Piazzon12 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Hey guys: I will be visiting the inlaws in portland for a week this summer. Any suggestions on the best reef shops to check out or even any other non-reef attractions to visit?? I know I'll be checking out lots of micro-breweries Thanks, Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 Go to our 'sponsor' forums. Each store has a 'store info.' thread which has all their contact info. so you can find out which ones you will be closest to. What are you looking for in a store? Fish? Corals? A mix of both? Yeah you gotta check the breweries out!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Make sure you hit both the beach and the mountains. You could even do them both in the same day. +1 on what you are looking for. Most of the sponsors are worth visiting. Some are better for fish, and some are better for coral. Some have a good selection of both. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COReefer Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I'll say davy jones locker is a must. bob is the greatest guy in the world Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 Thanks Daniel. You and the wife need to get back over this way. When I used to be just a hobbyist, I always would stop at Upscales and Waves. Then Rose City and then Soutas. I would end the trip with stop to see Isaac at Sea Horse. I need to get out again!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 +1 on Lowmans post(Bob). That is pretty much the order in which I hit stores up in Portland. I would definatley check out Davey Jones Locker. I need to check it out myself but seem to run out of time evertime I go up that way. I guess you will need to be the first place on my list this next time lol. Garrett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ocean In a Box Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 I think another store well worth mentioning is Saltwater Fantaseas off Sandy blvd. They are seconds away from 2 major freeways. Close to the airport and have a really good mix of all things. I was in there the other day and they had clams out the wazzu as well as tons of really cool corals. If you want a place to do some cherry picking from, visit them too while your here. Pat can get busy at times, but just grab him by the ear and he'll listen. I hae snagged many a treasure at SWF......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 For a one stop to see the most fish in one spot then Saltwater Fanta-Seas is a must. Upscales and Waves both usually have good selections as well. Seahorse and Rose City both usually have a few unique fish not seen elsewhere and I've gleaned some nice tips from both stores. Fish Tank People is just getting open so the selection isn't big yet however Doran is very helpful and works to try to make the customers happy. Perry at Ocean In A Box has the largest selection of Aussie Corals you are likely to see in one store as well making it worth at least seeing. The one time I was in the area to visit Soutas was on a day they were closed so I haven't seen that one yet. And we must not forget Davy Jones Locker. Bob Lowman gets in a lot of ORA stuff and has some really nice stuff. On at least 3 occasions he has helped me out both with advise and coming up with equipment in a pinch. My rounds depend more upon where I am heading but I try to hit most of the above stores listed whenever possible. Other than LFS I would suggest Multnomah Falls along with the previous mentioned Beaches and Mountains. Once you see it I think you will agree that in it's own way it is as breathtaking as Niagara Falls. Just in a different way. I recall some mountainy areas in New York but none that were like the Cascades. Mt. St. Helens is worth a trip as well although for some of us it is more meaningful because we saw her before she blew her top and can still remember the ash coating everything afterward. Even without that though it is still amazing to see it. It's still constantly pushing upwards and occasionally it belches up a plume of ash. (4 or 5 years ago was the last time I recall) Since you plan to hit the breweries you might also consider some of the wineries in the Willamette Valley. There are several of them. Not sure if the Oregon Trail interests you or not but there is a visitors center plus there are several places throughout the area that have access to small portions of the trail. In one place on Mt. Hood it is still possible to see deep ruts cut into hard rock from all of the wagons that crossed it. In Eastern Oregon you can find both Lava Fields and Lave Caves to explore. The Painted Hills in Eastern Oregon is a long way out from anything but it is a sight I consider worth the trip. There is also Crater Lake further down in the southern part of the state. I'm sure I can think of several others as well. The Pacific Northwest is really packed with great places to visit and trying to cover all of them here is almost impossible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piazzon12 Posted June 9, 2009 Author Share Posted June 9, 2009 Thanks for all the responses guys. I'm mostly interested in corals, but fish are great too. I have no good LFS's nearby so nearly all my corals come from local reefers and swaps. I know you guys also get a lot more coral variety out on the left coast. I'm going to try to hit as many places as I can, but if the special lady wants to come along, I'll probably be limited to a couple. I was out in Portland several years ago, but it was before I was really into reef keeping, so I have seen a number of the sights. Thanks Again! Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 We are pretty spoiled here in the Portland area. So many nice stores to visit, each with their own specialty. Enjoy your visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COReefer Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 there are a couple of stores over there where the employees won't even speak to you if they don't know you. I came across this with a couple there and ended up leaving them and spending a ton of money at davy jones' locker. I will say that a couple of these stores had really nice selections but when I couldn't get a single soul to speak to me I just left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick Posted June 9, 2009 Share Posted June 9, 2009 This thread is an opportunity for us to showcase what we have to offer for someone from outside our area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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