2 Days in Portland, Oregon – What to see, do, eat

Introduction

I’ve been to Portland about 5 times now over the last 10 years.  My wife and I took the Amtrak train there last week and stayed at The Nines.  We didn’t have a car this trip, but I’ve had a car in past trips.  This post will give you options for both car and without car.  Some things you’ll notice about Portland

• it’s the hipster capital of the US
• it rains there more than Seattle but Seattle gets the bad rep
• NO SALES TAX
• the ever growing homeless population
• they love their beer

Where to Stay

You essentially want to stay in or around The Nines or somewhere in the Pearl District (essentially the area between 405 and the river.)  For points people, the most expensive but nicest option in my opinion is The Nines.  Then maybe the Westin.  The Hyatt House wasn’t open yet when I went, but I think it’s too far south.  I think the Hilton should be a solid option too.  I don’t know Marriott that well, but I did see a nice one on the waterfront while walking.  Use www.awardmapper.com to figure out which hotel works for you.  If you have a car and want to be super frugal, the Aloft by the airport isn’t too bad.  It’s about 20 minutes by car into the city.

Activities

• Shopping downtown (remember NO SALES TAX.)  There’s an LV store and a Tiffany’s!
• Woodburn Premium Outlets – The last time I went a few years ago, I didn’t buy anything, so I don’t go anymore.  This is 30 min south of the city
• Multnomah Falls – This is about 30 minutes East of the city.  Pretty cool sightseeing spot
• Wine Tours – I think Oregon is famous for their Pinot Noirs.  I did this a few years ago and thought it was more scenic than the Woodinville area in Seattle.
• Hiking – Not sure exactly where, but Google can help you.
• Portland Saturday market – Don’t be confused.  There is a farmer’s market and there is the Saturday market.  I’m not a huge fan of farmer’s markets, but this one was probably the best farmer’s market I’ve ever been to.  The quality of the wares is top notch.  I also recommend the fruit stand in the middle of the market (you’ll know it by the crowd of people.)
• Rose garden – free to walk around if you’re into roses.

• Japanese Garden ($9.50 entrance fee) – right next to rose garden.  I haven’t gone inside.
• Beer Festivals (check for dates)
• Trailblazers basketball game
• Portland Timbers soccer game

Eating

• Andina – A Peruvian restaurant that I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND.  The drinks are great.  The tapas style menu is also good.  I can’t think of one bad dish and I’ve had about a dozen over my two visits.  Make sure to RSVP ahead of time.
• Voodoo Donuts – You just have to try it.  Plus, if you don’t, people will look at you funny when you say you went to Portland but didn’t try it.
• Salt & Straw – Prepare for a 30 minute wait.  Was it worth it?  I’m not sure, but it was good though.
• Food trucks – There are food trucks everywhere.  Sorry I don’t have a direct link but find the food truck area that takes up an entire block.  A friend recommends Nong’s Khoa Mang Gai (Thai food)
• Luc Lac – Hipster Vietnamese restaurant with hip hop music in the background.  I thought it was solid.
• Fat Head’s Brewery – The wife and I were wandering around one day and picked a random brewery.  The beer was pretty good, but their hot wings were top notch (get the original BBQ flavor)
• The Nines Departures rooftop bar – The place to be seen!
• Multnomah Whiskey Library – The only reason we went here was because an episode of The Bachelor was filmed here.  I thought the drinks were okay; felt a bit too snooty for my tastes.

Conclusion

We usually drive down on Friday nights or Saturday mornings, do a little shopping and eating and drive back on Sunday afternoon.  This past visit, we took the train down and got there on Thursday afternoon and walked around all day on Friday.  By Saturday afternoon, I said to myself, “Man, this should have only been a weekend trip.  Three days is too long.”  While it felt long, we still enjoyed the trip although next time, we’ll just make it a weekend trip.