Back on track 🚆

Amtrak restores service between Portland and Vancouver, BC

A teal and white colored passenger train waits at a station.

Remember that you’ll need to bring the required documents to cross the US-Canada border. | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

For the first time in three years, Amtrak trains are running between Portland and Vancouver, BC. That means you can now visit a foreign country — by train — without making any transfers. Au revoir, pricey European travel plans.

* Feverishly searches “Canada vacation outfits” on Pinterest *

Amtrak fully restored its Cascades line on Monday, March 6, and the first northbound train rolled out of Portland Union Station at 3:05 p.m. with 67 passengers on board, approx. five of whom were bound for British Columbia. Daily service between Seattle and Vancouver, BC has been running since September.

A man in a plaid blazer jacket stands at a podium with news outlet microphones in front of him. — “Travel by rail is one of the most enjoyable ways to see the country, with the bonus of skipping the all-but-certain traffic delays,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer. | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

“This comes amid the largest investment the United States has made in rail passenger services since Amtrak was created,” Rep. Earl Blumenauer said Monday at Union Station.

Passengers have access to a cafe car offering PNW-sourced menu items, like vegan tamales, pizzas, sandwiches, snacks, tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages. The seats are spacious, the baggage policies are generous (four free items and the option to check two additional bags, plus a bike), and you can kick back and relax while drivers fight rush-hour traffic. Not to mention the views out the window as you speed past waterways, forests, and mountain vistas.

Amtrak lounge Union Station Portland PDX — Business class and overnight passengers can wait for their train at Union Station’s Metropolitan Lounge. | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

The train leaves Portland every day at 3:05 p.m., reaching Seattle by 7 p.m. and BC by 11 p.m. Southbound trains depart Vancouver, BC daily at 6:35 a.m. with a 2:55 p.m. arrival in Portland. The service, which is funded jointly by the states of Oregon and Washington, serves 12 stations along the I-5 corridor in western Washington. We found roundtrip tickets as low as $110.

Interested in traveling somewhere else? Amtrak offers over 30 routes throughout the US and Canada, with more than 500 destinations in 46 states.

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Wednesday, March 8

Portland Brewery Dining Month | Wednesday, March 8-Friday, March 31 | Times vary | Locations vary, Portland | $35 | Support local breweries all March long by trying three-course prix-fixe meals and drink pairings (and $10 vouchers to return) at nine participating locations.
Watercolor Painting with Ronna: The Barn Swallow | Wednesday, Mar. 8 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Online, Portland | $20-$30 | Learn to paint these graceful, swooping birds with their varying shades of blue, red, and tawny.
Sounding the Night Sky: Portland State Wind Symphony | Wednesday, Mar. 8 | 7-9 p.m. | Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, 12625 SW Crescent St., Beaverton | $5-$20 | This multimedia concert inspired by the night sky and celestial phenomena pairs stirring film footage and lighting with captivating music for an altogether otherworldly experience.

Thursday, March 9

Studio Ghibli Film Festival: “Princess Mononoke” | Thursday, March 9 | 6:30 p.m. | OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., Portland | $6-$7.50 | Get swept up in iconic Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s story about the conflict between humans, gods, and nature.

Friday, March 10

“Chrysalis (Generativity)” | Friday, Mar. 10-Sunday, Mar. 12 | Times vary | Oregon Contemporary, 8371 N. Interstate Ave., Portland | Free | The exhibit by PNW artist Fernanda D’Agostino features fascinating projection sculptures inspired by the intricate nests of tent caterpillars.
Pickledome! A Pickleball Pop Up | Friday, Mar. 10-Saturday, Mar. 11 | Times vary | Lloyd Center, 1405 Lloyd Center, Portland | $10-$50 | See what the big dill is about the sport that’s taking the world by storm in a friendly and accessible environment.

Saturday, March 11

PAW Patrol Live! The Great Pirate Adventure | Saturday, March 11-Sunday, March 12 | Times vary | Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 300 N. Winning Way, Portland | $55-$185 | X barks the spot — so bring your little ones to experience this fun adventure as Ryder and his team of pirate pups rescue their captain and try to sniff out some mysterious treasure.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

ROUND OUT YOUR WEEK

Weather

47º | Cloudy with afternoon showers | 42% chance of rain
Spring’s earliest risers are off to a slow start this year. Record snowfall and unusually low temperatures in recent weeks have delayed the growing season, which is usually waking up right around now as warmth gradually returns — and the chilly trend is expected to continue. Sorry about the bloom and gloom. 🌷 (KOIN)

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 6:36 a.m.
Set: 6:06 p.m.

Opening

Rally Pizza will reopen as a “permanent popup” inside Vancouver’s Victor-23 Brewing. The pizzeria, known for its Neapolitan-style pies and local ingredients, closed at the end of 2022 after six years of business. It’s grand reopening is Pi Day (Tuesday, March 14). 🍕 (Portland Business Journal)

Community

North Portland’s herd of goats moved to a new enclosure this week. The Belmont Goats nonprofit relocated the animals about 100 ft away from their previous spot on North Syracuse Street near the Peninsula Crossing Trail, where a new Safe Rest Village will be built. 🐐 (KOIN)
A large chestnut tree toppled in a windstorm late last year has found new purpose in the Sellwood neighborhood. Charcuterie boards and tables will be made from the 15,000-pound trunk of the registered Heritage Tree, thanks to a crowdfunding campaign that raised nearly $10,000. 🪵 (KOIN)

Outdoors

A Vancouver-based company will start safety and seismic repairs on the Willamette Falls Locks this spring. After Northbank Civil and Marine, Inc. completes the work, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Portland District will transfer the locks’ ownership to the Willamette Falls Locks Authority in 2026. 🏗️ (KOIN)

Today Is

Holi, a Hindu celebration of love and spring also known as the Festival of Colors. Check out the Holi Hai Bollywood Party on Sunday, March 19 at OPALINE for a colorful (and ‘grammable) afternoon — all are welcome, just be sure to wear whites you don’t mind getting dyed. 🎨

Family

Portland-based nonprofit The Contingent partnered with Microsoft to reimagine foster parent recruitment for our technological era. The resulting initiative — Every Child Oregon — led to a 14-fold increase in inquiries from potential foster parents in Oregon between 2015 and 2022. The program is now expanding, helping other states share the success.

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Roll out the rose carpet 🚎

PBOT offers prizes to downtown commuters who leave the car at home

A sandwich board sign with information about Ride Every Wednesday is propped up on 6th Avenue in downtown Portland.

TriMet predicts that the average commuter on one of four bus lines going across the Steel Bridge will save about 25 hours per year, thanks to the newly-completed Rose Lane projects. | Photo by PBOT

Heads up, downtown commuters: PBOT wants to reward you for taking public transportation, riding your bike, walking, or rolling.

The bureau’s new Ride Every Wednesday campaign offers prizes and $50 Kuto credits for shopping at small businesses to people who ditch driving on Wednesdays in March and April. Sweetening the deal are the 26 Rose Lane projects now completed across Portland — making bus lines and Streetcar routes faster than ever.

Here’s how to punch your ticket to rewards:

Text WEDNESDAY to 888-520-0526 to sign up.
Stop by one of PBOT’s pop-ups for fresh coffee and Kuto credits every Wednesday, 7:30-10 a.m.
Save time at the pop-up booth by downloading the Kuto app ahead of time. Credits to shop at local businesses help vendors save on credit card processing fees.

Can’t stop by a pop-up? No problem — PBOT will ask each week via text if you participated in the campaign. If you did, you’ll be entered to win a gift card to use at downtown shops.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Cambrie.

Editor’s pick: We had a chance to preview the latest episode of “Bridge to Table,” a new docuseries about Portland’s culinary culture, and it’s a must-see. The 30-minute episode (which is free to stream via YouTube) highlights some of our city’s top chefs and their personal struggles to find success.

You’ll get to know the restaurateurs behind spots like Han Oak, Bar Casa Vale, Toki Restaurant, Cafe Rowan, and more while taking in inspiring (and hunger-inducing) cinematography paired with stirring music.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Our readers dished on the Portland meals that remind them of their hometowns.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Britt Thorson, Emily Shea, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Dayten Rose, Sarah Leonhardt, Katie Smith | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Alaina McIntyre | Advertise with us.

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