Portland
A perfect day in Portland
Portland is a great walking city with tons of public transport , an atmosphere that celebrates the arts , a culture of great food , artisan coffee , craft beer , wine and neighbourhoods full of shops with handmade clothes and crafts .
And as fantastic as Portland is to spend time in , it ’ s one of the easiest cities to spend time outside . The mountains , waterfalls , wine country and other assorted outdoor goodies Oregon is famous for are all a short drive away .
The Portland Saturday Market ( Mar-Dec , Sat-Sun ) is alongside the river and is full of local artisans , it is a perfect starting point for a leisurely walk of the city . While you ’ re in the downtown area , the Portland Art Museum has a large collection of northwest art from the 19th century to the present day .
The Pearl District is a trendy part of town which was formerly an industrial area , and is now home to boutiques , galleries , restaurants and bars . Many of which are housed in refurbished warehouses . It ’ s also home to Portland ’ s oldest brewery – with over 70 in the city , this of course means plenty of beer tastings are available at some fantastic breweries .
Next , you may want to savour the sights and scents of the oldest public rose test gardens in the USA . There are more than 8,000 roses , with the peak of the rose season late spring , but the gardens are lovely year round and have spectacular views over the city .
Our favourite places to stay :
• Hotel Rose
• Jupiter Hotel
• The Benson Hotel
Our favourite things to see and do
Breweries – Portland is home to more than 70 breweries and has been a hub for the USA craft beer scene since the 1980s . They say it ’ s the fresh ingredients like Willamette Valley hops , barley and Bull Run water that makes their beer so good . There are plenty of brewpubs , beer themed events and brewery tours – you ’ re bound to find a brew you love .
Bikes & Segways – There ’ s around 400 kilometres of bike lanes and many of them run through downtown and past popular attractions , shops and restaurants . You can hire bikes and Segways or do a guided tour that will take you around the bridges , breweries , food carts and parks of Portland as well as further afield to explore the wine country and Columbia River Gorge .
Food Trucks – Portland ’ s food truck scene is massive with over 600 in the city . They are generally grouped together in ‘ pods ’ around the city . Alder Street , Tidbit and Mississippi are a couple of great pods to visit . There are also food cart tours if you fancy a few hours sampling some delicious treats .
Powell ’ s City of Books – This is the world ’ s largest independent bookstore that takes up a whole city block . It has new releases and second hand books sharing the shelves and is a must for book worms .
Nob Hill – This is a fun area with some of the city ’ s trendiest shops and eateries . Don ’ t forget there is no sales tax in Oregon , so shopping is definitely worth considering .
Columbia River Gorge – Starting around 50 kilometres from Portland this scenic area has amazing views , more than 90 waterfalls and heaps of hiking trails .
Wine Country – Less than an hour ’ s drive is the gorgeous Willamette Valley , home to more than 250 wineries , quaint towns , rolling farmland and delicious pinot noir .
Voodoo Doughnut – There are lots of crazy ( and delicious ) doughnuts – like bacon maple walnut , Captain My Captain , Memphis Mafia and Apple Fritter . But be prepared to wait , there is often a queue just to get in the door .
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