How to Spend a Weekend in Portland

When first booking my trip to Portland I barely knew a thing about this city other than it has a super hipster vibe, known for coffee, and has its own tv show: Portlandia (and if you've ever seen an episode, Portland is depicted to a T). It's a cute little city that has a great vibe, super friendly people, lots of things to do and some of my favorite things all put together. Here are a few things to do in Portland Oregon after spending a weekend there.

For a city that has the most strip clubs per capita and is 420 friendly, Portland is alright in my book. But there really is so much more to Portland than that. First off getting off the plane the entire airport smelled like roses. I like this place already. Once getting to explore Portland I realized how much this city has to offer. From their markets and art fairs, 500ish food trucks to their amazing green and eco-friendly city, this place has definitely gone in the books as a must come back to.

Start of my weekend

Waking up Saturday morning to one of the most beautiful views overlooking the green scenery (let me tell you I forgot what trees with leaves looked like). Slightly rainy but still breathtaking. I stayed a mile southwest from the downtown area which was the perfect location for everything. It was a little difficult to walk downtown but only a few minutes uber drive away. First thought in my head was food, a girls' gotta eat. Initially, I headed over to food truck corner but most of them opened at 11 am, I figured I'll come back later and go explore a bit. I ended up stumbling upon a super cute juice bar named Kure. This was the perfect healthy start to a great weekend. After receiving my Honey Bee Acai Bowl I fell in love with the flavor in my mouth. I was having ice cream/dessert for breakfast! Totally felt like a happy child again.

Powells Book Store

Around the corner from Kure is world famous Powells Book Store. I was completely mesmerized when I walked in. The store is roughly two blocks in size and a few stories high, absolutely HUGE! It has about 10 different rooms, each room with different colors and book categories. I wouldn't be surprised if they kept every single book ever printed in this store. I could spend an entire day here just browsing away. They have a coffee shop inside and before you know it you've spent the entire day getting lost in the magical world of books.

Food Truck Corner

After spending some time in the bookstore I worked up a real appetite. Heading back over to food truck corner my choice of truck was Wolf and Bear. Based on recommendations from a local, I had the Sabich. The perfect pairing of healthy and hearty the eggplant-based wrapped was delicious! YUMMMMMM!

Farmers Markets

No trip to Portland is complete without going to check out a few farmers markets. There's a farmers market every day of the week, but the best is the Saturday/Sunday markets. Since it was Saturday and still fairly early I had a chance to check out two markets. Farmers Market at Portland State University and Saturday Market by Waterfront Park. PSU market was a traditional farmers market with tons of local vendors. I convinced myself I shouldn't buy anything but I did have a chance to sample a ton of great local fresh foods. Saturday Market was more of an artisan market, I felt like I was at a music festival where local vendors came to sell their work. Along with this, there was live music, people dancing, more food, and a ton of cool unique art pieces. I was totally enjoying the vibe of this market. I did scoop up a beautiful handmade necklace made from Niobium from Colorburst Studios.

Salt & Straw

Rain or shine there is always a line outside this little ice cream parlor called Salt & Straw. It's a small chain store in the Portland area that got famous after Oprah made an appearance and gave a shout out on her show. I waiting in line for about 30 minutes to try some very unique ice cream flavors. After trying some very intricate flavors I settled on the Pear with Blue Cheese and Honey Lavender. The honey lavender was super delicious but the pear and blue cheese struck me as different. Once in a while, you would get a full piece of blue cheese with the ice cream which may sound weird but totally worked. Must try if in the area.

Bring on the Hockey

5 o'clock rolled around and it was time to try to find a bar that would play the Hawks game for me. Being that it was game 6 and I'm a huge hockey fan this was a must see game for me. Boy was it difficult to find a bar that would play hockey. I'm surprised anyone knew what hockey was up there. For obvious reasons Portland bars that are more brewery like where they want you to sip and enjoy the beer not watch sports. I finally found a little soccer bar with a TV. But of course no NHL channel. What a disappointment! I did end up watching the highlights and we still won 6-3. Go Hawks!

Final Day

My second day in Portland was filled with just as much exploring as the first. Started my day with a beautiful cup of Joe from Water Avenue Coffee. A simple cappuccino goes a long way in Portland, so much flavor in just one cup, absolutely scrumptious! Lunch was followed at a little place called Tasty n Alder, can't go wrong with anything on this menu, so much flavor and character in not only the food but the spot overall. I was seated at an adorable window table which overlooked the rainy Portland streets. If you don't like the weather in Portland, wait five minutes. Once the weather cleared up I was able to spend the majority of the afternoon exploring the different neighborhoods around downtown. Making a pit stop at VooDoo Donuts and making one last stop at the Food Trucks before heading home.

Definitely a city I would come back to visit and spend some more time in.

Here are some tips for your visit to Portland:

Bring comfortable shoes: The city is extremely pedestrian friendly, you will be walking a lot.
Don't pack an umbrella: Though it rains a lot in Portland, locals don't like umbrellas. You'll stand out and look like a tourist if you bring one.
Keep Portland clean: Even with a lot of homeless people in Portland, the city is actually very clean. Be respectful of the beautiful green city and keep it clean.

Other must go places not mentioned:

The Grilled Cheese Grill
Totes Restaurant
Barista Coffee Shop
Bushwacker Cider
Alberta Arts District
Pioneer Courthouse Square
Waterfront Park

What are some of your favorite spots in Portland?

Xoxo Ania Travels 💜