Greetings from Portland, Oregon. Below is an update on the area’s newest travel-related developments. We hope you will find this information useful. If you prefer not to receive future media updates on Portland, please click here.

OCTOBER TOPICS

Family-friendly Fun – Star Wars Exhibit Makes West Coast Debut at OMSI

Hotel News – “Babymoon” Package Pampers Expectant Parents

Budget Travel – This “Big Deal” Leaves More Money for Holiday Shopping

Green News – Blue is the New Green

Star Wars Exhibit Makes West Coast Debut at OMSI

Could humanoid droids and vehicles that hover on a cushion of air — once limited to the fantasy world of Star Wars — actually become a reality? This October, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) presents the West Coast debut of Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination. Developed by the Boston Museum of Science in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd., the 10,000-square-foot exhibit explores the fantasy technologies depicted in the Star Wars film saga, the actual science behind them and the current research that may someday lead to remarkable real-life versions of these technologies. The exhibit includes extensive video interviews with filmmakers, scientists and engineers; costumes and props from all six Star Wars movies; and hands-on components, including two design labs, where visitors can build and test their own “speeders” and robots. Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination runs Oct. 11, 2006-Jan. 1, 2007. Timed tickets to the exhibit go on sale in mid-September ($15 for adults; $13 for seniors and kids). For additional information and exhibit images, visit OMSI’s online newsroom.

Media Contact: Elaina Medina, Communications Director, OMSI, 503.797.4537, emedina@omsi.edu, www.omsi.edu

“Babymoon” Package Pampers Expectant Parents

New babies are adorable, but even the most delightful bundle of joy can mean sleepless nights, less one-on-one time with your partner and a severely restricted social schedule. Before diving into the joys – and challenges – of parenthood, expectant moms and dads can enjoy one last night of pampering at Portland’s Hotel Vintage Plaza. “Babymoon: Pickles, Peanut Butter & Ice Cream” is an overnight package designed to lavishly indulge expectant parents. The package includes overnight accommodations in a spacious hospitality suite with two-person jetted soaking tub, complimentary valet parking and sparkling cider. Extras for mom include an in-room pregnancy massage; a pregnancy pillow to use during the stay and to take home; a gift certificate for a keepsake stone or brick from Bare Foot Studio to be engraved with the baby’s name and birth date; and, of course, the ultimate cravings combo: pickles, peanut butter and mom’s choice of a pint of Häagen Dazs ice cream (flavors change daily). The Babymoon package price is $499 per night, single or double occupancy. The Hotel Vintage Plaza, a Kimpton Hotel property, is located at 422 S.W. Broadway, Portland, Ore. 97205. To reach the hotel’s in-house reservation department, call 503.228.1212. For more information on the hotel and its packages, click here.

Media Contacts:

Marico Fayre, Marketing Manager, Hotel Vintage Plaza, 503.417.3359, marico.fayre@kimptonhotels.com

Bette Sinclair, P.R. Account Representative, 503.226.0129, bette@bsinclairpr.com

Jenny Storer, P.R. Account Representative, 503.226.0278, jenny@bsinclairpr.com

This “Big Deal” Leaves More Money for Holiday Shopping

Portland’s tax-free shopping has always appealed to bargain-minded holiday shoppers. Even more appealing is the city’s “Big Deal” hotel package, offering additional savings that can stretch those holiday dollars further. Portland’s fall-winter “Big Deal” offer (valid now through Dec. 31, 2006) includes:

• Portland hotel room (double occupancy)
• Complimentary hotel parking (on average, a savings of $19 per night downtown)
• Complimentary continental breakfast for two each morning
• Dining vouchers, including $20 off dinner at The Heathman Restaurant; two-for-one entrees at Saucebox; and 20 percent off dinner for two at Old Town Pizza
• Shopping vouchers at 12 retailers, including $5 off any purchase of $25 or more at Powell’s City of Books; a complimentary gift with any purchase of $25 or more at Nordstrom, as well as free gift wrap for any purchase; and a preferred savings card and complimentary tote bag from Woodburn Company Stores

Visitors who don’t want to spend all their time shopping can purchase a Portland Attractions Pass, which allows visitors to save $59 on the combined admission prices for 10 Portland attractions (Japanese Garden, OMSI, Pittock Mansion, Oregon Zoo, End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, Portland Children’s Museum, Portland Classical Chinese Garden, Portland Art Museum, Oregon Historical Society and the World Forestry Center Discovery Museum). Total adult admission to all of the above attractions is $84; $56 for kids. The Portland Attractions Pass, which can be purchased at the Portland visitor information center in downtown Portland, is $25 for adults and $20 for kids.

The “Big Deal” can be booked online at www.travelportland.com or by phone (toll-free) at 1.877.678.5263.

Media Contact: Deborah Wakefield, Director of Communications, Portland Oregon Visitors Association, 503.275.9795, deborah@travelportland.com

Blue is the New Green

In its quest to become a greener organization, the Portland Oregon Visitors Association (POVA) recently got a case of the blues … the good blues, that is. Thanks to its efforts to recycle, reduce waste and purchase environmentally preferable products, the association is now recognized as a BlueWorks business by the City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development. To achieve the BlueWorks distinction, POVA’s staff has worked hard to incorporate earth-friendly practices into the association’s business model: printing its visitor magazine on paper with a high recycled content; creating paperless online media kits; powering its website with energy units generated by Pacific Power’s wind farm in Eastern Oregon; recycling paper, glass, metal and plastics; setting copiers to print double-sided, which cuts paper use dramatically; reimbursing costs for employees to use public transportation; developing a business plan that seeks out vendors and products that are sustainable; and creating the Travel Portland Green Team, an employee task force continually looking for additional ways to make the association even greener. Travel Portland now proudly displays its BlueWorks plaque, which, of course, was made from recycled materials.

Media Contact: Gretchen Heilshorn, Communications Manager and Travel Portland Green Team member, Portland Oregon Visitors Association, 503.275.9769, gretchen@travelportland.com