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Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Where would you rather have a vacation? Portland with Oregon Coast and Mountains or Salt Lake City with Utah desert and Mountains? Here is some basic criteria...
Hotels/Resorts
Shopping/Dining/Nightlife
Recreation/Scenery
Local Attractions
Excursions from the metro area
If you plan get out of Oregon, like go up to Seattle and British Columbia, I would choose Portland. We are actually planning a two week trip to Portland-Seattle-Vancouver for this summer. We did the same trio of cities about six years ago and it was a blast. I like to mountain bike, so last time we went all the way to Whistler BC, but the entire Pac NW is amazing with plenty to do in both cities and outdoors.
Having said that, if you have never been to Salt Lake City – Park City, that’s a great trip too. Salt Lake City is a fun, vibrant smaller city and it’s only a half hour from Park City and other mountain destinations. If you go to Park City you have to do the bob sledding. You can even do it in the summer and it’s a freaking blast.
If you have more time, I would do the pac nw, if not, then maybe SLC. Can’t go wrong with either.
Where would you rather have a vacation? Portland with Oregon Coast and Mountains or Salt Lake City with Utah desert and Mountains? Here is some basic criteria...
Hotels/Resorts
Shopping/Dining/Nightlife
Recreation/Scenery
Local Attractions
Excursions from the metro area
This is a tough one for me. Living in Portland, I have a fondness for it. But I like Salt Lake a lot, too.
Hotels/Resorts: I'm going to have to give it to Portland on this one. Better, and more varied choices.
Shopping/Dining/Nightlife: Hands down, Portland wins this. In each of the three categories.
Recreation/Scenery: This is pretty even. Both very different, but both gorgeous in their own way.
Local Attractions: Salt Lake has more indoor "attractions" I think. But kind of one note, in that most are church related. Portland has more outdoor "attractions." Kind of even, but depends on what you
Excursions from the metro area: Portland has: Oregon Coast, Wine Country, Columbia River Gorge, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood (year-round skiing, tobogganing, etc), and a bit further, if you head over the mountain you're in the desert, with places like Smith Rock. Salt Lake has: Great Salt Lake, Park City, and a bit further you can get to Arches in a long day.
Just off the top of my head, I'd say that if one wants to go skiing, I'd pick Salt Lake City. If one is a foodie or beer/wine connoisseur I'd pick Portland. Fo travelling with a family--depends on the time of year--Portland is a great spot in the summer for family trips.
Hotels/Resorts - Portland finally has some better hotels these days--I don't really associate it with resorts though. SLC area has some nice resorts outside the city, but most of the places in town are fairly average places like the Marriott(at least in my experience). Portland
Shopping/Dining/Nightlife - I'm not really into shopping, but as far as dining and nightlife, Portland has a great selection of bars and good restaurants and music clubs(if not really a party/dance club scene) and doesn't have the arcane drinking laws of Utah. Salt Lake City has gotten better though. Portland
Recreation/Scenery - Portland is no slouch with the Gorge and Hood close by, but SLC has the skiing and hiking opportunities in the Wasatch barely 30 minutes away. Best access to mountains of any midsized city in the country. SLC
Local Attractions - SLC has a lot of historical sights related to the Mormons, the state capitol, a dinosaur museum, a good zoo, and so on. Portland has famous Japanese and Rose Gardens, a decent small art museum, a pretty nice zoo in Washington Park, a big bookstore, and a lot of quirkier sights. Neither city is really famous for big sights though, it's more you explore the individual neighborhoods. Tie?
Excursions from the metro area - Depends on what you're interested in. Though Portland has Wine Country, Astoria, Mount St. Helens, Mt. Hood, and the Columbia Gorge close by. SLC is close to the Wasatch Mountains which include Park City, caves, hiking, and all kinds of other mountain scenery--plus you've got Antelope Island in the lake itself--the good Utah National Parks are sort of a far drive away though. Just based on the variety I'd go with Portland.
All in all though, I'd pick Salt Lake if one likes skiing or winter activities and was going in winter/spring--and I'd go for Portland in the summer or fall months.
Just off the top of my head, I'd say that if one wants to go skiing, I'd pick Salt Lake City. If one is a foodie or beer/wine connoisseur I'd pick Portland. Fo travelling with a family--depends on the time of year--Portland is a great spot in the summer for family trips.
Hotels/Resorts - Portland finally has some better hotels these days--I don't really associate it with resorts though. SLC area has some nice resorts outside the city, but most of the places in town are fairly average places like the Marriott(at least in my experience). Portland
Shopping/Dining/Nightlife - I'm not really into shopping, but as far as dining and nightlife, Portland has a great selection of bars and good restaurants and music clubs(if not really a party/dance club scene) and doesn't have the arcane drinking laws of Utah. Salt Lake City has gotten better though. Portland
Recreation/Scenery - Portland is no slouch with the Gorge and Hood close by, but SLC has the skiing and hiking opportunities in the Wasatch barely 30 minutes away. Best access to mountains of any midsized city in the country. SLC
Local Attractions - SLC has a lot of historical sights related to the Mormons, the state capitol, a dinosaur museum, a good zoo, and so on. Portland has famous Japanese and Rose Gardens, a decent small art museum, a pretty nice zoo in Washington Park, a big bookstore, and a lot of quirkier sights. Neither city is really famous for big sights though, it's more you explore the individual neighborhoods. Tie?
Excursions from the metro area - Depends on what you're interested in. Though Portland has Wine Country, Astoria, Mount St. Helens, Mt. Hood, and the Columbia Gorge close by. SLC is close to the Wasatch Mountains which include Park City, caves, hiking, and all kinds of other mountain scenery--plus you've got Antelope Island in the lake itself--the good Utah National Parks are sort of a far drive away though. Just based on the variety I'd go with Portland.
All in all though, I'd pick Salt Lake if one likes skiing or winter activities and was going in winter/spring--and I'd go for Portland in the summer or fall months.
This post is as accurate as it gets when you compare these factors.
Personally, I'd chose Portland because I'm more of a shopping/dining/nightlife person when I travel.
Portland is a larger city and has a lot more to do in its downtown and is of course walkable. Salt Lake city is far from walkable and their big attraction is a huge new mall the LDS Church just built, plus Temple Square. Portland blows SLC out of the water in terms of architecture and moreso historic architecture.
Portland has rivers in downtown, Salt Lake doesn't. I personally think the nature around Portland is more beautiful then the mountains by SLC.
Earlier this year, I started a thread called "Especially for Visitors to Salt Lake City." There is enough to do in and around Salt Lake City to keep you busy for a full week at least. I'm not dissing Portland; it's been ages since I visited there. But it would be impossible to go wrong picking Salt Lake City. Then, too, you can drive to any one of Utah's five spectacular National Parks within about four and a half hours. I just don't know how you could beat that.
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