The Fling hotel is two blocks from Pioneer Courthouse Square and our main transit center, which means you have easy access to the rest of the city. While our downtown is very walkable, taking the MAX is a fun and easy way to see the best of Portland when your feet are tired from touring gardens all weekend.
We have a wonderful transit system run by Trimet (more on that next week with tips on how to get to the hotel from the airport). Your fare allows you access on the MAX (our lightrail), buses, or the streetcar. A two-hour pass is $2.50 and an all-day pass is $5.
Visit their website to use the trip planner, just plug in where you want to go and it will tell you how to get there using their system. Our transit drivers are super nice so you can ask them to holler when your stop is coming up. They also have mobile apps that allow you to plan your trip or purchase fares.
SHOPPING:
Oregon has no sales tax, which means you have one less excuse not to buy that plant you’ve had your eye on. If you like to shop for things other than plants, Travel Portland has a great round up of shopping
here. Our hotel is a short walk from Pioneer Place and The Pearl.
MUSIC:
Whether you’re into rock, classical, or jazz,
we’ve got you covered.
CULTURE:
Powells Books is the best book store in the free world. It's HUGE so you could spend a few hours here. This is a short walk from the hotel. Please don’t be turned away by the construction that’s currently happening, it’s still great inside. Across the street is
Reading Frenzy, an independent bookseller with really unusual books and comics.
Museum of Contemporary Craft - those of you who knit, sew, weld, pot, or weave won’t want to miss this.
The Portland Art Museum will have an exhibition on the Tuileries Garden, thanks for the synergy, PAM! And there's
OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. They have lots of fun stuff for kids, adults, and adults who feel like kids. They have an IMAX theater too.
ADVENTURE:
We have an
aerial tram that runs up to the hospital on the hill, which gives you a perfect view of Mount St. Helens and Mt. Hood. It’s a stretch calling it an adventure, but the view sure is nice.
Or we've got
underground, glow in the dark, pirate mini golf. Really.
HIKING/NATURE:
Forest Park is the largest urban forest in the United States, and it’s right outside of downtown Portland. There are hundreds of trails ready for walking, running, or biking.
Sauvie Island is a beautiful little island just outside of Portland and home to Cistus Nursery. Go berry picking, bird watch, or just drive around. Or go to Cistus again, we won’t judge you.
Hood River is located along the Columbia River Gorge, which is spectacular. If you have a car, drive out there and have lunch at the
Big Horse Brew Pub (Full Sail is nice too). There are wineries and a lot of apple and pear farms, as well as
great hiking.
Timberline Lodge. It's iconic, atop Mt. Hood, the peak you can see almost anywhere in Portland. The exterior was used in The Shining!
Special thanks to Heather,
Just a girl with a hammer, for putting together this list! We'll have another post soon covering your food wants/needs/desires...
