Margaret Seiler helps keep Portland Monthly clear, readable, and grammatically correct. She also writes about local politicshistory, sports (from the Thorns to Tonya Harding), and her hobby of extreme transit. The native Kentuckian landed in Oregon after youth-hostelling her way around the continent (before cell phones!) and worked at Willamette Week and the Portland Tribune before joining Portland Monthly in 2010. She lives in North Portland with her brewer husband and their two children. 

Transit Trip

We Took a Day Trip on the Bus to Newberg and Dundee

Wine, walks, a Quaker cemetery, and presidential lore await.

3:00pm By Margaret Seiler

Best Bars

Portland’s Top Irish Pubs for St. Patrick’s Day, or Any Day

Where to find the best spots for pints of Guinness, corned beef, and Irish whiskey.

03/11/2026 By Alex Frane, Fiona McCann, and Margaret Seiler

Transit Trip

Hiking by Bus in Forest Park

Start at the St. Johns Bridge, end with a pint at Jerry’s Tavern.

02/25/2026 By Margaret Seiler

Neighborhood Guides

St. Johns: A Dive Bar Paradise with an Up-and-Coming Food Scene

Find happy hours galore, fun niche shopping, and bread with a cult following in North Portland.

01/28/2026 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden and Margaret Seiler

Transit Trip

We Took the Express Bus to Hood River to Play in the Gorge

There’s a lot to do in this summer town during its sleepy season.

01/27/2026 By Margaret Seiler

Soccer

The Portland Thorns 2026 Schedule Is Out

The home opener at Providence Park is March 20 against Seattle Reign FC.

01/15/2026 By Margaret Seiler

Sing a Song

6 Very Different Karaoke Experiences Around Portland

Book a private room, share the spotlight with a stripper, or jam out with a real, live band.

12/26/2025 By Katherine Chew Hamilton and Margaret Seiler

Outdoors

Sno-Parks, State Parks & Beyond: Snag a Wilderness Parking Pass

Tired of paying trailhead parking fees? There's a pass for that. Get one of these Pacific Northwest wilderness passes for yourself or your outdoorsy friend.

12/23/2025 By Margaret Seiler and Wriik Maui

Nifty Gifties

Holiday Markets, Bazaars, and Pop-Ups in Portland

It’s not too late!

12/17/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Fare Fashion

The Rise of the Transit Agency Holiday Sweater

TriMet's second annual holiday sweater is one for bus history nerds.

12/11/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Transit Trip

Antique Store Hopping in Aurora via TriMet and Canby Area Transit

Plus wine tasting, shortbread samples, relics of a utopia, and so many plug-in plastic Jesuses.

12/02/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Month Ahead

What to Do in Oregon in December

Make crafts at Silver Falls, hunt for ornaments in the forest, hop aboard a Christmas train, and spot gray whales swimming south.

11/26/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Margaret Seiler

Best Bars

Portland's Quintessential Dive Bars

Where to visit for cheap drinks, late nights, and the glow of video poker machines.

11/21/2025 By Alex Frane

Mountain Highs

Where to Ski in Oregon and Washington

From Timberline and Meadows in Portland's backyard to road-trip getaways across the Northwest, here are the slopes to seek out.

11/20/2025 By Margaret Seiler and Portland Monthly Staff

Transit Trip

A Fall Day in Troutdale via TriMet’s 77

Find celery lore, lots of happy dogs, and no line at Sugarpine.

11/17/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Soak Spots

The Best Hot Springs near Portland

Let off some steam in nature's hot tubs.

11/11/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden, Rebecca Jacobson, and Margaret Seiler

Toe pick!

Where to Go Ice-Skating in Portland and Beyond

Total beginner? Wannabe Winterhawk? Aspiring Olympian? We have the rink for you.

11/10/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Superfan

Gino’s Restaurant in the Genes

It’s hard to eat in when you live so close to this Italian favorite.

10/28/2025 By Margaret Seiler Photography by Michael Raines

Book Review

Romance on the Basketball Court in Play You for It

The debut novel from sports journalist turned romance author Samantha Saldivar hops between Portland and Eugene.

10/22/2025 By Margaret Seiler

Transit Trip

We Rode from Portland to Seattle on City Buses

Pro: It cost $7 total for seven buses. Con: It took seven hours.

10/02/2025 By Margaret Seiler