City Guide: Portland
Portland is a fun and quirky city that is a quick couple hour drive from Seattle. I say quirky because almost every time I’ve gone something quirky has happened to me. For example, I was at Salt & Straw once and a women pulled out a hedgehog from her shoulder/behind her hair. Naturally this creature had a name, his name was Henry and he was in a little bag, the woman was very friendly, she offered if I wanted to pet Henry. I can honestly say nothing quite like that had ever happened to me before.
Roadtripping down to Portland in the new 2015 Lexus IS 350 F Sport.
If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram you might remember that I recently took a weekend trip down to Portland with the new 2015 Lexus IS 350 F Sport. Wow, was it a fun car to drive! Between listening to my music playlists on Spotify via Bluetooth in the car, to the sunroof and heated steering wheel, I can honestly say it was a very pleasant drive to Portland and back. In an effort to continue to share some of my favorite places in the cities I travel to, here’s my city guide to Portland.
Stay
The Heathman Hotel – A very nice place to stay in downtown Portland, you’re within walking distance of lots of shopping!
The Nines – This place is hip and swanky.
Sentinel – Pet-friendly, historic and luxurious, this is a great stay option in Portland.
Eat
Vivace – Their coffee and crepes are delicious. The street Vivace is on is filled with lots of trendy boutiques and shops, so it’s a nice place to start your morning then walk off breakfast with some tax-free shopping.
Mother’s Bistro – They have breakfast nachos on their menu!
Papa Haydn – Also located on the same street as Vivace, the pretty decor inside makes for a fancy feeling, tasty meal. You could go here for brunch, lunch, dinner or a cocktail.
Pok Pok – If you like Thai food, definitely go here, their wings especially are yummy.
Oba – I visited Oba for happy hour and was pleased with their pricing, margaritas and guacamole.
Voodoo Doughnut – I mean, this place is almost a have-to-go type of place. I recommend visiting the location on NE Davis, the line there has never been too out of control.
Fire on the Mountain – Order a basket of spicy wings, this is a solid casual spot to enjoy a delicious meal.
Salt & Straw – Ice cream, hello!
Pine State Biscuits – Seriously yummy biscuit breakfast here you guys, The Reggie is my favorite.
See
NW 23rd Avenue – This street is filled with awesome coffee spots, restaurants and shops. There are one of a kind boutiques like Sloan, there’s a MAC Store, Paper Source, Marine Layer and a Free People.
Powell’s City of Books – Whether you like books or not this is definitely a cool spot to visit and get lost in.
Pittock Mansion – Now, I haven’t been here personally but my cousin told me it’s a neat place to check out. It’s on my list of places to visit next time I’m in Portland.
Multnomah Falls – A bit of a drive from Portland proper, but it’s beautiful there and fun to hike around and explore.
Hoyt Arboretum – A beautiful place to go for a walk or hike and admire nature’s beauty.
Multnomah Whiskey Library – A really cool place to grab a drink and hang out.
Transportation
Uber – Right now I don’t believe it’s available to people in Portland (boo) but it sounds like it will be coming soon in early April according to this blog post. If you sign up for Uber using this link you’ll get a free $20 credit toward a ride, good in any city that Uber exists.
Driving my own car – This time around with the Lexus I pretty much just drove myself around from place to place. It was easy to park and walk around.
Beauty
blowout blow dry bar – it’s always nice to have a go to place in a new city to get your hair done.
