The Best Of Portland

Sept. 26 & 27, 2009 - Get your "Polska Kielbasa on" at Portland's 15th Annual Polish Festival!

  

The Polish festival is an event for families and singles, adults and children, for food connoisseurs, music lovers, concert goers, dance enthusiasts, … It is for everyone.

During the festival, there's non-stop stage performances, including a few dance groups and music bands, polka contest on Saturday and Sunday, a street dance, delicious Polish food and imported Polish beer. The event is held on Failing Street between the two historic buildings of the Polish Library built in 1911 and St. Stanislaus Church built in 1907, both located on N. Interstate Avenue in Portland Oregon.  Click Here for a link to more detailed inofrmation.

June 13th, 2009's Cirque du Cycling in the Mississippi neighborhood, presented by Laughing Planet Café, is part circus, part bike street race & a benefit for Self Enhancement, Inc. - Portland, Or

Cirque du Cycling, presented by Laughing Planet Café, is part circus, part bike street race and a benefit for Self Enhancement, Inc.

It's a day filled with bike watching and riding fun!

• Art bike parade
• Criterium-style street race (with two-way racing!)
• Free three-mile family ride
• Live entertainment
• Beer garden
• Exhibitors

Watch live entertainment and music all afternoon, and an evening criterium street race with a two-way racing right down the middle of Mississippi Avenue.

Relax in the beer garden, bring your bike, settle into your lawn chair, peruse the shops of Mississippi Avenue and prepare to be awed by spectacular bicycle tricks and riding feats.

Click Here for a link for more detailed information regarding the event.

Every smart Real Estate Investor knows when buying a home, it's all about Location! Location! Location! - If you are considering buying a home, check-out it's "Walkability Ranking" right now.

How it works - Walk Score helps people find walkable places to live. Walk Score calculates the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Walk Score measures how easy it is to live a car-lite lifestyle—not how pretty the area is for walking.

Click Here for a link to Portland, Oregon's most walkable neighborhoods.

Click here to check-out a home's walkability ranking you're curious about now!

*Photo Credit -  Portland Ground pictures of Portland, Or

Portland Monthly's Annual "2008 Neighborhoods By The Numbers" Issue is a fantastic resource for finding "Just the right home, in just the right neighborhood"

Are you curious about where the highest 1-year and 5-year neighborhood and suburb appreciations in the metro area are? Where to buy in order to enjoy the most walkable parks and open spaces, the highest elementary, middle and high school rankings and the lowest crime rates? Well inquiring minds need look no further because Portland Monthly's done all the leg-work for you.

Click here to check-out comprehensive information they've compiled on 95 of the most talked about neighborhoods in the Portland metro area and 25 of the most desirable suburbs for 2008. 

Don't be a dead beat on "Dia De Los Muertos" ...also known as "Day of the Dead" in English. Head down to The Alberta Arts District's "Day of the Dead" procession and contribute to the community altar - Portland, Oregon

                                                          Scholars trace the origins of the modern holiday to indigenous observances dating back thousands of years, and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl (known in English as "The Lady of the Dead").

The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos in Spanish) is a holiday celebrated mainly in Mexico and by people of Mexican heritage (and others) living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and relatives who have died. The celebration occurs on the 1st and 2nd of November, in connection with the Catholic holy days of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day which take place on those days. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Many people believe that during the Day of the Dead, it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living. People will go to cemeteries to communicate with the souls of the departed, and will build private altars, containing the favorite foods and beverages, and photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so that the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them. Celebrations can take a humorous tone, as celebrants remember funny events and anecdotes about the departed.

Click Here for a link to The Alberta Arts District's "Day of the Dead Procession and Community Altar info.

If you can't make it out but want to celebrate this annual event in a traditional fashion, Click Here to order your very own Mexican Sugar Skull Kit today!

July 5 - September 8, 2008 "Big Screen On The Green" at a Portland park near you!!

(Portland, OR) - Looking for free family activities this summer? Want to enjoy the beauty of your own neighborhood?  Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) is once again bringing “Big Screen on the Green” movies to Portland parks beginning Saturday, July 12 through the end of summer.

 

“Big Screen on the Green” is a free parks program developed to bring community members and neighbors together for a great summer activity in their neighborhood parks.

 

“I love that we can offer something in the parks that is both free and an extremely positive use of the park,” said Jeff Milkes, South Services Manager. “The screen is 268 square feet and the projection and sound system are exceptional.”    

 

Movies will begin at dusk (between 8 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.), and are weather permitting.  A rainout will be called by 5 p.m. and will be posted at the park. Prior to each movie attendees will be greeted with various entertainment that begins at 6:30 p.m.

 

2008 Summer Movies in the Park Schedule:

 

Saturday, July 12                Jumanji                                                

Dickinson Park

 

Wednesday, July 16            Across The Universe                              

Sellwood Riverfront Park

 

Friday, July 25                    The Bee Movie                                      

Holly Farm Park

 

Saturday, July 26                E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial                     

Kenilworth Park

 

Thursday, July 21               The Spiderwick Chronicles                     

Brentwood Park

 

Friday, August 1                 Shrek 3                                                

Gabriel Park

 

Saturday, August 2             Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory      

DeNorval Unthank Park

 

Sunday, August 3               Nancy Drew                                          

Sellwood Park

 

Tuesday, August 5              The Spiderwick Chronicles                     

Woodlawn Park

 

Wednesday, August 6         Juno                                                     

Colonel Summers Park

 

Thursday, August 7            E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial                     

Kenton Park

 

Friday, August 8                 E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial                     

Laurelhurst Park

 

Saturday, August 9             Zathura: A Space Adventure                   

Dickinson Park

 

Tuesday, August 12            A Few Good Men                                   

Sellwood Riverfront Park

 

Wednesday, August 13       Jerry Maguire                                        
Colonel Summers Park

 

Thursday, August 14           Spiderman 3                                         

Brooklyn Park

 

Friday, August 15               Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory      

Kenilworth Park

 

Saturday, August 16           Shane                                                  

Sewallcrest Park

 

Wednesday, August 20       Field of Dreams                                     

Sellwood Park

 

Thursday, August 21           Dirty Dancing                                        

Colonel Summers Park

 

Friday, August 22               The Mask of Zorro                                 

Irving Park

 

Saturday, August 23           The Princess Bride                                 

Lents Park

 

Saturday, August 23           Horton Hears a Who                              

Hazeltine Park

 

Friday, August 29               Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory      

Holly Farm Park

 

Saturday, August 30           The Sound of Music                               

Laurelhurst Park

 

Friday, September 5           Horton Hears a Who                              

Berkeley Park

 

For parks locations, or for more information on “Big Screen on the Green: Movies in the Park” and other Portland Parks & Recreation programs visit www.portlandparks.org.

 

Where to go to get "Cool in the Pool" in Portland, Or

Portland Indoor and Outdoor Pools and Water Parks

Indoor and Outdoor Swimming Lessons

Pool rentals for Private Parties

Open Play Swim

Family Play Swim

Summer Swim Team

Jr. Lifeguard/Jr. Swim Instructor

Water Exercise

Lap Swim

Funtastic "At a Glance" Childrens Entertainment Guide with links for "The Best Childrens Entertainment" in Portland, Or

Alpensrose Dairy - 6149 SW Shattuck Road - 503.244.1333 - www.alpenrose.com

Carousel at Jantzen Beach - 1405 Jantzen Beach Center - 503.286.9103 www.jantzenbeachsupercenter.com

Chuck-E Cheese's - 4445 SW 110th - 503.643.2002

Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler - http://www.portofcascadelocks.org/sternwheeler.htm

Crater Lake Lodge - http://www.craterlakelodges.com/Crater-Lake-Lodge-1842.html

Dive-in Movies through Portland Parks and Recreation - August 20-24, 2008

Enchanted Forest - 8462 Enchanted Way SE, Turner, Oregon - 503.371.4242 - www.enchantedforest.com

Evergreen Aviation Museum "Home of the Spruce Goose" McMinnville, Or - 503.434.4180 - http://www.sprucegoose.org/

Family Fun Center - 29111 SW Town Center Loop, Wilsonville, Oregon - 503.685.5000 - www.fun-center.com

IMAX Experience at OMSI - 1945 SE Water Avenue, Porgtland, Oregon - 503.797.4640 - http://www.omsi.edu/visit/omnimax/

Kah-Nee-Ta Resort and Village in Warm Springs -http://www.kah-nee-taresort.com/

Ladybug Theater - 8210 SE 14th Avenue, Portland, OR - 503.232.2346

Lake Metolius (Lake Creek Lodge) in The Camp Sherman area - http://www.lakecreeklodge.com/

Lake Oswego Swim Park - 200 Ridgeway Road, Lake Oswego, OR - 503.697.6500 - www.ci.oswego.or.us/parksrec/swimpark

Laserport of Beaverton - 6540 SW Fallbrook Place, Beaverton, Oregon - 503.526.9501 - www.laserportofbeaverton.com

Lloyd Center Ice Rink - 953 Lloyd Center, Portland, OR - 503.288.6073 - www.lloydcenterice.com

Malibu Grand Prix - 9405 SW Cascade Avenue - 503.641.8122 - www.maliburaceway.com

Multnomah Falls - http://trips.stateoforegon.com/multnomah_falls/

Mt. Hood Railroad - 110 Railroad Avenue, Hood River, OR - 800.872.4661 - www.mthoodrr.com

NW Children's Theater & School - 1819 NW Everett, Portland, OR - 503.222.2190 - www.nwcts.org

NW Fencing Center - 4950 SW Western - 503.277.2237

Oaks Park - 7100 SE Oaks Park, Portland, OR - 503.233.5777 - www.oakspark.com

Old Town China Town - http://www.oldtownchinatown.net/

OMSI - 113 SE Water Avenue, Portland, OR - 503.797.4000 - www.omsi.edu

Oregon Gymnastic Academy - 16305 NW Bethany Ct. - 503.531.3409

Oregon Zoo - 4001 SW Canyon Road, Portland, OR - 503.226.1561 - www.oregonzoo.org

Portland Children's Museum 2nd Generation - 4015 SW Canyon, Portland, OR - 503.223.6500 - www.portlandcm.org

Portland Classical Chinese Gardens - http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/

Portland Parks & Recreation Pools visit: www.portlandonline.com/parks

Pump It Up - 9665 SW Allen Blvd.#110, Beaverton, OR - 503.644.6488 - www.pumpitupparty.com

Pumpkin Patch - 16511 SW Gillihan Road - 503.621.3874

Portland Rock Gym (In-Door Rock Climbing Adventure) - 21 NE 12th - 503.232.8310 http://www.portlandrockgym.com

Rose Gardens - http://www.rosegardenstore.org/

Safari Sam's - 16260 SW Langer Dr., Sherwood, OR - 503.925.8000 - www.jungleoffun.com

Salem's Riverfront Carousel - 101 Front Street SE, Salem, OR - 503.540.0374 - www.salemcarousel.com

Sunriver Resort in Bend, Or - http://www.sunriver-resort.com/

Tillamook Cheese Factory - Tillamook, OR - http://www.tillamookcheese.com/VisitorsCenter/

Timberline Lodge -http://www.timberlinelodge.com/index.php

USS Blueback Submarine Experience at OMSI - http://www.omsi.edu/visit/submarine/

Waterfront Village at Tom McCall Park - http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=156&action=ViewPark

Wild Life Safari in Winston OR - http://www.wildlifesafari.net/

The newly renovated Surf Sand in Cannon Beach

Cannon Beach is widely known as an art community dotted with gourmet restaurants and charming boutiques nestled on one of the most beautiful streches of the Oregon coast.  With Haystack Rock as a backdrop, you can count on a fabulous experience every time you go...rain or shine!

Consider a stay at the newly renovated Surf Sand.  A short 60 minute drive from downtown Portland, your visit might include dinner at Gowers Street, a bonfire with S'mores on the beach, a soak in the fitness facility's generous jacuzzi or in the privacy of a oceanfront suite, Sunday brunch with a dead-on view of Haystack Rock at The Wayfarer Restaurant and Lounge.

Hotel ammenities includes:

Majestic views of the Pacific Ocean and Haystack Rock

New comprehensive fitness center that features state-of-the-art workout equipment and saunas

New on-site massage rooms and services available

Newly renovated, heated indoor pool and hot tub

32" flat-screen LCD televisions in all suites and 15" LCD televisions in all bathrooms

DVD players and complimentary DVD library

Complimentary high-speed wireless internet

Bell and seasonal cabana service

Gas fireplaces in most guest rooms

Rich hardwood floors and granite countertops

Microwave, snack refrigerator and coffee maker

Step-in showers with two-headed Speakman showerheads in some guest rooms

Soaking tubs and Jacuzzi tubs available in some guest rooms

Complimentary daily newspaper

In-room safes

Guest laundry facilities

Complimentary parking

Pet-free and pet-friendly accommodations

Friday Night Movies

Saturday Afternoon Ice Cream Social

Sunday Weenie Roast and beach bonfire

Special occasion packages available .  Let someone else do all the work!  Book a private bonfire through Surf Sand's concierge.  They will pick the perfect spot, set-up chairs, provide blankets and all the fixings for S'mores ($50.00).

Taffy's Kids Club crafts and activities

The Wayfarer Restaurant & Lounge onsite with room service available

Barrier-free guest rooms available

Click here to find out more about what makes Surf Sand so special and to make reservations.

"Put the pedal to the metal" at Mississippi's Cirque Du Cycling

event on June 14, 3:00 – 9:00pm – Criterion cycling races and festivities on and around Mississippi Avenue.