Portland, Oregon always gives us that small town vibe despite being the biggest city in the state. Plus it has some good food to boot.
How long to stay?
Excellent question! I’d say an extended weekend is enough to spend touring the city. When I first visited on my own many years ago, it was on a lengthy trip up the west coast along Highway 1 to Canada and then down the Interstate 5. On that trip, I stopped by Portland, Oregon and spent three nights in town.
Ever since that trip, I’ve hovered around three nights each time I’m in town. That has always felt like the perfect amount of time for each visit. Enough time to get a good feel for the city, leaving some stuff we’d like to do next time.
What we did in Portland
Oregon Zoo
So let me be the first to admit that I do not have any pictures of the Oregon Zoo. My father took three-year-old Char to the zoo and ended up not taking any pictures of their time there. Whoops!
On top of that, the day they ended up going to the zoo, the weather decided it was time to rain. Double whoops! That reminds me of another time we ended up at a zoo when it was raining. It’s not the most fun thing to do, especially when most of it is outdoors.
This one is on the smaller side, but it does have play areas for children and also a petting zoo. You’ll find a lot of your typical animals at this zoo. Char thought it was a nice zoo, but wasn’t as thrilled by it as she was by others. I think a large part of that was due to the weather though.
One of the nicest parts of the zoo is that it’s pretty easily accessible from anywhere in downtown Portland due to its proximity to the light rail system.
International Rose Test Garden
While you’re over by the Oregon Zoo, you might want to stop by the International Rose Test Garden. It’s free to stop by and pretty peaceful if you’re looking for something outdoors to do. You just need to take a free shuttle to give you a ride from the light rail station (Washington Park MAX Station) on up the hill to the garden.
I’ve been here before but it was both my dad’s and Char’s first time coming here. So we took our time strolling around the area, taking time to smell the roses (did not smell bad!). What made it extra peaceful was someone playing music in one of the corners of the garden. The music was so nice that even a three-year-old decided to remain quiet and bask in the harmony.
Washington Park Playground
Call it a reward for the peaceful stroll around the International Rose Test Garden, but we then went over to the Washington Park Playground next door. It’s a very short walk from the garden and another thing that’s free for all.
We spent about an hour here as Char ran around, playing hide-and-seek and acting like she was on a big ship. After a day where she was very patient with the parade and the rose garden, it was good to have her burn off her energy here.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
This is yet another activity that my dad took Char to visit without me–and again took no photos. So I have to apologize once more about the lack of picture evidence that they came here.
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a fun science-themed museum. You’re looking at ticket prices of $20/adult or $15/child to visit but note that the museum is closed on Mondays. The best feature here is all the interactive exhibits that are sure to entertain kids (and adults) of all ages.
Not everything is included with your admission ticket, as some halls will cost extra. We didn’t feel it was necessary to pay for the extras, especially with a three-year-old who was mesmerized by the regular exhibits. One of the things Char liked in particular was the water play section. If you don’t stop her, she’ll play there for an hour.
Between this and the Oregon Zoo, Char definitely preferred OMSI, but the main caveat was the weather at the zoo.
Watch a parade
I’m not sure if it’s just dumb luck, but more often than not, there is some kind of parade going on when I’m in town. This trip was no exception. If you do happen to go to a parade, you’ll want to double-check the parade route as I’ve seen them happen all over town before. Expect crowds, but we didn’t have a problem getting around with public transportation.
Our most recent time coming here together, we watched the Grand Floral Parade. This awesome parade tends to happen towards the end of spring. Char enjoyed watching the floats and musical performances as they marched by. It’s a fun way to relax for a couple of hours.
Shopping?
I’ll just bring up one last thing that makes Portland fun, at least to shopaholics. The entire state has no sales tax. That means you might want to buy some of your more expensive wares here and then bring them back home in your checked luggage. Store prices seemed marginally more reasonable than what I recalled seeing in Los Angeles, so it’s a win all around. Perhaps if you’re looking to buy an engagement ring, you should stop by Oregon and save on the tax?
White water rafting?
There’s actually no shortage of nature things to do in the city and just outside it. Many years ago, before we were married, Jenn has done some white water rafting in the area. The Willamette River flows right through the city, but many of the rafting companies will use other smaller rivers. If you’ve never been white water rafting, you’ll get a good arm workout as you navigate you and your crew along the water to your destination. It’s fun, but better with a group.
Visit the Oregon coast?
A takeaway from my soul-searching solo trip from many years ago along the Oregon coast was that Portland is about 90 minutes away from the ocean. And if you head straight along the most direct path to the water, you’ll end up right around the Tillamook cheese factory. This is actually one of my biggest regrets of that trip for not stopping in to see the factory. As such, it has been on my personal bucket list simply because I failed to stop by. Hopefully next time.
But getting back to the Oregon coast itself, it’s simply beautiful. From the low-lying bridge in Astoria down all the way to California, the Oregon coast is simply remarkable.
Where we ate in Portland
Pastini
Pastini, an Italian restaurant, was Char’s favorite. There are multiple locations and we went to the one in downtown, which was easily walkable from our hotel. They don’t accept reservations, which is fine in our case because there was no wait to be seated for our early dinner.
What set the restaurant apart was the combination of quality food and excellent service. The pastas were freshly made and the flavors were on point. The dishes did come with some freshly baked bread, which was good for soaking up the sauce afterwards. It is carb-heavy, but what do you expect from an Italian restaurant in the US?
This one hits all our needs for a nice dinner out.
Q Restaurant & Bar
Q Restaurant is a rather simple name, but the food is anything but simple. This family-owned restaurant is good for groups and located right in the downtown Portland area. I came here one evening with some friends and it overall was a good night.
The American cuisine is amplified by the friendly service, making it one of the better places I visited on this trip. I found the food to have plenty of flavor and well-balanced. I’d recommend stopping by if you haven’t been.
Reservations are recommended but not essential.
DarSalam Lazurdi
DarSalam is an Iraqi restaurant with absolutely delicious food. It’s a little bit of a walk if your hotel is in the downtown area, but not too bad of a stroll. I have to admit this was the first time I ate Iraqi food and it certainly won’t be the last. It’s similar to Mediterranean food (a personal favorite of mine), but the flavors seemed to pop a bit more here.
Not only was the food excellent, but the service was phenomenal. The family-run approach truly extends to how they treat their guests and they made us feel at home, offering samples and smiles. It might seem strange to fly to Portland simply to eat Iraqi food, but to be honest, I will be making a return to DarSalam the next time I’m in town.
Where we stayed in Portland
Hilton Downtown Portland
Having stayed at the Hilton Downtown Portland twice, I have what could best be described as a like/hate relationship with it. It’s cheap enough if you’re looking for a stay and are flexible enough to get a good price. But it lacks features that set it apart from your generic big city Hilton hotel. The food inside the hotel wasn’t all that interesting, which was a let-down. If you have food and beverage credits from elite status, your best bet might be just to drink at the bar or to get to-go snacks for the flight home.
The room is just OK. The quality of the sleep was decent enough, which works if you’re looking just for a place to sleep while out and about. If you’re going to spend considerable time inside your room, you might want to look elsewhere.
For more information on the Hilton Downtown Portland, check out our post on the hotel.
The Nines Hotel (Marriott)
Where the Hilton felt lacking, The Nines Hotel seemed to excel. I ended up staying here on my own without the family to join and it was a much more pleasant experience. (They probably wouldn’t be thrilled to hear that I gave myself the better stay without them.)
Elite recognition was quite good, with a suite upgrade provided thanks to my Marriott Titanium status and Nightly Upgrade Award. The breakfast in the hotel restaurant was also pretty delicious. Overall, I didn’t have too much negative to say about the stay. If I had to provide some negative critique, it would be the unnecessary resort fee required for your stay.
But I feel quite sure that you’ll have a good experience at The Nines if you decide to stay here.
For more information on The Nines Hotel, check out our post on the hotel.
What do you like to do in Portland, Oregon?
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