Is late April okay to visit? (Portland: hotel, neighborhoods, tax)

[ubringliten]

Hello there,

I hear that summer is the best time to visit Portland but what about late April? I don't care for clear skies but I do care if there is too much rain. A shower here or there is fine.

Oh and where should we visit? We like quaint neighorhoods if there are any and beautiful scenery. And neighborhoods that represent Portland best.
I hear that there is this one area where there's a barrage of food trucks. That would be cool to seek out.

Thanks!

[philwithbeard]

Yes, you can visit in late April. The rains will be more drizzle and misty if it does rain. Last April, IIRC, there were 25 days of light rain (less than 1/10th of an inch of rain in 24 hours) and the drizzle rain was mostly in the Morning commute, with dry (but humid) afternoons. Not even worth dealing with carrying an umbrella around all day for that small amount of rain.

Historical NOAA data over last 50 years: Portland April typically gets about 14.4 days with rain above 0.01" but under 1.0" in a 24 hour period.

YMMV, as the weather in 2011 seems to be off-key from normal patterns.

[figmalt]

April is a good time to visit if you want to see flowers and trees in bloom. The Japanese Gardens are especially nice with the rhodies and azaleas flowering. It's too early to see anything of interest as far as roses go.

[Metlakatla]

Late April is great. Lots of things will be blooming. As far as food carts:

http://www.foodcartsportland.com/

[jjpop]

I would ask what is the purpose of your visit? If you're here for pleasure, then the summer is always going to be more pleasant weather-wise. If you're coming to scope Portland out as a potential place to live, you should come at the worst time of year to see if you can stand the rain.

[ubringliten]

Originally Posted by jjpop

I would ask what is the purpose of your visit? If you're here for pleasure, then the summer is always going to be more pleasant weather-wise. If you're coming to scope Portland out as a potential place to live, you should come at the worst time of year to see if you can stand the rain.

Good tip but I am only there for pleasure. I hear a lot of good things in Portland so we just want to go there for a few days.

Do you recommend biking around the city to experience it better? I heard that in 2010 commuting by biking increased by 6%, the most in any city. So, this sounds cool!

Thanks.

[Yankeemama]

Spring is beautiful here but weather is unpredictable. You may want to visit during Summer when it's dry for the most part. Happy Travels!

[1208]

I am surprised no one else has mentioned the Visitor's Tax that Multnomah County institutes from April through June. It is basically a tax on goods and services for those who are not Oregon or Washington residents. Hotel rooms alone go up nearly 45% in price. For these reasons I would recommend waiting until July or even August to visit, it can get very expensive otherwise.

[ubringliten]

Any advice on which neighborhoods to visit that represent Portland best?

[aroseinrain]

Originally Posted by ubringliten

Good tip but I am only there for pleasure. I hear a lot of good things in Portland so we just want to go there for a few days.

Do you recommend biking around the city to experience it better? I heard that in 2010 commuting by biking increased by 6%, the most in any city. So, this sounds cool!

Thanks.

I think biking around the city would be fun! Be aware that most everyone in Oregon knows the rules regarding bike riders and will not be expecting anyone on a bike to be breaking any of the laws of the road. Same laws apply for bikes and cars alike for the most part; ride in the same direction as traffic, in the street never the sidewalk, obey the stop signs and traffic signals, use your arm/hand signals for turning. If you follow the basic guidelines you'll be much safer.

Have fun