X is for PDXtra and eXcellent Portland swag (Portlandia from A to Z)

PDX
 

PDX is the nickname for Portland International Airport. I traveled a lot for my job for about 15 years, and I never tired of flying into or out of PDX...it has a flight path right over the Columbia River. It's an amazing airport. I know I'm biased, but don't just take my word for it. It's ranked #1 on Travel & Leisure's Best Airports list:

"Portland, OR, has a reputation for hipsters, but its airport makes a positive impression on all kinds of travelers thanks to quality food and shopping options and the likelihood of an on-time departure. So, if your next itinerary includes PDX—rated the nation’s No. 1 airport—consider yourself lucky. 

Portland’s airport knows how to impress. The overall favorite U.S. airport ranked No. 2 for design and for shopping, and third for food; try Stanford’s for fish tacos, burgers, or BLTs. PDX is also likely to keep you on schedule—it has an 87.5 percent on-time departure record, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. While its location was considered a shortcoming, Denver-based reader Jodianne Escalante acknowledges: “I like the light-rail to and from the airport.”

In 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010, PDX was identified as the top airport for business travelers in the United States by Conde Nast Traveler magazine. It's got a great design, wonderful shops (including a branch of Powell's), and a policy requiring airport shops to be priced at the same level as outside of the airport.


Here's the history of the Portland Airport. The unusual 25-year-old carpet is so beloved that now that it's about to be changed, the old carpet is getting media attention, has swag, and also has its own Facebook page. You can also take MAX to and from downtown.

Retiring PDX carpet

Every time I fly into PDX--whether solo on a business trip or on a vacation with my family--I experience that same thrill. Flying past Mount Hood and over the river, I'm reminded about what I love about this great city and how excited I am to return home to my wonderful family.

eXcellent Portland swag

No blog series about Portland could be complete without mentioning Little Bay Root, a great clothing and merchandise company founded by a former coworker, Brian Duval. It's my favorite place to get Portland swag! This is how Brian explains the name:

It’s a play on words. Once upon a time staffers of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush used to refer to Portland as Little Beirut because of the protesters he encountered during his visits. Hence, a little less aggressive and more playful name. 

Brian sells his swag at local markets, Made in Oregon stores, Powell's, online of course, and various other places around town. He has lightning-fast shipping! I love to patronize Little Bay Root when I'm looking for unique Portland gifts. I was really hoping he'd develop a Portlandia shirt, but apparently the guy who designed Portlandia is highly proprietary about the image.

Check out Little Bay Root for some great PDX swag!




Read my other A to Z posts here, and stay tuned for tomorrow: Yin and Yang.