With over 80 breweries in the metropolitan area, Portland, Oregon has a wonderful craft beer scene. The city straddling the Willamette River also is very walkable, and has some 400 pieces of public art to enjoy along the way. We always enjoy our visits there, so when James had some Friday business meetings in nearby Hillsboro, we took the opportunity to drive our new car down from Seattle and spend the following weekend in Portland.

On our drive there and back, we stopped at two more excellent McMenamins establishments, one near Hillsboro and the other overlooking the Columbia River in Kalama. In Portland, we stayed in a fabulous corner room at the Ritz Carlton, with sweeping river, city and mountain views, and had a memorable dinner at their restaurant Bellpine. The hotel also has one of the best club lounges we’ve ever visited.

Most of our previous Portland trips were confined to the west side of the Willamette River, so this time we crossed over the east side and made a mini pub crawl to a few of the area’s breweries. We took in much public art en route, and really enjoyed the eclectic and laid-back, yet vibrant, scene.

Below are highlights from April 10th through 13th, 2025. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a map with our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.

4/10/2025

Columbia River Position: 45°37.30’N, -122°40.40’W Crossing the Columbia River on a road trip to the Portland area. After James attends some business meetings on Friday in nearby Hillsboro, we’ll spend the weekend in the city.

St. John’s Bridge over Willamette River Position: 45°35.22’N, -122°45.65’W Crossing the St. John’s Bridge over the Willamette River on a soggy afternoon. The near-century old bridge, built in 1931, is the only suspension bridge in the Willamette Valley and the tallest bridge in Portland.

McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Position: 45°32.94’N, -122°54.06’W Another great McMenamins meal, this one at the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. Established in 1986, the brewpub is situated on the old Imbrie Farm, built in the mid-1800s and a working farm for over a century.

4/11/2025

Ritz Carlton Position: 45°31.26’N, -122°40.86’W Our fabulous corner room at the Portland Ritz Carlton has sweeping views north and east.

Bellpine Position: 45°31.26’N, -122°40.86’W An exceptional meal with a great view at Bellpine on the 20th floor of the Ritz Carlton Portland.

Club Lounge Position: 45°31.25’N, -122°40.88’W Most hotel club lounges that we’ve been to haven’t been very noteworthy, but we loved the lounge in the Ritz Carlton. The expansive 20th floor space was tranquil, had wonderful views, and was well-stocked with a variety of food, beverages and treats.

4/12/2025

Gym Position: 45°31.25’N, -122°40.87’W Getting in our daily workout in the large gym at the Ritz Carlton Portland. We’re quite impressed with the hotel’s various amenities, and definitely would return.

Animals in Pools Position: 45°31.10’N, -122°40.72’W Statue of a mother bear fishing with her two cubs, part of the “Animals in Pools” consisting of 10 pools with 25 different animals native to the Pacific Northwest. Whidbey Island-based bronze sculptor Georgia Gerber created the works in 1986. We’ve also seen her whimsical, lifelike work at Pleasant Beach Village on Bainbridge Island and Port Townsend.

Otters Position: 45°31.10’N, -122°40.70’W Another set of sculptures in the “Animals in Pools” installation by Whidbey Island-based bronze sculptor Georgia Gerber, this one of otters.

Salmon Street Springs Position: 45°30.93’N, -122°40.41’W The Salmon Street Springs fountain in Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park along the Willamette River in downtown Portland. The fountain’s 185 jets produce 3 distinct patterns via computer control, and are a popular place for kids to cool off on hot summer days.

Hawthorne Bridge Position: 45°30.84’N, -122°40.42’W The Hawthorne Lift Bridge across the Willamette River, completed in 1910, is the oldest lift bridge in the country. A 1998 renovation widened the pedestrian paths by 5 feet, allowing for a dedicated bicycle path, and it is currently the busiest bicycle bridge in Oregon, carrying over 8,000 cyclists daily.

Willamette River Position: 45°30.83’N, -122°40.37’W The view north from the Hawthorne Bridge to the Willamette River and the SE Morrison Bridge.

Willamette River Course Position: 45°30.78’N, -122°40.10’W Jennifer tracing the course of the Willamette River on a sidewalk map installed just outside Portland Fire and Rescue Station 21 near the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge.

Vera Katz Position: 45°30.83’N, -122°40.09’W Statue of Vera Katz, Portland’s major from 1993 to 2005, by local sculptor Bill Bane. Katz was a major proponent of culture and the arts, and was pivotal in establishing the Eastbank Esplanade bicycle and pedestrian path, where the statue is located, along the eastern bank of the Willamette River.

Train Position: 45°30.87’N, -122°39.89’W Freight train heading north on the busy Portland and Western Railroad tracks through Portland’s East Side.

Wonderlove Food Court Position: 45°30.81’N, -122°39.81’W Enjoying a craft beer overlooking on the upper deck of the edgy Wonderlove Food Court and event center. The multi-level bar we are perched above is built from two shipping containers welded together and the ground level is packed with food trucks serving a variety of tasty-smelling ethnic dishes.

Thai Panther Position: 45°30.81’N, -122°39.81’W We loved the signboard for the Thai Panther food truck at the Wonderlove Food Court. We’ve never seen a panther eating with chopsticks before—it works.

Wonderlove Murals Position: 45°30.81’N, -122°39.78’W Part of the edgy vibe at the Wonderlove Food Court comes from the colorful murals painted across the walls by local artists such as Pander Bros.

Living Haus Position: 45°30.99’N, -122°39.54’W Enjoying a pint overlooking the vats at Living Haus brewery in Portland’s east side.

Wayfinder Beer Position: 45°31.23’N, -122°39.81’W Wayfinder Beer was the final stop on our mini east side Portland craft beer tour. On an unusually warm April afternoon, the patio was nearly full.

Tree Farm Building Position: 45°31.04’N, -122°39.71’W 54 steel planters containing strawberry trees adorn the outside of the colorfully-painted Tree Farm Building alongside the SE Morrison Bridge as we walk back downtown from Portland’s east side. During construction, the building was sheathed in an exoskeleton of tubular steel to support the over a metric-ton weight of each planter.

Under the Same Sky Position: 45°31.20’N, -122°40.42’W Under the Same Sky, on the side of Bishop’s House in downtown Portland, by Montreal-based artist Kevin Ledo. The mural was painted as part of the 2016 ‘Paint outside the lines’ street art project aimed at highlighting the importance of inclusive and diverse communities.

Never Look Away Position: 45°31.44’N, -122°40.66’W The 37-ft-wide (11m) mural Never Look Away, installed in 2021, depicts 8 leading LGBTQ activists from Oregon, and is the first mural in the state to celebrate the LGBTQ community.

Pearl District Position: 45°31.55’N, -122°41.00’W Portland’s Pearl District is an abandoned industrial warehouse area that artists began to inhabit in the 1980s. As the story goes, one gallery owner commented that the rough white surface of the old looked like oyster shells, with the resident “pearls” inside. The name also is said to be a tribute to the gallery owner’s friend Pearl. Today the district is vibrant with condos, restaurants, bars and art galleries.

10 Barrel Brewing Position: 45°31.55’N, -122°41.14’W The final stop on our Portland craft beer mini-tour: 10 Barrel Brewing in the Pearl District. Portland has over 80 breweries—it would take days to visit them all.

4/13/2025

Mt. St. Helens Position: 45°31.25’N, -122°40.86’W A clear view northwest to snow-covered Mt. St. Helens from our room at the Ritz Carlton Portland. It looks a lot different than when we saw it bare of snow last October.

Mt. Hood Position: 45°31.25’N, -122°40.86’W Looking southeast from our room at the Ritz Carlton Portland to Mt. Hood in Oregon. The 11,249 ft (3,429 m) mountain has the longest ski season in North America, operating from October through August in ideal years.

Interstate Bridge Position: 45°36.59’N, -122°40.78’W Crossing the second of the two spans that make up the Interstate Bridge across the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington states. The bridge, built in 1917, is blamed for both road and river traffic congestion, and several plans have been proposed for replacing it. The Oregon State legislature approved a 2012 proposal, at an estimated cost of $3.5B, but the plan was scuttled when the Washington State legislature did not support it.

McMenamins Kalama Cove Bar Position: 46°0.46’N, -122°50.93’W Lunch at another McMenamins establishment, this one the Kalama Cove Bar near their Kalama Lodge. We enjoyed the casual spot, with its view to the Columbia River traffic.

Wynema Spirit Position: 46°0.46’N, -122°50.93’W The tugboat Wynema Spirit working upstream on the Columbia River during our lunch at McMenamins Kalama Cove Bar.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map. And a map of our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.