Cool stuff in and around Portland

hannaugh

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I'm going up to Oregon for a week in April. We'll be in the Portland area.  Does anyone know of any cool music stores or breweries, or just general cool things to do in Portland?  For the most part we're just going to stay at my friend's ranch many miles from the city and do a lot of horseback riding, but I think we'll probably also spend a day or two hanging out in Portland. 

Should be a cool trip.  Friend's husband builds and sells marimbas, and supposedly he has a large guitar collection as well. 
 
Portland is considered to be the Micro Brew capitol of the world, so theres good beer everywhere here, hm,mm I mean there, As far as music stores, well I'm outta that loop since I found Warmoth, sorry
 
The Hawthorne district is a semi-funky area to walk around, there's a good shop that sells used acoustics and string instruments there. No amazing music shops that I know of.
Baghdad theater is a fun and mellow way to spend an evening - it's an old ornate theater, they sell microbrew and pub food and let you take it in to the movie. LA has nothing like it.
Washington park is totally worth a visit, especially on a nice day when the view is stunning. The rose gardens there are worth it. Portland has a lot of nice liveable stuff, not so much exotic tourist stuff.
Enjoy it, it's a great town.
edit: My two favorite brewpubs (not actually brewpubs, but pubs owned by some great little breweries) are Rogue and Deschutes, both are right downtown. Go to Rogue for lunch or dinner and get their brewery taster tray. Deschutes is a bit of a yuppy vibe, but dang they make good beer. The McMenamin's chain used to be a reliable bet, now they're in every strip mall. They have some good older locations like Baghdad I mentioned above.
If you get a bit out of town (Troutdale, out past the airport) definitely stop in an their Edgefield property - look it up online to see what all is there. It's got a great hanging-out vibe.
 
Centaur Guitar on NE Sandy is a cool music shop, there is also Portland Music Company, Trade Up Music, Guitar Crazy (near Hawthorne District). Speaking of Hawthorne there are a few on that street too, but I never really liked em' too much.

Breweries: Roots, The HUB, Amnesia, The 5th Quadrant, Laurelwood... Yeah there are a lot of good ones here. A good place for some good food is Laughing Planet, a good beer selection and organic food.

Downtown is cool but I the South East and North East (some parts) are fun to chill in. In the south east there is Hawthorne, Belmont, Division, and Clinton streets which are all within blocks of each other. There are plenty of microbrews, music, and eats there. One of my frequent haunts is also Portlands smallest microbrew which is house with the oldest theater this side of the Mississipi. It's on the corner of SE26th and Clinton. I think you would really dig the southeast district.
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLgPGpX5Gek

Let’s meet in the city where
The rivers cross bridges there
Let’s float down into the stream
Of rich and poor pioneers
A kid from a western town
Wants to be seen and go out
Let’s borrow my parent’s car
Let’s stay out all night up there
And Burnside will be our street
Where the kids and the hookers meet
Diners and strip club junk
Bookstores and punk rock clubs

Water, Building and Sin
(I’m as green as this blade in the grass that bends)
Big Oregon city draws you in
(In the wind that blows on the long weekends)
A promise fulfilled or not
(Where I take the bridge to the water fountains)
Just hang on until the summer, it’s hot
(And to gain the hope that the city brings)

We’ll make our home water-tight
Work all day, play all night
And hope we’re not washed away
By deceit or tragedy
And Joan of Arc rules Northeast
Where the poor and the hipsters meet
The grid that divides us all
The river makes final call
Out at the edge of town
Where airfield runs water down
Coyote crosses the tracks
And hops on the Light-Rail Max

Water, Building and Sin
(I’m as green as this blade in the grass that bends)
Big Oregon city draws you in
(In the wind that blows on the long weekends)
A promise fulfilled or not
(Where I take the bridge to the water fountains)
Just hang on until the summer, it’s hot
(And to gain the hope that the city brings)

And if you wanna be a friend of mine
Cross the river to the east side
Find me on the eve of suicide
Tell me the city is no place to hide
Take me out into a sunny day
Through the grotto or the promenade
You came to me in the nick of time
Thankful for the things I left behind

Oh dirty river, come let me in (3X)
Oh dirty river
 
I bought my first electric solid body guitar in Portland, it was 1982...Other than that I was stoned most of the time so I don't remember much about it... :dontknow:
 
Voo-Doo doughnuts on 3rd Ave

when you stop-in, be sure to get a Maple Bacon Bar

mini_8871.jpg


http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=4388


also be sure to check-out Fearless Guitars. Chase runs a great shop and often has several rare instruments hanging around

http://www.fearlessguitars.com/

all the best,

R
 
There is a badass book store in Portland, whose name escapes me.  Besides the breweries, check out the wineries as well.  The Spruce Goose is in Oregon too.
 
Super Turbo Deluxe Custom said:
There is a badass book store in Portland, whose name escapes me.

Powells Book Store. 

Yes it's awesome and a Portland institution.

Ah yes VooDoo Doughnuts. I have stumbled through there a few times at 2 in the morning.  :tard:
 
The guitar shop I bought mine at was called Captain something , can't remember the name. Started with a W.. :dontknow:
 
DangerousR6 said:
The guitar shop I bought mine at was called Captain something , can't remember the name. Started with a W.. :dontknow:

Mystery solved.  I just read about a place called Captain Whizeagle's in Portland, which I believe is no longer there, but the owner (Fred Cole of King Bee, Dead Moon, and now Pierced Arrows) apparently now has a shop called Tombstone Music in Clackamas.
 
hannaugh said:
DangerousR6 said:
The guitar shop I bought mine at was called Captain something , can't remember the name. Started with a W.. :dontknow:

Mystery solved.  I just read about a place called Captain Whizeagle's in Portland, which I believe is no longer there, but the owner (Fred Cole of King Bee, Dead Moon, and now Pierced Arrows) apparently now has a shop called Tombstone Music in Clackamas.
Yip, that was it. I wanted to say it was Whizeagle's but I wasn't for sure. Good detective work.... :icon_thumright:
 
VooDoo Donughts, GO THERE! http://voodoodoughnut.com/

I would check out the Japanese Zen Gardens if it is open too.
 
nice to know I'm not the only one recommending VooDoo (see post #7 for an image of their greatest offering IMO)

all the best,

R
 
SkuttleFunk said:
nice to know I'm not the only one recommending VooDoo (see post #7 for an image of their greatest offering IMO)

all the best,

R

Bacon Maple Log FTW.  :eek:ccasion14:
 
Alright guys, I'm heading up to Portland tomorrow.  :icon_biggrin:  I probably won't post again until I get back in a week.  Thanks for all the advice, I'll let you know how the trip went. 

Later!
 
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