St. Johns Inn

e.g., Powell's Books)? 15 minutes. Willamette Valley Wineries (Dundee)? 30 minutes. Columbia River Gorge (Hood River)? 45 minutes. A home away from home.

gain next time we’re in Portland.

view of the whole Willamette River and surrounding area. And, St. Johns has lots to offer for food and services. One of my favorite parts of the experience was spending time talking with the owner, Tim, about his story and the history of the place. Will be my go-to choice when returning to Portland.

s & Clark Exposition hall. The next evening we ate a takeaway pizza and drank a glass of red wine in the spacious riverside garden available to guests at the St John's Inn, watching the sunset and then the lights of downtown Portland start sparkling into the darkness. Our room was huge with wonderful views, spotlessly clean, and beautifully furnished with attention to detail. Ornate door hooks, a pretty bathroom rug, a little basket of carefully chosen sweet treats, all small details which make a big impact. In the kitchen provided for guests was a range of coffees, including decaf, and organic milk in the fridge. Teas on offer included mint tea and English Breakfast, plus a kettle for the perfect cuppa! (We ate breakfast pastries which we'd bought from the nearby Safeway store in St John's). One day we went into Portland so we could visit the Historical Society's museum, and we parked at the nearest Smart car park to the museum. The charges were very reasonable, and there were plenty of parking spaces. Portland's traffic can get slow at big junctions, but it was surprisingly quick and easy to get between Downtown Portland and St John's Inn. The owner was very nice and welcoming, and has created a truly exceptional establishment that you cannot fail to love.