This park is free to enter, and you can wander around breathing in the lovely aromas of roses in bloom. This is one of the most popular things to do in Portland, so depending on the time of year and day of the week, it can get quite crowded.
We visited these gardens just a couple months after returning from Japan , so our expectations were high. The gardens are truly stunning and made us wonder if we had been transported over the Pacific Ocean back to Japan!
Open year-round, these gardens are gorgeous during each season and make a nice morning or afternoon activity to escape the city and find Zen. More information: A limited number of tickets are available for daily admission. Alternative: There is a smaller and lesser-known Lan Su Chinese Garden located in Chinatown that looks beautiful as well.
Portland is well-known for lots of green space and one of the top dog-friendly cities in the USA. There are plenty of city parks to choose from whether you have a furry friend or not. If you want to be immersed in nature without going far from the city, Forest Park is the perfect place to cure your nature cravings. Not only is Mill Ends Park the smallest park in Portland, but it is the smallest in the world!
A narrow strip of green on the riverfront, this park is nice for a stroll, people watching, picnicking, or all of the above. Japanese American Historical Plaza: Located at the north end of the park, this area has cherry blossom trees, which bloom in the spring months.
This is Mill Ends Park described above. The exterior of the mansion is sandstone, and the interior has been preserved to look as it did when Henry Pittock, a successful newspaper publisher, and his family moved into this spacious home in Take a tour of this historic home while visiting Portland. Open daily with limited ticket sales.
Just behind the Pittock Mansion is one of the best views in Portland. Come at sunset for a really impressive sight. Stock up on locally-grown produce and explore the rows of vendors selling artisan goods. Or if crafts are more your thing, check out the Portland Saturday Market , which is right on the river.
This event takes place every couple of months and would be cool to check out if your dates line up! Yes, this is exactly what it sounds like. A gathering of trucks serving up tasty food! Alder Food Truck Pod: This is one of the largest food truck pods in the city and has relocated from its Alder Street location to the south side of the North Blocks Park. But beware, many of these food trucks are only open for lunch, and some are closed on weekends. Hawthorne Asylum: One of the most recently-opened food truck pods in the city, as the name implies, Hawthorne Asylum sits on what used to be the grounds of a mental hospital.
But unlike the name implies, the food is far from creepy. There is an awning, a communal fireplace, and a covered area, making this a good choice to grab a bite any time of the year.
Our recommendation: We liked the chicken and potato curry from the Guyanese stand. The owner is very nice and was offering multiple! Cartlandia: More than 30 different carts serving up cuisines from all over the world! Pine Street Market: While not a food truck pod, this indoor food court gives you the variety that food trucks do without having to brave being outdoors on a rainy day.
Photos and Links to come. I did an Airbnb Experience in Bali where I learned how to make my very own mala necklace. I got to hang out with a local and make something special to take home with me. A win for everyone. But let me tell you, Portland is not one of these cities. For example, have you ever wanted to learn how to make pottery? Or what about stained glass? Silver Rings? Indigo-dyed wall hangings? You can do all of those things while in Portland!
Bonus: Let us know which one you choose and how it was! The Marquam Hill Ranch is not too far outside of Portland, and is a fun stop to pair with some winery visits in the area. McMenamins Crystal Ballroom: This popular venue is really fun and has a spring-loaded floor so if everyone jumps at the same time the floor will bounce.
They also have house-brewed beers and other beverages for sale. We really liked the size of this venue — not too big, not too small — Goldilocks style! Fun Fact: A fun piece of Oregonian trivia is that you might see the name McMenamins around the city and state! This is a family-owned conglomerate of entertainment venues, pubs, craft beverage makers, and hotels. And a lot of the time, they meld all of these aspects into their venues.
Get your giggle on for a guaranteed good time! Portland has quite a few comedy clubs to choose from:. If you want to partake in smoking or eating! Recreational marijuana use is legal in Oregon and neighboring Washington and California , and there are many dispensaries around the state. They tend to be very helpful in getting the right product for you. Legal note: By Oregon Law, you cannot consume or smoke weed out in public or in an automobile, even if it is parked.
If you are just visiting Portland, your best bet would be to go to a private establishment where is it legal to consume or smoke cannabis. Portland, unsurprisingly, has a lot of street art.
This neighborhood is situated north of the Mississippi neighborhood, and runs east to west. Insider Tip: There is artwork everywhere, but one mural that is particularly beautiful is on the La Bonita building a Mexican restaurant. Our advice is to park on one end of NE Alberta Street and walk the length of the commercial area.
As the name implies, this event takes place during the last Thursdays of June, July and August, from 6 — 9 p. If you really want to experience the weirdness that is Portland, we assume this is the place to go. Check out the Google reviews and website to see if this is a stop you want to put on your list. If you want a super fun night out, why not catch a performance at the venue with the longest-running Drag Show on the west coast!
We were also told by a local that the food barbecue is really good and even the top shelf whiskeys are reasonably priced. Come for some live music and craft cocktails! We stopped here for a cocktail and snack tater tots! When it comes to beverages — beer, wine, liquor — Portland does it well.
And coffee is no exception. There are just too many cute locally owned shops to pass them by. Nearly every corner has a cute coffee shop, so stop in and get your caffeine fix before a day of exploring.
Or better yet, seek out a cute coffee shop where you can sit for a bit and enjoy your handcrafted nut milk latte out of a mug and watch the world go by. We kind of love escape rooms! Are we good at them? And there are weirdly a lot of escape rooms in Portland. Just keep in mind, too many people becomes chaotic, but too few is kind of difficult. Interesting Portland Fact: If you look at the edge of the sidewalks, you might see metal rings every so often. These were once used as places people could tie up their horses.
When the city was going through modern construction, they started to remove these rings only to be met with public outrage. There is now a law that if you build a new sidewalk, the original rings must be put back in place once the job is done.
If Portland is known for hipsters and tree-huggers, Forest Park is their sanctuary. At the southernmost tip of the Tualatin Mountain Range, Forest Park offers plenty of nature and an excellent escape from the city.
Portland has a never-ending variety of very, very good restaurants. With so much competition, establishments need to be really high quality to keep up, or do something so unique that they stand out from the crowded restaurant space.
There is also quite a variety of cuisines from around the world. Portland really is a foodie paradise. There would be no way for us to make a truly comprehensive list of restaurants in Portland, as new ones are popping up all the time.
However, we made a list of some that we have enjoyed or people have recommended to us. Grassa: unassuming Italian place with handmade pasta in a quick and casual atmosphere.
That way, when we are looking for a place to eat, we can open our map and see what is near us. It also is a good way to look up reviews for places you walk past. The best choice is going to vary from person to person based on your interests, itinerary, and whether or not you have a car. Mississippi Neighborhood: Our personal favorite place to stay, this neighborhood is eclectic and fun.
Alberta Arts District: This neighborhood is quirky and fun with lots of boutiques and cute cafes. Portland has a number of cute boutique hotels and affordable Airbnb properties to choose from. Self check-into this modern small house that is steps away from restaurants and bars. Oregon Zoo first opened in when a private collector of animals decided to donate them to the City of Portland. There are approximately 1, animals to see in the zoo ranging across species.
One of recent successes has been the breeding of new African Elephants which are always popular with park guests. Pittock Mansion is sat in the hills to the west of Portland and it is a beautiful home that is absolutely worth a visit. The Mansion was built in as the home of Henry Pittock and his wife.
The mansion has 46 rooms and sits within 46 acres of land. The property is now owned by the city of Oregon. The mansion was opened to the public in and approximately 80,00 people visit each year. The property sits at 1, feet above sea level making it fantastic for bird watching.
Portland is twined with Suzhou in the Jiangsu province of China, Suzhou is famous for its Ming Dynasty Gardens which are incredibly beautiful.
The garden is walled and once you are inside you feel like you have left the United States and been transported into China. You can explore Chinese Culture, their way of thinking and their history. It is situated in the center of downtown and is approximately 40, square foot. The square has many cool features and places for friends to hang out. There is an outdoor chess table, and a fountain that looks like a cascading waterfall.
In the middle of the square there is an area that looks like an amphitheatre. It is a semi-circle shape and has 24 steps that people use as seats when there is a live performance. When you walk through the square you will notice that the bricks you are walking on have the names of people on them. Forest Park is just outside Portland in the Tualatin Mountains. The park stretches for 8 miles and is one of the largest urban forest reserves in the United States. The total area covered is more than 5, acres and has over 70 miles of trails for people to explore.
The walks are beautiful and cater to a variety of abilities, meaning there is something suitable for everyone. A lot of the area overlooks the Willamette River making the walk even more scenic. The Japanese Garden in Portland should be on every visitors list. It stretches out over five and a half acres and is split into five very distinct areas. The thinking behind the Japanese garden is that one should feel peace, harmony and tranquillity when they enter.
Japanese gardens have a lot of culture and history to them. As you move from one area to another the feeling of tranquility follows you. Many hours can be spent exploring the garden and admiring the beautiful ponds, trees and bridges. The park is very popular amongst active types with many people coming here to jog, walk, skateboard and cycle. You can also get a great view of the boats from within the park which makes it extremely popular with people from the city who like to come in their lunch breaks.
There are five separate zones within the park to explore, The Esplanade is the walkway along the river. The Bowl is a grassy area that often gets used for concerts.
There are so many activities to get involved with that your children will be begging to come back again. There is the Building Bridgetown where children get to learn about construction whilst of course getting hands-on. There is a garage to play in, a grocery store and bistro where you can plan a meal and then make it.
If your children love nature then they will enjoy the Outdoor Adventure that really helps to connect them with nature. The museum has a host of permanent exhibits as well as several changing ones. Ready to launch the ultimate Oregon road trip? Start by exploring all the best things to do in Portland.
Got time to plan out what to do in Portland? Settle in with this complete guide to the best places to visit in Portland, Oregon. Got more travel plans on the horizon? Located in sprawling Washington Park, the 4. The International Rose Test Garden is open all year round.
To see the roses at their finest, try to visit between May and September. The rose bloom usually hits its peak in June. Portland is famous for its greenery. Draped over Northwest Portland, the over 5,acre park is one of the biggest urban forests in the world. Forest Park is crisscrossed by more than 70 miles of trails, crawling northwest from the city.
The two hiking trails are the most easily accessible from the Portland city center. The striking French Renaissance-style mansion dates back to Pittock Mansion comprises 46 rooms spread across 16, square feet.
On a clear day, you can even see as far as Mount Hood, 70 miles to the east. The lovely Washington Park is a wonderful consolation prize. Just 20 minutes from downtown via light rail, the acre city park is easily accessible with public transportation. The acre zoo is home to more than 1, animals spanning species. Got time while visiting Washington Park? Even in a city famous for its parks, this urban oasis is a standout and one of the top points of interest in Portland.
To many, the public garden represents the finest Japanese landscape outside of Japan. In the 5. The urban park is a favorite gathering spot for Portlanders to take a load off during the day. Pioneer Courthouse Square is a popular spot to chill throughout the year. The square is at its most exciting, though, during the festival seasons as hundreds of events roll in.
Visiting in December?
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