Last weekend saw a number of the ladies in my family gathered in Portland, Ore., for our more-or-less annual Girls’ Weekend. Usually these gatherings are held down at the beach or up in the mountains for a resort-like getaway, but this year we decided to make it an urban adventure. Sisters, aunts, nieces, cousins, moms and daughters met up on Friday night for cocktails and dinner on the hottest night Portland had seen all year (98 degrees). We then moved on to Darcelle XV Showplace, a Portland institution for decades, where we enjoyed a very campy but entertaining female impersonation revue.
The next day our activities focused on Portland’s Old Town district. We fueled up with breakfast at the Morning Star Café — wonderful food — before strolling over to the Portland Saturday Market. The largest continually operating outdoor arts and crafts market in the nation, the Market sprawls over several blocks and features everything from tie-dyed clothing to art glass, leather goods to carniverous plants. After spending the morning wandering the booths and getting in plenty of people-watching, a few of us headed to another famous Portland institution: Powell’s City of Books.
Powell’s claims to be the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world, with this downtown location taking up an entire city block and housing more than a million books. We only spent an hour or so there, but you could take a week and not get through every room at this paradise for bibliophiles. After loading up on a few good reads, we moved on for a quick pick-me-up at Nuvrei Patisserie & Café a few blocks away. Ever since she tasted her first French macaron in Paris on a study abroad trip, daughter Jenny has been on the hunt for a repeat experience in the States. She was delighted to find what she considers a “genuine” macaron at Nuvrei and will be back for more in the future.
We hopped the Portland Streetcar to zip back to our hotel to change before dinner (more on that next week). We took advantage of Portland’s Free Zone on the streetcar and MAX lightrail system to move easily and cheaply throughout the city that weekend, although the city, with plenty of lovely buildings and streetside art installations, provides enjoyable walking opportunities, too. All in all, we agreed our first urban girls’ weekend was a roaring success!
— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor
Read This Next
Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedDaily
Nov 22, 2024Choose Lompoc on California’s Central Coast for Outdoor-Focused Fun
If you’re in weather denial mode and resisting the urge to switch your closet over to sweaters and snow boots, keep summer going for a little longer in Lompoc, California.
Sponsored Content
Royal Air Maroc Relaunches Direct Casablanca–Beijing Route, Debuts Toronto Flight
As part of its international network expansion, Royal Air Maroc will reinstate the direct Casablanca–Beijing route initially launched in January 2020 and suspended just a few weeks later due to the health crisis.
Daily
Nov 22, 2024Try This New Sea-to-Table Experience at Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, the oceanfront property on the pristine coast of Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit, just launched a new Sea to Table program in partnership with SpearMex, the region’s premier sea exploration experts. The new programming features a hands-on experience and ocean-to-table culinary journey combining sustainable fishing practices with personalized gastronomic techniques lead by Executive Chef Jorge González.
Daily
Nov 22, 2024Waldorf Astoria Residences New York Announces Partnership with Bang & Olufsen
Waldorf Astoria Residences New York recently announced a partnership with Bang & Olufsen. The contemporary residences sit atop the legendary hotel, currently nearing the end of its expansive restoration.
Sponsored Content
Remarkable Medellín
Visiting Medellín in Colombia: The Country of Beauty is like stepping into a fantastic story — literally, as the city in the Western Colombian Andes region inspired Disney’s Encanto. Here, valleys, the world’s tallest palms, vibrant communities, colorful houses, garden-like balconies and more prove reality is more picturesque than anything on film. And it’s especially more tempting following Medellín’s remarkable transformation, shedding its troubled past and reawakening as a city of innovation, art, cultural richness, modern infrastructure, thriving tourism and resiliency.
Daily
Nov 21, 2024Hotel Saint Augustine to Open in Houston’s Museum District Neighborhood
Hotel Saint Augustine, expected to softly open in Houston this December, is a design-savvy boutique hotel from Austin-based hospitality group Bunkhouse. The hotel will officially debut January 2025.
5 Can’t-Miss Black Friday, Cyber Monday Hotel Deals
Daily
Nov 21, 2024eFlyer Reviews
Nov 20, 2024Château des Fleurs Review
Just a short block from the Champs Elysées, flower-bedecked window boxes grace the corner and clearly identify Château des Fleurs. This 37-room boutique hotel is one of Vivre-LMB’s five small hotels in Paris owned by Olivier Bertrand and his sisters and affiliated with Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
Sponsored Content
Extraordinary Egypt
ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME JOURNEY INTO THE ANCIENT WORLD OF THE PHARAOHS
eFlyer Deals
Nov 20, 20242 Miami Hotels Go Big for Black Friday, Cyber Monday
Two Miami hotels entice travelers this season to take advantage of some special offers. Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club, Autograph Collection, in the heart of Mid-Beach, offers up to 40 percent off the best available rate when booked by Dec. 30 for stays through Dec. 30, 2025. Book this offer.
ShareThis