Southwest Portland is really just an extension of Downtown, only on not so grand a scale. The buildings get smaller, and the businesses tend more toward the retail and lawyers who can't afford real Downtown offices yet. Still a very interesting area, with several libraries and the Police Historical Museum.
Also home to both Portland State University and the University of Oregon, home of the UofO Ducks. This college football team does considerably better in the rankings than the Portland Trailblazers, Portland's pro basketball team, and so get quite a bit more popular support. Still, if either team is in the playoffs, the town gets a little crazy, and nearly every window will have a supportive poster in view.
Across the river, you have the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, better known as OMSI (Om-zee). A longtime favorite field trip for gradeschoolers through high-school students, this facility is often packed. Famous throughout the Northwest for it's hands-on approach to education, OMSI is an almost entirely interactive experience, with oversized models you can operate yourself, to virtual reality components that put you inside the display.
-Riverwalk Marina-
Down on the riverfront itself is the Riverwalk Marina, where the city's wealthy keep their boats and small yachts. This is also where you'll find the Willamette Queen, a classic paddle-wheeler offering dinner cruises with live music.
-Pacific Queen-
Another classic pleasure ship that can be found here is the Pacific Queen. She started out her career as a cargo ship, but was refitted several years ago into a floating casino and pleasure yacht. Sailing from the Willamette out into the international waters of the Pacific, she boasts a large number of slot machines and gaming tables for the well-to-do gamblers of the Northwest. The gaming areas are modelled after the European casinos as depicted in late 20th Century film. Dress code in the casino is quite formal, and obvious weaponry is not allowed.
The Queen is also equiped with most of the luxeries found on the grander cruise ships, including a gourmet kitchen,salon, masseuse and custom tailor for those last-minute alterations and repairs.
Unknown to most, however, is what makes the Pacific Queen a true pleasure yacht: she carries with her several of the Northwest's finest 'professional girls'. Only the very wealthy and very discreet know of this expensive 'special service', but many have speculated about it's existance for some time. all potential patrons are given a thorough background check before this service is made available to them. Patrons who frequent the Queen may eventually notice that several exquisitely beautiful women seem to take every cruise, but may not make the connection since the girls take special pains to appear as nothing more than fellow cruisers.
A cruise on the Queen is typically a weekend trip, starting Friday evening and returning late Sunday.Due to Oregon's laws, the casino is closed until the ship reaches international waters. The trip is timed so that the welcome aboard dinner and the farewell ball take place while the ship is under way toward open waters or coming in from the sea.
Security onboard ship is tight, but unobtrusive. Volatile situations are often diffused before anyone knows about them by the ship's excellent staff.
A weekend cruise will cost between 3000EB for a Bachelor's Berth up to 10,000EB for a high-roller suite. All meals are included and drinks are moderately priced. As for the special services, well, if you have to ask...
