Portland: maybe not as weird as everyone says? Even though it struck us as a rather typical West Coast hipster city, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It has great food, it has interesting things to do, and it has cool outdoor attractions nearby. What more could you possibly want?
Day Trips
- Cannon Beach: You’ve likely seen photos of the scenic Cannon Beach. If you ever wondered where to see those huge rocks jutting out of the water right by the beach, the answer is about 1.5 hours outside of Portland! The Pacific Northwest tends to be chilly along the coast, so you likely won’t be able to swim aside from a couple months per year. That being said, the beach makes for an awesome day trip. Just make sure you pack a light jacket. For the best view of the coast, head over to Ecola State Park. For good parking, cross your fingers and hope for the best.
- Multnomah Falls: You can reach this waterfall by driving just 40 minutes east of Portland. Located along the Columbia River Gorge, the proximity is both a blessing and a curse. Every day, a TON of tourists come here for the views and photo opportunities. Make sure you allocate plenty of time to deal with crowds and enjoy a short hike. While in the area, you should also check out other scenic views along the Historic Columbia River Highway. Our favorites were the Bridal Veil Falls and the Vista House.
Where to Eat
- Lardo: We stumbled upon this delicious sandwich spot while walking around our hotel. The portions are massive, and they have some really unique options on the menu. We loved the ahi tuna sandwich special, the Korean Pork Shoulder sandwich, and the hush puppies. You seriously have to get the hush puppies.
- Blue Star Donuts: If Portland was a contestant on Beat Bobby Flay, its signature dish would likely be donuts. Set your health-conscious attitudes aside and enjoy these deep-fried delicacies. While Voodoo Donuts may be the most famous doughnut spot in Portland, we actually preferred Blue Star. The donuts are a bit more expensive and not as extravagant, but we thought the simple flavors were done absolutely perfectly. The OG takes the cake here.
- Voodoo Doughnut: Even though we preferred Blue Star Donuts, Voodoo would be our favorite doughnut spot in 99% of cities we’ve visited. The flavor options here are awesome, and the presentation also sets Voodoo apart. Make sure you arrive here early because lines routinely stretch out the door. We promise it is well worth the wait.
- Le Bistro Montage: Honestly, we left Le Bistro Montage a little underwhelmed because we had heard such great things about the food. Maybe it’s how much amazing Cajun food we’ve had in New Orleans and Houston, but we thought the food here was good but not great. As silly as it sounds, the highlight may have been how they wrapped the leftovers. Think balloon animals, but with aluminum foil. If you’re going to get anything here, though, we recommend one of their famous macaronis and their desserts.
- Salt & Straw: This ice cream is fantastic. Expect long lines because Salt & Straw has quite the reputation. Better yet – they have delicious vegan ice creams to accommodate dietary restrictions.
Things to Do
While we enjoyed the day trips most on our trip to Portland, there are still plenty of ways to spend your time downtown when you need a break between meals.
- International Rose Test Garden: The flowers here are beautiful. A visit to this garden will let you see dozens of varieties of roses from all over the world, and you’ll have some great photo opportunities. This park is also very dog friendly and accessible from downtown Portland.
- Comedy Shows: Portland has a number of comedy clubs downtown, but we decided to spend one night at Harvey’s Comedy Club – the city’s longest running all-comedy nightclub. They’ll occasionally get some pretty big names coming through the city, so check the schedule ahead of time if you’re a fan of stand-up.
- Craft Breweries: One of our favorite things to do on vacation is visit a city’s local craft breweries and pick up some pint glasses for our collection. Portland did not disappoint with its variety of breweries available. While in the city, we spent time at both Von Ebert Brewing and Wayfinder Beer. Out of these two, we preferred Wayfinder because of the huge patio and wide selection of beers. Wayfinder is also close to Le Bistro Montage, so you can make a night out of visiting the two spots if you’re interested.
Other Tips & Tricks
- Courtyard by Marriott Portland City Center: We love taking advantage of our Marriott points while on vacation, and Portland was no exception. The Courtyard in Portland offered a great central location and only had a modest pet fee. We definitely recommend this hotel if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option or have Marriott points to use.
- Dogs in Portland: Overall, Portland wasn’t as dog-friendly as we expected. Grass downtown was hard to come by, and we couldn’t bring Arya into any indoor locations. If you’re looking for dog-friendly activities, your best bets are the International Rose Test Garden and a day trip to either Cannon Beach or Multnomah Falls. Note that if you take your dog to Cannon Beach, you should try to keep your dog out of the water. Without getting into too much unnecessary detail, the water along the Oregon coast can get…dirty. Arya left the area with a stomach bug, so pay attention to local water advisories.
Happy traveling!
Kitrina & Jordan (& Arya)
