Keep Portland Weird. A common phrase this city is apparently known for. Personally, I didn’t think Portland was weird at all. It’s definitely one of the coolest and most unique cities I’ve been to. Not only will the nature and scenic drives take your breathe away but the food and beer scene is definitely worthy of making a trip back. We spent a total of 3 days and 4 nights here, spending a lot of our time exploring nature and trails but majority of it eating and drinking our way through the city.
Getting Here
Most common way is obviously flying, but if you have more time and are already on the Pacific Northwest then Amtrak train or car are great options as well. I know many people who have done the scenic drive up from SF and it’s definitely something I’d like to do at some point in my life. We flew direct from San Francisco (SFO) to Portland (PDX) with Alaskan and United Airlines.
- Total cost for round trip flights: $170
Once in Portland majority of the time we used Uber and Lyft to get around the breweries, but the car rental with Enterprise was definitely useful for zipping around the city and adventuring to the outskirts. I would highly recommend it!
- Total cost for car rental for the 3 days: $55
Accommodation
There are many different districts and areas in Portland that are great places to stay. Each has its own unique vibe so depends on what you are looking for. I heard some great things about Southeast Division Street so booked ourselves an AirBnb there. It’s about 15-20 minutes from downtown but walking distance to lots of restaurants, bars, and shops nearby.
- Total cost for the AirBnb: $330
Activities
Columbia River Gorge
By far the highlight of this trip is the scenic drive along the Columbia River Gorge. Located just 30 minutes from downtown Portland, the scenic drive takes you along the Columbia River with beautiful scenic lookout points and stunning waterfalls and hikes. Unfortunately when we went Multnomah Falls was closed off due to the summer fires but we were still able to see it from the freeway. This is definitely one of the most popular falls to visit so hopefully it will be open when you go!
Beacon Rock
Located on the opposite side of Multnomah Falls along the Columbia River Gorge is the massive Beacon Rock. Here you can climb 850ft up to the top of the rock for insane scenic views of the river and mountainside.
Pittock Mansion
If you are looking for a great lookout point of Mt Hood and downtown Portland this is by far the best spot. Located at the top of a hill is the Pittock Mansion. You can take a tour of the mansion but for us we just wanted to check out the view. To be honest I am not sure who Pittock even was.
Japanese Garden & Hoyt Arboretum
Just a few minutes from Pittock Mansion are the Japanese Gardens and Arboretum. Here you can see beautiful gardens and trails which takes you through hundreds of different tree species. The Japanese Gardens you have to pay a fee of $15 but the Arboretum is free to roam and walk around. I highly recommend spending more time exploring the trails of the Arboretum vs. the gardens.
Cannon Beach
If you are looking to check out the stunning Oregon Coast, Cannon Beach is only an hour and a half from downtown Portland. Unfortunately for us since we were there the end of November, rain in the forecast was inevitable so we spent majority of our excursion in the rain which made for a quick visit. For my next visit I’d love to go in the summer to check it out again when it isn’t cold, rainy, and gloomy!
Shopping
I normally don’t incorporate shopping into my travels but Oregon is one of the few states in the US that doesn’t have sales tax so I was able to get in some good Christmas shopping for friends and family. For some super cute shopping areas with restaurants and cafes in the area I’d check out Mississippi Street and Nob Hill.
Food & Dining
Pok Pok
Absolutely loved this spot and located just within walking distance of our AirBnb on Southeast Division Street. They have a massive menu of Asian fusion dishes, you won’t have any trouble finding something delicious and filling. The drinks are also very good as well.
¿Por Qué No?
If you want to take a break from shopping on Mississippi Street then it is a must to check out this cute Mexican hole in the wall restaurant. From the vibrant decor to the fresh ingredients, you really can’t go wrong here. The drinks are also very yummy!
Screen Door
If you are willing to wait, this is an excellent spot for brunch. We got there 30 minutes after opening and waited for around 30-40 minutes. They specialize in Southern Comfort food like chicken and waffles but they have other breakfast favorites like buttermilk pancakes and french toast.
http://screendoorrestaurant.com/
Bamboo Sushi – SW
After a long day and evening of beer tastings, this was the perfect spot for an excellent dinner. It’s located downtown so while we waited we walked around the downtown shops and checked out the Christmas decorations. The sushi here was SO fresh and the rolls were pretty unique and different from other sushi restaurants I have been to so I’d definitely recommend this spot if you need that sushi fix.
http://bamboosushi.com/restaurant/sw
Breweries
It’s kind of ridiculous how many breweries there are in this city. You won’t run out of places to go and can pretty much have your own brewery tour within just a couple of blocks. If the weather isn’t holding up for you there’s always a brewery available calling your name. Here is a list of the breweries we checked out:
- Grixsen Brewing Company
- Baerlic Brewing Company
- Ground Breaker Brewing Company (Gluten free beers)
- Deschutes Brewery
- 10 Barrel Brewing
- Rogue Distillery
Things We Missed
Some Portland favorites that we did miss that are high on the recommended things to check out are:
- VooDoo Donuts
- BlueStar Donuts
- Stumptown Coffee
- Salt & Straw Ice Cream
go.bo.travel 