One of my best friends from the east coast (who I hadn’t seen in five years!) recently moved to Portland, Oregon. So, naturally, I had to fly up and visit her since we were finally on the same coast. Neither of us had been to Portland before we had a great time exploring the city for the first time. Here are the best things to do and eat around the city!
How to Get Around
Flying in to Portland’s Airport (PDX) was a breeze! It’s easy to see why PDX was named the best domestic airport in the United States. You can definitely feel how much more relaxed this airport is than others like LAX (or maybe it’s just all the recreational weed??)
Getting to downtown Portland is pretty simple from the airport. The MAX Light Rail Red Line has a stop at the airport and connects to the city center. I used the MAX line throughout my stay in Portland and found it extremely easy to navigate. A full-day ticket cost $10.
Personally, I don’t recommend renting a car if you are only planning on staying in the city. Portland is extremely walkable and bikeable. Also, most parking structures advertised parking starting at $20/day. Uber and Lyft are popular throughout Portland as well.
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What to Do
Deciding what to do in Portland was a bit of a struggle at first since it was raining. On the first day, I asked my barista what he recommended seeing in the city. He responded that I should check out Powell’s books and then ask someone else there what I should do next…as if discovering Portland was some sort of hipster scavenger hunt that required collecting clues at each spot. Regardless, I still found plenty to do in Portland!
Powell’s Books
Do you ever dream of being surrounded by so many books that even Belle would be jealous? Well Powell’s Books is the place for you! Powell’s Books is the largest book store in the world and covers an entire city of block. Grab a coffee and stroll through their color-coded rooms with over one million books.
St. John’s Bridge
St. John’s bridge is by far my favorite of the twelve bridges in Portland. St. John’s is a steel suspension bridge that spans 2,067 ft. The bridge gets its name from its beautiful gothic arch supports. You can also go beneath the bridge to Cathedral Park
Explore Street Art
Portland has an amazing street art culture! (It may even beat out Iceland…) Unfortunately, it rained through most of my stay in Portland so I didn’t get to visit as many of the murals that I had planned on seeing. Local Adventurer has an amazing guide to Portland’s most Instagram-able street art which I definitely recommend checking out.
Take a Brewery Tour
Portland is home to over 70 breweries! Personally, I am not an avid beer drinker so this wasn’t high on our list of things to do but I have plenty of friends who recommend Brewvana. By their website they have plenty of walking, bus, and private brewery tours to choose from.
Aerial Tram
The Aerial Tram gives new meaning to getting high in Portland. The Tram travel 3,300 ft from South Waterfront to Marquam Hill and is a great way to get amazing views of Portland.
What to Eat
Donuts!
The first donut that I ate in Portland was the Apple Brandy Crumble from Blue Star Donuts (which conveniently has a location in the airport) It was absolutely heavenly and gave me complete fall vibes. The second donut that I ate was the Oreo Dirt from VooDoo Donuts. Portland has a long-standing showdown between Voodoo and Blue Star. Personally, VooDoo gets my vote. Checkout both and decide the winner for yourself!
Normally the line for VooDoo Donuts is at least an hour long. Apparently, I got lucky during my visit because I walked right in with only three people in line in front of me.
Mothers Bistro
Mother’s Bistro & Bar is a super cute and country-chic brunch spot. I ordered the London Broil Sandwich while my friend ordered the Biscuits and Gravy. Both entrees were delicious but I wished I had ordered the biscuits and gravy after tasting hers!
Portland City Grill
Is taking the tram too much for you but you still want views of Portland? Check out the Portland City Grill for a dining experience 30-floors high! Portland City Grill serves American cuisine with an Asian twist. Their happy hour is extremely affordable with draft beers starting at $5 and appetizers at $4.50.
Salt & Straw
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Salt & Straw is a local favorite for ice cream in Portland. They opened their original store in Portland, but they also have locations in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The sea salt with caramel ribbons is my favorite but it’s also worth trying their limited-edition monthly flavors.
Visiting Portland in fall was absolutely stunning. Fall is my favorite season and I was so happy to finally get to see trees changing color – something I don’t get in Los Angeles. I wish I had more time to experience outside of the city as well, especially all of the wonderful hikes and waterfalls that Oregon has to offer. Don’t worry Portland, I’ll definitely be back!
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