Portland, Oregon
Portland was part of a West Coast road trip in February 2022 — a few nights at the Courtyard downtown, paired with a stay down in Santa Cruz as we worked our way up the coast.
Our experience
We fell for Portland's quirky, green, food-obsessed character: a walkable central city, an enormous independent bookstore, hundreds of food carts, and an outdoorsy spirit with forests, rivers, and gardens close at hand.
Even in the winter drizzle, the city's coffee shops, breweries, bookstores, and leafy neighborhoods made for cozy, characterful days in one of the Pacific Northwest's most distinctive cities.
Portland is nicknamed the "City of Roses" and is home to the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. It's also home to Powell's City of Books, the famous independent bookstore occupying an entire city block.
Must-sees and must-dos
- Powell's City of Books — explore Portland's legendary independent bookstore, packed with new and used books across an enormous downtown space.
- Washington Park — spend time among some of Portland's best-known green spaces and attractions, including the International Rose Test Garden and Portland Japanese Garden.
- Food carts & pods — sample one of the city's signature dining experiences. Portland has more than 500 food carts, many grouped into pods where you can try several cuisines in one stop.
- Downtown & the Pearl District — wander central Portland for shops, restaurants, galleries, breweries, and some of the city's best-known urban neighborhoods.
- Multnomah Falls & Columbia River Gorge — make the trip east of Portland for one of Oregon's most famous waterfalls and the spectacular scenery of the Columbia River Gorge.
- Forest Park — escape into Portland's huge urban forest for hiking and wooded trails without traveling far from the city.
Our pro tip
We'd embrace Portland's walkable central neighborhoods — stay downtown or around the Pearl District and combine walking with public transit.
Pack a rain layer if you're visiting during the wetter months, and leave plenty of time for Powell's and the food carts rather than trying to rush through them.
For a classic trip outside the city, check this Columbia Gorge Waterfall Afternoon Tour on Klook, which departs from Portland and includes the Columbia River Gorge, Historic Columbia River Highway, and Multnomah Falls.
For a longer outing, check this Hood-Columbia Loop Day Tour on Klook, combining Mount Hood, Hood River Valley, the Columbia River Gorge, and Multnomah Falls.