Jaunted

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Train Stations That Still Got It: Portland, Oregon's Union Station

In yet another argument for improving the rail network of the USA, we turn to the impressive Union Station in the Chinatown section of Portland, Oregon. Even if you aren't arriving by the Amtrak Cascades, Coast Starlight or Empire Builder trains and you flew in to this here town, the station is worth a visit for its historical and architectural significance (not to mention that sweet Romanesque clock tower).

As you can see in the above image, the stations is undergoing something of a refurbishment. Sadly, this won't be to add more train services—oh how we'd love to see some hi-speed trains making stops here—but to add housing in places where railroad track used to be.

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Talk About an Airport That Knows Its Demographic...

What's the first thing you think about when you think Portland, Oregon? Is it Mt. Hood? Maybe it's clean, crisp Pacific Northwest air or coffee snobs. For many however, Portland is a bicycling haven, a dreamworld where bike lanes are spacious and chatting up a stranger with talk of U-locks isn't lame at all.

From the moment a travelers arrives at Portland International Airport—more popularly referred to by its airport code PDX—the biped influence is immediate. Signs lead arriving passengers down to baggage claim, to the oversized luggage claim area and finally out to a sea of airport bike racks, complete with a bike assembly area.

This surprise amenity isn't necessarily just for Portland locals, who've traced elsewhere with their bikes. It's for tourists too, who head out this way with their trusty 10-speeds to test the environment.

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8,003 Miles from Portland, Oregon You'll Find...Kangaroos

Are you a traveler who's gotten over buying souvenirs everywhere you go? Maybe you're even totally done with posing for photos of yourself in front of world landmarks? Regardless, there's one sort of touristy thing we—as beyond frequent travelers—are powerless to resist, and that's waypoint signs.

You'll find these posts with arrow directions at places like trailheads, airports and heavily-trafficked plazas in urban city centres. It was at the latter we photographed this one, which takes pride of place at the entrance to Portland, Oregon's Pioneer Courthouse Square.

While the statue of Portlandia may only be five blocks away, the opportunity to hug a kangaroo is more like 8,003 miles away. Timbuktu? 6,726 miles. Walden Pond? 2,530 miles. Portland, Maine? 2,540 miles. It never gets old!

[Photo: Jaunted]

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Always Choose a Window Seat When Flying to Portland, Oregon

Mt. Hood

The more you travel, the more possibility there is that you'll learn something (or many things) new every day. Our latest little discovery? No matter which side of the plane you're sitting on during a flight to Portland, Oregon, entering from the east, you're going to have awesome views. Just make sure you score a window seat, or else risk straining your neck and camera above a stranger seatmate.

Specifically, the two great views while on the descent into PDX are of Mt. Hood (on the left) and Mt. Rainier (on the right). Both are volcanoes, and both are active though Mt. Hood is very much less so. Pick your seat based on which one holds more interest for you: Mt. Hood that towers over Portland, or Mt. Rainier which, though further away, holds the greatest danger. Cloudy day? No problem; these massive wonders of geologic insanity easily tower above the clouds.

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Three Restaurants for Discovering Harissa, Portland's Foodie Obsession

The Harissa at Zeus Cafe

What the H-E-double-hockey-sticks is Harissa? This mystery ingredient features on a rather high percentage of menus at Portland's better restaurants, but you're liable to even run across it scribbled as an offering at a food truck. It's seemingly kicked out ketchup as an accepted condiment, but why? Simple—Harissa has its own kick.

A typically Tunisian specialty, Harissa is actually a savory garlic and chili paste that packs the heat. It's something that can be easily housemade, thus the creative cuisine of Portland has turned to embrace it. On a recent trip to Portland, we pretty much pigged out on the stuff, and narrowed our favorites down to three stand-out dishes at these three PDX restaurants:

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The Portland Report: Vintage Clutter at Flutter

A recent trip to Portland opened our eyes (and wallets) to some of the greenest city's great finds. This week, Sedona Fitzgerald will take you on a little field trip to "The City of Roses" for some of her favorite picks.

Like every city that hipsters inhabit, Portland is no stranger to vintage shops. We stopped into tons of vintage stores during our visit and were surprised with low prices and some great finds. One in particular made us wish we were locals: Flutter. Perched on N.Mississippi Flutter bills itself as "a delightful disarray of found objects and clutter" but the "clutter" we found inside was the cool kind you'd like artfully placed all over your house...

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The Portland Report: Art and Retail Therapy at Land

A recent trip to Portland opened our eyes (and wallets) to some of the greenest city's great finds. This week, Sedona Fitzgerald will take you on a little field trip to "The City of Roses" for some of her favorite picks.

We finally took a break from stuffing our faces during our recent visit to Portland to scope out some impressive local art. The city was full of cool galleries, but one we'd recommend is Land on N.Mississippi. It's a two story set-up with a gallery (upstairs) and retail space (downstairs) with a laid back vibe and intimate setting.

What did we see upstairs that we loved? What's coming up at Land? Keep reading...

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The Portland Report: Food & Wine's Best New Chef Cooks at Castagna

A recent trip to Portland opened our eyes (and wallets) to some of the greenest city's great finds. This week, Sedona Fitzgerald will take you on a little field trip to "The City of Roses" for some of her favorite picks. Warning: this will make your stomach growl.

While we were in Portland we took a break from the city's numerous food carts and treated ourselves to an amazing meal at local foodie fave Castagna Restaurant. We'd recommend you do the same.

Castagna is helmed by culinary wunderkind chef Matt Lightner and it shows. All of 29, Matt returned from Europe last year and brought a new, innovative presentation to the restaurant and the menu.

What to order? Keep reading for menu picks...

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The Portland Report: Small-Batch Ice Cream at Ruby Jewel Scoops

A recent trip to Portland opened our eyes (and wallets) to some of the greenest city's great finds. This week, Sedona Fitzgerald will take you on a little field trip to "The City of Roses" for some of her favorite picks. Warning: this will make your stomach growl.

Our peek around Portland continues today with more amazing eats. After brunch at Tasty n Sons you'll be full, but not too full for locally-inspired ice cream we're sure. Take the ten minute walk over to N. Mississippi Avenue from North Williams and stroll on in to Ruby Jewel Scoops where you'll meet your diet's kryptonite.

Gracing the freezers of celebs including Goldie Hawn, LeAnn Rimes and Diane Sawyer, Ruby Jewel's famous ice cream sandwiches made their debut at the Portland Farmers Market back in 2004, but this scoop shop (the brand's only retail location) just opened in July. What to expect? Keep reading...

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The Portland Report: Tapas-Style Brunch at Tasty n Sons

A recent trip to Portland opened our eyes (and wallets) to some of the greenest city's great finds. This week, Sedona Fitzgerald will take you on a little field trip to "The City of Roses" for some of her favorite picks. Warning: this will make your stomach growl.

First up, Tasty n Sons, an insanely delicious brunch spot on the burgeoning N. Williams strip. We'll disclose that we're usually not big on the large-group shared brunch (small bites of tiny passed plates won't cure our hangover!), but at Tasty n Sons it's done right. What to share off the menu? Read on...

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36 Hours of Gluttony in Portland, Maine

When we think of cosmopolitan capitals of cuisine, some pretty well known names come to mind: Paris, Tokyo, New York…and Portland? Yes, it’s true. The hardscrabble main metropolis of Maine has concocted a special alchemy of farm-fresh fare, seasonal seasonings, and good old-fashioned gourmet cooking that makes it one of our top foodie destinations. Here’s how we recently spent 36 gluttonous hours there.

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Oregon Uses 'Twilight' to Encourage Drivers to Buckle Up

Oregon's Department of Transportation is leveraging the popularity of The Twilight Saga to bring attention to an important safety. Billboards have started popping up on Portland highways that say, "You Are Not Immortal. Buckle Up." And, its no coincidence that the message is written in a Twilightesque font. Some are arguing that the signs may actually be a distraction to Twihards, while they will be lost on everyone else. But the ODOT is hoping the signs will make wearing a seat belt as popular as Robert Pattinson.

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