You have got to see Pittock...
by boulder72
You have got to see Pittock mansion, And The Rose gardens in Washinton Park, A pretty nice zoo as well. Live music all over downtown, and nice live music on the water front in the summer months. Take a short drive east on I-84 to highway 26. And follow signs to Mt.Hood. Mt.Hood is a 11,000 ft mountain that peaks all other mountains in the mighty Cascade mountain range. Great skiing and snow-boarding in the winter time and lots of great hikling trails and montain bike trails for days in the summer time. This has got to be the greenest state in the U.S.. Lots and Lots of tall, tall trees. In the center of the state is the town of Bend. Named for the bend in the Deschutes river which flows right throw downtown. Just 3 hours from Portland It's worth the drive. High desert atmosphere gives Bend a unique qaulity only found in central Oregon. Unactive volcanoes. And the continuing cascades, And tons of surrounding rivers and lakes, not to forget the never ending golf course list. Makes Bend a must visit when in Oregon. Eating at all the fine resturants and going to a Blazer game after. Or going to a live show with my closest buddies. Going on 30 mile hikes with my bro's from Alaska. Pacific crest trail is Awesome. there is so many trails in Oregon too many to list. Eagle creek trail on the columbia river by cascade locks has got to be my fav. Nice 15 mile hike. With a sweet lake and camp ground. Got to love it. Getting all pimped out and hitten the many techno dance clubs with my best buds(:
Chinatown
by Geoff_Wright
Another place to visit is Portland's Chinatown. Enter through the beautiful Chinatown Gate at Burnside and 4th Avenue. Unfortunately I never had time to look around here, but I'm sure it's worth a visit. The Amtrak station and Greyhound Depot are located adjacent to this general area.
Benson Bubbler Drinking Fountains
by glabah
Simon Benson was one of the early Portland eccentrics, and was involved with a number of odd ventures including an attempt to start automobile manufacturing in Portland around 1904.
As a major port city (at the time) the city of Portland was dotted with all manner of drinking establishments, which led to riotous behaviour on behalf of the populance.
Mr. Benson was unhappy with this state of affairs, and felt that if provided with better public water drinking facilities, the citizens would be less likely to overindulge in stronger drink.
Thus, the construction of the Benson Bubbler fountains, which started in 1912 with a grant from Simon Benson. The fountains were designed to be mounted on sidewalks with the water flowing in such a way that the flow of water would naturally clean the spout of street dirt (which was important in an era when the city was filled with horses).
According to local legend, saloon sales dropped by some 40% after the fountains were installed.
This style of fountain now exists in many locations in Portland.
In 1959, the students of Benson Polytechnic School (now Benson High School) erected a monument to his memory (Benson had died in Los Angeles, California in 1942) at the north end of the South Park Blocks. Naturally this little monument includes a "Benson Bubbler" drinking fountain. The plaque reads:
SIMON BENSON
Lumberman Philanthropist
Originator of Ocean-Going Log Rafts
Sponsor of the Columbia River Highway
Benefactor of Benson Polytechnic School
Donor of Multnomah Falls, Benson State Park
and Portland's Drinking Fountains
Constructed and Erected
To His Memory
by
The Students of
Benson Polytechnic
School
1959
In recent years, there have been many public complaints about the Benson bubbler drinking fountains because they are designed to run all the time. The complains center around the desire to conserve water, and how wasteful it must be to run these fountains all the time. Therefore, in summer months, the city now shuts off the fountains and installs a push button valve in one of the spouts. Unfortunately this also makes them just as unreliable as any of the standard push-button drinking fountains everywhere else in the world, while the true Benson fountains provide a self-cleaning reliable source of water.
An unfortunate reality is that the city of Portland has far larger sources of water loss than what these little fountains generate, and thus the city has never really been that concerned with the water loss the generate. The valve is really more to reduce the number of complaints the city must respond to than to really accomplish any meaningful water savings.
Is it "Bensen" or "Benson"?
Maybe. Both. Or Neither.
Benson is how many people spell it, and that is how it is spelled on the memorial plaque on the north end of the South Park Blocks but you will also find references to Bensen.
The original family name was Berger Iversen. When the family moved to the USA, they all decided (Simon included) to change their Norwegian last name to a shorter and more simple form, and thus Benson was created. Most likely, those who use the "Bensen" form are thinking of the original source name, rather than the Americanized version.
See also the Wikipedia Entry for Simon Benson
Packing List
by TashieKitten
Depends on what you want to do. If you don't like rain, bring a rainjacket or something waterproof (poncho, umbrella.) It could always rain, especially if you're staying at the coast...waterproof your tent.
Temple Beth Israel
by xeberus
The original Beth Israel was destroyed in a fire in 1923. The current synagogue was built between 1926 and 1928 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It's also a beautiful building and is one of the masterpieces of Herman Brookman.
Check and see if the door is unlocked for a peak inside. The octagonal brick domed building is hard to miss. It's located at 1931 NW Flanders by Couch Park.
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Jane Austen's shawl and novels
Union (train) Station in Portland, OR
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