I absolutely love Portland. It is honestly one of my favorite cities in the US and Oregon is easily one of the most beautiful states. Besides being an awesome jumping off point for discovering the pacific northwest, the city of Portland has a lot to offer visitors as well. Despite being a relatively young city, it has a fascinating history, amazing food culture and no sales tax! If you find yourself in Stumptown, follow my itinerary for your best day in Portland 🙂
Morning
Start your day off right by heading to Hunnymilk for brunch. Hunnymilk is a permanent pop-up brunch spot serving up an amazing deal. For $22, you get to choose one of the sweet dishes, one of the savory dishes and a drink. When I went, I got the ribs and grits and the french toast. My boyfriend ordered baked eggs and waffles. We split both. Everything was delicious, with huge portions, so don’t feel bad if you take some home in a box, they give boxes to almost everyone. One tip: try to make it at opening (9 AM). They have some trouble turning tables. If you don’t make it, they have plenty of games and books set out to keep you entertained.
After brunch, walk three block west to Heart Coffee Roasters for a mocha. They have really good latte art, and the coffee quality is very high. Note: this stop is optional if you aren’t as addicted to caffeine as I am.
Make your way to the far west of Portland, up to Pittock mansion for the best views of the city. The mansion charges an entrance fee, but allows you to walk the grounds. Also, Pittock mansion is technically in Forest Park and there is a very nice trail if you want to walk to the house. We drove to the top. Maybe if we had gotten to Hunnymilk earlier we would have had time for the hike.
History Lesson: Henry Pittock, owner of the mansion arrived in Portland in 1853 penniless. He got a job working at a publication called the Oregonian for a man named Thomas Dryer. Dryer was not much of a businessman. He was frequently unable to pay Pittock. When Dryer left Portland for a role in Lincoln’s administration, he gifted the Oregonian to Pittock as reimbursement for unpaid wages. Despite fierce competition, Pittock was able to rise the Oregonian ahead of alternative dailies by organizing an expensive system to retrieve news of the civil war before his competitors. It was through this system that the Oregonian was the first in Portland to report the news of Lincoln’s assassination!
Just a short ways from the mansion is the Portland Japanese Garden in Washington Park. This is an absolute must. I have only been in the Autumn (a week after The Maple had shed its leaves) and it was absolutely gorgeous. Please not that I think this is a three season activity. It was stunning with Autumn colors, but I am just not sure how pleasant it would be to wander around in the winter time.
Just across the street from the entrance of the Japanese Garden is the International Rose Test Garden. Spend a little bit of time wandering through. My boyfriend and I spent about fifteen minutes wandering the grounds, and I think this is enough time for most people. It was nice to see it, especially considering you can enter for free, but I think it is probably a better experience in the summer or spring.
History Lesson: Citizens of Portland proposed The International Rose Test Garden in 1917. Even before the existence of this garden, Portland already had the nickname: City of Roses. Between this nickname and the willing volunteers, the garden soon became a reality. During World War II, the president of Portland’s Rose Society petitioned to save hybrid roses from Europe. Countries around the world sent their hybrid roses and the people of Portland considered the project a success. Today the garden features 4.5 acres with views of Mount Hood and the Cascades.
Afternoon
Once you are finished with Washington Park, head into the central part of Portland. Our first stop in downtown will be Powell’s City of Books. The building occupies an entire city block and is a book lover’s paradise. This bookstore is so large that I was lost for ten minutes trying to find the bathroom. There are so many interesting rooms full of books in this store, but the real crown jewel is the rare books room on the top floor. If you are a collector, and even if you are not, this is a very cool room. The oldest book was published in the fifteenth century. The most valuable book carries a price tag of over $300,000 (not on display).
History Lesson: Walter Powell founded Powell’s books in 1971. After not being offered a lease renewal, Walter’s son Michael came to Portland to help his father find the current location of the headquarters. Powell’s City of Books grew to its current size after an expansion in 1999. They claim to be the largest new and used bookstore in the world. The bookstore purchases 3,000 books (new and used) every day.
After you are done exploring Powell’s, head to the Lan Su Chinese Garden in the Pearl district. Though small, maintenance of the park is meticulous. The $10 entry fee may sounds steep, but I think it is well worth it. When I was there, there was a floral arrangement festival going on, so they were offering all the guests sparkling wine, which in a shocking turn of events, I declined. The park is small. Take your time to explore the nooks and crannies. Every corner of the park contains secrets.
At this time, if you are starting to feel hungry, make your way to Blue Star Donuts for a snack. Perhaps this is a controversial suggestion, after all, Portland is pretty famous for Voodoo Doughnuts. Before my trip, three separate people advised me to avoid Voodoo and opt for Blue Star. I thought this was an odd suggestion. I had been to Portland previously and I actually enjoyed my doughnut from Voodoo. But this time I decided to try something new, and I think Blue Star has better doughnuts. Or at least, they are more up my alley.
If you are not super hungry, but could go for some coffee, I suggest heading to Barista in the Pearl District. I actually did not go there. I let Yelp convince me to go somewhere else and it was a mistake. From everything I have heard, Barista has great coffee, an unpretentious atmosphere, and fantastic latte art. If you are not planning on leaving the central part of Portland, definitely opt for Barista.
Evening
After your late afternoon snack, make your way to Kells Irish Pub. This is the meeting point of Portland’s haunted brewery crawl. I understand that ghost tours are not everyone’s cup of tea, but this was actually the best I have ever been on. The history of the city is really interesting. Many of the stories told on this tour covered both “normal” history, and the darker side of history. The tour starts in a smoking lounge in the old Shanghai Tunnels. You get to enjoy a flight of beers, then head outside for a walking tour. At the end you return to another restaurant/pub where you get another flight of beers. Besides just being a very insightful tour, it was also one of the scariest ghost tours I have ever been on. The final trip into the tunnels left the entire group on edge, even after six beers!
History Lesson: Originally built after a great flood in Portland, the Old Portland Underground, better known as the Shanghai Tunnels, still span much of Old Town and Chinatown in Portland. They were constructed to move items from the shores of the Willamette into town, but quickly became a hotbed for drug smuggling and human trafficking. Today, the tunnels are mostly privately owned or filled in.
Finish your evening with dinner at Han Oak. Han Oak is a Korean food adventure lead by Peter Cho. Peter Cho’s playful style allows his restaurant to sometimes be a prix-fixe menu, and other times a dinner-party style evening of noodles and dumplings. I did not actually eat at Han Oak, but it is at the top of my list when I return. While in Portland, I ate at Coquine and Pok Pok, which are both excellent options. Han Oak had been on my radar before my trip. I heard good things about it while I was there also. It is definitely a place you need a reservation for on the weekend. When I looked at reservations about a week before my trip, the earliest time on a Sunday was 9:30!
Absolutely lovely! I can’t wait to go.