Media Update: April 2007

Greetings from Portland, Oregon. Below is an update on the area’s newest travel-related developments. We hope you will find this information useful. If you prefer not to receive future media updates on Portland, please click here.

APRIL TOPICS

Bargains – New Travel Portland Magazine Available for Free

Family Fun – Rare Baby Colobus Monkey Debuts at Oregon Zoo

Arts & Culture – “Curator on Call” at the Hotel Monaco Portland

Spiritual Travel – Landmark Cross Re-illuminated at The Grotto

New Travel Portland Magazine Available for Free

Complimentary copies of Portland’s 2007-2008 Travel Portland magazine are now available. Written by professional journalists whose work regularly appears in nationally circulated travel, recreation and culinary magazines, Travel Portland’s content provides a third-party look at the people, places and things that make Portland a great destination. In fact, the cover story for this year’s magazine, titled “Best Bets,” is a round-up of the journalists’ top 30 favorite places and activities – their recommendations on where to go, what to see, what not to miss. To reduce its environmental impact, the magazine is printed on paper with a high recycled content. This year’s magazine was also designed as a self-mailer, which eliminates the need for the magazine to be mailed in a separate envelope or polybag. Visitors can order a complimentary copy of the magazine online at www.travelportland.com or by calling toll-free 1.877.678.5263.

Media Contact:

Deborah Wakefield, Portland Oregon Visitors Association, 503.275.9795, deborah@travelportland.com

Rare Baby Colobus Monkey Debuts at Oregon Zoo

On March 25, 2007, a baby colobus monkey made her debut at the Oregon Zoo. Delu (pronounced DAY-loo) was born Dec. 14, but keepers had been waiting for consistently warmer weather before moving her to the zoo’s Africa Rain Forest exhibit. Delu is the fourth baby – and first female – for mother Mali, 11, and her mate, Kiku, 16. Initially born with pure white fur, Delu is taking on her striking black-and-white adult coloring. Her full coloring will continue to grow in over the next few months. Due to encroachment by humans and the resulting loss of habitat, colobus monkeys are a threatened species in their native region of eastern Africa. The Oregon Zoo is a conservation zoo, dedicated to earth-friendly operations and breeding programs for endangered species. For more information on the Oregon Zoo, visit www.oregonzoo.org.

Media Contacts:

Bill LaMarche, Oregon Zoo, 503.220.2448, lamarcheb@metro.dst.or.us

Linda D’Ae-Smith, Oregon Zoo, 503.220.5716, d'ae-smithl@metro.dst.or.us

“Curator on Call” at the Hotel Monaco Portland

Every Kimpton hotel has a story. At Kimpton’s new Hotel Monaco Portland the story encompasses a passion for the arts. True to its arty nature, the hotel encourages guests to connect with artworks both within and outside the hotel. Give the staff at least 24 hours’ notice and they can arrange a personal art tour for your group ($75 for up to 8 people). This “Curator on Call” program includes an in-depth look at both the hotel’s extensive art collection and that of the nearby Portland Art Museum (admission included). Or, grab a self-guided tour/map at the concierge desk and head outside to visit the Hotel Monaco’s top 10 favorite art attractions in Portland. And on those rare rainy days, guests can absorb a little culture indoors. A complete art guide (also available from the concierge) takes guests through the hotel’s floors, each named after a local Portland artist and prominently displaying her/his work.

The Hotel Monaco Portland is located at 506 S.W. Washington St., Portland; 503.222.0001. For more information on the Hotel Monaco Portland, visit www.monaco-portland.com.

Media Contact:

Lota LaMontagne, LAD Communications, P.R. representative for Hotel Monaco Portland, 503.827.6564, lota@ladcommunications.com

Landmark Cross Re-illuminated at The Grotto

For the past five years the landmark cross affixed to a 130-foot cliff at The Grotto has been dark. At one time, this 70-foot cross could be seen from across the Columbia River in Washington state and was visible to passengers on planes approaching Portland International Airport. It shone brightly from The Grotto, a Catholic sanctuary and 62-acre botanical garden open to people of all faiths. When the cross went dark, routine repairs proved ineffective and it soon became clear that major electrical components needed to be replaced and upgraded. Donations finally made it possible to repair the cross, leading to its recent re-illumination.

The Grotto is located in northeast Portland and welcomes more than 200,000 visitors per year. Nearly 30 percent of those visitations take place between Thanksgiving and New Years’ Eve, a time during which The Grotto stages its annual Christmas Festival of Lights. This ecumenical lighting and music festival features 150+ concerts, a petting zoo and half a million lights. For more information on The Grotto, visit www.thegrotto.org.

Media Contact:

Patty Williams, The Grotto, 503.254.7371, events@thegrotto.org