Sports Travel: Let’s go to Stumptown
Written by playerpress.com, Tuesday March 31 2009
Portland, Oregon earned the above nickname in the 19th century. As growth caused the city to expand beyond its parameters trees were hastily cleared leaving the remaining stumps to be the problem for the new settlers. Since some of those folks were members of the Donner Party, pulling up stumps was a breeze compared to eating your scout.
Portland also goes by the Rose City, a moniker the Chamber of Commerce probably prefers and the fans of their NBA franchise Trail Blazers call their hometown Rip City. Since it has been determined that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet let it be known that Portland is a dynamic, thriving, innovative city regardless of which nickname you prefer.
Because they are the only pro game in town securing tickets for a Blazers game can be tricky, but like so many seemingly difficult task in life they are obtainable. You can place yourself on a waiting list for tickets by making a $20.00 deposit and registering on the Trail Blazers web site. When tickets are made available for single games you get a notice and the offer to purchase. If you are coming in from out of town that might be tricky to coincide with your visit, but there are other methods. For instance, hundreds of web sites can provide the ducats for an increased price, so since you only live once, pay the premium and get yourself to the Rose Garden.
Feeling the mad vibes of the Rip City residents in person is quite an experience. West coast fans get labeled with being laid back, but Portland basketball and Northwest futbol fans in general are helping to turn that perception toward So Cal where it belongs. The building is awash in fanatics decked out in red and black who share a proclivity toward leather lungs and a deep appreciation of the defensive mindset that is prevalent when the Blazers are successful.
The Rose Garden was designed with the Blazers in mind, so the sight lines are great and seating is accommodated to provide a clear view of the court. This is a stand and cheer crowd, so unless you are vertically challenged you will probably be viewing the game on your feet anyway. Either that or you will be staring at the back of some big guys head and asking the people around you what’s going on.
The Rose Garden is one of the arenas built in the downtown area of its host city, so accommodations are nearby and plentiful. Portland is situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. My recommendation for a hotel is the Marriott located on the water front. You are next to the Columbia River and can take advantage of the park, a bike path and the easy access to downtown.
The hotel has a Champs Sports Bar, so you can dine on pub fare and take advantage of the microbrews that are produced in Portland and the rest of the state. This time of the year a Widmer Drop Top Amber should bring on an outbreak of spring fever.
If you are seeking better dining then take a walk past the bridge that spans the Columbia and unites Portland with Vancouver, WA. The name of the bridge is the Interstate Bridge, but locals refer to it as the Columbia River Bridge because, well face it, it sounds nicer. The bridge is spectacular and walking along the path to the Union Station railroad terminal will lead to Wilf’s. Wilf’s has a full menu with a great wine and beer list. It is part of Union Station, so you get to see a beautiful building as well as enjoy a fine meal. Additionally, they feature jazz with your dining experience. From there you can walk to the Pearl District, Portland’s Asian area.
Before leaving the Rose City you have to go to Old Town Pizza. It was a favorite of Bill Walton back when the Big Red Head was both a red head and played for the Blazers. He would ride his bike to Old Town and order a veggie pizza with a pitcher of Weinhardt’s Private Stock to wash it down. The restaurant is located over or near ancient graveyards; the exact proximity depends on who you choose to believe, so it is locally claimed that the restaurant is haunted.
Portland is another west coast city that is navigable by foot and they have the best transit system to be found west of the Mississippi. You won’t need a rental car if you decide to stay in Portland since you can rely on Max. Max is a light rail system that runs through Portland into surrounding suburbs. The level of efficiency is such that most natives park and ride Max to the Rose Garden or PGE Park. PGE Park is the home of the Portland Beavers, the Padres AAA team and the Timber. The Timber is a USL side that will be matriculating to the MSL to help reignite an I-5 rivalry with the Seattle Sounders FC. PGE Park also plays host to local college baseball, so try to squeeze it into the trip. The field is below the street surface, so you can see the Max trains passing the stadium and pedestrians can hang at the outfield fence and peek in on the proceedings. Like everywhere else in Portland the park has an excellent beer garden.
Portland is so transit friendly that skateboards have been ruled as methods of conveyance. That means that grumpy old people can’t put up no skateboarding signs outside of buildings.
Now that you’ve eaten, consumed mass quantities of tasty beer and viewed a basketball game and possibility either futbol or baseball, it is time to expand your mind. Powell Books is the place to go. You can’t miss it since it occupies a square block downtown. With that much area is seems superfluous to state they carry over one million titles, so you should be able to find When March Went Mad, The Yankee Years, Sweet Lou and anything else you desire.
Portland is an overlooked jewel well worth the visit. Just writing about the place I’m finding myself in the mood for some poltergeist tossed pizza in a place once frequented by Big Bill Walton. Don’t drink all the Winehardt’s.
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