Guest post by Deb Lamedman
Exploring Portland, Oregon
It’s wonderful to share experiences and vacation time with others. But there is definitely something to be said for picking up and taking off on your own. One of the best destinations I know for women traveling alone is Portland, Oregon. If you are a woman traveling alone, friends traveling together, or a lesbian couple who want to experience a fun weeklong get-away, Portland is an exciting city that offers opportunities to enjoy outdoor activities such as hiking and kayaking as well as cultural events such as museums, theatre and art galleries.
Portland is chock-full of friendly people and opportunities to partake in all types of activities. If you’re on a budget, the Portland International Hostel and Guest House in the trendy Northwest section of town is not only affordable, but is also in a great neighborhood that provides convenient access to many of the city’s prime visiting spots. Plus, I cannot say enough about the staff and volunteer who are happy to help with any questions you have regarding their fair city.
If you are visiting Portland for the first time, staying at the hostel feels like you are staying with old friends. Plus, for the gal on a budget, they are offer plenty of freebies such as free bread, maps of Portland, free wireless Internet access, free storage and free parking. They also offer opportunities to go on pub crawls, walking tours of the city and often host live music on certain nights of the week.
One of my favorite things about staying in this hostel is the people you will meet. There are many single female travelers staying here and it’s a great opportunity to meet women from all over the world. This particular neighborhood in the Northwest district of Portland is home to a large variety of unique shops, cafes and coffeehouses.
Additionally, the hostel is in very close proximity to the Macleay Park Trailhead in Forest Park and offers beautiful hiking trails and an opportunity to enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery around. The trails in Forest Park range from beginner to advanced, the scenery is spectacular and your fellow hikers that you will meet along the way will give you a kind nod and a warm smile!
The best time of year to visit Portland is in the summer and fall. After October, there tends to be quite a bit of rainfall through March and the weather may not always be predictable. To take advantage of the bike paths, boating and outdoor activities indicative of Portland, I would recommend you schedule your trip during the warmer, drier months.
Whenever you decide to go, you will find great food, hospitable locals and some really beautiful scenery. Discover the Northwest and put Portland on your vacation “to-do” list!
Guest blog organised by Chelsea of Lesbian Dating where our Women Travel Blog site is named as one of the top 20 Lesbian Travel Blogs
Iceland with a gym-damaged knee
Jill Lundmark cycles 589 km (366 miles) over 71 days
I read everything I could find about cycling in Iceland especially the excellent notes written by Iviehoff and the tours on crazyguyonabike. I noticed at work at a secondary school I was often dressed in two layers of merino plus a jacket while the students went about bare armed so I knew the cold was going to be a challenge for me. Accordingly I packed four layers of merino tops, merino long underware, thin black stocking tights, light fawn trousers that you could even wash in situ and they would dry fast plus waterproof trousers and a pair of knicks. In addition I had a woolly beanie, a balaclava, a skiing face mask, a scarf, two pairs of cycling gloves and another more waterproof pair plus two pairs of merino socks and sturdy shoes as well as my cycling shoes. Read more
Susan Minnich writes:
I was determined that I could do this, travel solo on my bike, in France, as a 61-year-old, reasonably fit woman, with some ability to speak French. It didn’t really occur to me not to do it, though I can’t say why I was so clearly sure that all would go well. After all, I had only been to France once before, the previous year, and other than that had only been out of the US to Canada (mostly hiking trips that were many, many years ago, in an English speaking country, not solo.) Read more
Veronica McCarthy writes:
As a freelance writer, writing comes naturally to me, while traveling does not. Until a month ago, I had spent the majority of my life living in different sectors of the greater Los Angeles area with the occasional weeklong travel adventure. A trustworthy companion always accompanied me on these weeklong jaunts, as I had never wanted to breach the ‘traveling alone’ world.
After a summer of heartbreak and health scares, I decided to disrupt my travel pattern by shipping myself off to Amsterdam, Netherlands, for the fall months. I stumbled upon an advertisement for an apartment swap so I now wake up to European church bells instead of the crashing waves of Venice Beach. Read more
Pam writes about her Fun Fund:
My girlfriends and I have been travelling as a group for about 4 years now. I organised our “Fun Fund” so we always had money at the ready for our trips. We have had some wonderful experiences including a South Pacific Cruise! It has been so successful that I was urged to write a book about how to go about setting up a “Fun Fund” so others could do the same. Read more
Dianne Lorae has just launched LadyBug Travels as a membership organisation . She wants to grow the membership globally through creating a unique travel opportunity or women travelers:
Since many women often have limited travel budgets and women centered needs I conceptualized this business to open doors of opportunities for independent women travelers.
Members join and when they want to make arrangements we contact one another directly, setting the accommodation dates and arrangements between the Hostess and the Guest. You don’t necessarily host the person who hosted you. Everyone travels to their chosen destinations with unlimited exchanges allowed for the price of the membership $19.95 US/Month ($239.40 US/Yr.)
All members post a personal and property profile along with photos. Photo postings are mandatory so that each member can discern their own comfort levels when considering a location.
I just launched my website this month and women are just CRAZY ENTHUSED about the idea - I am very uplifted and encouraged by my business from so many women.
Join up and see the world and have the world visit you too!
LadyBug Travels
In association with GoGirl, Women Travel Blog is inviting you to tell us your best story of struggling to find a bathroom as you travel the world.
The best stories will be published on the blog and will go into the draw to win your very own personal GoGirl which we think will help you out of many a desperate situation.
A meander through the Mekong Delta and a visit to Ankor Wat
Intrepid solo cyclist Jill Lundmark rides 1,575 km (979 miles) over 64 days
The trip starts with a nasty surprise about airline rules regarding transporting bikes
After days and days of research, lists and more lists I was finally sitting uncomfortably on the plane with all my valuables strapped around me. My old cotton money belt in the small of my back, another plastic one in front for my passport, boarding card and pen and a bulkier one for my camera on my hip. My loaded bike had never looked so neat.
Everything was in two smallish Ortlieb panniers with my helmet nestled between them. I’d rung Thai Air to check the rules – turn the handlebars, take off the pedals and cover the chain. I’d demolished a banana box and with the help of some duct tape and a few plastic bags had conformed to the rules leaving the bike able to be wheeled to the check-in.
Read the rest of the story here
Their story all began during the summer of 2005. While Nara was backpacking solo after almost a year of working in Dublin (Ireland), Tanya was traveling with her friend after spending a semester abroad in Torino (Italy).
They write at Off-Track Backpacking a blog dedicated to travel, adventure and fun! Women Travel caught up with them and asked them more…
Where and how did you meet?
We met randomly at a hostel in Lisbon, Portugal in 2005. Nara was backpacking solo and approached Tanya by asking her a random question. The rest was history!
Wanderlust Women Travel is another new (WordPress powered) website focused on women travellers, specialising in Italy (the author is Italian/American) and in particular has some great city guides – her tag line is Spirited travel for women with wanderlust Read more
