Things To Do
For the Foodies
Portland is home to some of the most incredible food options in the country. From pizza, donuts and unique restaurants, Portland is quite competitive. Here are some of our favorites that we recommend you consider: - Shalom Y'all: Some of the best Mediterranean you'll ever have. *Make a reservation. - Screen Door or Gravy: Two brunch spots but prepare yourself to wait in line. - Por Que No?: Either locations offer good vibes and tacos. A must do spot! - Salt and Straw: One of the most delicious ice cream shops with out of this world flavors like pear and blue cheese or strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper. Sampling flavors is all part of the experience. - Life of Pie Pizza or Apizza Sholls: Life of Pie has a $8 happy hour wood-fired pizza from 11 am - 6 pm and Apizza Sholls has excellent pizza and ambiance.
For the Bar Hoppers
UPSCALE SPOTS: - Scotch Lodge: High-end whisky bar. - Departure Lounge: Rooftop restaurant with Asian fusion and nice views of the city. - Bible Club PDX: A speakeasy in a quaint neighborhood called Sellwood. FUN SPOTS: - 10 Barrel Brewery: A rooftop bar near the recommended hotel in the Pearl District. - Stormbreaker and Prost: Find these two bars on Mississippi Ave with outdoor seating. - Spaceroom: A fun space themed spot with a large outdoor patio on Hawthorne Blvd. - A Roadside Attraction: A super quirky spot with eclectic decor and vibes.*CASH ONLY
For the Local Explorers
Some of the top things to do and see when visiting Portland for the first time include: - Visit iconic neighborhoods like Mississippi Avenue, Alberta Street, and Division Avenue. - Walk the many floors of Powell's Books and get a famous donut from Voodoo Donuts. - Rent Nike electric bikes and ride along the waterfront loop. Directions: Start riding at Tom McCall Waterfront Park and travel the bike lane to Tilikum Crossing Bridge. Keep riding past OMSI and cross back over the Steel Bridge until you close your loop.
For the Adventurers
HIKING: Portland has some of the most amazing hiking there is. Here are some recs depending on skill level: -Easy: the Witches Castle in Forest Park - Easy: Wahclella Falls hike. *Rental car needed. - Challenging: Eagle Creek hike. *Rental car needed. - Challenging: Angels Rest hike. *Rental car needed. - *If there is a specific hike you want a recommendation on, feel free to text Elsa. This is a very minimal list of options. DAY TRIPS: - Cannon Beach, Oregon. We recommend driving first to the Tillamook Cheese factory and then checking out Haystack Rock and the town of Cannon Beach before returning home. - Willamette Valley to enjoy some of the 900+ wineries they offer. Some of our favorite wineries include: Sokol Blosser Winery, Abbey Road Farm, Anne Annie Vineyards. You can't really go wrong though but we do recommend making reservations.
For the Maximizers
Especially for Elsa's crew, trust me, we know, the west coast is a journey to get to. Why not maximize this opportunity and explore Oregon and other nearby cities? Here are some recommendations to think on should you be interested in extending your trip! - Fly into Seattle and stay near the Pike Place Market (The Inn at the Market Hotel is a great option). You can then take the Amtrak ($30-60 pp) to Portland for our event. - Do an overnight stay in Cannon Beach, Oregon. You can explore the quaint town during the day and build a beach fire at night. Surfsand Resort or Stephanie Inn are nice hotels. The Sleepy Monk is a funky spot for coffee and other classics for Cannon Beach include the Pelican Pub and Driftwood Lounge.