[garc_mall]

I'm also making this trip with my wife in early April. Apparently this is quite a popular route. I think our plan with Seattle is to take a break from drinking and see the city but we are drinking our way through Portland and driving down to Bend to take down the ale trail.

You can't take a break from drinking in Seattle. It isn't allowed 

See the city, and drink our beer!

[denny]

I will also recommend Laurelwood, Powell's City of Books, and the drive up the gorge.  If you can stay at one of the McMennamins hotels/B&B's they're a lot of fun - think hippy, artsy, and beer in restored historic buildings.  We have stayed at the Kennedy School several times as well as other venues in parts of Oregon.

If you want to stay at a McMennamin's, I'd recommend the Crystal hotel for a more central downtown location.  Kennedy school is more fun from an on-site perspective, with a cigar room, and theater.

If you want to stay at a McBeer's, I'd recommend finding beer elsewhere.  Their beers have always been remarkably mediocre.

[Pinski]

I will also recommend Laurelwood, Powell's City of Books, and the drive up the gorge.  If you can stay at one of the McMennamins hotels/B&B's they're a lot of fun - think hippy, artsy, and beer in restored historic buildings.  We have stayed at the Kennedy School several times as well as other venues in parts of Oregon.

If you want to stay at a McMennamin's, I'd recommend the Crystal hotel for a more central downtown location.  Kennedy school is more fun from an on-site perspective, with a cigar room, and theater.

If you want to stay at a McBeer's, I'd recommend finding beer elsewhere.  Their beers have always been remarkably mediocre.

Note that I didn't mention their beers. That said, I give them a lot of credit for the rise of craft brewing in our region. East 19th St. Café was the place that opened my eyes to live beer and sparked my interest in homebrewing way back in 1990.  So when I visit one of their establishments I'll have a beer while  planning where else to go or upon returning and prior to a saltwater soak. They do have the occasional diamond in the rough and seem to have upped their game a bit in the last couple years IMHO.

[hopfenundmalz]

I'm also making this trip with my wife in early April. Apparently this is quite a popular route. I think our plan with Seattle is to take a break from drinking and see the city but we are drinking our way through Portland and driving down to Bend to take down the ale trail.

After Portland we are going to Bend. We were there in 2012, and our friends toured the Ale trail with us. 10 breweries then, I think 14 now. Pace yourself.

[jeffy]

I'm also making this trip with my wife in early April. Apparently this is quite a popular route. I think our plan with Seattle is to take a break from drinking and see the city but we are drinking our way through Portland and driving down to Bend to take down the ale trail.

After Portland we are going to Bend. We were there in 2012, and our friends toured the Ale trail with us. 10 breweries then, I think 14 now. Pace yourself.

We stayed at the St. Francis Inn in Bend, another McM.  It had a fabulous outdoor bar area and equally cool soaking tub, not to mention a cool theater. 
Note that not once did I mention great beer, but you can walk to several places from there since it's right downtown.  They had some nice distilled products, whiskey and gin were very good especially outside by the fire pit.
Now I want to go......

[Pinski]

I'm also making this trip with my wife in early April. Apparently this is quite a popular route. I think our plan with Seattle is to take a break from drinking and see the city but we are drinking our way through Portland and driving down to Bend to take down the ale trail.

After Portland we are going to Bend. We were there in 2012, and our friends toured the Ale trail with us. 10 breweries then, I think 14 now. Pace yourself.

We stayed at the St. Francis Inn in Bend, another McM.  It had a fabulous outdoor bar area and equally cool soaking tub, not to mention a cool theater. 
Note that not once did I mention great beer, but you can walk to several places from there since it's right downtown.  They had some nice distilled products, whiskey and gin were very good especially outside by the fire pit.
Now I want to go......

Old St. Francis is great, we stayed there last January, the soaking pool with open ceiling is amazing.
Definitely break the Ale Trail into a couple days, more fun and safer too.

[hopfenundmalz]

Speaking of Portland, this is a good read, in a little off the mainstream sort of way, by the Author of Fight Club.

http://www.powells.com/biblio/9781400047833

[wsoublo]

Very good information here.  If you hit up Deschutes in Portland, Powell's is less than a 5 minute walk.  My wife and I enjoyed browsing the book aisles after Deschutes on our walk back to our hotel.  If you've never tried Thai or like Thai cuisine, Pok Pok is a must.

If you have an extra few hours, I'd recommend going to Pacific City to hit up Pelican City Brewing.  They've a beautiful view and good beers.  You can even walk over to explore the dunes if it's not raining.

[Pinski]

If you happen to be in Portland on a Wednesday night, come by the Green Dragon Taproom/Buckman Botanical Brewery (909 SE Yamhill) around 6 PM.  I'll buy you a beer from one of 50 on draught and you can try one of our Green Dragon Brew Crew releases. We're a group of 6 homebrewers that brew on their nano system and keep 4-25 gallon conicals as busy as we can. We also try to work in about a dozen guest brewers from the local clubs every year. Every Wednesday evening we release one of our beers. 
Lot's of other great places nearby. Cascade Barrel House is right across the street.

[hopfenundmalz]

If you happen to be in Portland on a Wednesday night, come by the Green Dragon Taproom/Buckman Botanical Brewery (909 SE Yamhill) around 6 PM.  I'll buy you a beer from one of 50 on draught and you can try one of our Green Dragon Brew Crew releases. We're a group of 6 homebrewers that brew on their nano system and keep 4-25 gallon conicals as busy as we can. We also try to work in about a dozen guest brewers from the local clubs every year. Every Wednesday evening we release one of our beers. 
Lot's of other great places nearby. Cascade Barrel House is right across the street.

Will put Green Dragon on my list!

[jeffy]

This is not beer related, but the Japanese Gardens on the hill overlooking Portland is beautiful.  It is right next to the Experimental Rose Gardens, which probably won't be in bloom until the summer.

[reverseapachemaster]

I'm also making this trip with my wife in early April. Apparently this is quite a popular route. I think our plan with Seattle is to take a break from drinking and see the city but we are drinking our way through Portland and driving down to Bend to take down the ale trail.

You can't take a break from drinking in Seattle. It isn't allowed 

See the city, and drink our beer!

I'd rather drink through Seattle but we're going up for eight days. We have to take a break at some point and while we're in Seattle we're visiting family that has little kids in the house. Probably not the best place to show up after drinking all day.

[denny]

Will put Green Dragon on my list!

That's where we brewed the Rye IPA for NHC 2012.

[ranchovillabrew]

Pinski.  I'll be up there this week for work and visiting my brother. He lives in aloha.  We'll be out Tues and Wed night.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[Pinski]

Pinski.  I'll be up there this week for work and visiting my brother. He lives in aloha.  We'll be out Tues and Wed night.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

Cool, hope you can make it by. I'm usually there by about 5:30 or so. At six one of us gets up and talks about the beer so that's a good way to find us, or ask one of the servers where the brew crew is and they'll point us out to you. Can't recall what is being released this week but I'll send you a message when I find out. Cheers!