Patrick Beeson

The Portland Rose Gardens provide a great view of the city's downtown. On clear days, you can see the snow-capped Mount Hood in the distance.

Credit: Patrick Beeson

Portland isn't your typical vacation spot. Most of our coworkers and friends returned curious expressions when we told them where we were planning to spend nearly a week of precious PTO.

Though neither of us had been to Portland -- I hadn't been west of Utah, though I did spent a year of college in Colorado -- Lindsay had spent a number of months in Seattle where her uncle used to reside. She said it was the most beautiful city she'd ever been to.

Luckily, we found Portland is in many ways, a miniature Seattle.

Getting to, and around, the city of roses

We flew on Continental from Knoxville to Portland, with one layover in Houston. The service and flight time were acceptable despite having to get up at 3 a.m. to catch the first leg of the flight. The 737 from Houston to Portland was new, in fact.

Once on the ground, we saw two options to get to our hotel in downtown Portland: grab a taxi for $40 or take the TriMet for $5. We chose the second.

The TriMet is Portland's light-rail system, and was clean, reliable transportation from the airport to downtown, and around the region. It is a fantastic asset to the city who seems to pride itself on making alternatives to car-based transportation an affordable commodity.

There is a nominal charge for using the TriMet, though the downtown area is free of charge within a specified radius. All other transportation can be achieved by walking or, as we did, renting a car at the downtown Dollar Car Rental for a trip to the mountains or sea.

Where the hipsters stay and eat

Lindsay and I usually book a room at a local bed and breakfast for our vacations. We find most hotels sterile and boring.

Not the Ace Hotel however. This is the most hip hotel we've ever stayed in though the cheaper rooms can be a bit sparse.

We stayed in room 209, which shares a separate bathroom with another room down the hall. Our room had a queen platform bed, a small flat-screen TV, a sink, some reading lamps and a closet. The window looked out to the side of another building.

But we didn't mind. It was cosy, and unique. And not once did we wait for the bathroom.

The Ace Hotel employees were very courteous, and even lent us an umbrella for the duration of our visit.

Here's the kicker: Two of the best beverage/eateries in the city are built onto the Ace Hotel. The first is Stumptown coffee, which serves unbelievably good coffee and espresso drinks. The other is Clyde Common, a hipster/fine-dining restaurant with some unique entries. Like pasta with a stinging nettle pesto.

Lindsay and I took all of our recommendations for places to eat from Yelp, which we found essential for dining in Portland. Here are some excellent places to check out:

• Clyde Common
• Stumptown Coffee
• Baan-Thai (best Thai)
• Mother's Bistro and Bar (best breakfast)
• Habibi Lebanese Cuisine
• Hotlips Pizza
• St. Honore Boulangerie (authentic French bakery)
• Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom (in Hood River)
• Ecola Seafood Restaurant & Market (in Cannon Beach)
• Life of Riley

What to see

Lindsay and I divided up our time between the city, the mountains and the sea.

We arrived in town Friday afternoon, which allowed us time to explore downtown. Saturday was spent doing more of the same except we hit both the Saturday Market and the Farmer's Market, both of which put all Knoxville festivals to shame.

We also visited the Oregon Museum of History to check out exhibits on the history of Portland (and Oregon), Abraham Lincoln and soldiers returning from WWII.

On Sunday we rented a Subaru Impreza from Dollar Car Rental and drove up the road to the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. I suggest taking the scenic route past the Vista House near where Lindsay and I saw an Osprey not 10 feet from out heads. There are also many awe-inspiring waterfalls along the road including the infamous Multnomah Falls, which features a grueling two-mile paved path to the top.

After the falls, the road takes you through the equally beautiful Hood River where several breweries are located. We stopped for a pint at the Double Mountain Brewery; Full Sail is down the road.

From Hood River, you can head up the highway past several vinyards to the 11,239 foot Mt. Hood. This mountain is viewable on clear days from Portland, and features six ski resorts including: Timberline, Mount Hood Meadows, Ski Bowl, Cooper Spur, Snow Bunny and Summit. It also contains 12 glaciers!

It snowed several inches on Mt. Hood while Lindsay and I visited Portland. The snowbanks were at least 10 to 15 feet near the entrance to Mt. Hood Meadows.

We switched it up the following day with a trip to the coast. This drive was a little more than an hour, and crested through a snow-zone before dropping down to Cannon Beach.

This small town featured many ocean-front houses and a few hotels, but nothing gaudy like the east coast. Lindsay and I walked out to Haystack Rock, which rises with a few neighboring rocks out of the sea. From there you can look out in both directions to cliffs, or back to the mountains.

We also made the brief drive to Astoria, which has seen better days since being featured in The Goonies. A cruise ship had just docked, and its passengers were everywhere. The town did have one of the steepest roads I've ever seen; at least a 60 percent grade if not more.

I also had a chance to visit the most amazing bike shop ever: River City Bicycles. I love the wood fenders hand-made by the shop's owner!

Portland ambiance

Portlanders are a friendly bunch. Not once did we experience anyone that was rude or otherwise unhelpful.

The city has a vibrant, hip feel that is not unlike Asheville, NC but on a much larger scale. Coffee, beer and cycling lovers are all at home here. Not once did I even think about something like Sam Adams.

I was also constantly jealous of the folks commuting via train or bicycle. That beats the heck out of sitting in traffic in car-loving Knoxville.

If you're looking for a vacation that's full of wonderful food, and fabulous visuals on the cheap, check out Portland. I know we'll be back soon.

*Check out our photos of Portland on Flickr.*