This is probably the best & biggest farmers market in Portland. It has so many goodies, is located on the beautiful Portland State University campus, and is a perfect place to spend your Saturday morning.
An indoor food court with a variety of different cuisines. Our favorite dumplings in the city are located here at Shanghai Dumplings.
Powell's City of Books is the largest used and new bookstore in the world, occupying an entire city block and housing approximately one million books. You could spend hours in here if you wanted.
Another market that takes place Saturday mornings, the Portland Saturday Market is less of a farmers market & more of a vendor market. It is located on the beautiful waterfront & has food trucks and live music most Saturdays.
Our favorite food truck pod to grab food at! It has over ten different food trucks, a bar, and ample seating. A good place for large groups.
There are so many great restaurants nearby to our Friday night Welcome Event if you'd like to get dinner beforehand. Below are just a few: -Life of Pie (woodfired pizzas & a few other things) -Eem (unique Thai BBQ) -XLB (known for their soup dumplings) -Matador (Mexican) -Prost! (German) -UCHU Sushi -Mee-Sen Thai Eatery -Bar Bar (great burgers) -Por Que No?
There is an outstanding amount of great breakfast places in Portland but below are a few of the most popular. Gravy: Hands down, our favorite spot to grab breakfast at is Gravy on Mississippi Ave. You will not be disappointed, but if you go before noon, be prepared to wait. A while. The good thing is that there is a ton of shops & bars on Mississippi so you can easily occupy your time while you wait! We don't recommend going here with a large group - it's a small restaurant! Pine State Biscuits: There are a few locations around Portland and they are all delicious. Again, be prepared to wait a bit if you want to dine-in. You can also call ahead & pick up your food if waiting isn't your thing. We recommend the Reggie sandwich & the Hash-ups. Mother's Bistro: If you're downtown on Saturday morning, this is where you'll find most people heading to breakfast. This place is popular for a reason! Jam on Hawthorne: Voted Portland's Best Breakfast 4 years in a row. Good for bigger groups!
We are big beer drinkers and spend many of our weekends in Portland visiting breweries! There are too many breweries in this city to even begin to list, but we thought we'd mention a few of our favorites to visit: -10 Barrel Brewing -Deschutes Brewery -Steeplejack Brewing Co. -Ex Novo Brewing Co. -Little Beast Brewing -Great Notion Brewing -Ecliptic Brewing -Breakside Brewery -Cascade Brewing Barrel House
During the month of September, head to Chapman Elementary School in Northwest Portland to see an incredible sight. One hour before sunset, thousands of Vaux’s Swifts gather overhead as they prepare to roost for the night. Migrating swifts often use chimneys as roosts (places to sleep), and they are likely to return to the same roost year after year. One population has been returning to Chapman since the 1980s, and is one of the largest known roosting sites of migrating Vaux’s Swifts. If you are in Portland an extra night or two, this is a sight to see! You can bring food & drinks and picnic on the lawn.
Considered one of the seven wonders of Oregon, Multnomah Falls is just a quick 35-minute drive east from Portland with breathtaking views and a nice hiking path if you're interested in getting some exercise! If not, just go enjoy the waterfall and snap some photos. The foliage should be great this time of year.
If you have a vehicle and an extra day or two, we love going out & spending time on the Oregon Coast. We actually got engaged while camping at Cape Lookout! Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach & Lincoln City are all fun, picturesque beach towns that you can make a day trip from Portland to.
Just a 55-min drive east of Portland, Hood River is another great city to visit if you are extending your stay and spending extra time in the area. There are kiteboarders everywhere, great breweries, wineries and restaurants, and plenty of nature to explore.