Winter Indoor Activities in Portland Oregon

Some people come alive in the dark and cold months of winter. Other's want to hunker down once the weather turns chilly and remain at a constant average temperature of 70 degrees until Spring arrives. For those people, winter may prove to be long and slow. However, there are lots of other things to do in the winter besides swishing down a ski slope or snowshoeing in the back country.

Portland, Oregon is a great place to find lots of indoor winter activities. Here are just a few things to warm your spirits as we wait for the temperature to rise.

Shopping

One of the perks of living in Oregon is the lack of sales tax. Take advantage of it by doing some shopping. You can head downtown to Pioneer Place, a multi story, high rise mall with several high end shops, including Tiffany & Co. and Saks Fifth Avenue. Park in a Smart Park, which has several locations just a block from the mall and pay just $1.25 an hour. It's a great deal and most of the stores will validate parking with a purchase.

If outlet shopping is more of your style, there are several outlet malls with in an hour of Portland. Woodburn Company Stores is in Woodburn, Oregon on I-5, and hour south of Portland. With at least 80 stores to choose from, Woodburn Company Stores literally has something for everyone. Columbia Gorge Premium Outlets is located in Troutdale, Oregon, an hour east of Portland and boasts an equally large selection of stores.

Museums

The Portland Art Museum is a great place to spend a cold and rainy morning and afternoon. Located in the "Park Blocks" of downtown Portland, the Portland Art Museum is the oldest museum in the Pacific Northwest and has collections of European art, American art, Asian art, Native American art and Pre-Columbian art.

Currently they have a special exhibit of Egyptian Art titled, "Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt. According to the museum's literature, this exhibit features the largest selection of antiquities ever loaned by Egypt for exhibition in North America. This exhibit runs through March 4, 2007.

Admission is $10 for adults, but if you decided to become a member, admission is free.

Theater

Whether you want to attend the symphony, a ballet or a "Broadway" play, you can find an event in Portland. The Portland Center for the Performing Arts is one of the top ten performing arts centers in the Nation.

Portland Center Stage has both classical and contemporary plays and musicals through out the year. If you become a subscriber, you can guarantee great seats for an eight, five or three show package.

At the Keller Auditorium, Annie will be playing in February. This classic Broadway musical is one the whole family can enjoy, and is a winner of 7 Tony Awards. What better way to spend a cold evening than enjoying a Broadway play.

Storm Watching

A great winter hobby on the Oregon coast is "storm watching." Whether you put on your "Columbia" parka and stroll on the beach to watch the waves crash in, or just sit in your beach front hotel room in front of a fire, or at least a warm heater, and enjoy the pounding waves and rain from inside, storm watching can be a lot of fun. Rates for hotels are usually much lower in the winter and many places offer great deals. Many people find watching this extreme weather fun and exciting.