sundogg99

Lots of good suggestions here. The only thing I’d add would be to devote three hours during your visit to the following exercise:

Get in your car and drive 60 minutes from downtown Portland in whatever direction you choose.

Unless you’re spectacularly unlucky, at the end of an hour’s drive, you’ll be someplace rural and at least marginally scenic: you might be nearly to the Pacific Ocean, or in the Willamette Valley wine country, or partway up the slopes of Mt Hood, or staring at a waterfall in the Columbia Gorge, or somewhere in the midst of orchards and pasture lands, watching some guy on a tractor.

Spend an hour enjoying wherever it is you’ve ended up, then head back to town and do all the other stuff folks have suggested.

A l-o-n-g time ago when I visited, the only practical way to get to Ios was via ferry from Pireaus, which (as I recall) stopped at Paros before getting to Ios.

It’s a beautiful little island – I hope you get to go there!

Does the tram/funicular still run up Victoria Peak? That’s a way to avoid driving and enjoy the ride to the top of the peak – the car climbs up the amazingly steep hillside, stopping from time to time to let passengers off and on.

The beach trail in Torrey Pines State Reserve drops you down onto a great secluded cove. Last bit is a bit of a scramble down some eroded cliffs, but other than that, it’s a short walk to a very cool beach.

Thanks for the answer… good to know it’s still around, even under another name. I always kinda liked that place.

My wife and I have stayed at both Hotel Lucia and The Governor – both are okay, but if you’re going to spend $150 or more, I would recommend looking at the 5th Avenue Suites Hotel, which is also in the downtown core area and is, in my opinion, a much nicer place to stay.

Liner & Elsen, a wine shop on NW 21st, is the best place in town to taste and talk wine. Good prices, nice people.

Thanks to all of you for the helpful information – sounds like I lucked into visiting during a comfortable time. Sounds like layers are definitely the way to go.

Thank you for your advice – this looks like a very good option, and well within my price range.

I wasn’t very explicit in my question, was I? From what I’ve seen of Xi’an hotel prices, I will be very comfortable in a 3-4 star hotel.

I will be in China for business and only have about 3 days to devote to sightseeing – still, I’m going to Xi’an and see as much as I can in that short time. I’ve wanted to visit there for years, and I’m not going to pass up this opportunity!

Thanks for the warning regarding pickpockets – they are an unfortunate fact of life almost everywhere. I agree with you that the only sensible response is to be alert, but not paranoid.

I’m excited about visiting Xi’an and would be very happy to get any suggestions you may have for dining, shopping, or sightseeing.

Xie xie!