Portland
THE AMERICAS · CITY · PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Portland is small, green, and unusually good at the things it cares about: coffee, beer, bread, books and bikes. Sales tax doesn't exist, the world's largest bookstore takes up a full block, and food carts cluster in gravel lots doing food better than most restaurants. Rivers split it into quadrants and the locals will tell you which one they're from within thirty seconds.
The plan
Powell's City of Books
A full city block, a million books, new and used shelved together. Allow twice as long as you planned.
Food cart pods
Prost Marketplace in Mississippi and the Hawthorne pods — a dozen kitchens in a gravel lot, most under $15.
Japanese Garden and Rose Test Garden
In Washington Park, side by side, and the garden is widely called the best outside Japan.
Columbia River Gorge
Forty minutes east for Multnomah Falls and the Historic Highway waterfall loop.
A brewery crawl
Cascade Barrel House for sours, Breakside for IPAs, Wayfinder for lagers. All rideable by bike.
Book before you fly
Multnomah Falls
A timed-use permit is required in summer for the falls corridor.
Powell's & the food carts
No booking needed for either — the two best things in the city are free to walk into.
Timberline Lodge
Mount Hood's 1937 lodge books out for winter weekends.
Getting there
Fly Portland (PDX)
Regularly voted the best airport in America, with the MAX Red Line downtown in 38 minutes for about $3.
Take the Amtrak Cascades
Three and a half hours from Seattle along the water, or the Coast Starlight from California if you have the day.
Getting around
MAX light rail, streetcars and one of the best bike networks in the US. Skip the car entirely.
When to go
Best time to go
June to September for dry, 26°C days and the gorge at its best, or October for the vineyards an hour southwest.
Cheapest months
November to March — grey and drizzly, and hotel rates fall accordingly.
If you've got one day
Morning
Powell's City of Books
Late morning
Food cart pods
Lunch
Nong's Khao Man Gai
Afternoon
Japanese Garden and Rose Test Garden
Evening
Dinner at Le Pigeon, then Columbia River Gorge
If you've got a week
Day 1
Arrive, settle in around The Hoxton Portland, and take it slowly — Nong's Khao Man Gai for dinner.
Day 2
Powell's City of Books.
Day 3
Food cart pods. Dinner at Le Pigeon.
Day 4
Day trip — Willamette Valley.
Day 5
Japanese Garden and Rose Test Garden. Ken's Artisan Bakery at some point.
Day 6
Columbia River Gorge.
Day 7
A brewery crawl. Finish with Screen Door.
Staying longer?
Nearby & day trips
Willamette Valley
An hour southwest for pinot noir and tasting rooms with no crowds.
Columbia River Gorge
Forty minutes east — waterfalls, windsurfing at Hood River, and Mount Hood beyond.
Cannon Beach
Ninety minutes to Haystack Rock and a properly wild Oregon coast.
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