WELCOME TO PORTLAND!
Surrounded by natural beauty – Mount Hood, the Oregon Coast, the Willamette Valley wine country, the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls – the city of Portland offers AAAR attendees an almost unending variety of things to see and do while in the city and area.
Upon arrival at Portland International Airport (PDX), you’ll find yourself a mere twenty minutes by car or taxi from the Doubletree Hotel Portland – Lloyd Center. A slightly longer ride is offered by the light rail system, MAX, which links the airport to the convention center area and downtown. And, note that visitors can ride MAX, the streetcars, and city buses on a complimentary basis in a 330-square-block area known as Fareless Square. This transit-friendly zone encompasses the entire downtown hotel and retail core and crosses the Willamette River to the Oregon Convention Center.
Attendees at the 29th AAAR Annual Conference will find the city of Portland welcoming on many levels. Portland leads the country in environmentally conscious construction; its public transportation system is modern and well utilized; and farmers’ markets can be found all over town.
Urban hikers will find an inviting walking route just behind the Oregon Convention Center, the 1.5 miles Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade which runs along the eastern shore of the Willamette River. The esplanade features works of art, water-level views of downtown, and the country’s longest floating walkway (1,200 feet). In addition, it connects to the Springwater Corridor Trail, a 17-mile bicycling byway.
Speaking of cycling, Portland is a great place to ride. With one of the nation’s most progressive bicycle transportation programs, the city boasts hundreds of miles of bikeways and bike-friendly buses and trains. Both road bikes and mountain bikes are available for rent around town.
If biking is not your interest, take MAX and the streetcar to Powell’s City of Books, the legendary independent bookstore. Powell’s occupies an entire city block in the Pearl District, and you truly can get lost in the stacks of new and used books…each categorized in a specific color-coded room. Bargains abound, and perhaps (budget allowing) you might find a first edition or two in the Rare Books Room!!
If museums are more interesting to you, The Portland Art Museum offers permanent collections galleries that feature Northwest contemporary art, modern art, graphic arts, the arts of the native peoples of North America, English silver, and French painting.
Stop by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) which offers an Omnimax theater and a planetarium in addition to being the home of the US Navy’s last non-nuclear fast-attack submarine, the USS Blueback.
Explore the many neighborhoods of Portland, each readily accessible by MAX and/or the complimentary streetcar.
The Pearl District – Home of Powell’s City of Books and upscale boutiques, restaurants, and condos reclaimed from industrial and warehouse buildings.
Northwest 23rd Street – Boutiques and shopping abound. Check out Moonstruck Chocolates and the handmade truffles and perhaps have a hot chocolate beverage instead of the coffee for which the Pacific Northwest is known.
Downtown – Visit Pioneer Square…Nordstrom…Nike…Columbia Sportswear (flagship store)…The Heathman Hotel…the list goes on and on.
In dining rooms throughout the city, a passion for seasonal ingredients pervades. From salmon to Dungeness crab, pears to Marionberries, and hazelnuts to chanterelle mushrooms, fresh and local ingredients abound on area menus. Creative chefs work wonders with local ingredients, and residents and visitors alike are the winners.
Check out locally and regionally brewed beers and wines. There are 38 craft breweries and 62 Portland area wineries. In addition, the city boasts five James Beard award-winning chefs. From the recently opened Laurelhurst Market to Mother’s Bistro & Bar; Pix Patisserie to Saint Cupcake – and let’s not forget the local sensation, Voodoo Donut; upscale Paley’s Place (in Nob Hill) to Higgins (a seasonal sustainable menu that changes weekly) and Wildwood (offering organic products sourced a few miles from the city) there is something for everyone.
Technical sessions at the 29th Annual Conference will be held at the Oregon Convention Center, a US Green Building Council LEED-EB Silver-certified facility. Attendees will experience a new level of comfort in general session and platform session rooms, many of which are larger than what AAAR has used in the past.
A block of sleeping rooms has been reserved for AAAR attendees at the Doubletree Hotel Portland – Lloyd Center, approximately two blocks from the Oregon Convention Center. The single/double rate at the hotel will be $164.00 plus applicable taxes, currently 12.5%. A small percentage of sleeping rooms will be offered at the prevailing federal per diem rate. Reservations must be made no later than SEPTEMBER 27, 2010.
Consult the HOTEL INFORMATION link for more in-depth information.
Join AAAR in Portland for an outstanding scientific program in one of the west coast’s more interesting cities. Visit www.travelportland.com for a more in-depth discussion of the various attractions in the City of Roses. Welcome!!