Visit Oregon's Largest City

Words by Jan Lee

Portland, Oregon’s culinary fame is legendary. From the oyster parlors that once fed Portland’s earliest logging and fishing communities to the award-winning bistros and restaurants that now dot Portland’s hilly landscape, food has always been an intimate part of its culture and its appeal.

Early pioneers found a cornucopia of ingredients to cook with when they arrived at the lush Willamette Valley and the pristine shoreline of the Columbia River. Seafood dishes that capitalized on Portland's proximity to the ocean, and restaurants that advertised the hearty European dishes of its founders fed the city's growing 19th-century populace of immigrants, loggers, and fishermen. The abundance of choices laid the groundwork to what has now become a hallmark of Portland's year-round appeal.

Today, visitors can find an almost endless range of ethnic specialties to enjoy while strolling Portland’s streets. Its 600-some “food pods,” tiny epicurean stations that are in some cases, no bigger than brightly coloured food trucks, are Portland’s signature nod to its foodie culture. Even better, are their locations: many of the pods are located in key areas that feature Portland’s best attractions.

But it is Portland's growing list of award-winning traditional restaurants and bistros, and their unorthodox approach to advertising that makes the city the ideal location to visit during March – and particularly for those who travel by RV.

Award-winning and affordable

For many of us, fantastic food is only one of the ingredients that creates a superb culinary experience. Affordability, accessibility, and ambiance are the special seasonings that help to make such outings – or multiple outings – possible.

Portland's restaurateurs seem to understand this. Great food and remarkable ambiance can be enjoyed at any time of the year but is all the more delightful when they come with an irresistible price and easy access from your RV site.

For all of March, guests can enjoy a three-course meal in Portland's top restaurants for $33 per person. The restaurants that are participating this year are among the crème de la crème and include winners of the James Beard Award for culinary excellence: Le Pigeon, Ox, Higgins Restaurant & Bar and a wide staple of other pubs, bistros, and full-menu restaurants.

Visitors have more than 100 dining locations to choose from, with cuisine that includes Argentinian, French, Asian and of course, Northwest specialties.

Northwest Oregon’s reputation as a hub for craft breweries and wineries also makes Portland the perfect place to sample some of the newest best beers and wines to hit the market. The Dining Month list includes an attractive selection of eateries, pubs, and other establishments that specialize in Northwest wines and brews.

This collective effort to showcase the city's restaurants also elevates a conversation that has always been close to Portlanders' hearts: the value of environmental sustainability. Many of the restaurants, pubs, and pods that have gained star reputations in Portland have announced their commitment to using and producing sustainable products.

The Peruvian cuisine of Andina relies on organic meats and ingredients of Chincha, Peru, while clarklewis highlights the Northwest farm-to-table tradition of using locally sourced ingredients. Bamboo Sushi opened its doors in 2008 as the "world's first certified sustainable sushi restaurant" and now features four locations around Portland. Other restaurants and food pods build sustainability into their businesses in varying ways, in keeping with Portland’s longstanding ethos for protecting its beauty and natural setting.

Food Tours

If you can't make up your mind which places to visit, consider doing what many visitors opt for, first: Join a food tour.

Travel Portland, the city’s official travel guide provides a list of popular food tour companies on its website. Visitors can choose from a bevvy of options: walking, cycling, and van tours as well as neighbourhood- and cuisine-centric choices.

Portland in the Springtime

March spring weather in the Northwest does usually mean putting up with a modicum of inclement weather. The average temps in March can range around 10-14 C (50-56 F) in the day and can include rain. Night temps are chillier – around 4 C (40 F) and warm closer to April.

Still, Portland is custom-made for its weather, with plenty of indoor attractions to see. The city is home to a plethora of museums – literally more than one could visit in a given day. The Pittcock Mansion, built in 1914, offers a glimpse into Portland's early history as a boomtown. The Oregon Rail Museum is a boon for train enthusiasts. Cultural and art institutions include the Portland Art Museum, World Forestry Centre, Oregon Jewish Museum and Holocaust Centre and Oregon Nikkei Legacy Centre. The city even has a museum for kids, the Portland Children's Museum, with interactive displays and games.

Where to stay

RVers have a variety of parks to choose from, both inside the city and on the outskirts. Travelers who come with their abode in tow have a special advantage in this city, where accommodations can be pricey and made even more so by higher hotel taxes that help the county pay for needed infrastructure.

While there is a city lodging tax, the overall cost for an RV site can be considerably less than a hotel room. Some parks charge the lodging tax separate of the rental fee, while others may wrap that tax into the rental cost.

Those savings for visitors mount up because there is also no state or city sales tax applied in Portland. Therefore, eating out can actually be cheaper at times than fixing a lavish meal at the RV.

Two parks we spoke with confirmed that March availability is usually pretty good. Kathy, a representative at Fairview RV Park said that vacancies are usually common in March. She still recommended making a reservation ahead of time. Tisa, at Jantzen Beach RV Park, agreed, saying that March is a pretty “calm” time for rentals, and that demand tends to increase in April when reservations (and warmer weather) pick up.

For those coming over passes keep in mind that while it’s rare to see snow at a Portland RV site in March, you will want to prepare for the possibility of freezing temps or snow if you are heading over mountain passes. Both Oregon and Washington provide good winter advisories on their state websites.

Getting around Portland

Portland grew up around its transportation system, and today's network of city buses, light rail, inexpensive car-sharing, and rental systems, as well as carefully planned walking paths, really discourages the reliance on private vehicles for short tours of the city. Parking can be expensive in downtown Portland. Consider leaving your car with the RV when you head off to dine. Portland City has a comprehensive list of certified transportation options to consider on its website (see below for the link).

Bon Appetit!

The Travel Portland website (https://www.travelportland.com) is a great go-to resource for all things Portland. We’ve broken the sections down for you.

Dining

The March Dining Month and a scoop on other delicious choices: https://www.travelportland.com/culture/food

Portland food (and other) tours:

https://www.travelportland.com/plan/tours-itineraries

RV Parks

Recommended privately owned RV Parks in and around Portland: https://www.travelportland.com/plan/rv-parks-portland.

Oregon State Parks (with searchable map for RV sites near Portland):

https://oregonstateparks.org