PORTLAND TIPS & ATTIRE

Welcome back to the beautiful Northwest and, this time, to the wonderful city of Portland, Oregon. Our meeting at the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower is located in the center of downtown Portland and it places members and guests within walking distance or convenient public transportation to planned social and cultural activities, shopping, and the many, highly rated restaurants in the heart of the city.

Weather: We suppose the subject of rain ought to be addressed for starters. As most of you know, it does rain in this part of the country, on occasion. We had a VERY wet January! The question then is: will it rain during the PCSP meeting in June? Maybe. However, on June 21, 2005 the high was 83° and the low was 55°, with no rain. Two years ago, in 2004, the high on the 21st of June was 90°! So, no guarantees. But, we are expecting (hoping for) moderate temperatures during the day and slightly cooler evenings. We suggest you bring a light jacket and sweater and both practical and more dressy walking shoes for daytime and evening activities. Reminder: by design, the blocks in downtown Portland are short. Almost every building has at least one corner and some, like the Hilton, Nordstrom, and Powell's City of Books, have all four corners, the entire block. Also, lots of daylight up here at this time in June.

Attire: For most of the evening social activities, dressy casual is the recommended dress. That goes for the Welcome Reception in the Hilton, the Thursday evening event in the Portland Art Museum, and the President's Reception in the Lawrence Gallery in the Pearl District. Dressy casual also works for just about every restaurant in Portland. Shoes suitable for short walks in the evening are suggested. Almost everyone will be walking to the Portland Art Museum on Thursday evening, which is 3 blocks from the Hilton. The preferred transportation for most to the Lawrence Gallery on Friday will be the Portland Streetcar. From the Hilton it is 4 blocks to board the streetcar on SW 10th Ave. and the stop between NW Davis and NW Everett is right at the back, courtyard entrance to the gallery. The ride to and from this part of the Pearl is in "Fareless Square" (free). Following the reception, the evening is open for dining at the recommended restaurants in the Pearl. Or, you can return to downtown on the streetcar going south on NW 11th Ave and dine at one of the restaurants in or near to the Hilton. Or, you can continue on the streetcar at the same stop on 10th to the recommended restaurants on NW 21st and 23d Avenues (Paley's and Wildwood are just a few steps from the NW Northrup and NW 21st stop). The return streetcar is one block over on NW Lovejoy and then to the SW 11th and Taylor stop for the Hilton. Be advised: the streetcar ride to the Northwest/Nob Hill District and back is not in Fareless Square.

Business attire is the norm for the scientific sessions. The one exception to suggested dress for evening activities is the President's Installation banquet on Saturday. This is a more formal, black tie optional event. Note that childcare will be available for this social event and a number of the other activities. Also, a more comprehensive description of the social activities can be found on the PCSP online registration site (www.pcsp.org) and there will be more information in the Spring PCSP Newsletter.

Gas: If you are driving into Oregon, be advised that if and when you need gas, you can't pump it yourself, even if you want to. It's against the law! However, even though there is no refinery in Oregon and every gas station must employ attendants to pump the gas, folks from California are going to find gas is cheaper up here. Go figure. And, many stations will even clean your windshield!

Public Transportation: Downtown Portland, the Pearl District to the North, RiverPlace to the South, and the Lloyd Center Mall to the East, are in "Fareless Square". There is no fare for buses and the Portland Streetcar in this zone. Tickets to ride outside of Fareless Square, such as all the way to NW 21st and 23rd Avenues ("Nob Hill"), can be purchased on the streetcars. The adult fare is $1.65, 80 cents for those 65 and older, and fare boxes will accept coins and $1 and $5 bills.

Joggers: Portland is jogger and walker friendly. From the Hilton it is six blocks to Waterfront Park along the Willamette River. The Westside Riverwalk extends 22 blocks from the Hawthorne Bridge in the south to the Steel Bridge in the north. The river can be crossed on the pedestrian walkway of the Steel Bridge and the walkway then continues south on the opposite side of the river, along the Eastbank Esplanade. The path is a 1.5 mile walkway that parallels the river. Part of it floats directly on the Willamette River.

Pets: Portland is pet friendly. For a small fee, pets are accepted in the Hilton Hotel. In addition to the Waterfront Park and Eastside Esplanade walkways, pets and owners might enjoy a walk in the South Park Blocks. These are 12 connected downtown blocks just two blocks from the hotel, but with cross streets (not very good for joggers), and are part of Portland's Cultural District. Although he doesn't need a place to stay for this meeting, "Woody" had a wonderful time at the Ritz-Carlton in the Marina del Rey.

Shopping: Powell's City of Books (www.powells.com) in the Pearl District is a "one of a kind". It is BIG! It is the world's largest independent bookstore, occupying an entire city block. New and used books and hardbacks and paperbacks with the same title are shelved together. There is also a rare bookroom. Be sure to allot a considerable amount of time, maybe hours, for a visit. In addition, there is a Powell's Travel Store in Pioneer Courthouse Square, Powell's Technical Books in the North Park Blocks, and Powell's Books for Cooks & Gardeners on the Eastside. Other stores of note are Nordstrom, of course, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tiffany, Carl Greve Jewelers, Nike, Columbia Sportswear, and Pendleton stores, all within a few blocks of the Hilton. Along with Powell's, some finer antique shops, specialty stores, and a R.E.I. branch store are in the Pearl. Ride for free on the Portland Streetcar.

Other Activities: Think about the Children's Museum (little kids) and the Oregon Zoo, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI - big kids), Portland Art Museum, Pittock Mansion, Portland Saturday Market (Sunday too) under the west end of the Burnside Bridge, Portland Farmers Market on Saturday in the South Park Blocks, the International Rose Test Garden, and a boat tour on the Willamette River. For longer walks and hikes within the city limits of Portland, there is the Hoyt Arboretum in Washington Park and Forest Park, a natural forest with about 50 miles of trails.

If you're are driving to Portland from the South, activities to consider on the way up or on the way back are the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland (www.osfashland.org or 541-482-4331 for tickets), or a round of golf at Bandon Dunes. All drivers, including those who might rent a car, may want to consider the Oregon Coast, the Columbia Gorge, Mount Hood and Timberline Lodge, the Oregon Garden (www.oregongarden.org), and the nearby Willamette Valley wine country. A bit farther away would be Sisters, Bend and Sunriver in Central Oregon, or the Maryhill Museum and a Yakima/Walla Walla wine country visit in Southeastern Washington.

Brochures, maps and personal assistance on most of these and other activities will be available at the registration desk, beginning on Wednesday, the 21st of June.