Living in Portland

The Portland area has a lot to offer.  We’re an hour from the beach and an hour from the mountains for hiking and skiing with lots of variety in between.
Downtown Portland offers a wide verity of shopping.  Pioneer Place is the downtown mall with some upper-end shops there and nearby.  The Pearl District has many […]

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I was just browsing the web today and found this great website — www.PortlandPicks.com.  It’s fun reading, easy to navigate and full of SO much information!  Readers are able to sign up for a subscription to it or just go visit this site every Friday for the newest issue.  You can also access past issues in […]

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  NW Kids is a free monthly magazine that is dedicated to children.  In it you will find a calendar of local events, and an extensive guide to private schools, preschools, and other developmental offerings.
Their web site is:  www.nwkids.com 
“Welcome to NW Kids online, the ultimate family-friendly resource guide, events calendar, and magazine serving families with children […]

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Saturday Market is a great place to spend a Saturday or Sunday.  It is located in one of Portland’s downtown historical neighborhoods and near the waterfront on the Willamette River under the Burnside Bridge.
Saturday Market has a lot to offer.  There are almost 300 artisans covering many categories including jewelry, home accents, garden, candles, pet products, […]

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We found the greatest place in Sherwood to cut down our Christmas tree.  It is a family-run business, Stein’s, and is located off Elwert Road. There are holiday crafts for sale in the home and has a very warm and welcoming feel. 
There’s usually plenty of parking available around the house.  They provided us with a wheelbarrow […]

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I just viewed the best video ever about things to do with children in Portland.  This 15 minute video shows the activities and attractions that make Portland such a great place to live.  It includes indoor play, outdoor activities, day trips and a lot more.  It also includes a complete list of web sites for all […]

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Powell’s Books located at 10th and Burnside in downtown Portland is the worlds largest privately owned book store (four million books on shelf).  It encompasses an entire City block three stories high, with ten foot shelves filled with new and used books from all over the world.  To say this store is overwhelming is an […]

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One of the unique traditions of Portland is the annual Christmas Ship Parade.  Starting in early December and running through New Years, you can head down to the Willamette River, and watch 35-40 boats all lit up with Christmas lights cruse by.  Viewing at one of the public parks can be a very cold experience, […]

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The Portland Center Stage Theater is currently presenting ‘This Wonderful Life’ and adaptation from the famous Jimmy Stewart film.  I took my two daughters and a friend (12 and 15) last night to expose them to some culture.  Much to my surprise (and theirs) the play was a single act with all parts played by […]

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There are three ways to get a Christmas tree in the Portland area.  The first is to go to a Xmas Tree lot in your local area.  Since these trees are grown locally, lots are everywhere.  I prefer to support those lots that are a fund raiser for a local school or charity.  A six […]

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