As a Northern California native, I grew up a short driving distance from many mountainous, stunning forested locations such as Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and the Santa Cruz Mountains, which my family visited frequently. I can't believe it's taken me this long to visit Portland, a vibrant city known for its breweries, bookstores, food, art, music, eccentricities, and incredible surrounding hikes. The entire experience, from arriving at what I can only describe as the most beautiful, peaceful airport I've ever visited, to the friendly people I met along the way, will always be such a fond memory for me and the catalyst for hopefully many more Oregon visits to come. I have been so excited to share with you all my highlights from the trip including must-sees, tips, and recommendations!
1. Multnomah Falls
The awe-inspiring Multnomah Falls is one of Oregon's most famous landmarks. It is also the tallest waterfall in the state! I was actually taken aback by how much larger the waterfall felt in person than from the photos. Multnomah drops an impressive 611 feet, 542 feet in the upper tier and 69 feet in the lower tier. Benson Bridge, the segment of bridge between the fall's two tiers, is named for a prominent Portland businessman who owned the waterfall in the early part of the 1900s. Before his death, Simon Benson gave Multnomah Falls to the City of Portland, which later transferred ownership to the USDA Forest Service (Oregon.com).
No fee or national park pass is required to enter the falls, however, you may want to think about how to get there as the falls is located about half an hour away from the city center. When I was first thinking about visiting Portland, I considered renting a car. Upon further research, I found that there were many tours that visited the falls and other surrounding hikes and waterfalls in the area. I booked the "Multnomah Zen, a Gorge waterfall hike" via Airbnb. This four-hour long excursion picks you up at a central spot in Portland, then takes you to several waterfalls and the historical Vista House before you reach the cherry-on-top, Multnomah Falls itself. The guide was so friendly and knowledgeable, plus the tour sizes are small so you really feel like you're getting an intimate, personalized experience.
2. Pittock Mansion
When I told my friends, family, and coworkers that I was planning a trip to Portland, the most popular recommendation I received was to visit Pittock Mansion. Let me tell you, this incredible work of architecture did not disappoint - and neither did the view from its perch! This Victorian-era inspired mansion was home to the Pittock Family, whose wealth was built by Henry Pittock (1834-1919). Henry was born in London, England but grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1853, when he was 19, Henry headed west on the Oregon Trail to seek his fortune. Along with becoming the newspaper publisher of The Oregonian, Henry built a financial empire out west by investing in real estate, banking, railroads, steamboats, sheep ranching, silver mining, and the paper industry (PittockMansion.org).
In the early 1900s, Henry Pittock started planning his “mansion on the hill” on property that had panoramic views of Portland, the Willamette River, and the distant Cascade Mountains (PittockMansion.org). After the family sold the house in 1958, Pittock Mansion has since been enjoyed by Portland residents and tourists alike.
What I loved most about the Mansion (other than all of the Christmas trees as I visited late November), were the fairytale-themed rooms. Scenes from Harry Potter, Beatrix Potter, Alice in Wonderland, & Cinderella filled every nook & cranny of the house with whimsical decorations.
3. Powell's City of Books
Self-described as "Portland's Most Legendary Independent Bookstore," this book-lover's paradise has several locations (including PDX!). The largest and most iconic location can be found on Burnside Steet in the Pearl District, which was a very convenient 10 minute walk from my Airbnb. This bustling location is so large (and spans several stories!) that the rooms are all color-labeled and sorted by theme - an advanced filing system that can be navigated by following this handy-dandy map. In example, you can find books on metaphysics in the purple room, history in the red room, poetry in the blue room, so on and so forth. Powell's truly is a Disneyland of books that would impress even the most scrutinizing of Belles. Here, I picked up a couple of witchy books as well as some goodies for family and friends.
4. Deschutes Brewery
Although beer wasn't the primary focus of my adventure, I could not visit Portland without experiencing one of the city's iconic breweries. To my surprise at the end of my trip, I discovered that they even have a location at the airport! While I delighted myself in a beer flight to try out the city's most iconic flavors, I also had the chance to partake in Round 2 at PDX prior to my flight home.
The food, which I'd describe as glorified bar fare, was pretty tasty as well. I had the IPA pretzel, which is honestly a must-try accompanied by a mustard and cheese sauce, as well as some very spicy wings.
5. Portland Japanese Garden
While I believe that the Japanese Garden is best visited during warmer months, the soft November light against orange and dark green foliage still revealed its own regal beauty. Along with the relaxing paths of the gardens, zigzagging around small, moss-lined streams and a gorgeous black mirror lake, there are several buildings that can be visited: a small museum, a community room ft. Japanese music and workshops, as well as a quaint tea house.
If you would like to visit the tea house (which came highly recommended by my roommate who is a big fan of the tea there), I'd highly advise making a reservation in advance as space is very limited. To find out more information on current exhibits and events as well as ticketing, please visit the garden's website.
6. Food, Glorious Food!
I had so much delicious food when I was in Oregon that I could not simply name just one place. Here is a shortlist of my favorite spots:
Blue Star Donuts -This delicious donut shop (which also has a location in PDX!) offers classic donuts in a variety of colorful and unique flavors. I fell in love with the matcha donut, which was the first thing I ate after touching down at PDX.
Tasty n Alder - What is life without brunch? I had an extremely scrumptious brunch at Tasty N Alder featuring a mimosa and fried chicken biscuit sammy. My only complaint: They don't carry espresso. So if you want a latte, you've got to go to one of Portland's massive selection of independent coffee houses.
Montesacro Pinseria - One of my favorite things in life is Neopolitana pizza, and this was 100% one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten (and I lived in Italy for 4 months, people!). The crust was bubbly and crunchy and crisp, the cheese and tomato sauce perfectly marbled... just an absolute pizza dream. This cozy tavern is an absolute gem in the Pearl District.
Kell's Irish Restaurant - When I told my roommate that I was going to Portland, the first thing she recommended was Kell's. Shea says that she eats there everytime to visits the city, so naturally, I had to try it. I'm so glad I did; Kell's Shephard's Pie is to die for! The Restaurant & Brewery also serves a selection of their own brews - the Tropical Hazy IPA and Red Ale were both solid selections.
Little Big Burger - Do you love In N Out? Do you love truffle fries? Then this is the burger shop for you! With several locations dotted throughout the city, this casual burger spot features a simple menu offering small (yet filling) burgers and truffle fries. Better yet, they serve beer AND offer proper good ol' European fry sauce.
7. The Fernie Brae
Portland is known for its vast population of Wiccans, Wizards, and friends to the fae - the beating heart of all of that may belong in The Fernie Brae: a small, magickal shoppe with a large community following. This hangout features all your typical witchy trinkets, from crystals and wands, to jewelry and art.
The unique theme of the store revolves around characters from The Dark Crystal in the form of sculptures and little figurines that hang out around the shelves. If you can find the hiding spot of one peculiar little fellow, named Twig, you can even pick a small prize out of a treasure chest. The Fernie Brae features all sorts of workshops and special events; find out more on their website here.
Thank you for dropping by to read all about my trip to Portland, Oregon! If you liked what you read here, stay tuned for my favorite experience of my entire Oregon trip, which I'm saving for later. Here's a teaser: I will give you all of the details on an enchanting hike (about 1-1.5 hours out of the city) that features more than seven stunning waterfalls.
If you have any questions about visiting Portland, feel free to comment below.
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