Central Park Travel Guide

Portland

Fall!!

#troveron #colorful
Built in 1934 to house the first telephone exchange in the city of Vancouver, the building stood in place for over fifty years before it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic places in 1986. It is still very structurally sound, houses a set of offices, and is used every working day of the year.  Most of what I can say about its history, design, and construction would simply be a repetition of the material you'll find in the referenced link.

What these documents won't tell you is the effect it will have, seeing it against the sharp blue sky a little over an hour before sunset.  I have lived in this city for more than twenty-five years, and I am here to tell you, it was as if I was seeing it for the first time.


http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMJB4H_Vancouver_Telephone_Building_Vancouver_Washington

A fine example of art deco #Architecture in Vancouver, Washington.
Yesterday, I learned a valuable lesson.  If you bombard Trover with what are essentially pictures of blue air, be prepared for the collective response to be  something along the lines of "Meh."   Lesson learned.  So, today I'm putting something in front of the blue air.  

Trees, stripped of their leaves, and weaving glorious mazes of limbs and branches in every direction.

These all appear within a mile of my home, so their value to an eager traveller is somewhat suspect.  Still, I hope they're odd and delicate and maybe beautiful enough to make you pause on your endless adventures and breathe a little sigh of wonder.

Happy Troving, people.
What do I say?  The boy likes his peanuts.  Addiction can be a powerful thing.
A trio of birches that have been growing here for about 25 years. They're were nearly lost to an ice storm, and then to an infestation of insect larvae. But they're still going strong.

Popular places to visit

Things to do


Top hotels in Central Park

The Paramount Hotel

The Paramount Hotel

3.5 out of 5
808 SW Taylor St Portland OR
The price is Rp1.602.808 per night from 22 Mar to 23 Mar
Rp1.602.808
Rp1.868.028 total
22 Mar - 23 Mar
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Portland. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and a 24-hour fitness centre. Our guests praise the restaurant and ...
9.2/10 Wonderful! (3,258 reviews)
Nice enough for medical treatment at OHSU

Reviewed on 13 Mar 2026

The Paramount Hotel
Park Lane Suites and Inn

Park Lane Suites and Inn

2.5 out of 5
809 SW King Avenue Portland OR
The price is Rp1.846.726 per night from 15 Mar to 16 Mar
Rp1.846.726
Rp2.142.202 total
15 Mar - 16 Mar
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in Portland. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, free parking and a fitness centre. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in their reviews. ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (1,666 reviews)
The section I was assigned to was an older room that had been upgraded. The street light was directly outside the window and the drapes were too thin to block the light. The bathroom light was connected to the very LOUD fan which you could hear from other rooms. Air conditioning. And on and off like ...

Reviewed on 12 Mar 2026

Park Lane Suites and Inn
Cambria Hotel Portland - Pearl District

Cambria Hotel Portland - Pearl District

3 out of 5
165 NW Park Ave Portland OR
The price is Rp1.938.472 per night from 5 Apr to 6 Apr
Rp1.938.472
Rp2.248.628 total
5 Apr - 6 Apr
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in Portland. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and a fitness centre. Popular attractions Moda Center and Oregon Zoo are located ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (322 reviews)
Everything and everyone was kind, helpful, and awesome!

Reviewed on 14 Mar 2026

Cambria Hotel Portland - Pearl District
Holiday Inn Airport - Portland by IHG

Holiday Inn Airport - Portland by IHG

3 out of 5
8439 Ne Columbia Blvd Portland OR
The price is Rp1.187.060 per night from 31 Mar to 1 Apr
Rp1.187.060
Rp1.376.990 total
31 Mar - 1 Apr
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this business-friendly hotel in Portland. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, breakfast (surcharge) and a free airport shuttle. Our guests praise the helpful staff and ...
8/10 Very Good! (2,928 reviews)
clean room, shuttle on time but driver not very friendly. good wifi

Reviewed on 12 Mar 2026

Holiday Inn Airport - Portland by IHG
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland

4 out of 5
1000 NE Multnomah Street Portland OR
The price is Rp2.315.692 per night from 22 Mar to 23 Mar
Rp2.315.692
Rp2.699.402 total
22 Mar - 23 Mar
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this hotel in Portland. Enjoy free Wi-Fi, an outdoor pool and 2 restaurants. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms in their reviews. ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (1,000 reviews)
clean rooms, friendly staff

Reviewed on 11 Mar 2026

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland
The Duniway Portland A Hilton Hotel

The Duniway Portland A Hilton Hotel

4.5 out of 5
545 SW Taylor St Portland OR
The price is Rp2.248.800 per night from 22 Mar to 23 Mar
Rp2.248.800
Rp2.608.608 total
22 Mar - 23 Mar
includes taxes & fees
Stay at this luxury hotel in Portland. Enjoy a rooftop terrace, a 24-hour fitness centre and valet parking (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (1,001 reviews)
Staff was great and super friendly. My complaints are that the room was not super clean. The bathroom sink was filthy, and you could see water stains on the shower from previous use. A lot of the walls had noticeable paint chips and the bed frames were extremely worn out and pealing. Also, although ...

Reviewed on 10 Mar 2026

The Duniway Portland A Hilton Hotel
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Other neighbourhoods around Central Park

Those of us who live in a certain neighborhood of the Lincoln district know that for one month every year we won't have to worry about turning on our porch lights.  If the street lamps should fail, well, that's not really of any concern. Say the moon itself were to pop out of the sky and go flying into space.  No big deal.  Because for a glorious 30 days every winter, we're able to bask in the glow of a house lit bright enough to make artificial sunshine.  A sight so startling, it causes commuters to back up traffic as they sit in their cars and gape.

It wasn't always that way.  A few years back, the charming old couple who lives in the place started to put out a few lights to decorate their home.  The next year they added a few more, and the year after that -- again -- some more.  At some point, however, they seem to have developed a kind of high tolerance for luminescence.  And when that happened, the floodgates were open.  What you see in these photos is the early December version of what, by Christmas day, will be a kind of multi-colored solar flare emanating from the front yard of their home.  

It can really be a beautiful thing to behold, as anyone who sees it for the first time can tell you.  And those of us who live here have accepted with pride this red and gold meteor which appears in our midst during every gloomy Northwest December.

Can you blame us?  We may be the only block on earth entirely visible from space.

#localgem

Downtown Vancouver

Downtown Vancouver is known for its abundant dining options, and you can plan a trip to The Academy and Columbia River while you're in town.

Downtown Vancouver
0_133750541

North Portland

Travellers love North Portland for its stunning river views, and you can see more of Portland by jumping on the metro at Delta Park-Vanport Station or Expo Center Station. You might spend time checking out top sights like Portland International Raceway and Chiles Center.

North Portland
The Portland skyline on a crisp clear winter night. The Eastbank Esplanade is an ideal stroll the see this beautiful city at any hour of the day.
#Oregon #Portland #skyline #night #Eastbankesplanade

Northeast Portland

While you're in Northeast Portland, take in top sights like Colwood National Golf Course or The Grotto, and hop on the metro to see more of the city at Parkrose-Sumner Transit Center or NE 82nd Avenue Station.

Northeast Portland
Portland_WonderBallroom_6325924-3

Eliot

While you're in Eliot, take in top sights like Wonder Ballroom and jump on the metro at Albina-Mississippi Station to see more of the city.

Eliot
Moda Center which includes signage

Lloyd District

3.5/5(5 area reviews)

Enjoy the popular shops in Lloyd District. Lloyd Center is a worthwhile stop, and you can jump on the metro at NE Grand & Multnomah Stop or NE 7th & Holladay Stop to see more of Portland.

Lloyd District
China town, Portland Oregon..

Northwest Portland

While you're in Northwest Portland, take in top sights like Leif Erickson Trail or Pittock Mansion, and hop on the metro to see more of the city at NW 23rd & Marshall Stop or NW Northrup & 22nd Stop.

Northwest Portland


Central Park Travel Guide