Portland has always been one of those cities I wanted to visit. While I didn’t know too much about it, something about the vibe of the city really drew me in. Portland is full of hipsters and “outsiders” which makes the city so unique and I wanted to experience that. Except I only had a weekend to do it. So here are my pointers for how to get the most out of Portland in just one weekend:
Where to stay
So I stayed at both an Airbnb and a hotel, and I recommend both for very different reasons!
The Airbnb I stayed at was close to the areas I wanted to hike in (check out “Where to adventure” below) and when I looked at their pics on their profile I immediately fell in love. It is such a quirky spot with chickens and goats, yet a very nice little cabin to stay in. It even has an outdoor shower!! If you want something unique, this is your spot.
After that, I stayed at Jupiter Hotel in Portland. If you want the full Portland experience, look no further. The hotel basically looks like they took a motel and turned it into a super hipster hotel and they totally pulled it off. They even have packages you can choose from to be delivered to your room that just SCREAM Portland (like a craft beer package or even a 420 package). It’s also close to tons of great restaurants, breweries and even the little-known Voodoo Too.
Where to eat
There are only two types of food you need to focus on in Portland –
- FOOD TRUCKS
They are everywhere. There is every kind of food you can think of. I saw so many trucks of foods I haven’t even tried yet (and I like to think I’ve been a little adventurous). And everything is super authentic.
This is a must. You will hear this from everyone that’s been to Portland. You want donuts with Fruit Loops on top? They have them. You want a blunt shaped donut? They have that, too. And they are all delicious.
Where to drink
I can honestly say I was not disappointed at a single brewery I went to. Every brewery had delicious beer that would work for all tastes. I loved trying different flights. However, if I had to choose I would say my favorite was Base Camp Brewing Company.
Where to adventure
It was a little chilly when we were in Portland (and overcast), so we didn’t get to do a ton of hiking. But the hiking we did do was BREATHTAKING. I truly fell in love with the views of cliffs into the river with waterfalls falling straight down and moss covered trees and stones everywhere. It was beautiful.
The top places to hike to in my opinion are:
Vista House – A great place for views of the mountains and rivers. This is a great place to start your hike and get some beautiful pictures.
Latourell Falls – A super easy hike (I don’t even know if you can call it a hike) from where you park. Immediately, before you even start the hike, you have an amazing view of the falls that reach so high and are so beautiful. Then it’s a quick hike up to some great viewpoints or a quick hike down to the base of the falls and over a cute bridge as you get misted. It was awesome.
While you won’t get to see everything in Portland in a weekend, you can definitely get a good taste! Let me know if there is anywhere else you would like a weekend guide for!
