I was in Portland, Oregon for Labor Day weekend to celebrate a friend’s gender reveal. But since that was only a few hours, I got to explore some new places in Portland that I thought I would share with you!
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you already know that I used to live there. A total of 4 years of my 20’s was spent in Portland; 2 years right out of college and 2 years after Detroit. My best friend lives there and got to stay at her new place for most of the trip, so thanks Maya & Will!
If you’re looking for things to do, places to eat or fun activities in Portland, obviously keep reading this post. In addition though, check out my first Portland post for another list of must-do things when in the City of Roses!
Eat:
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| Steak & Gorgonzola Nachos |
10 Barrel Brewing Company –Do you feel a heart attack coming just from looking at the nachos? I understand because I almost got one from eating one. No but really, it was one of the most delicious takes on nachos I’ve ever had! Like I said on my Instagram, I don’t drink beer but I love brewery food and this is why. Portland has endless amounts of breweries but this has my seal of approval along with some beer-lovers I was with. The atmosphere is great and while I was at the one in the Pearl District, there are some other locations through Oregon. Again, I’m not a beer drinker so I’m not even going to attempt to explain their beers so click here and get directed to their website.
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| Corned Beef Hash w/ Biscuits & Sausage Gravy |
Gravy – My bestie has always been an Oregonian and takes me to the best places, all the time. Located in North Portland, Gravy is one of them. Despite the 1+ hour wait, I would say the food was worth it. True to their name, they’re famous for their biscuits and gravy. I’m no biscuits and gravy connoisseur but oh my, it was delicious. The Corned Beef Hash was fantastic but a little bit too salty for my taste. Ask for the hash browns extra crispy, you know, if you’re into that. Perfect place to brunch for those who are patient enough to wait for a table and to find a parking spot.
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| Sampler Plate & Biscuits |
Hamlet –This is going to be short and sweet. We stumbled across Hamlet while walking through downtown Portland and decided to grab some light food. First of all, how adorable is their name and logo? Their specialty is prosciutto and what’s pictured is their sampler. Even though they all look the same, they taste completely different! I’m not a prosciutto expert but I probably could have ordered 3 more of those plates before I inevitably get sick, haha! These biscuits are fresh out of the oven and pairs amazingly with the meats. Hamlet also has a creative list of cocktails which I unfortunately failed to photograph so you’ll have to trust me that it was good stuff!
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| Fig Buckwheat Scone & Latte |
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| Caprese Toast |
Jola Cafe – As I mentioned, my bestie knows best. Although I’m perfectly content with Starbucks, I do love trying out different coffee places if possible. Just on the edge of downtown Portland, Jola Cafe sits in a somewhat residential area. It’s a small-ish cafe but with plenty of seating. Sure, their coffee was close to perfection but their selection of unique pastries and daily toasts? I can’t pick just one! After clogging the line spending probably way too long to choose, I ended up with the Fig Buckwheat Scone & Caprese Toast. Verdict: I still dream of that scone and wow, that pesto though.
Pine Street Market – I had a few hours for lunch before flying back home and got to spend it with one of my favorite people, Sara. Working downtown, she knew the perfect, newest and hip place with my blog in mind (so sweet!). In comes Pine Street Market. Pine Street Market is located in downtown Portland and new to the scene by a few months. Imagine a mall food court but 1,000,000,000 times cooler. There’s “tenants” that are permanently stationed there, anything from Salt & Straw Ice cream, Pizza, Ramen to Bratwursts and Israeli food. Basically it’s food heaven. If you can, go on a weekday before or after the corporate lunch rush because seating is limited.
Stay:
Marriott Waterfront Downtown Portland –For the final night of Portland, I stayed at the Marriott Waterfront downtown. I worked at a hotel less than a mile away from this hotel when I lived there and remember what it used to look like. Earlier this year, this hotel was completely renovated and my mind was blown. The lobby, the rooms and the addition of the M Club Lounge looked superb. The M Club Lounge is new to some of the renovated properties and is an exclusive lounge, open 24 hours. They serve complimentary desserts, breakfast and appetizers with a fully stocked coffee machine and fridge with juices available at anytime. I loved it! My favorite part of the hotel was the guest room. The modern design that incorporates the vibe of Portland was so classy! The backdrop of the bed is a bicycle wheel and on the walls were trunk slabs; both so Portland! The location is perfect and I highly recommend staying here when visiting Portland.
Do:
Silver Falls State Park –Located about an hour away from Portland, Silver Falls State Park is the largest state park in Oregon. As their name may suggest, their trails have 10 waterfalls throughout the 24 miles of trails. Most are walking trails but have biking and even horse trails through the park! Originally we were going to do the 13 mile loop but ended up only doing 6, visiting 9 out of the 10 waterfalls. Not too bad, right? The hike isn’t too difficult but great exercise. The beautiful waterfalls are so picturesque! Some of them you can walk behind the waterfall, as you can see in the 2nd photo. I highly, highly recommend a visit!
Biketown – Pronounced “bikey-town”, mimicking the bike sponsors, Nike. If you weren’t aware, Portland is home to the Nike Headquarters (also Adidas but that’s irrelevant right now, haha). The bike-share system that’s oh-so-popular in larger cities such as Washington D.C, Los Angeles, Boston, New York is now in Portland. This definitely didn’t exist when I lived here and I’m totally jealous. Leave it to Nike for executing this program flawlessly. It has a user-friendly app, the bike stations are everywhere and the prices are reasonable. No rental car? No problem. Just ride these bad boys through town and save some money!
International Rose Test Garden – I have a confession to make. When I worked at hotels in Portland, I would tell clients or guests, “The Rose Garden is a must! Beautiful. We’re not called the City of Roses for no reason!”. But had I ever been there myself? Nope! So to say the least, it was time to see it for myself. I’m kicking myself for not visiting any sooner! I’ve never seen that many variants of roses in one place. Did you know all roses smell differently depending on the type? There’s always that typical rose fragrance we think of, don’t we? It’s not too large of a place so make sure you stop by the Japanese Garden as well. We had no time to go but it’s on my list for next time.
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Oh, Portland. One of my favorite cities in the world. My best friends are there, my mentor from my first job out of college and so many memories. Ok, I’ll stop gushing now. Again, click here for my other post for more recommendations on restaurants, activities and fun things to do in the Portland, Oregon.
A personal thank you to Maya, Amy (her adorable dog) and her husband for hosting us for most of the stay! Can’t wait for our bestie trip to Palm Springs next month!
Next stop: Boston, Massachusetts
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I love the variety of treats that the hotel greeted you with! Looks like a cozy place. All those waterfalls at the Silver Falls State Park makes it sound like somewhere I definitely need to go to! #FlyAway#Friday
I'm hearing such AMAZING things about Portland! One of my good friends is from there and she keeps telling me I need to visit – together with this post, I'm convinced!
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest but sadly I have never been to Portland. But I'm saving this so that I can remember it when I do go. #FlyAwayFriday
OMG the nachos! I could hardly get past the nachos on this article! Wow. Worst visiting Portland just for those! And the waterfall is pretty stunning too! #FlyAwayFriday
Your recommendations sound fantastic. The food looks to die for. This is the main reason why I would love to visit the city. I like all the waterfalls in the state park.
Oh WOW! All the food photos look amazing. The Prosciutto sampler platter is making me hungry already ha! And the Silver Falls State Parks looks like a wonderful place for hiking! Thanks for sharing!
Ive been to Portland a couple of times now but still feel like I haven't seen or done much there. I definitely need to take another trip there (when the weather is nice).
Oh wow! There are so many things I want to do in that post! The food, the nature, the staying. Nice. Oregon is so on our list! 🙂
I love Portland! I actually stayed at the Marriott Waterfront a few years ago, it was so nice! And all that food looks amazing, I'm totally hungry now haha.
All the food looks so good! I love that there's a place called Hamlet – inspired.
The Silver Falls looks amazing. I love a good hike so will have to make a note in case I ever end up in Portland.
Great travel tips! Food look delicious! If ever in Portland – I know what not to miss. Thanks for sharing! #FlyAwayFriday
I just spent over a year living in Portland and it is definitely a pretty place, especially once you get outside the city. I love 10 Barrel, good food and good beer is a great combo, also I love their new rooftop patio. The best! #flyawayfriday
Hi there – I have only been through Portland once (on the Starlight Express from Seattle to San Francisco)but believe me next time I am stopping off! Looks like a great place to visit! And that food??? I have put on 3 pounds just reading about it!
#flyawayfriday
Oh gosh, another great National Park!! The waterfall pic of the Silver Falls State Park looks absolutely amazing. And the food… your photos make my mouth water 😉 Looks like I have to ad Portland to my list! Thanks for sharing! #flyawayfriday
Omg all that found looks incredible!! Especially all those biscuits and gravy haha! Looks like a fun trip and I need to go to Portland! Still haven't been!
Flo! You'll love Portland! So many beautiful places to do Yoga at, too! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by! xo
Yes! You'll definitely have to visit Portland if you haven't already! Such a beautiful and quirky place! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Where in the PNW did you grow up? Definitely visit when you can, it's a beautiful and quirky place! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Hahaha, I know the nachos were insane! You'll have to visit Portland someday! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Hi Ruth! Yes you'll have to visit Portland soon! It's not too bad of a flight up from SoCal, I think I paid less than $150 round trip for this one! Thanks for stopping by! xo
I'm hungry looking at it too! Haha! You'll have to visit Portland someday, it's beautiful and a little quirky! Thanks for stopping by! xo
That's awesome! Haha, yeah I suggest waiting until the weather is nice between May and October! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Haha yay! Glad I convinced you to visit Oregon! Portland is quirky but absolutely beautiful! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Oh that's awesome! They renovated so you'll have to check them out next time you're up there! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Haha isn't Hamlet adorable? Hope you make it out to Portland, it's beautiful and a bit quirky! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Thanks Anna! Hope you get to visit Portland someday, it's beautiful! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Hi Tracy! Yes! You'll have to visit Portland someday, it's quirky but beautiful! I think you'll enjoy it 🙂 All the food, too! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Hi Mimi! When did you live there?! We probably were there around the same time, such a small world! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Isn't the waterfall gorgeous?! Haha and of course, the food is delish up there! Hope you make it out there someday! Thanks for stopping by! xo
Whaaat you haven't been to Portland yet?! Girl, you need to! A lot of people I've met in Portland are either visiting from or moved from Denver and vice versa! I think you'll love it, especially Pheebs!! xo