NW Guide
Before and/or after the wedding, may we suggest exploring the Oregon Coast, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Rainier, Portland, Seattle, the Olympic Peninsula or the San Juan Islands, all of which are within a few hours drive.
Portland
Portland is one of David's top three favorite cities (New York and San Francisco are the others), and Martha's favorite city (sorry Juneau!). So, we hope that any of you who aren't familiar with Portland will get a chance to spend some time there on your way to or from our wedding. Portland (also called Bridgetown, Stumptown & the City of Roses) is famous for its local economy, beer, wine and food, boasting loads of locally-owned restaurants, shops, galleries and boutiques in every corner of the city. Martha lived in Northeast Portland and worked in Southeast Portland. Alberta Street and Mississippi St. in Northeast Portland are two of Martha's favorite places to wander. In Southeast Portland, the Hawthorne district is another great place to walk around.
Check out this website to learn more about Portland, places to go and things to do: www.travelportland.com/arts_culture
Forest Park is the United States' largest park located in a city (yes, even bigger than Central Park!) and is home to the Japanese Garden, the Rose Garden and the Oregon Zoo, and accessible by the MAX light rail.
Other cool outdoor spaces in Portland to see are the Chinese Garden and the Waterfront, a great place to take a leisurely stroll where you can cross over one bridge and come back on the other!
A great place to take kids on a rainy day is OMSI, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.
And a great place for everyone rain or shine is Powell's Books, one of Portland's treasures and the biggest independently-owned bookstore in the world. Its original and biggest location is downtown. A smaller store is on Hawthorne in Southeast.
Lodging in Portland
If you do decide to stay in Portland before or after the wedding, we've been able to book a group discount at one of Portland's premier boutique hotels, the Hotel Monaco. They have extended excellent rates for our party with wine tastings nightly!
506 S.W. Washington, Portland, Oregon 97204
Reserve: 888-207-2201
Just say Stracener Dantzic wedding to get the group discount.
- Queen deluxe - $160
- Double bed suites - $190
- King Deluxe - $170
- King Suite - $190
The parking rate has been reduced for us from $25 to $15. The hotel is two blocks from the MAX which you can take directly from the airport for $2.05. These rooms will be held until April 27th, 2008.
The Oregon Coast:
Going west and south from Centralia or Portland, there are many wonderful small towns on Oregon's dramatic coast to spend a night or several days, or a night at several different towns along the way! This site gives you an overview of what the coast looks like. Towns we love in particular are Cannon Beach, Yachats, Newport and Bandon.
Sites of particular interest to kids include the Sea Lion Caves (45 miles south of Newport, 15 miles south of Yachats) and the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.
Seattle and other points north
Seattle is another great city of the Northwest, one that we have spent a lot of time over the years. Seattle is great place to stay overnight on your way to Victoria, the Puget Sound or any of the San Juan Islands. If you do go to Seattle, be sure to visit Pike Place Market, the Soul of Seattle, who is as rich and colorful as Seattle itself covering nine acres and has been operating for 100 years downtown on the waterfront. Here's a visitor's overview of Seattle.
From Seattle, one can catch any number of ferries heading out to coastal towns in the Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula.
The San Juan Islands are another place we'd highly recommend visiting if you have the opportunity. One can take a ferry north of Seattle or fly on a float plane there. We spent Martha's 39th birthday on Orcas last year and fell in love with the island.
The Olympic Peninsula is another beautiful spot worth visiting. We have had great adventures at [missing text]