# Portland, Oregon



## Dovecote (Jul 1, 2013)

I am surprised to see that there is not a writeup for information on what to see and where to go around the Portland, Oregon (PDX) station. Wish I could help but since I am an east coast native I can't.

Anyway, I have two questions that hopefully can be answered. Is the Powell's bookstore walking distance from the PDX station? Also, is there a liquor store in nearby walking distance? I might have to replenish my stock on my next leg of my LD trip!


----------



## the_traveler (Jul 1, 2013)

Powell's is not within easy walking distance of PDX. But I believe the streetcars go near it. As far as liquor stores, I don't know of any off hand close by. (I visit PDX once or twice a year.) But in OR, liquor is sold in all sorts of stores (even gas station convenience stores). I also know there is a Safeway (food store) within about 1/2 mile of Union Station.


----------



## trainman74 (Jul 1, 2013)

Here's a little piece of the downtown Portland streetcar map:







The main Powell's "City of Books" is on Burnside between 10th and 11th, which happens to be between the northbound and southbound streetcar lines (right where the "NS" and "CL" route markers are on this map). There's also a separate Powell's branch, which specializes in technical/transportation/engineering books, at 10th and Couch (next street north of Burnside -- the east-west streets in that part of Portland go in alphabetical order).

From my perspective, it is walkable from Union Station, but then, I'm (relatively) young.

As the_traveler noted, you can also walk from Union Station to MAX light rail (the thin green/yellow lines), take that a couple of stops, and walk along Burnside to Powell's; or you can walk from Union Station to the streetcar (the thick green/blue lines) and take that a couple of stops.

However, I saw in another thread that you're connecting from the Coast Starlight to the Empire Builder. I would _not_ recommend trying to get to Powell's, either walking or by transit, during that layover.


----------



## JayPea (Jul 1, 2013)

I'm old(er) fat, and out of shape and find Powell's easily walkable. Understandably. It is not so for many folks. I'd guess it's about a mile or so from Union Station. Can't help with liquor stores, however.


----------



## fairviewroad (Jul 1, 2013)

the_traveler said:


> Powell's is not within easy walking distance of PDX. But I believe the streetcars go near it. As far as liquor stores, I don't know of any off hand close by. (I visit PDX once or twice a year.) But in OR, liquor is sold in all sorts of stores (even gas station convenience stores). I also know there is a Safeway (food store) within about 1/2 mile of Union Station.


Beer and wine are widely available. However, "liquor" is only available at certain state-sanctioned establishments. The state agency that

licenses these stores has a handy website to find your liquor:

http://www.oregonliquorsearch.com/home.jsp

IIRC there is a store less than 3 blocks from Union Station in the Pearl District.


----------



## Dovecote (Jul 2, 2013)

Thanks for all of the responses. Hoping for a longer than usual layover to accomplish this to do list.


----------



## June the Coach Rider (Aug 12, 2013)

I have passed thru Portland several times and want to add it as a stop over so I can check out the food cart pods. I was wondering where the best pods are and any suggestions of hotels that are within walking distance of these pods.


----------



## the_traveler (Aug 12, 2013)

There are a number of food carts (I want to say but it's been a few years  since I've been to PDX downtown) on Burnside. There are also many around Pioneer Square, which is right on the Red and Blue lines. With MAX, you can stay anywhere, even at the  airport  and take MAX and be within walking distance.


----------



## Rail Freak (Aug 12, 2013)

I've been to Portland several times & love the city but I dont know what "Food Pods" are???

The light rail there is great, no need to get a car, for sure! Plus they now have the "Pink Bus",which is like the Old Town Trolleys!

RF


----------



## oregon pioneer (Aug 12, 2013)

hey June,

Here ya go: http://www.foodcartsportland.com/maps/.

Once you decide what neighborhood you want to visit the food carts in, ppost that info and we'll see who knows about hotels!

I second the suggestions about light rail, you can always find rail and bus schedules (and a great trip planner) at http://trimet.org/index.shtml. Portland is a very pedestrian-friendly city!


----------



## Rail Freak (Aug 12, 2013)

June,

If you go, take in the Pink Bus. It is very interesting & goes thru Washington Park, which I really enjoyed!

Have Fun


----------



## June the Coach Rider (Aug 12, 2013)

Looks like Alder & SW 9th has the largest pod with over 60 carts according to the link provided. What is a good hotel in that area?


----------



## shelzp (Aug 18, 2013)

June,

Take a look at McMenamins.com to see what they have in the area and if they're not close you might find one right on a transit line. They have a couple where the rooms might be $45-50. Not gonna be luxurious and will be quirky but something to check out.


----------



## tonys96 (Aug 31, 2013)

Voodoo Doughnuts.

http://voodoodoughnut.com/index.php


----------



## the_traveler (Aug 31, 2013)

(Just my own personal opinion.) I am not a big time doughnut eater, but I did not think Voodoo Doughnuts were any better or worse than others. To me, it's not worth a trip out of the way.


----------



## SP&S (Dec 27, 2013)

I know I'm late to the party here but others may look at this thread. When it comes to hard liquor, buy it someplace other than Oregon! We have the fourth highest liquor taxes in the country. In addition - as fairviewroad noted above - it is sold in state run stores, with fixed prices, generally closed on Sundays, almost never open late at night, administered by a commission some of whose directors have problems with driving drunk. Prices? http://www.olcc.state.or.us/pdfs/monthly_alpha_price_list_c.pdf

I love my state but not the OLCC.


----------



## trainman74 (Dec 27, 2013)

SP&S said:


> When it comes to hard liquor, buy it someplace other than Oregon! We have the fourth highest liquor taxes in the country.


I can't be 100% certain because the price list didn't include bottle sizes, but assuming I was looking at the prices for the sizes I was thinking of, they looked reasonable to me -- especially if those are "out the door" prices due to the lack of sales tax. (I suspect that offsets the liquor taxes quite a bit.)


----------



## SP&S (Dec 28, 2013)

trainman74 said:


> SP&S said:
> 
> 
> > When it comes to hard liquor, buy it someplace other than Oregon! We have the fourth highest liquor taxes in the country.
> ...


I'm in SNP so before goingback home on the CS I picked up a couple of bottles at Costco. You made me curious so I comparied the price between here and back home in Oregon: Makers Mark $42/$62, Crown Royal $39/$52. That includes 8% tax. Not quite the difference it used to be but still significant.


----------



## MrFSS (Feb 19, 2014)

Amazon has this free today (don't know how long it will last as free):

*Portland 'Red Line' Light Rail Train Business Directory Travel Guide [Kindle Edition] *


----------



## CHamilton (Apr 19, 2014)

If you're looking for more to do in Portland, this is a pretty good website. They sometimes have discount coupons.

You can get around on the MAX rail system, the Portland Streetcar, and buses. You can now pay with the TriMet ticketing app.

Also check out the Portland Aerial Tram

http://www.gobytram.com/

And here are some of the places to go and things to see that have been recommended to me over the years. I've been to some of them, but not all.

Portland Art Museum

http://portlandartmuseum.org/ 

Museum of Contemporary Craft

http://www.museumofcontemporarycraft.org/ 

Oregon History Museum

http://www.ohs.org/exhibits/index.cfm

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

http://www.omsi.edu/

Oregon Rail Heritage Center

http://www.orhf.org/

They do steam train excursions, and "Santa Trains" in season.

Powell's Books

https://www.powells.com/

Check out the train section in Powell's 2 across the street

Elephants in the Park
877 sw taylor at sw park

Park Kitchen is in the Pearl District

http://www.parkkitchen.com/ 

Brunch at Tasty N Sons

"This brunch is so good you'll want to plan your trip to Portland around it."

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/videos/brunch-at-tasty-n-sons/96656.html

Really unique pancake place:

Slappy Cakes

4246 SE Belmont Street

Portland, OR 97215

503-477-4805

Natural Selection

3033 Northeast Alberta Street
Portland, OR 97211 
503-288-5883

Country Cat Dinner

7937 SE Stark 
Portland, OR 97215 
503-408-1414 

Beast

5425 NE 30th Ave 
Portland, OR 97211
503-841-6968 

Pacific Pie Co.

1520 SE 7th Avenue 
Portland, OR 97214 
503-381-6157

VooDoo Doughnut

1501 Northeast Davis Street
Portland, OR 92732
503-235-2666

[i actually prefer Top Pot Donuts in Seattle. Not sure why anyone would stand in line for an hour or more here, but they do.]

Screen Door
2337 East Burnside Street
Portland, OR 97214
503-542-0880

Pine State Biscuits - sandwiches
3640 Southeast Belmont Street
Portland, OR 97214
503-236-3346

Pok Pok - street food
3226 SE Division Street
Portland, OR 97202
503-232-1387

The Waffle Window street food

3610 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-239-4756

The Bake Shop

http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/videos/bake-shops-wholesome-pastries/96606.html
"Unique flour blends make these Portland pastries super satisfying. "

Apizza Scholls
http://www.apizzascholls.com/

Ken's Artisan Pizza
Signature Item: Bacon Pie.
The wildly popular—and still going strong—Monday Night Pizza events at Ken's Artisan Bakery prompted supertalented baker Ken Forkish to open a stand-alone spot in 2006.


----------



## pianocat (May 8, 2014)

I made a reservation at the Mark Spencer hotel in downtown. It sounds perfect for the 'artist' in me, does anyone have any experience with this one? Looks to be very close to all the downtown sites including Powell's books!!! Thanks for all the links, they've been really helpful.


----------



## Bob Dylan (May 8, 2014)

Great choice! Portland hotels can be pricey especially downtown so hopefully you snagged a good rate( under $200 a night would be a deal for this type of hotel) wifi and Continental breakfast are included as is a mini kitchen! Also coffee/hot chocolate machines with cookies and a Wine and snack Reception in the evening! Our Penny would love it causecWhole Foods is 4 Blocks away! LOL

A few reviewers found the light rail, street noise and Union Station traffic a distraction but its music to most train buffs ears!

The location in the Pearl District can't be beat and the staff is very professional and helpful in this is European style hotel!


----------



## pianocat (May 8, 2014)

Jim, glad to hear I picked a good one Unfortunately, I didn't snag a room for under $200, but it wasn't much over that. The day I'll be there is in early August, which is prime time for high summer rate - and considering many other downtown hotels were well over $300 for that night, I think I did pretty well! Ordinarily I would never pay this much for a room, but the day I'm there is also my birthday and I'm treating myself - Love the list of amenities and plan to take full advantage of them. [and as a vegetarian, Whole Foods is a necessary stop before taking coach EB to Spokane the next day!!] Now, just anxious to GO ~


----------



## D.P. Roberts (May 10, 2014)

I'm trying to figure out where to stay in Portland for an upcoming trip.

It's only one night, arriving on the EB and departing the next day on the southbound CS. So, we may have some time on our arrival day, but we're not counting on it. At best, we want to see Powell's books and go to dinner - anything extra in addition to that would be great.

We'll have several hours on the following morning before heading to PDX. Ideally, we'd like to go to the Oregon Zoo, which sounds like a pretty easy bus/train ride, especially from downtown.

In general, I'd prefer to stay downtown. However, there are a ton of hotels out by the airport, and they're generally a whole lot cheaper. However, the airport is on the opposite side of the city from pretty much everything we'd want to do. It looks like it takes about an hour to get from the Amtrak station to the airport, so a couple of trips to our hotel and back would take up a HUGE portion of our time.

That Mark Spencer hotel looks nice, and I'll definitely look into it, but if anyone has any other suggestions - especially on the downtown vs. airport issue - I'd love to hear them.


----------



## CHamilton (May 11, 2014)

D.P., look at hotels in the Convention Center/Lloyd Center area. They're right across from the train station on the other side of the river, just a couple of stations away on the MAX light rail, and they're generally much cheaper than downtown unless a convention is in town. I have had good luck with the Courtyard Marriott, although you should probably stay away from the Red Lion.


----------



## oregon pioneer (May 11, 2014)

CHamilton said:


> D.P., look at hotels in the Convention Center/Lloyd Center area. They're right across from the train station on the other side of the river, just a couple of stations away on the MAX light rail, and they're generally much cheaper than downtown unless a convention is in town. I have had good luck with the Courtyard Marriott, although you should probably stay away from the Red Lion.


Charlie's advice is good, and I'd add: there are three Max light rail lines going past the Lloyd Center area, only one of which goes to the airport, so the transportation options are a lot better. There's also plenty of great food in the Broadway District, a short walk on the other side of Lloyd Center (if you don't like the options right where you are).


----------



## D.P. Roberts (May 11, 2014)

Thanks to both of you - I'll certainly look into the Lloyd Center area.


----------



## tomfuller (May 13, 2014)

Across the street from the Mark Spencer is Ken & Zuke's Jewish Deli. Plan on eating there at least once.

You can send books home from Powell's if you don't want to carry them around.

The $5/day Trimet ticket is a bargain for light rail ,bus and streetcar service that extends all to way from Beaverton to Greshem and south to Milwaukie.


----------



## tomfuller (May 13, 2014)

The cheapest lodging option within walking distance of the PDX station is the HI hostel at 15th and Glisan (SW corner). I'd guess about 0.8 mi west on Glisan.

Powell's is on Burnside @ 10th. This is the Alphabet District (Burnside, Couch, Davies, (forgot E), Flanders, Glisan and Hoyt)


----------



## caravanman (May 15, 2014)

I was going to chime in with the HI Hostel suggestion too, stayed there two or three times and met a nice international crowd. They do have individual rooms as well as my pick... the cheapest dorm please!

Ed


----------



## train person (May 16, 2014)

No mention of Portland's crowning glory yet....

http://www.portlandbeer.org/breweries/


----------



## Bob Dylan (May 16, 2014)

Since Seattle had Guns and Roses, Portland can have Beer and Roses! LOL


----------



## CHamilton (Jul 30, 2014)

It's apparently possible to take public transit from Portland to Mt. Hood.

How to take public transportation from Portland to Timberline Lodge


----------



## manderson (Jul 31, 2014)

CHamilton said:


> It's apparently possible to take public transit from Portland to Mt. Hood.
> 
> How to take public transportation from Portland to Timberline Lodge


Nice find!


----------



## George K (Jan 17, 2015)

If you're into flowers (and I'm not!), check out the International Rose Test Garden: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Rose_Test_Garden



> The *International Rose Test Garden* is a rose garden in Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. There are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties. The roses bloom from April through October with the peak coming in June, depending on the weather. New rose cultivars are continually sent to the garden from many parts of the world and are tested for color, fragrance, disease resistance and other attributes. It is the oldest continuously operating public rose test garden in the United States and exemplifies Portland's nickname, "City of Roses."


----------



## oregon pioneer (Jan 18, 2015)

George K said:


> If you're into flowers (and I'm not!), check out the International Rose Test Garden: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Rose_Test_Garden
> 
> 
> 
> > The *International Rose Test Garden* is a rose garden in Washington Park in Portland, Oregon, United States. There are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties. The roses bloom from April through October with the peak coming in June, depending on the weather. New rose cultivars are continually sent to the garden from many parts of the world and are tested for color, fragrance, disease resistance and other attributes. It is the oldest continuously operating public rose test garden in the United States and exemplifies Portland's nickname, "City of Roses."


I went there last August with my sister, and it was magnificent! Here's my sis with her nose in a rose:


----------



## George K (Jan 30, 2016)

Another comment about where to stay. Last time, we stayed at the Residence Inn Marriott Pearl District.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pdxpd-residence-inn-portland-downtown-pearl-district/

Great place, and it's a short walk from Union Station in a good neighborhood. It includes a nice breakfast buffet, and WiFi is available as well. Free if you join their rewards program.

We're staying there again this coming May. I got a 2 bedroom suite with a kitchen, living room. Applying the Senior Citizen rate, it's $288 a night for four of us.

Highly recommended.


----------



## Eric308 (Jan 31, 2016)

There are a lot of good hotel choices in Portland. My daughter went to Lewis&Clark for four years and I rode the EB out to visit three or four times a year. I have stayed at several downtown hotels, but really prefer The Monaco over all of them. Great rooms and amenities with a free wine tasting hour with entertainment each evening. They now give me a really low "frequent guest" rate which is way below listed best prices. Heading out again on the EB in early April even though my daughter is long gone.http://www.monaco-portland.com/


----------



## parmesan45 (Mar 24, 2017)

I'll have a 9 hr layover in Portland before my connection to Seattle this May, after riding the Empire Builder in coach for three days. Any suggestions on where to get a quick shower within walking or transit distance of the Amtrak station - truck stops maybe? I just know it'll make a world of difference for that day if I can rinse off, lol. Thanks!


----------



## trainman74 (Mar 24, 2017)

parmesan45 said:


> I'll have a 9 hr layover in Portland before my connection to Seattle this May, after riding the Empire Builder in coach for three days. Any suggestions on where to get a quick shower within walking or transit distance of the Amtrak station - truck stops maybe? I just know it'll make a world of difference for that day if I can rinse off, lol. Thanks!


No truck stops anywhere nearby (the station is right in downtown Portland). I would do a Google Maps search for nearby health clubs/gyms, or hotels with health club facilities -- they likely offer day passes that would include access to their shower facilities. (You'll probably have to call and ask to make sure; not sure how many would have that info right on their websites.) My guess is that the cost would be about $20.


----------



## velotrain (Aug 25, 2019)

I spent four nights in Portland during late March 2012, before going to NCECA (national ceramic education conference) in Seattle - MassArt pays the conference fees for majors, but you need to arrange your own transport and lodging. Naturally I took the Empire Builder and was rather bored in North Dakota, but things picked up near the end of the run. I'm including one photo on the way to Portland, and another (Amtrak image) eastbound from Seattle to bracket my experience in Portland.


I'm uncertain of the location of this, but I labeled the photo _Approaching Portland along the Columbia River_ in 2012 - if I'm wrong, please correct me. It was taken from the west end of the platform during a station stop. I enjoy industrial structures and particularly complex ones such as this.








I stayed at University Place Hotel in the southern end of the downtown area, as it was inexpensive and importantly had a Budget car rental office on site - a MAX station is adjacent, but I recall walking to another one to get into the downtown proper, passing food carts on SW 4th between College and Hall. The first day I just used MAX and walked a lot.














The Portland (Municipal Services) Building was controversial when built in 1982, and feelings are still strong almost 40 years later - partly due to the major structural problems that have plagued it, being currently closed for a three-year rebuild.








I wandered around on foot and then went to the large and well-stocked Portland Art Museum.








The next morning I headed to the riverfront and rented a bicycle at Salmon Street Springs, where there's a large fountain and plaza as part of the continuous Tom McCall Waterfront Park, which runs for perhaps a mile. BOVAS Bear was a gift from a group of women in a Meetup group I ran for a couple of years, being Boston Outdoors & Visual Arts for Seniors. My bears like to travel, and one has been to 10 countries on the back of my bike. The bike I didn't rent, and the one I did. I brought the mirror with me - never leave home without one.














Riding northward I soon saw a sizeable rail to water grain transfer facility fairly close to downtown, almost exactly across the Williamette from Union Station. I crossed the Steel Bridge, which has heavy rail on the bottom and MAX tracks and roadway on the upper level. There were a lot of other bridges nearby, many of them highway access ramps.














I was a bit surprised at how easy public access was, spending at least half an hour there and no one even questioning me, although it may have been a weekend. You need to realize just how exciting something like this is to a rail/industry fan who lives in New England. I wandered around taking lots of photos and inspecting everything - including their small plant switcher in its own little maintenance shed - a Trackmobile as I recall.


----------



## velotrain (Aug 25, 2019)

There was also a freight double-track main behind it, with a beautiful S-curve sweeping around the plant to the north.














After that I rode around some on the east bank and then recrossed the river and rode around Union Station, admiring the handsome building, now 123 years young. Is it the oldest still in regular service?














I rode over a footbridge spanning the tracks, and caught a UP freight echoing a MAX unit in a small turnaround facility, both rounding very tight curves - while one was much more used to it.








I then rode down NW Naito Parkway, becoming NW Front Ave. perhaps 10-15 miles along an industrial zone adjacent to the river, and found a number of subjects that called for a quick grab-shot. A photography benefit of cycling is that I can stop, compose and take a photo, and be on my way again in less than 10 seconds - with no need to pull over into an authorized parking space, walk back to the scene, etc.




















I turned around at Doane Point where the road became private property after a cross-river bridge, and decided to call it a day. However, I still found some sights calling for a photo in the lessening light, including this colorful and complex industrial interior.


----------



## velotrain (Aug 25, 2019)

Late in the day I rode across the river for a quick look at the exterior of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.










Nearby I saw a pair of very tortured-looking weeping trees - apparently willows, but perhaps something exotic.








I forget the exact location, but while on the east side of the river I found this trackside scene, and I always like to have as many receding (perspectival) diagonal lines end at corners as possible.








This was in homage to my industrial photography guru, Charles Sheeler, who often employed strong diagonals - if not exactly ending in corners, which is likely not ideal, but I still like it. I consider this one of his most powerful works.


https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1987.1100.1/


Next up on the west side was Portland Old Town, where the weekend arts and crafts vendors were just closing up shop for the day. One guide wrote about this district, "Several of the 19th-century stone, brick and cast-iron-fronted buildings are lively pubs, but not as many as in the 1870s, when Portland had one saloon for every 40 inhabitants."














Related to that historical perspective, I enjoyed the billboard painted on the wall of a century-old watering hole called the Lotus Cafe - I'm not quite sure what to call this graphic style. Although a popular nightspot until the end, I've just read that it was closed in 2016 and demolished a year ago. The Hotel Albion above it was closed in 1976 as a result of fire safety violations. I think I can read '99' in the bottom right corner of the sign.








I had decided before the trip that I was going to rent a car one day to see my first and possibly only rain forest. As always I had done a fair amount of research and planning, having a complete route for the day, maps, and a rough timetable to make it work.








I also wanted to visit the fabled Oregon coast and can't recall the actual name of the rain forest or the beach, but they were fairly close together and roughly due west from town, so someone from the area might recognize the locations. I just tried scrolling down the coast zoomed in with satellite mode, but didn't spot anything likely. I recall the beach was right next to a coastal road and far away from any developed areas.


==>> I do highly recommend a similar one-day excursion to anyone visiting Portland.








Later I drove down the coast a ways to reach a better road for my return to the city. On the way I saw a young fellow on what looked like his first "loaded touring" bicycle trip. With all that weight on the front wheel and none on the back, that thing must have been a real bear to steer. I call this one "two overloads".








This last image was taken several hours after leaving Seattle on my return trip, so has no real business being in a Portland thread, but OTOH it's the only image here that features Amtrak, so I'm hoping you'll let it slide. It's a favorite image, but came at a price - I felt my newly-purchased orange conference cap fly off in the airstream as I took the shot.








There was an interesting incident some two weeks after I returned from the trip, in the form of a letter from Budget requesting additional funds. Apparently I had parked their car in a hotel space vs. one of their own - due to all of theirs being filled as I recall, and the Portland State University police had issued a ticket. My first reaction was how petty of the school, as Budget obviously leased the space from them so I was amazed they didn't have a better understanding. However, looking at my final receipt from Budget, they had time-stamped the car as returned something like two minutes before the ticket was issued, so I told them the problem was theirs and not mine - and didn't hear from them again.


----------



## Bob Dylan (Aug 25, 2019)

Good stuff, brings back many memories of when I lived in the NW. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## dogbert617 (Nov 7, 2019)

velotrain said:


> After that I rode around some on the east bank and then recrossed the river and rode around Union Station, admiring the handsome building, now 123 years young. Is it the oldest still in regular service?



Actually, what I have allegedly heard is the oldest station house still in use as an Amtrak station depot, is in Jackson, Michigan. And it opened September 1st, 1873! Anyway:

http://www.trainweb.org/usarail/jacksonmi.htm

https://www.greatamericanstations.com/stations/jackson-mi-jxn/

BTW, I've REALLY loved all of your Portland pictures, plus other trip pics from your Amtrak trip that you posted in this thread. Funny enough my cousin recently moved to Portland for a job, and I hope one of these days to take the Amtrak Empire Builder out there to visit him myself!


----------



## Siegmund (Nov 10, 2019)

velotrain said:


> I'm uncertain of the location of this, but I labeled the photo _Approaching Portland along the Columbia River_ in 2012 - if I'm wrong, please correct me. It was taken from the west end of the platform during a station stop. I enjoy industrial structures and particularly complex ones such as this.



Your label is correct: you are looking northwest from the Vancouver, WA, station. There is a large grain terminal on the riverbank just downstream of the railroad bridge. Serviced by an incredible maze of tightly curving tracks.


----------



## Willbridge (Nov 11, 2019)

velotrain said:


> Late in the day I rode across the river for a quick look at the exterior of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.


I enjoyed your photos, although you must have missed the railway museum next to OMSI. There were many memories for me in your pictures. Some examples: the tight curve by the grain elevator northeast of the Steel Bridge was the UP route to Seattle. My first ride on an intercity train was a family trip and of course we took the Astra-Dome UP457. Years later that whole area smelled of burnt toast when the grain elevator burned; every pigeon in the Pacific Northwest seemed to arrive for the clean-up. That grain dock is where Soviet-flagged ships loaded up for the Vladivostok run, and so forth.




The cruiser _USS St. Paul_ just squeezes under the upraised two decks of the Steel Bridge.


----------

