In the next six months, I am going to be visiting a number of places—some of which will be new to me, some will be places I haven’t visited for a decade or more, and others are more frequent stops. Some of these trips will be for work, some are for pleasure; but every work trip has free time, so I need advice.
What are cool things to do in these wild and exotic locations?
What about Riga, Latvia, or Mexico City?
Maybe you know something about Portland, Oregon, or Washington, D.C.?
And when it comes to New York City, what are your favorite non-touristy things to see and do?
These are not all of my destinations, but these are the ones that I want information for—be it museums, restaurants, or clubs. Obviously, in the case of clubs, I’d prefer gay ones.
Thanks!
I’m sure you already know Powell’s Books in Portland, OR.
We can recommend these Italian restaurants:
Piazza Italia for dinner (http://www.piazzaportland.com/ ).
Pazzo for lunch, especially the wood-oven pizza (http://www.pazzo.com/ )
I had some fun at a store called London, on Christopher Street in NYC today. 😀
I’ll have to ask P about Portland, he grew up there.
CQ reccomends avoiding US airways. I’ve never been to any of these places but if I did go to NYC I would try to get on The Regis & Kelly show. By sitting in the audience you can win luggage or Lobster grams and stuff. Besides he does have some cool guests.
@jerry: Thanks for the eating tips. Powell’s is definitely on my list!
@cq: London? what do they sell at London?
@ed: I never watch Regis and Kelly, so if I went, I would not really know what I am watching… I’d rather let a die hard fan go.
I lived in Portland for twelve years before I moved to Deutschland. It’s a terrific place to visit.
Great brunch = Mother’s Bistro (upscale comfort food, fun atmosphere)
Classic and delicious Pacific NW cuisine (local ingredients, fairly expensive but worth it for a splurge) = Higgins (make a reservation)
I’ll second the recommendation for Pazzo. Also, Caffe Mingo is a tiny Italian bistro that serves great food. It’s also in a fun area to explore.
Do not miss Powells – if you are a book lover – schedule at least an hour there – and if you like to see the beautiful people and/or shop, walk around the Pearl District where it’s located.
I don’t know much about the bar/club scene but take a look at the free weekly, you can get it from blue newspaper stands across the city or go to the website:
Willamette Week
Portland has a wonderful downtown, so stay downtown if you can. Sometimes hotels say they’re downtown but they’re actually across the river by the convention center. Make sure you map them, and see that they’re on the west side of the river if you want to be in the heart of the city. Having said that, there’s great public transportation including light rail from the airport, and from convention center to downtown.
Drop me an email if you want more info. And have a great time!
Oh – also –
I loved the Jefferson Memorial in DC. If you’re going to take a bus tour (a little dorky but nice if the weather isn’t great or your feet hurt), the one they do at night when the monuments are lit is really nice.
London: The Store
Let’s just say they don’t sell bangers and mash, but I’m sure they have plenty of things you can use to bang and mash…
i’m not gay but i am close to dc 🙂
@Blythe: Thanks for the tips! I might email you closer to my trip.
@cq: Nice. I know what to get you for Christmas now.
@koko: true. You haven’t emailed me, but does this mean what I think it means?
I don’t think Koko realizes just how far DC is from Butterchurning Land. It’s just as far to DC as it is from Conservative Hell.
I’m not sure what you’re looking for in DC, but you can always find a decent gay scene in DuPont Circle. Lots of bookstores and places to eat.
The hotel where Mr. “Ketchup is a Vegetable” got shot is in that vicinity too.
Re: Christmas gift… not sure you’d be getting anything there as it all starts at $40 and goes up from there.
We lived just outside of Portland for 3 years- very beautiful! Since I’m an outdoorsy nature girl I’ll focus on a few things outside the city that I think you’d be crazy to miss (and can be done in under a day).
First off, you have to visit Multnomah Falls (located just outside of Gresham/Troutdale – where we lived). Try to take the backroads instead of the highway, as it’s a jaw-droppingly beautiful drive.
When you’re done there, head for Mt. Hood and enjoy the long, twisting ride on the Mt. Hood scenic byway up to Timberline Lodge. The Lodge is a historical monument, and if you come away unimpressed, well, you just weren’t paying attention. Another neat factoid about the lodge and drive to it… both were featured in Stanley Kubrick’s film, The Shining. The interiors for the film were shot in another hotel (although I don’t know why… the inside of the lodge is gorgeous).
The lodge itself is open and supportive of visitors. There are 3 levels of bars with great lookout points to the view below. There’s also an information area focusing on the lodge’s history – complete with movie reel about the construction which was commissioned as part of the WPA during the great depression. (and if you’re a fan of skiing like I am, Mt. Hood has some kick-ass trails)
I actually have a whole itinerary (about a day’s worth of sightseeing) that I used to take visitors to. If you have the time and feel like striking out from the city center, just let me know and I’ll email it to you.
@cq: I hardly think a 3 hour drive is insanely far.
@B: I probably won’t have a car in Portland on this trip, I am there two full days (I anticipate) and three nights.