Ben McBee

Search all articles from my three years with PDXtoday.

So what makes a haunted house look haunted?
We went down to the architectural crypt to find out what design features make a house go bump in the night. Then, we went house hunting in Portland to bring you a grisly, local look — just try not to scream.
There are few obvious architectural styles on a whole that tingle your spine and widen your eyes, namely Victorian-era styles, Adirondack architecture, and Gothic Revival — but to keep this scary story short, we’ve created a checklist with some ...

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot. Or, in the case of Pioneer Courthouse Square, it was Meier & Frank that demolished the Queen Anne-style Portland Hotel to cater to car culture.
That was 1951, and by 1970, the department store wanted to raise the roof and build an even bigger multi-story garage. City leaders were in the process of reimagining downtown development, so the structure never materialized.
It did spur yearslong conversations about converting the block bordered by Southw...

In Portland, we’re used to seeing natural wonders, from lofty Multnomah Falls to Mount Hood on the horizon, but when you venture over the Cascades to Central Oregon, you’ll find a whole different world to explore — and it rocks.
Using Bend as your base camp, there are several geologic marvels of varying distances that lend a choose-your-own-adventure feel to this trip. Tackle them all — prepare to fill up the tank a few times — or pick and choose the destinations that make sense for you.
Driv...

Hoop dreams really do come true
After the WNBA’s delayed tipoff in Portland — there wasn’t a leaky roof, although stadium upgrades were certainly a factor — the league has decided to add a team in the Rose City.
And can we just say, we kind of called it.
Details like the franchise’s name, colors, and logo are yet to be revealed, however we do know their first season will start in 2026 and that they’ll play at the Moda Center (although some games may take place in the Veterans Memorial Coliseu...

💦 The highway of water
There are a handful of ideas that have floated into Portland over the years that didn’t make a big splash but also refuse to sink.
The Frog Ferry is one such ribbiting concept — its proponents envision a safe and sustainable public passenger ferry service on the Willamette River and Columbia River. In its proposed pilot stage, operation would run between Cathedral Park and the RiverPlace Hotel for $3.50 a trip. Once fully realized, the voyage would include nine stops, f...

A reptile in the rafters

As Iggy lived a “quarter century ago and pre-cellphone,” no photos exist of the dino descendant, but here’s a reference to help you imagine. | Photo by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen

“I wanna know about the iguana.”

That’s what we found ourselves saying early one morning while reading a rather curious post on the Ask Portland Reddit page, where u/McGannahanSkjellyfet inquired, “Did Next Adventure used to have a huge iguana that lived in a network of catwalks that ran throu...

👋 Allow us to reintroduce ourselves
That’s right, we’re the real people who write the newsletter for you Monday through Friday (and soon on Saturdays as well). | Photo by PDXtoday
We know, you’re used to seeing us at the bottom of the newsletter, but since it’s been two-and-a-half years since we officially presented ourselves as the faces of PDXtoday, we thought it might be time to say hi to our 51,000 subscribers.
Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or just signed up — we’re City...

Fuzzy, out-of-focus font on a slime green background. Viral social media moves. Specialty cocktails from bars like Holy Ghost. Your Gen Z + millennial relatives calling you “so brat.”

It’s been a “brat summer” whether you knew it or not, so we’re here to explain what it means and how to get in on the fun before flannels and pumpkin spice lattes take over in a couple of months.

Released on June 7, British singer Charli XCX’s album “brat” debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts. Its 15 tracks ...

🚜 Head up to Highland Farms
“They’re like big, docile dogs with horns,” said tour guide Jaya Graver. “But they will tell you what they want.” | Photo by Ben McBee, PDXtoday
When you think of Scotland, it’s hard not to picture fields of highland cattle, majestic horns... and bangs an angsty teenager would envy. Thousands of tourists travel to the country to see their Weasley-esque auburn hair and experience the magic of the “hairy coos” in their element.
We’re here to save you a plane ticket —...

May 3, 2022 - 503 Day + predicting Portland’s summer

March 24, 2022 - Portland’s first 5-star hotel + Empanadas Festival

March 22, 2022 - Lend your Lego + Lumberyard Bike Park closing

March 10, 2022 - Abigail Scott Duniway + board game night

March 2, 2022 - Portland Saturday Market returns + free Washington Park shuttle