The 35th Annual Newport Seafood & Wine Festival kicks off this Friday and runs February 23, 24, 25, and 26, 2012 in Newport, OR.

This event takes place in a tented venue near the Rogue Ales Brewery at the South Beach Marina in Newport. Pacific Northwest Wineries pour the finest of wines while culinary professionals serve cuisines of delectable delights sure to entice our palates. You won't be surprised to discover that an overwhelming proportion of the food offered comes from the sea.

The Pacific Northwest's beer scene scored another victory in its quest for eternal Beervana-dom. Or rather, ten victories.

DRAFT magazine named ten of the Northwest's beer bars in the US' top 100 this week, including some of our favorites we like to feature in our "Beer Here Coach Tour".

Portland featured six of the nation's best, while larger-market Seattle scored four.

See the link to the full story here:

Hometown Advantage extends warm wishes for a happy holiday season and a prosperous 2012. We hope that your holiday plans keep you safe, happy, and surrounded by those you love.

And should you decide to make travel a part of your holiday plans... of course, we'd love to be invited along. (We know all the best places!)

Happy - and safe - trails from all of us at Hometown Advantage.

Recently we had the opportunity to provide extensive custom step-on guide services to a new client. This very fun day involved deploying nearly half of our current crew of 40+ Resident Experts to entertain guests on seventeen motor coaches to a sporting event some three hours away from two downtown starting locations.

We learned some rather interesting lessons:

• When over 1,000 people sign up to travel by coach for three hours to an event they could watch on TV, a large percentage may cancel.
• Especially if they live in warmer climates and it is December.

Looking for a great location for a winter conference or meeting? Or, perhaps, just a great travel destination for the colder months?

Portland, Oregon is your meeting winter wonderland.

Portland's great facilities include over 120 hotels - 81 of which Trip Advisor rates as “Business Center” type of facilities - as well as over 1,800 restaurants, a fabulous transportation system and a pedestrian-friendly downtown. We also have over 300 separate attractions and tours available for great getaways between meetings and events.

We are very fortunate to live in the Pacific Northwest, with all of its magnificent beauty.

As crazy as it may seem, some residents of the Pacific Northwest live their whole lives and never partake of the region's amazing charms.

Recently I met just such a person, who has never visited the Columbia Gorge.

Huh?? Are you kidding me?

Just an hour's drive from Portland, the Gorge's rich history and breathtaking natural beauty make for an outstanding day trip.

Welcome to the Hometown Advantage blog! On this page, we will keep you informed about events, tours, specials, and news we think would be of interest to you. Whether you're interested in tours, activities, DMC services, or just want to learn more about the Pacific Northwest as a travel and meeting destination, this is the page to come to.