Visiting Portland (Summer 2015 update)

Ha ha, NW forum can get kind of sensitive at times.

I dont find your critique of Belmont Station to be off base at all. I go there probably once a month for various reasons and because they are so "known/popular" they can often run out of the rare/unique things that some of the lesser known shops will have on the shelves for a few weeks. The taplist was probably more of a function of when you went. like any beer bar, somedays it will be pretty "meh" and then two days later you will find beers you have wanted to try for years.

I too wish they had a bigger/more open space for the bar and bottle shop.

 

My response was not directed at you. I understood why you were asking and I completely understand. I also thought you attempted to explain why a tourist might find a great bottle shop less than impressive when they visit only once. I felt I did a poor job, in my first post of talking about the shop. My only comment was negative, which in hindsight I regret and I tried to clear my opinion up in my second post. However, some people didn't seem to read the second post, but I'm an adult and I can handle criticism of my posts. It struck me as funny that only the negative part of my post warranted a response. Especially, when I really just wanted to say thanks for these great seasonal threads and share some of my experiences.

 

I also wanted to say, if I have the pleasure of visiting Portland again, I can assure you Belmont Station will still be on my list of shops to visit. Also, feel free to open a sister store in Maryland. In my limited experience here, we could use it.

 

Oh and Zoiglhaus Brewery opened today.

 

Raided the thread for our visit next month. You guys got a recommendation for any nice woods to take a kid for an easy hike to? Starved. Hoping to drive out to de Garde so maybe the woods out toward Tillamook but may just go toward Logsdon which appears to have some woods as well.

 

Forest Park is really pretty easy. At least to adults, I've never hiked there and had it feel more than a stroll.

 

Just completed my trip to Portland and Seattle. Found Portland to be the most bicycle-friendly place I have visited with the best public transportation anywhere. We stayed in the middle of downtown, but could have stayed anywhere near a light rail line outside of the city center (including PDX airport area) to save money. Five bucks a day provides unlimited rides on light rail, streetcar, and bus. We had a pub-ride one day using the streetcar that does an oval on both sides of the river with stops near Deschutes, Fat Heads, HOTD, Base Camp, Cascade, Commons, Lucky Lab, 10 Barrel, and Rogue. Many others near that route that we skipped. A little more walking from that line got us to HUB and APEX. All restaurants that we visited had some goodies on tap, including some Russian River and Boneyard. Food at HUB and Deschutes was good - both having a good atmosphere for non-beer enthusiasts. Food trucks outside of Base Camp were good for lunch.

Could have done the whole trip using public transportation, but rented a car near the end of the Portland part of the trip for day trips to the coast and hood river. Found that overnight parking in the Portland city-run garages (many downtown) were a good deal at $12.00 from after 5:00pm to mid morning. Loops from Portland -> Cannon Beach -> Tillamook and back and to Hood River -> south around Mt. Hood and back were good ways to spend a day. Probably should have spent a few days in Hood River instead of a lunch at Full Sail (good food/fair beer) and walk around town to enjoy the kayaking/fishing/hiking and other breweries. Many good hiking trails on the route from Portland to Hood River in the Columbia gorge.

Lots of fresh-hop offerings in the area during the week. HUB and base camp had multiple styles. Had a few fresh hop ESBs that were new to me. Good alternatives on days when a lot of tastings were done. I have visited a lot of cities who call themselves "beer city", but Portland takes the crown. High number + easy to get to + many different styles = a very productive visit.

 

That's great and very close by, thanks. I'll still want to drive out to some proper woods though. Considering that de Garde should be a requirement, maybe it's the woods out west. I've been in those and they're gorgeous.

 

Here's a nice pdf showing all the trailheads and stuff along highway 6. The whole area is gorgeous, so you can just pick one and wander into the woods.

 

Just go to Pelican and tell your kid to run to the top of that sand dune while you drink a beer on the beach, that should exhaust them enough, otherwise any of the parks along the coast are great,
Forest park is wonderful, as was mentioned, and if you go east Eagle Creek and the hike out and back to Punch Bowl falls is always a winner. Id recommend morning at Eagle Creek, quick stop at Thunder Island for the view, lunch in Hood River at pFriem, then drive down to Solera and enjoy a beer and the view.

Have fun!

 

Oh this is fantastic! Thanks so much for the itinerary. Let's see what we can accomplish. Have to get down to Willamette valley as well.

 

Are people that on board with Ex Novo that it should be recommended? I dipped in quickly, and while I found it to be a very nice space, I was not too thrilled by their beers. Just in the area Id rather go to Rev Nats, Ecliptic, Stormbreaker, obviously Upright...

 

Your call as the originator of the list. If it doesn't make the list, proponents are still free to make their opinions known in a separate post. Way too many breweries to make it all-inclusive.

 

If I had a vote, instead of just an opinion, I'd add Ecliptic to the "Other Recommended" section and drop Lompoc or Occidental. Your mileage may vary.

 

I apologize if I missed something like this. My wife is visiting her sister in Portland this weekend and seems willing to ship back a combination of Pinot Noir (from a day in Wilamette Valley) and beer. Her sister sends us beer for Christmas and my birthday but our knowledge of what's available is really limited (we last visited 7 years ago).

What IPAs are available in 16 oz cans or 22 oz bombers that she could add to the shipmen? The only one I've had recently was Ft. George 3 Way which I loved.

She's staying in the City.

She may just balk in the end and hit Laurelwood at the airport, but I can hope this post is a help to her.

 

If there's one IPA in a bomber to ship, my vote would be Breakside's Feel Good Flagship. My favorite is Wanderlust, & you might like it, too...considering this year's 3-Way was as dry as it is. pFriem IPA also is available in 500mL bottles & is delicious, & they collaborated on 3-Way. Vortex is rather good, & is in pint cans. Fort George was the head of that 3-Way collabo.

 

Have those 500ml bottles of Sticky Hands made it up to Portland yet?

 

They came and went a couple of weeks ago. The new can format will be hitting Portland first week of October.