<p>Anyone have any first hand experience (or even second or third hand?) We are going to UP, and Willamette over spring break and were wondering if it's worth visiting Pacific too.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Yes! We liked pacific for the first child. The only catch for us were more dollars from some other schools (linfield also worth a look). Pacific has recently undergone some upgrades around campus. Folks there are very nice, it's a small school in a quiet town about 30 minutes from downtown portland. You could visit UP and Pacific in the same day (morning and afternoon) and on another day visit Willamette and Linfield. There are several very good schools that might be the right fit within a 50 mile radius from portland.
Several very good LAC all around 25 miles apart from the next. </p>
<p>Pacific's got a little Haiwaian restruant around the block from campus (east)that does a "plate lunch" that is very good. The guys that run it gave me the best and easiest receipe for pulled pork. </p>
<p>Linfield has the hotel oregon which is a meminnman's brew pub. Go up on the rooftop during break and have lunch. Excellent view (Sunset mag #4 rooftop bar on West coast) good burgers and prices. </p>
<p>At Willamette, try busick resturant for breakfast, prepare for a wait, but excellent big breakfasts. Willamette campus also has best food on a daily basis. </p>
<p>Give yourself an extra day or two to hit the Oregon coast (around an hour from either Linfield or Willamette) or a winery or two. </p>
<p>In any direction outside of Portland, very beautiful countryside. Portland? I hate the traffic mess there, just like Seattle in that regard. We kind of hold our breath each drive thruough Portland. Traveling through can take 15 minutes or two hours, just depends on what time of day. So I am partial to the small LAC outside of portland. </p>
<p>enjoy!</p>
<p>Thanks Opie. I'll raise a pint to you from the roof of the pub. Thanks for the reccomendation.</p>
<p>Here is the website for McMenamin's Hotel Oregon:
<a href="http://mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=7&category=Location%20Homepage%5B/url%5D">http://mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=7&category=Location%20Homepage</a></p>
<p>Enjoy your trip!</p>
<p>I liked Pacific also.
I recently had dinner with the woman who is head of the chamber of commerce in Forest Grove & while she was fairly new to the area- she was able to tell me a lot about it.
I know two young men who are quite well traveled and accomplished who are going to be starting there this fall & D and I toured it on their recommendation.
She decided it was "too rural" for her, but the first week the college makes sure everyone takes a trip to Portland on public transit which actually very nearby and fairly easy to get to.</p>
<p>( Id look at Lewis and Clark too- D liked that)</p>
<p>Portland is nothing like Seattle traffic wise- doesn't have the population- they have transit that is more successful and 10 minutes out of Portland you are in farm country- you don't even get up to the speed limit until you are 40 -60 miles out of Seattle-</p>
<p>I've never had good service at a McMenamin's establishment. Food and atmosphere can be good or very good, but I don't go unless I know I have an ample supply of patience.</p>
<p>I do second Busick Court in Salem. It can take a while to get a seat, and tables are close together-- but the menu has variety, the food is good and plentiful, and service is quick.</p>
<p>I don't think Portland traffic is as bad as Seattle (though it can be thick during rush hour). Besides, traffic is probably not such a big issue for a college student who would typically spend most of her time near campus or use public transit. A student in Forest Grove who wants to do something in Portland will have to deal with traffic. A student in Portland can use public transportation. This is a wholly gratituitous remark on my part since OP expressed interest in Pacific University and not any in Portland.</p>
<p>^^OP expressed interest in University of Portland, too, so I'll bet your transportation information is helpful to her.</p>
<p>thanks ladies and gent! I am looking forward to our trip. UP is one of my twins' top choice, based soley on their DVD, website and info session. It will be interesting to see how the campus tour stacks up. Other D is also drawn to Portland but has set her sites on Scripps (for right now) as her number 1. Me, I'd like them to be close to one another. They are best buddies since before birth and my worried mommy side hopes they end up, not neccessarily on the same campus but within "weekend visit" distance. That decision will be theirs when the time comes and I haven't even mentioned this to anyone but in my fantasy one is at UP, and the other at Willamette or one at Scripps the other at Redlands. It will be interesting to see how the next year and a half unfold...most likely nothing like I have planned. One will be at Trinity and the other at U of Puget Sound :-)</p>
<p>university of Portland is kinda out of the way- be sure and check up public transportation but if you have your own car it isn't far from downtown- haven't looked there either but I have heard it is a beautiful campus and they give merit aid.</p>
<p>mom58,</p>
<p>Just concluded four years of the hotel oregon (son now at SLU med school) and the service can on occasion be spotty. But a nice day on the rooftop, with the bar right there and homebrew on tap, it ain't so bad..;) It's a great little college town. </p>
<p>There's also a good thai place a couple blocks down. The chain resteruants are down the road aways. Most folks dine in and around the hotel oregon because it's location in the older down town. There's also a harvest valley resturant down aways. Another brew pub burger place. </p>
<p>You should also eat the staple oregon college food Muchos. Mexican fast food. Sample what your kid's will be eating at 3 in the morning. ;) Actually my dirty secret 1st choice when visiting. </p>
<p>We're heading down to Willamette this weekend for parents weekend. Time to visit my D who's been there since late August.</p>
<p>I live in Portland and attended Willamette! Students from our school who are looking at UP and Willamette also are looking at Lewis & Clark (though its too close to home,) Linfield and University of Puget Sound. I sat in on a Pacific Univ. meeting last year, and was very impressed with the merit aid they give. Pacific is seen here as more of a commuter school--more locals who leave during the weekends--than the others. I do think, however, they're on an upswing in terms of establishing new programs and relationships. I would put Willamette, Lewis & Clark and UPS in a more selective category than the others, I think. All have great reputations! I hope you have a sunny visit here!</p>
<p>I'll be very interested to hear a report on your visit since Pacific has some qualities that are appealing to me and my daughter (a favorite teacher went there, locale is great--she loves Portland, they do rolling admissions, and it is in the NW and far enough but not too far from home). It is definitely a school that is under the radar re selectivity mania but I have only heard good things from the few people I know that are familiar with it. I hope to see the campus at Thanksgiving time--but that is not a good time to get a sense of the community so please share your impressions.</p>
<p>mmaah, I'll fill out a visit report to let you know our impressions. So far Pacific is not listed on CC but if we ask them to add it they might. They added Cal State Monterey Bay for me earlier this year. </p>
<p>Pacific would be a safety I hadn't remembered that they do rolling admissions so I guess it is one of the schools they will apply to early if either decides to apply there. That's another good thing :-) </p>
<p>We are from a really small town >6,000 people and the high school has > 500 students. It will be interesting to see if the size of Portland v/ the size of Forest Grove plays a roll in their decisions.</p>
<p>Thanks again for the input!</p>