Great place to watch Fireworks in Portland Area? (hotels, restaurant)

[slomodan]

We moved to Tacoma over a year ago and have not yet been down to Oregon at all. We've decided to go this weekend, and it is the 4th so we'd like to see if there are any shows going on in the area.

Any hotels that have good views? Any recommended spots such as a restaurant/bar on a hill and with outdoor seating or something?

Also, we'll be there early Sunday and would love to hear some ideas. Is the Zoo any good (and open Sunday)? We plan on hitting Voodoo Donuts, but don't know much else to do that is touristy (or anything we MUST experience that isn't Touristy).

Any suggestions are welcome (even stay away I guess, lol, though I'll warn you that it won't do any good.)

[jojo4]

Blues festival at the waterfront park is always a blast. fireworks around 10pm. The Marriott has a great view, but is probably fully booked well in advance.
Chinese garden is pretty nice and is near Voodoo.

[Rob Allen]

Coincidentally, I'm bringing a friend down from Tacoma this Saturday to go to the Portland Art Museum's exhibit of R. Crumb's adaptation of the book of Genesis. If you like either the Bible or Crumb, go see it!

Portland Art Museum | Special Exhibitions

Since it's the first weekend of the month, the museum is free with a Bank of America card (see http://museums.bankofamerica.com ).

The museum is closed on Sunday because it's the 4th.

The 2 big fireworks shows in the area are: 1. downtown, at Waterfront Park right after the blues festival, and 2. the Fort Vancouver show on the Columbia River near the I-5 bridge.

[slomodan]

Thanks guys, my Wife decided she'd rather go to the Blues Festival, and being near downtown was more interesting to her, so we went with the Hotel Modera, which looks to be only 5-6 blocks from the waterfront park.

We might check out the Museum on Monday if the exhibit is still there.

[jojo4]

I went to the free museum Friday last week (5-8pm), but didn't look at the Crumb exhibit too closely. There is a new native American exhibit, that was pretty neat. You can get the Crumb book from the museum store.

[Rob Allen]

Originally Posted by slomodan

We might check out the Museum on Monday if the exhibit is still there.

The Crumb exhibit is there until mid-September, but the museum is closed on Mondays.

[Bluesmama]

Originally Posted by slomodan

Thanks guys, my Wife decided she'd rather go to the Blues Festival, and being near downtown was more interesting to her, so we went with the Hotel Modera, which looks to be only 5-6 blocks from the waterfront park.

We might check out the Museum on Monday if the exhibit is still there.

A word of advice from a Blues Festival "professional attendee". . . .

Do NOT wait until sunset to go for fireworks! That festival gets packed, anyway, and when it reaches capacity ~ always the case on fireworks night ~ the Fire Marshall partitions it off, leaving a long line of people standing along the sidewalk hoping to get in.

Try to get there a few hours earlier.

[bennyboo<3seattle<3]

not in oregon but vancouver has a huge fireworks show and festival going on at fort vancouver i think they use one of the most fireworks west of the Mississippi there. also a fair is going on. i know thats where i am going :]