Things To Do
KARA AND PETER'S RECOMMENDED ITINERARIES
Have a day to spend at the Coast or the Gorge? Want to explore a specific neighborhood? Have a few hours to hike or swim? We put together 10 itineraries for how to spend a perfect day doing any of the above!
The Oregon Coast -- Cannon Beach and Manzanita
The Oregon Coast is stunning. Our favorite beach towns are Cannon Beach and Manzanita. Both are within two hours of Portland. If you're in Cannon Beach, make sure to check out Ecola Seafood Market for the best fish and chips, Haystack Rock for tidepooling around low tide, and Ecola State Park for a great hike. If you're in Manzanita, explore the 7-mile long beach, pop into the Rusty Moose for a fantastic cocktail, and check out some classic beach town charm. The coast is often windy -- be sure to pack a jacket regardless of the forecast.
The Columbia River Gorge
The Gorge spans the Columbia River, which divides Oregon and Washington. It's breathtaking and is one of our favorite spots for hikes, sightseeing, and great food. Some of our favorite hikes are Angel's Landing, Cape Horn, and Eagle Creek. Dog Mountain is another favorite but can be a challenge! There are two great towns in the Gorge with wonderful food to complement a hard hike. Cascade Locks is about 45 minutes from Portland and hosts breweries, ice cream, and views of the Bridge of the Gods. Hood River is our favorite town and is about an hour and twenty minutes from Portland. It offers fantastic views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, really great food, and plenty of cool shops to poke around in. Our favorite restaurants include Pfreim, Full Sail, and Boda's Kitchen. Hood River is also the start of the "Fruit Loop" -- a great driving loop through orchards and farms. Hood River Lavender and Gorge Crest Winery are fun stops. If you're spending the night, we love the Hood River Hotel.
Mt. Hood
We often joke with our East Coast friends that the mountains out East aren't real. For those folks, this is a great chance to explore a "real" mountain and see what we've been harping about. Mt. Hood is one of our favorite places to hike, swim, and eat. One of our favorite hikes is Tom, Dick, and Harry Mountain, which is about an hour from Portland. If you're spending the night -- a great choice -- we'd recommend either an AirBnB in Government Camp or a stay at Timberline Lodge. Timberline is stunning and one of our favorite historic places in Oregon. Government Camp is the classic Mt. Hood mountain town, complete with a brewery, pizza shop, and bakery. You can't go wrong!
Wine Country
Oregon has fantastic wine and a beautiful wine country. You can put together a great day of wine tasting! Most wineries are within a half hour of each other and fall between Newberg and McMinnville. Our favorites include Sokol Blosser, Stoller, and Fairsing. Make reservations! Dundee and McMinnville have plenty of great lunch stops, including the Red Hills Market, McMenamins Hotel, and La Rambla.
Silver Falls State Park and Silverton
Silver Falls is one of our favorite hikes that's close to Portland. It offers a low-elevation 7-mile loop with 10(!) waterfalls along the way. Some have swimming access at the bottom, which is great on a hot day. Stopping in Silverton for lunch after makes a for a great day trip.
Portland Activities -- Indoor
Portland has fun places tucked in every corner. Portland is (mostly) laid out in quadrants, each of which features great neighborhoods with fun, independent shops and things to do. Here are some of our favorites: - Powell's City of Books. The largest independent bookstore in the country! You can spend hours here. - Independent movie theaters. Portland has great quirky movie theaters. Our favorites are the Baghdad (SE), Cinema 21 (NW), and Living Room Theater (Downtown). - Portland Art Museum. A really wonderful museum that often boasts great exhibits. - The Edgefield. A beautiful old hotel, pitch-n-putt golf course, and restaurant. Fun place to spend the night! - NW 23rd, SE Hawthorne, N Mississippi, NE Alberta, and SE Division. Quintessential neighborhood streets full of great food, shops, and opportunities to poke around.
Portland Activities -- Outdoor
Portland in the summer is hard to beat. Enjoy the beautiful weather at some of our favorite things to do outside in the city. - Forest Park (NW). One of the largest urban forests in the country and our very favorite place to walk and run. Park at the Leif Erickson trailhead on Thurman Street and explore either the Leif Erikson or Wildwood trails. - Berry picking (Sauvie Island). An Oregon classic! U-pick berries vary by season. Our favorite farms to explore are Topaz Farms, Sue's Blueberries, and Bella Organic Farms. - Rose Garden. Did you know that Portland is the City of Roses? Check out some good ones at the Rose Garden and enjoy the great city views. - Mt. Tabor (SE). Hike up a real volcano! It's a short hike but a fun one. Good views! - Hoyt Arboretum. Beautiful trees and trails! - Portland Thorns/Timbers. Soccer is big here, see if you can catch a game at Providence Park! Check SeatGeek for tickets. Go Rose City! - Farmers Markets. Our Favorite is the PSU Wed/Sat Market!
Portland Restaurants
Portland has too many great restaurants to keep track of. It also has great breweries! Here are some of our favorites! - Yalla (SW). Wonderful Mediterranean dinner. Make a reservation. - Jam on Hawthorne (SE). Our favorite brunch spot. Long line on the weekend, but worth it. - The Screen Door (NW, SE). Our other favorite brunch spot, but great for dinner too. Southern! Long line pretty much all the time, worth it. - Grand Central Bakery (all over PDX). Really great bakeries. - Dough Zone (SW). Very fun dumpling house. - Pambiche (NE). Wonderful Cuban food, fun cocktails! - Por Que No (N, SE). Great Mexican food! - Cartopia (SE). Really fun food cart pod. Favorite: Chicken N Guns. - St. Honore (NW). Wonderful French bakery, yum. - Thai food. Portland has fantastic Thai food. Favorites are Thai Peacock, Tara Thai, and Jade. - The Lucky Lab (SW, SE, NW). Dive bar esque Pizza. - The Slammer (SE). Kara's favorite bar, a real dive.