to relax and people to watch. This is easy to do with the floor to ceiling glass walls and glass doors. Just outside the lobby is a common area that contains a living wall. The wall is decorated with vegetation that grows on the side of the wall, across from which are the outdoor fire pits. It was a treat to sit by the fire, put up your feet, enjoy a cocktail and talk with fellow guests. A perfect ending to a perfect day. Hotel Modera http://www.hotelmodera.com/boutique-hotel-portland-oregon.aspx

Of course a visit to Portland would not be complete without a visit to wine country and the beaches. You can easily combine the trip. It takes about an hour and a half to drive to the coast, but it is worth the drive. It will take a little longer if you stop at the wineries for wine tasting. It would take a lifetime to sample from all the wineries, but what could be better.

Portland is a college town and it of course means inexpensive restaurants and great places. One that we visited was McMenamins Pub East 19th Street Café near the campus of the University of Oregon. It has a laid back atmosphere. While we were there we met fellow Floridians from Key West who own a condominium in Portland.

http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=15&category=Location%20Homepage

Getting around Portland’s downtown is free thanks to the trolleys and buses provided by the city. Coming from an area where either you drive or stay home, it was welcome thing to experience.

A trip to a different town would not be complete without eating at a landmark restaurant and Jake’s is just such a place. The menu is seafood and it is good. Though the tables were a little close together for my taste, we solved that by staying in the bar area. A better place to watch the people.

http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/locations/portland-oregon/portland-oregon/swtenthave.aspx

Ghosts and pizza! You get them both at Old Town Pizza in – you guessed it – the Old Town section of Portland. The rumor has it that Nina, a prostitute turned states informer, was found dead in what is now the pizzeria, thrown down the elevator shaft. There is a table in the shaft. It is said that Nina herself carved her name in the brick. Ask a waitress and she can point it out.

The city of Portland has a great deal to explore and I will probably revisit some on the other attractions with you in a later blog.

http://oldtownpizza.com/Home.html

If you want additional information you can visit:

travel Portland

Homepage

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/portland-oregon-a-treat-1242867.html

About the Author

Gregory Colvin is a fine art photographer and world traveler. Naples Museum of Art, Naples Florida has exhibited his work and it is in the private collection of Hilton Hotel and Tampa General Hospital. He has traveled in Europe, Central American, Caribbean and throughout the United States. His art can be seen at http://gregorycolvinphotography.com/ and his travel blog at http://worldwiseadventures.com/

Portland Hotel Deals

Author: Lauren James

Portland hotel deals are a great way to explore the grandeur of Portland in an enjoyable yet affordable manor. Portland is a city in Oregon and was incorporated as a city and a part of the United States of America in 1851. Oregon occupies a total of 376 square kilometres of land and water and is home to over 582 thousand people. Portland is the most populous city in all of Oregon.

Portland has very large International air terminals and marine shipping facilities and the location of railroads boost its economy even further. The marine terminals in Portland also produce billions of dollars worth revenue annually. Computer parts manufacturing is high rated in this city as Intel employs more than 14 thousand people form Portland. One major source of income in Portland is Portland’s steel industry. This industry produces more than 1.15 billion dollars worth of revenue annually. Other major industries include the aluminium industry which thrives due to the low cost of electricity in the Portland area.

Tourism is also one of Portland’s major sources of revenue. The Maryhill Museum of Art is a fantastic place to go to view amazing art. Not only is the art great to view but the scenic drive to the museum itself is an experience of its own. Portland hotel deals are little treasures that will enrich your Portland experience and give you the time of your life. The Portland Children’s Museum is a great place to take the children while in Portland. This museum offers a more hands-on and interactive experience towards art and culture and inspires their imagination and creativity and helps them gain an insight into art.

For a more relaxing vacation, Portland also has many premier parks and gardens such as Berry Botanic Garden, Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, International Rose Test Garden and Portland Japanese Garden. These scenic splendours offer a grand experience that will awaken your senses into a rich environment. These places are also great for a romantic stroll through beds of flowers and blissful aromas. The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum is a great place to learn about modern technology and spaceflight. This Museum is also home to the H-4 Hercules, one of the largest aircrafts ever built.

After whole day’s activities, any weary traveller needs a good nights rest to ensure that he enjoys the next day. Portland is also home to many fantastic and grand hotels. Such hotels include the Avalon Hotel and Spa, The Benson, Columbia Gorge Hotel, Hotel Fifty, Hotel Monaco, Salishan Spa and Golf Resort, Hotel Vintage Plaza, and the Governor Hotel. Portland hotel deals will help you enjoy all that Portland has to offer and much more without exceeding your budget. These hotels offer much to those who stay and lodge within them such as gymnasiums, buffets, spas, golf, indoor and outdoor pools and classy restaurants.

Finding the perfect hotel deals can be hard but the best place to start your search is the internet. The internet is home to millions of hotel deals that can be viewed and availed with a simple click of a button.

eZipit is the one and only site to visit for the best Portland hotel deals available on the internet.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hotels-articles/portland-hotel-deals-3610352.html

About the Author

How do you save money while shopping in this economy? Lauren James has the top tips on ways to save money while shopping for designer brands. Lauren James has been featured in print, radio and TV as an expert in comparison shopping during tough times. She is a contributing editor to her personal travel blog that focuses on hotel deals.

Seasons Greetings, best wishes and holiday cheers.

May all of our visitors, fans, friends, and customers, enjoy a safe and prosperous New Year filled with good fortune, good health and peace.

Thank you for your interest and involvement.

Hotels in Seattle

Author: Dhiraj

The Emerald City, Seattle, is anything but an ordinary city. Surrounded with lush evergreen valleys and trees and a maze of beautiful water bodies Seattle, the Emerald city, is fast picking up as a popular tourist destination. Seattle identifies itself with sounds; let it be the Boeing jet engines or the whirring of espresso machines (it is having reputation for heavy coffee consumption) or the grunge rock (it is the birthplace of Grunge music) and the sweet sound of occasional rains. In Seattle you will always hear the music.

Seattle is full of events all year round so what to do is never a question to be asked in this city. If you are a first time visitor to the city go enjoying to Funky fishing boats, floating homes, swank yacht clubs, and waterfront restaurants. It’s a place of urban attractions and outdoor recreational activities. There are many attractions which attract thousands of tourists year after year. Some of the interesting places to visit in Seattle are Pike Place Market, Seattle Center, Summer Nights Concert Series, Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum, Observation Towers, Museum of Flight, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Waterfront, Museum of History & Industry, South Lake Union Discovery Center. If you are still unexhausted go out for a drive in its lush green surroundings and relax yourself.

With the rise in traffic Seattle since a long time has developed a quite number of Hotels, Motels, Vacation resorts and other lodging facilities some of which reflect the world class lodging and dining standards. There are many hotels and restaurants in Seattle suitable for tight budget. So if you are on one the city still offers you many fine places to lodge and dine provided you are able to make prior reservations. You will find almost everything you look for including Air-conditioned rooms and suits, swimming pool, spas and health clubs, airport pick-up and drop facility, room service, and other such services. The dining here is tempting to all taste buds and serves the delicacies from across the continents. The connoisseurs of fine food find solace dining in the world class restaurants. You can make the reservations on cheaphotel-rooms.com or by contacting the hotels service number or visiting the hotels website.

Some of the recommended names in fine lodging and dining are Best Western Executive Inn, The Coast Gateway Hotel, Best Western Loyal Inn, Edgewater Hotel, Eighth Avenue Inn, Hotel Deca, Mediterranean Inn, Sixth Avenue Inn, The Sheraton Seattle Hotel, The Westin Bellevue, The Westin Seattle, Mayflower Park Hotel, Warwick Seattle Hotel, Watertown Hotel, The University Inn, Crowne Plaza Hotel Seattle-Downtown Area, The Inn At Harbor Steps etc.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hotels-articles/hotels-in-seattle-127496.html

About the Author

Looking for more information on Cheap Hotel Rooms check out cheaphotel-rooms.com your guide to Cheap Hotel Rooms