Portland, Oregon is perfect for a quick weekend getaway to enjoy the city and do some hiking. The weather is a chilly 40℉ during the winter months, so I went during July which has temperatures in the high 80s and low 90s. I spent 48 hours in the beautiful city of Portland and wanted to share my itinerary. Fun fact: Portland has no sales tax so get ready to shop till you drop!
Table of Contents
Day One
I arrived at the Portland Airport and rented a car to drive to the Embassy Suites, where I was staying in the heart of downtown Portland. Downtown Portland is pretty walkable city so I tried to walk as much as possible. I had lunch at Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House and had the Pub Burger with a tasty pint of American Wheat Ale. The brewery also has specialty beers that can only be found in Portland.
After lunch, I walked down the street to the amazing Powell’s City of Books. This is a new and used bookstore that spans an entire city block! There are multiple floors with different book genres at each level. Needless to say, this is heaven for any book lover.
After walking around and shopping, I walked to Bailey’s Taproom to grab another pint. This is a small, relaxed taproom with board games and I chose a hefeweizen that they had on tap and sat outside to people watch. For dinner that night I went to the Pine Street Market, which is a food hall with different food vendors! I grabbed a slice of pizza at Checkerboard Pizza since I wanted to save room for dessert at Voodoo Doughnut up the street! I had to wait in a small line outside before getting into Voodoo Doughnut.
Later that night I went to Ground Kontrol, which is a vintage video game and pinball arcade housed in a two-story building. They have two full bars and serve light meals.
Day Two
For breakfast on day 2 I went to a boutique coffee shop called Upper Left Roasters. I had a tasty latte and avocado toast. I needed a quick breakfast as today was my big hiking day.
I drove 24 miles outside of Portland to Vista House off of the Historic Columbia River Highway. The Vista House is a beautiful overlook of the Columbia River and mountains. I then drove 8 miles up the highway to the Latourell Falls Trailhead and hiked the Latourell Falls Loop. The Loop is an easy 2.4 mile hike to the amazing Latourell Falls. Remember to bring lots of water and snacks as food options are not available.
After hiking Latourell Falls, I drove another 6 miles up Historic Columbia River Highway to Multnomah Falls. During the summer months, Multnomah Falls is packed with tourists. It’s a quick and easy walk up a paved path to the Falls. There are accommodations and a restaurant at the Multnomah Falls Lodge. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and reservations are a must when booking.
After driving back to Portland, I stopped by Cascade Brewing Barrel House to grab an ice-cold pint of beer. It is a small brewery where locals frequent and they are known for their sour beers and inviting atmosphere. After Cascade, I went to Lucky Labrador Brew Pub to grab dinner. I had their pulled pork sandwich with a pint of Bavarian Crystal Weizen. This brew pub is in a large building with a long bar and picnic tables.
After dinner I went to the Multnomah Whiskey Library. This is a hidden speakeasy, vintage bar where reservations are required. If you are not a part of their membership, it costs $25 a person for a reservation. It seems a bit peculiar but worth the experience! The first floor of the building is The Green Room and the second floor is The Library. The Green Room is a low-key bar and sitting area to grab a drink or wait for your reservations for The Library. The Library features over 1,500 spirits that are stored on beautiful built-in bookshelves. When making your reservations you have the option to sit on vintage furniture, sit at the bar, or sit on long library tables. I chose the vintage furniture seating and we were seated on a gorgeous cabriole sofa. The cocktail menu is extremely intimidating but I ultimately went with a glass of the Chandon Brut Rosé. The Multnomah Whiskey Library is an amazing experience, especially for whiskey lovers!
Day Three
I went back to the Upper Left Roasters for breakfast since I needed to make my way toward the Portland airport. Just two miles outside of downtown is the beautiful Washington Park and Japanese Garden. Washington Park is a 400-acre park that features the Oregon Zoo and rose garden. I went to the International Rose Test Garden, which is located within Washington Park. Admission is free and it features 10,000 rose bushes of 650 different varieties. It was beautiful walking among the roses.
After strolling through the gardens, I went to the Portland Japanese Garden. Admission is $16.95 to enter the gardens and the price may seem steep but I would recommend it if you have time to explore the Japanese Garden.
The Portland airport is only 10.5 miles away so I had plenty of time to explore the gardens before my flight departed.
There is so much to see and do in Portland in just 48 hours!
Until next time,
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