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American Airlines Flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Portland (PDX)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on American Airlines, which operates 3 regularly scheduled daily non-stop flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Portland (PDX), departing between 1:00pm and 8:00pm. Usually a Boeing 737 or McDonnell Douglas MD80 is flown for this route. The average travel time from San Francisco, CA to Portland, OR is 1 hour and 42 minutes.
During your Portland vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA)
The Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) was created as a resource for exploring and supporting experimental art and new music in Portland. Here, at the Institute's gallery facility, PICA presents visual art exhibitions focusing on contemporary trends in the regional, national, and international art scene. These exhibitions are always innovative and thought-provoking. At various venues around the city, PICA hosts performances by both well-known and less-established performance artists and musicians.
Oregon History Center
In the middle of the 19th century, the Oregon Territory was a land of promise and plenty. Thousands of hardy individuals set out along the Oregon Trail, crossing a vast and rugged country to reach the fertile valleys of this region. Others came by ship around the Horn. Today the state of Oregon is still luring immigrants, and those who wish to learn about the people who discovered Oregon before them should visit this well-designed museum.Oregon history from before the arrival of the first Europeans to well into the 20th century is chronicled in fascinating educational exhibits. The displays incorporate Native American artifacts, a covered wagon, nautical and surveying instruments, and contemporary objects such as snow skis, dolls, and bicycles. Museum docents, with roots stretching back to the days of the Oregon Trail, are often on hand to answer questions. There's also a research library that includes many journals from early pioneers. You can't miss this complex--look for the eight-story-high trompe l'oeil mural stretching across the front.
International Rose Test Garden
Covering 4 1/2 acres of hillside in the West Hills above downtown Portland, these are among the largest and oldest rose test gardens in the United States and are the only city-maintained test gardens to bestow awards on each year's best roses. The gardens were established in 1917 by the American Rose Society and are used as a testing ground for new varieties of roses. Though you will likely see some familiar roses in the Gold Medal Garden, most of the 400 varieties on display here are new hybrids being tested before marketing. Among the roses in bloom from late spring to early winter, you'll find a separate garden of miniature roses. There's also a Shakespeare Garden that includes flowers mentioned in the Bard's works. After seeing these acres of roses, you'll understand why Portland is known as the City of Roses and why the Rose Festival in June is the city's biggest annual celebration. The small Rose Garden Store (tel. 503/227-7033), is packed with rose-inspired products.
Make your reservations for discount hotel rooms in the
Portland area, including:
Heron Haus
A short walk from the bustling Nob Hill shopping and dining district of northwest Portland, the Heron Haus B&B offers outstanding accommodations, spectacular views, and tranquil surroundings. Surprisingly, the house still features some of the original plumbing. In most places, this would be a liability, but not here, since the plumbing was done by the same man who plumbed Portland's famous Pittock Mansion. Many of that building's unusual bathroom features are to be found at the Heron Haus as well. One shower has two shower heads; another has seven. In another room, there's a modern whirlpool spa that affords excellent views of the city. All the rooms have fireplaces.
Silver Cloud Inn Portland Downtown
This hotel is located on the edge of Portland's trendy Nob Hill neighborhood, and though it faces the beginning of the city's industrial area, it is still a very attractive and comfortable place (ask for a room away from Vaughn Street). Reasonable rates are the main draw here, but the rooms are also well designed and filled with plenty of conveniences, like free local calls. Although the minisuites have wet bars, microwave ovens, and separate seating areas, the king rooms with whirlpool tubs, which happen to be the most expensive rooms, are our favorites. However, the best thing about the hotel is its location within a 5-minute drive (or 15-min. walk) of half a dozen of the city's best restaurants. To find the hotel, take I-405 to Ore. 30 west and get off at the Vaughn Street exit.
The Benson
Built in 1912, The Benson exudes old-world sophistication and elegance. In the French baroque lobby, walnut paneling frames a marble fireplace, Austrian crystal chandeliers hang from the ornate plasterwork ceiling, and a marble staircase provides the perfect setting for grand entrances. The fact that presidents stay here whenever they're in town is a good clue that these are the poshest digs in Portland. The guest rooms, housed in two towers (only one of which is part of the original hotel), vary considerably in size, but all are luxuriously furnished in a plush Euro-luxe styling. The deluxe kings are particularly roomy, but the corner junior suites are the hotel's best deal. Not only are these quite large, but the abundance of windows makes them much cheerier than other rooms. Bathrooms, unfortunately, include little shelf space for spreading out your toiletries.In the vaults below the lobby you'll find The London Grill, which is well known for its Sunday brunch. Just off the lobby, there's El Gaucho steak house, and in the Lobby Bar, there's live jazz in the evenings.
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