Lodging: Hilton Portland & Executive Tower

On September 4, 2009, we decided to go on a little vacation to Portland, Oregon. We booked our stay at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower for three days. The hotel allows dogs (under 50lbs) for a one time $25.00 pet fee, so we were able to bring our dog. We arrived when there was an anime convention going on so the hotel was extremely busy with kids EVERYWHERE! I felt as if we never really had the opportunity to experience the hotel (except for our room) because of this, but that is not the hotel's fault. Just bad timing. Parking was a bit difficult because the parking garage was down the street, but with one-way streets and traffic I couldn't successfully find the parking garage and ended up parking in a pay up front for the car to stay garage. Since we wouldn't be needing the car in downtown Portland, that worked out great and saved us money.

Our hotel room was awesome! We got a great corner room (probably due to the dog) that had a great view and was just beautiful. The room was one of the highlights of the weekend because it had such a great view and location (see photo). Overall, I would recommend this hotel especially if you have a dog. We will definitely be staying here again.

Sightseeing: Ripley's Believe It or Not in Newport

On February 14, 2009, we went to Ripley's Believe it or not in Newport, Oregon. I've been to a Ripley's before and this is not the best one, but was still interesting. The harp pictured here was cool because it would play based on where you placed your fingers. There are no strings at all. This was interesting to see, but could be missed for more entertaining things.

Sightseeing: Undersea Gardens in Newport

On February 14, 2009, we went to Undersea Gardens in Newport, Oregon. This has a show with a diver who interacts with the audience and shows certain sea creatures based on the announcers direction. The problem with the show is that there were too many people so that not everyone could be in the room to watch. We had to sit on the stairs to leave in order to see. The diver was entertaining, but there were a couple times I felt bad for the crab because he just wanted to get away and the diver kept tossing him around. This was entertaining, but definitely not the best aquarium I've been to. Always good for kids though.

Sightseeing: Wax Works in Newport

On February 14, 2009, we decided to take a trip down to the historic section of Newport, Oregon. While we were there, we decided to go through Wax Works to see the realistic looking wax figures. I've never been to a wax museum before so I was curious to try it. It was interesting and I learned a few things. The wax museum does not take too long, so definitely enjoy your time while you are there. There is a really cool wax figure of Johnny Depp. I was surprised how realistic he looked. Just as I tried to get a picture of him, my camera died. Figures. I think this is worth trying once. I would never pay to do this again though.

Restaurant: Georgie's Beachside Grill in Newport

Due to the fact that I did not call and make a reservation with a restaurant before the night before for Valentine's Day, there was not many options. When I had asked the staff whether we could make reservations before Valentine's night, they said that they were not taking reservations, but to come about 30 minutes prior to being ready to eat. Therefore, on February 14, 2009, we showed up to Georgie's around 6:30 and was told that there would be about an hour and a half wait. Fortunately, our room was really close and we just went back to our room to wait. When we came back an hour and a half later, we were not able to be seated for another half an hour. It was quite a long wait for food. Once we were finally seated, we started enjoying ourselves, but discovered the service was pretty poor. Our waitress was not very attentive (probably due to the restaurant being full). Our water would run out and we would be sitting for a while trying to get her attention. When we placed our order, we both ordered the prime rib but at different ounces and both at medium rare. When we received our steak it was very pink and fatty. I had to cut away a lot of the fat and the steak meat was weird. At the table across from us, another girl had cut away most of her steak because she thought it was gross as well. Once we had eaten what we could, it took a long time to get the waitress to come back. Therefore, we decided to skip dessert to just leave. Other people seemed to have good service, I believe it was just our waitress not being able to multi-task very well. I was quite disappointed in my overall experience. It could have been due to the busy Valentine's evening, but the food was not overly good as well. If you are looking for a good restaurant with good food, I would not recommend this one. I would rate this a 2 out of 5.

Restaurant: Mazatlan in Newport

On February 13, 2009, I went to Mazatlan in Newport, OR. This restaurant was good food, but the staff was not as attentive. We had eaten our chips and drank our water before the waitress walked by and I had to ask for more. Granted, the restaurant was busy, but the staff should be prepared for this. I ordered Chicken ala Crema and would have to say it was one of the best versions that I have ever had. The food was good. Another note, there are two doors into the restaurant. The side door is often overlooked by the staff, so it is better to go through the front door. I think the side door is there for purposes of an emergency exit. This restaurant is good for a casual, yummy bite to eat. Because of the food, I would give this restaurant a 3 out of 5.

Lodging: Marriott Downtown Waterfront Hotel in Portland

On December 16-18, 2008, I stayed at the Downtown Waterfront Marriott for business. This is the third time I have stayed at this hotel and have been happy with my experiences. Granted, all three times I have not had to pay because twice was for work and once was with Marriot points, but the experience has been pleasant. The location is great if you are interested in visiting the waterfront or if you want to walk around downtown. Within the building on every floor, there is always a glass container set out with some great, unique, refreshing beverage that you may have at any time. The rooms are clean and comfortable and the gym is well set up. There is a bar in the Marriott, but just realize that they close early. If you are looking for a late night of drinking, you will not find it there. Good thing there are plenty of bars in the area. I would recommend staying at this hotel. My experiences have always been good and pleasant.

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/pdxor-portland-marriott-downtown-waterfront/

Restaurant: The Creamery in Klamath Falls

This restaurant is in my hometown, but I still thought I would write about it. I ate here last on January 8, 2009. The building is gorgeous with Knotty Pine entry and walls. When you walk in the building, the roof is really high, which does not give it a homey feeling. If you are going for a Sports game, they have a large screen to watch a game and this is a lot of fun. They have a nice patio where you can sit in the summer. This place has great beer and if you are into microbrews, definitely try their sampler. The food is average and the price high. I've eaten there a couple of times and have never been impressed with their food. I recommend eating here if you haven't tried it before, otherwise, unless you like watching sports at a bar and drinking beer, I'd say pass.

http://www.kbbrewing.com/

Restaurant: Porters in Medford

On January 25, 2009, some friends and I went to Porters for dinner. The restaurant is a beautiful and authentically restored 1910 National Historic Train Station. The interior was beautiful and was a very nice, classy dinner. Expect to pay a classy dinner price though. I would say the cost was $$ out of $$$. The only problem we experienced was the noise from the kitchen where we sat, but there was a note explaining about the noise and if we were bothered by it to ask if we could be reseated. I thought that was an appropriate way to address the situation. Food was great, service was good, experience is recommended.

http://www.porterstrainstation.com/

Restaurant: Mamma Mia Gelateria in Jacksonville

Mama Mia Gelateria is a cute, quaint little cafe right on the main strip in Jacksonville, OR. I love icecream, so that was what drew me in on a hot weekend of wine tasting. They serve italian gelato, sorbeto, granita and other yummy food. One problem with the icecream was the fact that I did know what all the names meant. If you visit this place be sure to ask for samples so you can know exactly what you are getting. I ordered the berry one and it was really good, but a lot of seeds. Nice little stop when visiting or driving through.

Events: Seafood and Wine in Newport

Last weekend, I went to the 31st Annual Seafood and Wine Festival in Newport, OR. This is an event where wine makers from all over the state come to have people sample their wine. You can either buy your tickets at the door or online. I bought mine online and bought the version with the wine glass. If you do not buy the ticket with the glass, then you need to bring your own or buy one at the event.

I recommend going to the event early for two reasons: parking and don't have to wait so long. We showed up an hour early and found free parking. Even though we had to wait in line in the cold, you meet some great people while you are waiting. We got lucky with the weather and didn't get rained on. I would recommend going on Saturday because that is the busiest day and the most entertaining. There are two lines for the different types of tickets. One line for the e-tickets and another for those who still need to buy. The e-ticket line was much shorter and I recommend buying it online. Make sure that if you do, you print out the ticket with the barcode. A couple people had that problem, but were still able to get in. Unfortunately, there were more people dedicated to the ticket sales then the e-tickets and that lined moved much faster than ours, but I'm sure they are going to fix that next year.

When you get inside, go get your glass if you bought one and then start searching for wineries that you are interested in trying wine. For a taste, the cost is anywhere from $.50 to $2.00. Most are $1.00. If you want a glass, it is $3.00 for most unless you want a specialty drink. I had a Pinot Gris with Arizona Tea for $5.00. It was pretty good. There is also all types of food throughout the tent, including tons of seafood. You basically just drink, eat and socialize. It's good to bring a lot of friends to this event. Some people even go all out and create their own matching shirts to where. My favorite saying is "I got Merloaded at Seafood and Wine."

Things to notice. If you drop your glass or hear someone drop theirs, the whole crowd will recognize this and cheer. You usually don't want to be the first, so hold on tight. They also have entertainment in the crowd which is great for photo opportunities. Be sure to bring your camera. Also, go slow on the wine. It opens at 10am and closes at 6pm. That's a long day of drinking and if the event security feels if you are too intoxicated or you are getting out of control, they will kick you out. I saw some people get booted. Good to know. I ended up staying from 10am until 3pm. I was wined out by that point. You can only try so many different kinds.

Overall, this is a great event. Things I learned that I will do differently next year is to bring a group of people and smaller bills. At the beginning, some places couldn't break $20s because they didn't have enough ones.

http://www.seafoodandwine.com/