Gray Line Portland

Elite '09

926

1204

Ed U.

San Francisco, CA

10/25/2007 6 photos

Despite its name, you don't have to be a senior citizen looking for the 4PM dinner special at Applebees to book a tour with this outfit.

I have to admit that Gray Line is my default synapse when I am suddenly a stranger in a foreign land. Well OK, Portland is hardly foreign territory to a San Franciscan like me, but hey, I've never been here before and don't know anyone to show me the local color. I suppose that's why the Gray Line tours appeal to the xenophobic, blue-haired crowd who cannot be bothered with depending on the kindness of strangers.

I took a couple of the half-day tours while having a three-day getaway in Portland. One was the $37.50, three-hour morning city tour, which to be honest, was rather dull until we got to the one and only stop, the luxuriant Japanese Gardens. Be forewarned that the gardens are closed on Mondays. Even my people need a holiday.

The other was much better - the $47, 4 1/2-hour afternoon tour of the Columbia River Gorge which includes photo stops at various waterfalls and longer stays at the key attractions - a scenic viewpoint overlooking the gorge, the art-deco Vista House, the Bonneville Fish Hatchery and best of all, the spectacular Multnomah Falls.

The drivers are the tour guides, and Chuck and Marty, both expert on the necessary factoids about Oregon, are both entertaining in that folksy way that charms the dickens out of the blue-hairs. The buses depart from the western side of Pioneer Courthouse Square in front of the Nordstroms, which conveniently has an espresso bar for those early morning journeys.

I've used Gray Line in places as far-flung as Melbourne, Wellington, Santiago de Chile and Lake Titicaca, so believe me when I say you'll get something close to market value when you book a tour with them.  I say check it out if you don't have a clue what to do in Portland.

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