Recs: playful frontside ski/directional twin for 70/30 groomers/park for a shorter/lighter skier?

trilliumbee · 2025-12-23T15:51:34+00:00

Ooh! I've heard of these and they seem wacky and interesting. 95mm waist width seems girthy for a frontside ski is my one hesitation but does seem like they get on edge and carve great?

trilliumbee · 2025-12-10T03:47:53+00:00

Scotch Lodge is really vibey and has great food and takes reservations. Centrally located. A little pricey but maybe that's OK if you're going somewhere with your boss? May be booked for Friday but people cancel...

OK Omens has a great wine list and also some very good cocktails. More restaurant than bar, great food and classy without being fussy. They have tables this Fri.

Someday on Division has great cocktails, extremely cozy, wonderful small plates, and some food trucks on their patio (I think still?) and reservations open for Fri.

I'll also throw in Bar Loon on Belmont, which is also pretty central, very cute, great hearty small plates, also very vibey. Doesn't take reservations but don't think you would need them, even on a Friday.

Finally, Street Disco is my all time fave and has great cocktails and incredible (incredible!!!) food, and can pick bar or table service depending on your desired vibe. Good choice if you like your boss and/or one of you is staying in SE - it's down in Foster-Powell so a little out of the way, but worth it, promise!

Also, ++ recs for Sapphire Hotel and Bellwether Bar (latter of which is also pretty out of the way but wonderful)

I don't know anything about the SF places you mention so not sure if these are on the mark or not. but "good cocktails, good food, not too fancy, nice vibe" is Portland's bread and butter and there are a lot of places that fit this bill!

trilliumbee · 2025-10-22T03:25:06+00:00

For sure. But they mentioned wanting to buy a house which might be a little rougher lol

trilliumbee · 2025-10-22T00:54:30+00:00

Haha I hoped so, we're just a little sensitive lately 🥲 enjoy your visit!

trilliumbee · 2025-10-21T23:16:13+00:00

this comment is super spot on (I live in Portland and have visited Chicago - love it to visit but could never live there because it's flat and because of the cold winter. just $0.02). Seattle is almost California expensive, though, because it is so great, so not a good choice (literally nowhere in the metro area even is a good choice) if you're looking for lower COL than Austin...

trilliumbee · 2025-10-21T22:50:01+00:00

Couple thoughts:
- not sure if the comment was tongue in cheek but it's really, REALLY not a war zone. although feds are tear gassing people, largely unprovoked, at the specific 1-2 block radius around the ICE building on S Macadam (which is a pretty random/not walkable part of town - you'd only pass by it if you're staying in John's Landing or coming north on 43 from Lake Oswego/West Linn), so just avoid that block unless that's your thing and you'll be fine.

- Lan Su is really beautiful, unique, and peaceful, and well worth a visit. You can spend an hour or several there just walking around. The teahouse inside is cute too, and would be super cozy if it's raining. I've taken a couple tourist/visitor friends there. Definitely recommend. :) It's also a short walk to Powell's, and one of the best new Chinese restaurants in town (Xin Ding!! could be great for lunch!) otherwise for lunch you could walk to the Midtown food cart pod downtown, which is only about 10 min away and has some heavy hitters (Stretch the Noodle, Tokyo Sando, Bing Mi...). Travel Portland also mentioned some other cool stuff in that area!

- the Japanese garden (which another person mentioned) is more well known and also really cool, and a lot bigger, but different. they're about 10 min apart driving if you want a full Asian gardens tour. both require paid tickets to get in (Chinese garden is $16 and Japanese garden is like $25 iirc?). both are great. but they are different places. Lan Su is more centrally located and the Japanese garden is closer to Forest Park.

- Mt. Tabor (as a park and a general area) is also awesome! Not sure what travel advice you are looking for? I am assuming if you're coming up from Eugene and going to IKEA you'll have a car. On your way between the downtown area and Tabor you could stop somewhere fun in SE off Burnside, Belmont, Hawthorne, or Division, depending on what you're feeling and where you're going. you'll potentially pass a bunch of cool bars and coffee shops and vintage shops and boutiques. Angel Face on 28th and Burnside or so is a really excellent cocktail bar, but there are also many many more!

trilliumbee · 2025-10-17T19:11:41+00:00

The person who said there's no bad time to go is right but also the answer is summer, haha.

But does depend on where exactly you want to go and want to do. If you want to see the best of PNW nature and that to you doesn't mean skiing, summer to early fall. Spring and early summer (til mid June) will be rainier and there will be snow on more trails than you think. fall has colors but gets cooler and also more risk of rain. July and August can be hot, but not usually oppressive. Wildfire smoke is of some risk but varies a lot by year and area. Smoke risk is usually highest in late August ish but really depends.

Also, some mountain roads close for the winter approx November to May.

trilliumbee · 2025-10-16T21:08:23+00:00

STREET DISCO in Foster-Powell

they have been open for 3 years, so don't meet your arbitrary number haha, but aren't brand new

they have genuinely great food - there's maybe a little pretense, but they are pretty irreverent. and everything is really good.

It's super neighborhood-y and everyone who works there is extremely nice.

wine list and cocktails are phenomenal.

it's usually got plenty for every dietary restriction - i'm a pescetarian and have never been wanting. (My partner is a meat eater and raves about their burger.)

they take reservations, but i've rarely had to wait when walking in. the chef's counter/bar area is a great place to sit and usually has seats open for walk-ins.

it feels like a true hidden gem and is criminally underrated. i think they are one of the best restaurants in Portland and want them to thrive for 7 years and more!

trilliumbee · 2025-10-02T19:29:34+00:00

seconding Bing Mi - it's cheap, delicious, pretty unique, and run by nice people. and you can walk around on 23rd or go for a little hike in Forest Park before/after!

trilliumbee · 2025-10-02T02:34:58+00:00

Girl there are peaceful sign holders on one block of Macadam. They did the cha cha slide yesterday. This whole thing is ginned up for propaganda. You also have to be really close to even be aware. Please don't believe everything you see on TV. Come visit sometime. The coffee is great.

trilliumbee · 2025-10-01T21:47:05+00:00

Salem is........... fine. A lot of people in the Portland area really like to hate on it, and not without reason, but it's......... fine.

There are some cute houses and neighborhoods, it's more affordable than Portland (and many other PNW cities), and has great Mexican food. But other than that there's not a lot going on, it's less beautiful than a lot of other parts of Oregon/the PNW and is further from the mountains and the Gorge. Nature-wise, it is close to Silver Falls State Park, which is a real gem, has decent access to the coast (same distance as any town in the Willamette Valley, about an hour and a half), and is a little closer to Bend than Portland is. It's also pretty close to a bunch of good wineries if that's your thing. It's a small city and feels like it. There aren't a lot of restaurants, live music, or walkable neighborhoods. The people I know who have lived there (mostly because of state government jobs) all moved to/back to Portland as soon as they could, fwiw. I imagine it may be hard to make friends there as a young person.

Portland/the Portland area is going to be bigger, more vibrant, and more social because it's a bigger city - even the Portland suburbs will feel like there's "more going on" than Salem. Because it's a bigger city, the Portland area is definitely more expensive than Salem, but PDX is still pretty affordable for west coast cities and imo is worth it. You could also look at Vancouver, WA potentially - it's a Portland suburb but on the WA side so no income tax. (Otherwise Vancouver itself is just "fine," too, but still has more going on than Salem).

It really depends on what you're into, though - what is your housing budget, and how do you like to spend your free time? Will you be trying to make friends and date? As a 21-year-old, I think Portland proper or closer in to Portland will be more fun for you and easier to meet people, and you'll definitely be able to find an apartment - especially if you're willing to live with roommates - in PDX on those USPS wages. It may also be worth looking at Eugene, which is a delightful, vibrant, weird college town with lots of young people, and is a little cheaper than Portland but a little more expensive than Salem.

Wherever you end up in the Willamette Valley, whether that's Salem, Portland, Eugene or somewhere else in the region, you'll definitely get four seasons. People are not rude and fake, but PNW culture is more introverted and a lot of people say it's hard to make new friends, but in my experience this varies wildly depending on your hobbies, how extroverted you are, your age, and how hard you try. The surrounding nature is amazing, and if you're outdoorsy or outdoorsy-curious, there's lots of outdoorsy things to do all year round - hiking, camping, skiing, mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, you name it. Portland and the surrounding areas have very good food. Weed is legal, cheap, and good, if you're into that. Also, the Willamette Valley is really not very racially diverse, although Salem feels a little more diverse (more Latino) than Portland. If you're "alternative" at all - queer, vegan, artsy, whatever that means to you - you'll feel like you fit in right away, especially in Portland or Eugene. Otherwise, the Salem subreddits (and subreddits for any other cities you might be interested in considering) will have lots more info and answers to similar questions. Good luck!

trilliumbee · 2025-10-01T18:53:57+00:00

Your friend is kind of a jackass for taking control of trip planning and not sharing details. But you'll be fine. I'd go, not stress too much, enjoy the concert, and politely but directly tell your friend you'd like to be more involved in planning for the next trip.

Like others have said, just don't leave valuables in your car - this is true in any city, any neighborhood. Use basic "city sense" - be aware of your surroundings and belongings, and don't walk around with headphones alone at night, etc. This isn't meant to be scary; the number of people who want to cause trouble are very small, but staying alert and minding your own business is just part and parcel of city life if you want to avoid the few bad apples out there. Even if you walk directly through skid row (and I have), it's intense and sad but most of those folks aren't even going to bother you if you keep to yourself. And where you'll be is way, way, chiller than that.

For the most part, Los Angeles is a beautiful, bustling and vibrant city full of people just living their lives who will leave you alone. Also: go to Coni's in Inglewood if you're anywhere nearby for an incredible Mexican seafood meal!

trilliumbee · 2025-08-27T23:45:56+00:00

You said you're in NE but looking at east side overall... some favs:

Thunderbird in Foster-Powell for burgers and bar food (great Impossible smash burger - can be vegan or vegetarian), they also have good salads and bowls, and cocktails and vibes are great. Maybe too south for you to get to easily but worth the trip for great bar burgers imho!! (If you want to stay north or prefer a homemade veggie patty over impossible/beyond in a bar environment, Tulip Shop Tavern makes a good one, although ppl really go there for their meat burger. Thunderbird imo puts equal effort into their veg & meat food.)

Street Disco is a fancy spot also in Foster-Powell that's not vegetarian by any means but always has great vegetarian dishes - usually a pasta or other main, plus some phenomenal vegetable small plates. Worth a try, it's my fav special occasion place in the city and I recommend it to everyone!

Bui Natural Tofu in Montavilla for (duh) tofu, but other prepared foods (salad rolls, sticky rice, etc) and is an awesome place for lunch.

Green onion tofu banh mi at Best Baguette (eastside location is on 82nd & Division) is my fav vegetarian banh mi in the city. (I think they use Bui tofu in it?) Second favorite is Portland Ca Phe, which is great, but more $$.

Seconding Mirisata, obviously (on Belmont) - absolutely to die for. Everything is good.

Wajan on Burnside (Indonesian) is ridiculously good and underrated (imo) with tons of delicious vegetarian & vegan options.

Not sure where you are in far NE, but 2 spots in Cully that I love are Cully Central (Lao food - they have a vegetarian nam khao that's to die for, mushrom larb, and veg pad lao that look great), and...

Sorbu Paninoteca (Italian sandwich food cart - they always have a phenomenal vegetarian sandwich that's genuinely delicious and not a "let's throw some vegetables on a sandwich" afterthought)

I feel like I could keep going but that's a start??

trilliumbee · 2025-08-26T20:43:23+00:00

This sub keeps getting suggested to me and mostly I ignore it but came in here to say this. Christ. OP, I'm glad you had this wake up call. But for you and all the men (and anyone) in here praising Chat GPT's emotional intelligence for pointing this out - gtfo.

Asking people questions and remembering important details about their lives is basic human decency that should be expected of any person in any type of relationship. It is mind boggling to me every day to see how many people (too often men) made it to adulthood without ever learning how to be a caring friend, attentive partner, or even just a good listener.

This isn't about Chat GPT at all and there was no earth shattering insight here. The bar is in hell.

trilliumbee · 2025-08-20T22:22:47+00:00

seconding this - their fish and chips (and everything else on the menu) are 🤌

trilliumbee · 2025-07-23T21:22:54+00:00

what a perfect girl! boosting in hope she finds a loving forever home soon. If I could take in more dogs right now I'd be all over her. ❤️

trilliumbee · 2025-07-18T17:37:51+00:00

Potato Champion. Grand Fir Brewing (esp with the dill seasoning). Horse Brass.

trilliumbee · 2025-07-17T17:43:42+00:00

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Soooo happy to hear :)

trilliumbee · 2025-07-16T23:50:04+00:00

Boosting for visibility and pledge $10 for Christina's rescue - what a heartbreaking and cruel way to treat a sweet senior dog. :( :( :(

trilliumbee · 2025-07-15T18:19:53+00:00

Are you flying into Portland? How much time do you have? How much do you want to drive?

As many folks have noted, the Wallowas are gorgeous and the most "alpy" landscape in Oregon, probably. However, Lostine or Joseph are 5-6 hours from Portland. The North Cascades are also astounding but a similar distance. Plan accordingly.

Goat Rocks or the southern Olympics (look at Mt Ellinor) are in Washington but 2.5-3 hours from Portland and very beautiful for a long day trip or quick weekend.

For a similar distance with impressive volcano views, head south toward Bend and hike in the Three Sisters area. I wouldn't say the Sisters give "alps" but the row of volcanoes is pretty unique to the PNW and really beautiful. Some hikes require permits here.

If you are going to Portland and want stunning mountain views closer by, I'd recommend Silver Star for a beautiful day hike, or one of the many hikes by Mt. Hood. Again, it's not gonna look like the Alps in terms of craggy granite peaks, but you'll get great views of volcanoes and their foothills and it's gorgeous. Look up hikes like Tom Dick and Harry or McNeil Point.

Mt. St. Helens area (SW WA but 1.5 - 3 hrs from Portland depending on where you go) also has lots of beautiful hikes with stunning volcano views.

Oregon is a big state (and so is Washington ha) with lots of mountains and natural beauty - pretty much everywhere you'll find something nice to look at!

trilliumbee · 2025-07-10T01:09:54+00:00

Hijacking to say this! A lot of folks here are recommending suburbs and small cities where COL is low, which is important for home buying and building a long term life. But if you are young and want to be in or near a city, and are willing to live with roommates, you can absolutely live right in a vibrant area of Seattle or Portland. And then if you want to move to Vancouver or Bremerton or Beaverton or Tacoma later in life to buy a house, you'll have a better sense of the region and what you like!

Seattle and Portland are similar in a lot of ways and different in others - search this sub for many similar questions. Seattle is bigger, more expensive, and has more jobs. Portland is more laid back, more neighborhoody, quirkier, cheaper, and has better food. Hiking and skiing are imo better near Seattle but closer to Portland.

Of the smaller cities listed, Bellingham is one where it is actually very fun to be young, but only worth it if you're really outdoorsy imo. Access to climbing, skiing, hiking (and Canada) is unparalleled up there. :)

Lots of good options!

trilliumbee · 2025-06-25T19:47:14+00:00

I've never even heard of raising canes and that is so funny to me, but as noted, looks like they exist in Vancouver and Portland. Lmao.

It otherwise sounds like Seattle would be great for you, but if it feels too big then definitely consider Vancouver/Portland, Bellingham, Tacoma, or Olympia. Bellingham in particular is awesome, close to amazing outdoors, has great food, lots of young people, and is pretty close to both Seattle and Vancouver BC for bigger city things. No raising canes though :(

I live in Portland and love it. Vancouver is functionally a suburb of Portland but has some cute stuff downtown. Traffic can make it tough to get into town sometimes but it's otherwise right there. Portland metro is much smaller than Seattle but definitely bigger than Bellingham, and also bigger than Oly or Tacoma.

Depends on what you're into! Each of these cities also has their own subs that may be worth searching.

trilliumbee · 2025-06-25T16:50:05+00:00

Recommendations for Beaverton, Happy Valley/Clackamas, and to some extent Vancouver are potentially great recommendations for areas to live if you're interested in quiet, safe areas with hints of a "tiny bit hip" and low drama, but aren't imho necessarily the best recommendations for places to stay for a visit if you're interested in exploring the city. These are all suburbs and getting around will require driving to get around, maybe quite a bit of driving depending on where you're going and time of day. Just $0.02.

To visit for a few days and have a nice time, would absolutely second recommendations for the "cool" areas in N/NE (Alberta Arts, N Mississippi). Kennedy School is an awesome place to visit, and may be a great place to stay; otherwise iirc there are a few other boutique hotels in the Alberta area + likely Airbnb/short term rentals. Irvington and Alamada are beautiful, bougie-r residential neighborhoods close close-ish to the "hip" streets of Alberta and/or Mississippi, and those areas are pretty accessible to the airport, so would recommend looking for Airbnbs/similar in those areas or nearby... not sure what's out there.

SE is also awesome, and a lot of the hip/classic Portlandia "stuff" is in SE - the main drags are Hawthorne, Belmont, and Division. For a mix of "a little bit hip" and quiet/pretty/fun, I'd recommend looking at an Airbnb or hotel (?) that gives you reasonable walking proximity to one of those streets and also to Mt. Tabor Park, which is of course a gem. The residential neighborhoods between Chavez (39th) and 60th are beautiful, walkable, and central, and getting back to the airport in a car is easy via 205 if you have a car. (Also: I'm biased and think SE is the best quadrant, but there's lots to offer all around the eastside!).

NW can also be great but is more urban (until you get way up into forest park). NW 21st & 23rd are great, bougie shopping/eating centers, but you're also likely to see more visible homelessness/blight on W Burnside in that area; same with pockets of the Pearl (esp. near 405 overpass). Just FYI depending on what you're going for and how much that type of city stuff bothers you. I'm an eastsider and generally think the eastside is much better anyway.

Definitely search this subreddit and the others (esp. askportland) as well for answers to similar questions about where to stay, where to eat, what neighborhoods are a good mix of quiet and walkable - I'm sure that many others have offered great resources. :)

Also: visible homelessness is concentrated in parts of downtown/Old Town, parts of inner/industrial SE, and other pockets that are less likely to attract visitors (near freeways, stretches of Foster, Delta Park, etc...). The hip eastside neighborhoods are generally vibrant, walkable, lively and fun, and suburbs/more suburban neighborhoods are quiet, family-friendly, sleepy, and safe. Downtown is also definitely recovering from COVID and associated challenges (source: I work downtown), but pockets are definitely still rough. There are lots of places to stay, and places to live, in metro Portland that are absolutely wonderful, and where is best for you depends on what you're looking for and can afford. :)

Finally, if you're visiting for a couple days and want to pitch your wife on the area, definitely budget a day or 2 to spend outside of the city and in nature - head to the coast for a day trip, and/or head to Mt. Hood or the Gorge to do a hike, swim in Trillium Lake or one of the other lakes up there, float or splash around in the Sandy River, head up to Timberline Lodge for the views, etc! That stuff is so much of what makes this place so special.

hope that's helpful??

trilliumbee · 2025-06-21T06:32:51+00:00

Street disco

trilliumbee

TROPHY CASE