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Mr. Nals and I took a jaunt to Oregon in August.

I’m a planner. He’s more of a spontaneous duckling. Who says planning is all the rage¹?  So we didn’t book a hotel. We winged it.

We ended up taking the turn-off into Beaverton and found a place called Shiloh Inn. Looked chalet-ish, with a pool. But wouldn’t you know it – it was ALL booked up!¹

The front desk chicka suggested Peppertree Motel. This was casual, motel-style, low key. There was a little water feature in front & lots of guest parking.

Hotel amenities

pool with loungers and tables, fitness room and breakfast.

Rooms

were clean and large enough, & included toiletries, a fridge and microwave. Our first 2 nights, we stayed in a king room which was great. It was on the non-parking side (& thus, quiet). Our last night was in another room with 2 doubles, a non-stop bathroom buzzing and faced the busy pool.

Surroundings

not a lot around within walking distance. A 15-minute walk will land you near a mini strip mall with a Latin market (with a bonus cafeteria section where you can order ready-made Mexican foods), pizza parlour, etc.

Conclusion: If you want something out of the busy downtown area, family style, with continental breakfast, then defo check out Peppertree. You will need a vehicle.

Coffee

Not the greatest here. Yes I said it. Deal with it.

I typically drink strong homemade stovetop espresso in the morning². Americanos are my best bet. Even if on acidic side, it is usually drinkable.

→Coffee at Peppertree was umm… not quite right-tasting. But I got my quota of caffeine.

→COFFEE AT 23RD – drip was too acidic. Had to chuck it.

→Case Study Coffee – decided to switch to Americano. Better.

To Do

Alberta Arts District (1-4 hours³)

Funky cool inclusive streets with artisan shops, cafes, restaurants, knicks, knacks and paddy whacks. Reminds us of Vancouver’s Commercial Drive with a soupçon of Kits.

Gardens

The Grotto (>1 hour)

Heavenly gardens showcasing a sheared cliff. No caves in sight.

Lan Su (<1 hour) is a gorgeous Ming Dynasty era garden, in partnership with the Chinese province of Jiangsu.

Washington Park (1-4 hours) contains various attractions such as Portland Japanese Garden, which is 12-acres of authentic J garden in 8 vignettes. Fair warning to the differently-mobiled. There are stairs and inclines heading up to the gardens. But plenty of seats to take a load off PRN.

Other stuff 

Freaky But True Peculiarium Museum (<1 hour) Hmmm hard to describe this odd collection of riff raff except to say… it’s odd… riff raff-y… fascinating and not for kidlets or the feint of heart.

Portland Aerial Tram (<1 hour) transports one from city’s South Waterfront district and the main Oregon Health & Science University. As the tram rises 500 feet high, you get amazing views of the city. Semi-surreality takes over as you step off into the expansive movie set of what they call the OHSU campus. Not an intended tourist attraction, but check it out if you want.

Don’t forget to take a peek at South Waterfront area  (<1 hour). It’s a lovely little bit of Porty greenery.

You MUST check out the best rack in Oregon: Nordstrom Rack (1-4 hours).

Cool Findings

When I used my credit card, a receipt was emailed to me (if the merchant used FourSquare).

Portland is apparently the bike-friendliest city in Amurrica.

 

Footnotes:

1 Yes of course I pulled a “told you so… we should’ve booked something”. This was the 2nd (& last year of “winging it”.) Yes, honey, prepping is all the gd rave.

2 I use dark or medium roast like Kicking Horse’s Kickass or Grizzly Claw. I also like Ethical Bean Bold Dark Roast.

3 Recommended time to allot to this attraction, depending on your interests, mobility abilities, photography, if you’re going to chow down, transport, etc.