Portland Advice

[trainfanmom]

Well, my cross country trip with my son is getting closer and we are already making changes. My son told me that one of his favorite steam engines (the SP 4449) is at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center so we looked it up and discovered it is only about a mile and a half from our hotel. But as is our luck, we were set to arrive on Sunday around 3:30 (CS). And the museum closes at 5. Chances are very slim that we would make it over there in time to see much, even if our train arrives on time.

So what is a Mom to do but change the trip so that we leave a day earlier and spend two nights in Portland (allowing us to visit the museum).

Has anyone visited there and what is your feeling about the area around the Museum? If the weather is nice we have no problem walking there. But I was wondering if there are any other things right around that area to check out (since we have a whole day to site see now)? Is the waterfront area along the Willamette River nice?

Again, thanks so much for all your help. Now that the holidays are past, my son and I are counting the days until our trip.

 

[Karl1459]

Across Water Street is OMSI, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. There is a improved walkway along the river north from OMSI. The general area is light industrial without much in the way of restaurants/cafe/bars etc. There are a couple of homeless camps nearby but are usually not a serious safety issue. The light rail system recently expanded and has a station across the street from the ORHF facility! You can go directly from Union Station to ORHF. The new bridge across the Willamette is light rail/bike/pedestrian only to give quick access to the south end of the downtown area.

During the warmer months the Oregon Pacific short line railroad operates short excursions from ORHF on Saturdays and Sundays.

Portland has a very nice open air craft market on weekends called "Saturday Market" (light rail accessible), Powell's Books is an icon and a reasonable hike from Union Station, The zoo is nice and has a good little railroad (and there is a Shay exhibited at the Forestry Center next to the zoo), also light rail accessible.

Welcome to Portland

 

[Seaboard92]

Let me call someone at the museum and see if they would be willing to hold it open a bit later for you. I work there so I might be able to pull a string or two. You need maximum an hour to see it all more then likely. I would take MAX there.

Welcome to my favorite city Portland

 

[me_little_me]

We visited there in August. Not a lot at the museum. However, the tram goes within a block of the museum. Nice ride.

 

[trainfanmom]

Across Water Street is OMSI, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. There is a improved walkway along the river north from OMSI. The general area is light industrial without much in the way of restaurants/cafe/bars etc. There are a couple of homeless camps nearby but are usually not a serious safety issue. The light rail system recently expanded and has a station across the street from the ORHF facility! You can go directly from Union Station to ORHF. The new bridge across the Willamette is light rail/bike/pedestrian only to give quick access to the south end of the downtown area.

During the warmer months the Oregon Pacific short line railroad operates short excursions from ORHF on Saturdays and Sundays.

Portland has a very nice open air craft market on weekends called "Saturday Market" (light rail accessible), Powell's Books is an icon and a reasonable hike from Union Station, The zoo is nice and has a good little railroad (and there is a Shay exhibited at the Forestry Center next to the zoo), also light rail accessible.

Welcome to Portland

Thank you so much for the ideas. I'm going to look into these. We will be there in April so I'm not sure if that makes a difference in what is offered around that time. We will check out OMSI for sure since it is so close. I was showing my son the OMSI website and he is definitely interested in the Submarine Tour The zoo railroad looks cool but I just checked the website and it says the railroad is not currently running (so I'm guessing that might be seasonal). I'll check back on that closer to April. That would definitely keep the theme of our train adventure vacation

Let me call someone at the museum and see if they would be willing to hold it open a bit later for you. I work there so I might be able to pull a string or two. You need maximum an hour to see it all more then likely. I would take MAX there.

Welcome to my favorite city Portland

Thank you so much for the offer. I think we are good though. We did already change our trip so that we have two nights in Portland with one full day to explore the museum and anything else in the area. Instead of arriving on a Sunday, we will arrive on a Saturday and can visit the museum on Sunday. Then we will board the Empire Builder on the Monday after.

I did send an email to the museum about a month ago and the person that answered also offered to maybe open on the Monday morning before we board the EB, but I didn't want to have anyone work extra time for us, so we just changed the trip to make sure we would be there when the museum is open. It actually worked out well as the Friday departure on the CS was cheaper than the Saturday so I was able to change our reservations from 1 roomette to 2 for just a little bit more money. Now we are guaranteed to have one room on the water side.

But if you are working the day we go, that would be really cool to meet up with a fellow rail fan in person. My son is super excited to meet more people that love trains as much as he does



Oh, how is the weather in April though? I thought we could grab lunch near the hotel and then walk the river front area on our way the museum since we will have all day. But I will also start researching other options for getting around.

We visited there in August. Not a lot at the museum. However, the tram goes within a block of the museum. Nice ride.

Our main reason for going is to see the SP 4449 in person (one of my son's bucket list items, LOL). So anything else we get to see is a bonus But we figured we wouldn't need that much time at the museum so we are looking to see what else is in the area.

 

[Seaboard92]

Your so welcome. I'm actually an east coaster and live in SC but o work trains nationwide. But I spend a lot of time in Portland being that my girlfriend lives there, and my business office is there too. Portland S an amazing city. April will be 60s for the high and rain. If I'm in Portland which is likely I'll show you around while Julia works. Also 4449 will be on the mainline for a public trip to Bend JUN 24

 

[bmjhagen9426]

Haven't lived there for a while, but as someone who once lived in Portland, there are some must-try places. They are: Powell's Books (a good place to go if you like reading books), Voodoo Donuts, the Saturday Market, the food carts, and the microbrews and taverns, to name a few. And don't forget the MAX lines and the Portland Streetcar, as they are a good way to get around.

 

[trainfanmom]

Your so welcome. I'm actually an east coaster and live in SC but o work trains nationwide. But I spend a lot of time in Portland being that my girlfriend lives there, and my business office is there too. Portland S an amazing city. April will be 60s for the high and rain. If I'm in Portland which is likely I'll show you around while Julia works. Also 4449 will be on the mainline for a public trip to Bend JUN 24

Sounds awesome - thanks! I'll send you a private message with the dates we will be there in case you are in town the same day. My son is 13 (will be almost 14) but when he starts talking trains, you would think he is 34, LOL. He would love to get as many details as he can.

Oh, one more question. When viewing the SP 4449, are visitors able to see in the cab or just from the ground level? He was looking at pictures of the museum and noticed that some had the stairs next to them so you could see inside the cab but it didn't look like that was possible on the 4449. Either way, he is just thrilled to get to see it up close and personal

Haven't lived there for a while, but as someone who once lived in Portland, there are some must-try places. They are: Powell's Books (a good place to go if you like reading books), Voodoo Donuts, the Saturday Market, the food carts, and the microbrews and taverns, to name a few. And don't forget the MAX lines and the Portland Streetcar, as they are a good way to get around.

Thanks - we will check those out. It looks like the MAX is super convenient to our hotel so we will probably get a couple of day passes so we can venture out a bit. Since the EB doesn't leave until 4:45 pm, we can also spend some time that morning checking things out also.

 

[Seaboard92]

You can always ask. I don't see why they wouldn't especially when the engine isn't under steam. I've been in the cab of most of their stuff. 4449 has a great roomy cab

 

[Seaboard92]

You can always ask. I don't see why they wouldn't especially when the engine isn't under steam. I've been in the cab of most of their stuff. 4449 has a great roomy cab

 

[Seaboard92]

You can always ask. I don't see why they wouldn't especially when the engine isn't under steam. I've been in the cab of most of their stuff. 4449 has a great roomy cab

 

[Karl1459]

There is a cab access stairway. Usually they show the 700's cab but with it being down for a 1472 inspection it might be on the 4449.

 

[trainfanmom]

You can always ask. I don't see why they wouldn't especially when the engine isn't under steam. I've been in the cab of most of their stuff. 4449 has a great roomy cab

There is a cab access stairway. Usually they show the 700's cab but with it being down for a 1472 inspection it might be on the 4449.

Awesome I'll keep my fingers crossed that my son can see the inside of the cab also.