The Portland Saturday Market, located in downtown Portland under the Burnside Bridge
The Portland Saturday Market, located in Downtown Portland under the Burnside Bridge, , is one of the city’s must-see events. With over 400 members it is the largest continuously operated outdoor market in the United States. Artisans and craftsmen mix with street preferment’s while the smell of cuisine from 50 different countries drifts through air. PSM is truly an experience that is unique to Portland.
The idea for the Market came from Sheri Teasdale and Andrea Scharf, two artists who wanted to create a space where artists could display their work and customers could find high quality locally produced items. The Market moved to its current location in 1976 and started opening on Sundays the following year. It generates approximately $8 million yearly in gross sales and attracts around 750,000 visitors. Patrons are presented with a wide selection of items including one-of-a-kind clothing, and art of every type imaginable. A large selection of food is also available including pizza, Thai cuisine, vegetarian fair from Nepal and homemade ice cream. Rouge Ales is also always on hand to provide a fine selection beer to those 21 and over.
PSM runs from March 1 through December 24, Saturdays from 10 am to 5pm and Sundays from 11am to 4:30pm. There is no cost to enter but parking can be an issue, however all forms of public transportation run directly past the market. It is also important to note that many of the vendors only accept cash and while there are ATM’s on site, the wait can be excessive so it is best to plan ahead. The Portland Saturday Market is located at 108 W Burnside St, in Old Town. For more information check out portlandsaturdaymarket.com. Looking for more Portland landmarks? Powell’s Books at 1005 W. Burnside or Washington Park just minutes from downtown.
The Pumpkin Patch Farm on Sauvie Island – A real working farm that also offers numerous attractions
The Pumpkin Patch Farm is located on Sauvie Island in Portland, it is a real working farm that also offers numerous attractions to visitors during the summer and in to the fall. With approximately 700 acres, the Pumpkin Patch is used for wholesale and retail fresh market produce much of which can be bought seasonally on site at the Farm Fresh Market. The farm has been in business for over forty years and is currently run by second generation farmers.
For the past seven years the Pumpkin Patch has offer The Maize, Oregon’s original giant maze of corn planted in a shape that celebrates the local history and identity. It is open daily from the end of August until Halloween. During the month of October, an additional maze, the Haunted Field of Screams is available, it features numerous scary twists and turns and may not be suitable for children 6 or under. Hay rides are free on Labor Day Weekend and daily during October. Children seem to enjoy the Cow Train, which gives tours around the farm on weekends.
The Farm fresh market provides seasonal produce starting in June as the strawberries begin to ripen. Produce and flowers are available in store or on a pick it yourself basis. The Pumpkin Cottage Gift Shop is full of unique John Deere Collectibles, summer garden gifts, candles, children’s toys, specialty foods, cards and other farm memorabilia. Tickets for the maze are $7 for adults, $5 for children and seniors and tickets to the Field of Screams are $10.Bonfire and and private crop circles are available for rent for parties of up to 25 people for $50 per hour. Check out thepumpkinpatch.com for more information. The Pumpkin Patch Farm is located at 16525 NW GILLIHAN RD in Northwest Portland on Sauvie Island. Looking for more family activities in Portland? Check out The Oregon Zoo or the Portland Children’s Museum both of which are located in Washington Park. Interested in more outdoor activities in Portland? Check out The Japanese Gardens or The Saturday Market in Old Town Portland.
Eastmoreland Public Golf Course SE Portland – Rated among the nation’s 75 best public courses.
Eastmoreland Golf Course, is a public golf course in Southeast Portland and boarders the Sellwood neighborhood. Eastmoreland was rated among the nation’s 75 best public courses. This varied course offers 18 holes of championship golf as well as two tiered driving range that is covered and lighted and a full-service bar and grill.
Eastmoreland Public Golf Course was started in 1916 by Superintendent of Parks, James O. Conville and T. Morris Dunne of the Multnomah Athletic Club who felt that Portland needed a public golf course. 160 acres was granted by the Ladd Estate Company, and with the help of generous community contributions the course opened in 1917.The course is bordered by Portland’s Rhododendron Gardens and Crystal Springs Lake. The environment provides a home for thousands of birds and the natural hazards such as ravines, streams and lakes require that golfers bring their A game. The two-tiered driving range has 17 tees on the lower level and 17 tees on the upper level, Srixon range balls as well as two different types of surface mats are available as well. The Eastmoreland Golf Course Bar & Grill serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offers banquet facilities for any occasion.
The course is open daily from dawn until 10 pm, green fees are $20 for 9 holes and $26 for 18 holes with 100 balls at the driving range going for $9.50. The Eastmoreland Men’s Club has weekly games on Sunday mornings and women’s clubs play Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The 1,200 square foot Pro Shop offers a wide selection of products and several PGA golf instructors are available to those who need some assistance. The Eastmoreland Golf Course is located at 2425 SE Bybee Blvd. in the Eastmoreland Neighborhood. Check out eastmorelandgolfcourse.com for more information. Looking for outdoor activities in Portland Oregon that are less linear than golf? Check out The Saturday Market at 108 W Burnside St, or The Portland Nursery at 9000 SE Division.
The Glendover Golf Course in Northeast Portland, relatively flat and perfect for beginners
The course was designed by Frank Stenzel in 1928, while he was designing the West Course he decided to redo the East as well. Thus the Gledover in its current form was born. The West Course features open fairways with no water hazards and hilly yet easy to walk terrain, in contrast The East Course is known for its length and tight, tree-lined fairways; the greens on both are small and fast.. The course is a popular one with Portland golfers and aproximately 48,000 rounds are played per year.
The International Rose Test Garden
The International Rose Test Garden, located inside Washington Park in Portland, is a 4.5 acre park that is home to 10,000 roses of all types including some that can’t be found elsewhere. This scenic Portland Park is a place where visitors can “stop and smell the rose” literally, in addition the garden is a functional test site for new hybrid rose species.
The Garden was founded in 1917 to serve as a place where European hybrid roses could weather the storm of World War I. In 1919 the city of Portland issued its first annual Gold Medal Award to the best new rose variety introductions. In the 1940′s it became the official testing site for the All-America Rose Selection , a Chicago-based non-profit association of rose growers dedicated to the introduction and promotion of exceptional roses. The Garden houses several smaller theme gardens dedicated to particular people and achievements. The Royal Rosarian Garden honors the Royal Rosarian civic group, while the Shakespeare Garden, only houses plants that were mentioned in its namesake’s plays.
The Gold Medal Garden is filled with the specimens that have won Portland’s Gold Medal Award for best new rose variety. This garden wasn’t planned so much as it developed through50 years of gold medal roses. As a test garden, this is one of only six places in the United States where miniature rose tests are conducted. The Miniature Rose Garden displays these test subjects as well as additional award winning variates in the middle of the garden near the center aisle.
The International Rose Test Garden offers tours given by OSU Extension Service Master Gardener volunteers on Tuesdays and Saturdays in addition guided tours of 10 or more are available for a small fee per person . The Garden is open daily 7:30 am until 9 pm admittance is free but donations are appreciated. Nearly all of the Garden is wheelchair and stroller accessible and leashed dogs are allowed. The International Rose Test Garden is located at 400 SW Kingston Ave just outside Downtown Portland and Nob Hill. For more information check out their website at www.rosegardenstore.org
#2- The Portland Japanese Garden
This is post #2 of my 101 cool Portland places.
One of the first places I visited when I moved to Portland was The Japanese gardens. It was a misty day and the ambiance moody yet peaceful. My friends and I walked around for a couple of hours and we were all impressed with the beauty it had to offer.
The Portland Japanese Garden, located in the hills of west Portland, is notable for its peaceful atmosphere and attention to detail that will have visitors thinking they are in Japan. In fact, in a study done by the Journal of Japanese Gardening, it was ranked first out of 300 Japanese gardens outside of Japan and is widely considered to be one of the most authentic.
Designed by Professor Takuma Tono in 1963, the garden is split into five smaller gardens all of which combine to represent the earth. The most formal of these is the large Flat Garden it is full of evergreens contrasted with a sea of sand that is arranged to evoke the four seasons The largest of the five is Strolling Gardens it houses an antique five-tiered pagoda lantern given to Portland in 1963 by Sapporo, its Sister City in Japan. The Tea Garden is notable in that everything about it is design to make the Tea Ceremony as harmonious as possible. The Natural Garden is full of lush plant life growing amidst flowing streams and bridges. By contrast the Sand and Stone Garden offers the simplicity of stones set in raked sand it is similar to those typically found in Zen Monasteries.
Located in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, the garden covers 5.5 acres and offers numerous hiking trails. Portland Japanese Garden offer numerous events throughout the year including numerous art exhibits and yearly Japanese festivals. Hiking is restricted to trails and unfortunately visitors will have to check their pets and cell phones at the door. Summer hours are 12-7 PM on Mondays and 10-7 the rest of the week. Admission is $8.00 for adults, $6.25 for:seniors and students children 5 and under are free. The Portland Japanese Garden is located at 611 SW Kingston.
For more information check out their website at www.japanesegarden.com
The Portland Children’s Museum
The Portland Children’s Museum, located inside Washington Park, offers children a chance to truly have fun while learning. Founded in 1946 by Dorothea Lensch the museum is now the sixth largest children’s museum in nation and annually welcomes over 200 thousand visitors. PCM continues to focus on hands-on, experience-based learning while still offering arts and crafts like those offered when it opened.
The museum offers a wide variety of activities for children of all ages and interests. Children can learn about eco-friendly design from Bob the Builder , they can reuse materials to make art in the Garage, or express their creativity in the Clay Studio. The Wonder Corner features a rotating exhibit that ranges from book illustration to instrument creation. There is a multi sensory Baby Garden and the The Dorothea Lensch Play It Again Theater which hosts storytellers, musicians and puppeteers, and in between children are free to use the stage complete with light board and props. PCM offers a numerous weekly as well as seasonal activities including a summer camp that runs from June through August. To further encourage learning, the museum runs The Opal Charter School a K-5 school which embraces a varied hands on approach to learning. In addition the Center for Children’s Learning offers lectures and classes for teachers looking to continue their education.
The Portland Children’s Museum is located at 4015 SW Canyon Rd. in the Sylvan-Highlands and Southwest Hills Neighborhood in Southwest Portland. Summer hours are from 9 AM to 5 PM 7 days a week. For more information check out their website at www.portlandcm.org
Agent Profile
My introduction and education in Real Estate started back in college, 1989, in Los Angeles, California.
I chose to work with M Realty because of their top of the world technology and innovative home searching website unmatched anywhere in the US.
I enjoy meeting Portland locals and opening the door to so many different and unique homes to view. I also have been working with families relocating to Portland since day one as a licensed Portland Realtor. Having a vast knowledge of the Portland homes for sale, neighborhoods, schools, local places of interests and just an overall love for our city makes this job more of a passion.
My past working bio consisted of other interests within public relations:
An Astronomy educator for NASA and the Griffith Observatory.
President/CEO of AIRTIME BOARDS snowboard company.
Creator and author of KEVDIDDY children\'s music, books and videos.
In my spare time I enjoy watching my beautiful boy grow, camping where you can\'t see civilization, giving star talks under a clear night sky, The White Album, brewing my own organic blueberry wine and Organic gardening. I have been living off of my Organic fruit and vegetable garden for the last 25 years. I don\'t go produce shopping for 8 months of the year. I also have some of the most healthiest and happiest chickens from which I get fresh eggs daily.
It\'s a good day to live in Portland!
