Things To Do
Food & Drinks in Portland
Coffee & Pastries: Tabor Bread, Keeper Coffee, Electrica Coffee, Cotta, Pipsqueak Bagels Sandwiches: The Baker's Mark, Dos Hermanos Italian Food: Ken's Artisan Pizza, Turning Peel, Gabbiano's, Montelupo Foccacceria Asian Food: Bamboo Sushi, Tomo Ramen, PaaDee, Charm Thai, Yaowarat Food Pods: Hawthorne Asylum, Lil' America, Midtown Beer Garden Dessert: Cheese & Crack (soft serve & sundaes), Lauretta Jeans (pie by the slice), Salt & Straw (ice cream), Pinolo Gelato, Kate's Vegan Ice Cream, Pip's Donuts & Chai, Fizz 'N Sip (dirty soda) Fun Bars: Hey Love, Dear Sandy, The Bellwether, The End, McMenamins, The Sports Bra Wine Tasting: Winery Lane Collective/ Sosta House (located in Beaverton - they have live local music on Fridays in the summer)
Mount Tabor & Laurelhurst Park
Two of our favorite parks in Portland and within walking distance of our home! Mt. Tabor is filled with many trails, it's a great spot to watch the sunset and if you're lucky, enjoy some live music (Wednesday nights are for Tabor Dance - more of a rave vibe and Mondays are for Curbside Serenades - more chill, local artists). Laurelhurst is a great park for hanging out in the grass or taking a walk under large trees- every Thursday night in the summer there is a Curbside Serenade (free local music), Friday nights there is free comedy in the park (we recommend packing a blanket and picnic) and on Sundays they do a silent disco!
Forest Park & Washington Park
Forest Park and Washington Park are two iconic areas in West Portland. Forest Park, which is over 5,200 acres, is one of the largest urban forests in the United States and full of several beautiful trails for hiking, walking, running. etc. It's a great way to experience the true PNW feel without actually leaving the city. Look out for banana slugs and newts! Washington Park is where you can find the Portland Japanese Garden, the International Rose Test Garden (hence Portland’s nickname “Rose City”), Hoyt Arboretum (also full of many beautiful walking & hiking trails) and the Oregon Zoo – all great spots to explore!
Leach Botanical Garden
Leach Botanical Garden is a super beautiful and tranquil garden, located in Southeast Portland. It's enjoyable all year round, filled with many native flowers and trees.
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, located in Southeast Portland, is so peaceful in the summertime; it's a great spot to admire the rhododendron blooms, cute ducklings, nutrias and bald eagles.
Pedalpalooza : Bike Summer
Rent a bike and join a bike summer event with Pedalpalooza! There's almost always some sort of themed bike event going on in the summer, both day and night.
Sports Games
Portland Pickles baseball games and Timber's (men)/ Thorn's (women) soccer games are a fun activity in the summer if you have the time to attend a game! The Pickles always have some sort of theme to get dressed up to and the soccer games are packed with a lively crowd!
Sauvie Island
Sauvie Island is a fun spot just north of Portland for going berry and flower picking. There are also live music events in the summer at Topaz Farms!
River Time
We love a good river day, especially in the heat of summer. Some of our favorite spots include George Rogers State Park (great for kayaking & paddle boarding), Estacada Lake (also great for kayaking and paddle boarding), Otto Glen Park/ Sugar Pine Drive-In (they have really good soft serve), Oxbow Park, Dodge Park, Naked Falls (WA), Dougan Falls (WA) and Lower Lewis Falls (WA).
Silver Falls State Park
Silver Falls State Park is located just outside of Salem, Oregon - there are several waterfalls to admire for different hiking levels and you can walk behind one of them, which is a super unique experience!
Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is a great day trip from the Portland area (or you can spend weeks out there, there's so much to see & do). The drive itself is absolutely beautiful, with several waterfalls along the highway (Multnomah Falls is the one we're famous for) and endless hikes for all levels. Once you get to Hood River, you can check out the cute town, hangout at the waterfront, or get in the water to go windsurfing or kayaking yourself. If you head up highway 35 towards Mt. Hood, you can follow the Fruit Loop Trail, where there are more than 30 farm stands, wineries, breweries, cideries, orchards, and lavender farms to enjoy! It's a fun day activity if you're looking to enjoy some of Oregon's best local produce and want to bring back some jams or honeys!
Mount Hood
We love our mountain!! There are several hikes and lakes on the drive up and at the top. You can make your way up from the fruit loop trail (mentioned above) or from the town of Sandy. We love Ramona Falls, the Timberline Trail, Trillium Lake, Frog Lake, Mirror Lake, Mt. Hood Meadows and Tamanawas Falls.
Oregon Coast
The entire Oregon Coast is absolutely beautiful and one of our favorite places to explore. If you want to go for a day trip, the closest spot is about 1.5 hours from the city - we recommend checking out Pacific City, Short Sands Beach, Manzanita, Cannon Beach (Crescent Beach and Indian Beach at Ecola State Park) or Astoria - there are so many hikes and great little surf spots. It would also be worth it to extend your time in Oregon to see the coast's entirety - it's truly so magical!