We just got home from a great trip to Portland, Oregon. We got super lucky for this time of year and it only rained one of the five days we were there, woohoo! We like to visit here as often as we can as my husband’s family lives there along with some good friends from when we lived there briefly too. I thought I would put together this quick travel guide of our most favorite things to do while in Portland. It really is such an awesome city and I highly recommend visiting!
Where To Eat
I am going to start with our favorite places to eat… priorities! Every time we come to Portland we are blown away by the amazing food. There is nothing like it, especially by us in San Diego. Some of our favorites include:
Portland City Grill – for the most amazing views of the city
Por Que No Taqueria – when we have withdrawals from San Diego’s Mexican food this is where we go.
Stumptown Coffee – Soooo good, especially when it’s cold and rainy! We buy this cold brew in our local store so it was fun to go to their actual shop.
Salt N Straw – the most amazing flavors of ice cream
VooDoo Donuts – because no trip to Portland is complete without a stop here
Blue Star Donuts – I have heard that these are even better, will be trying them on our next visit!
And I can’t forget about all the food trucks! There are places downtown where a whole bunch of them gather together. Every single truck I have tried has been insanely good, especially the grilled cheese one!
What To Do (With Kids)
Children’s Museum & OMSI – Both of these were big hits with my kids. So much fun and great if the weather doesn’t allow for outside activities.
Powell’s Books – This is the world’s largest independent bookstore. They turned an old warehouse into rows and rows of books. It’s astonishing to walk through the aisles. There is also a kids’ area with small tables to sit and read at. Located in the Pearl District.
Pearl District – Great place for walking around and doing some shopping. Lots of cute boutiques, vintage hotels, and coffee shops. There are also many bars, restaurants, and craft breweries.
Waterfront Park – A scenic boardwalk along the river to watch ships, see the bridges, and public art. There is a big market at the end of the path.
Multnomah Falls – A bit of a drive outside of Portland, but so worth it! My kids are able to do the walk up to the waterfall just fine. There are also a few additional falls along the road way that you can stop and visit too.
Photo Ops
Because if you didn’t take a picture, did it even happen? Ha! Here are a few places in Portland that make for a great backdrop:
Pittock Mansion – The pictures in this post with the full city in the background were all taken here. You can tour the house, but we like to come just to take in the views. It’s free to park and walk around the gardens.
“Keep Portland Weird” Sign – A mural of the unofficial mantra of the city.
I also wanted to mention one of our favorite things we did this trip, The Holiday Express train! The historic steam locomotive only runs on the weekends in December, but if you happen to be there during this time it is a must do with kids. The entire train is decorated for the holidays and runs along side the river for some amazing views. There is also a Santa that walks around the train to visit with all the kids. This is the second year we have done the train ride and both times it was the highlight of our trip!
Thank you to my good friend Brianna for the above capture! Check her out on Instagram and if you are looking for a Portland photographer, she’s your girl!
That’s all for our Portland recommendations! Do you have any favorites, especially things to do with kids? Leave them below! Like I said, we visit here quite often so I would love to add to our list for next time. Have a great week!
Also, my Nordstrom giveaway is still going on for a few more days. You can enter below:
To make your holiday shopping a little bit easier, I’ve teamed up with a group of bloggers to give you
a chance to win a $1,000 Nordstrom Gift Card!
To enter: complete the steps in the rafflecopter below. The more steps you complete,
the more entries you receive, and the better your chance at winning!
This giveaway runs until Monday, December 17th at 12am PST
Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!
*this giveaway is in no way sponsored by Nordstrom.