Portland, Oregon : Things to do in Oregon
The Pacific Northwest has beautiful Autumns. This year, I decided to plan a trip to Portland, Oregon. It was beautiful and amazing.
If you are planning to go to Portland or the surrounding areas, this post is for you. I will be sharing my itinerary with you. These are things you can do in Oregon too.
For more details on the trip follow me on Instagram: @daysbymc
Summary
Duration:
We stayed for 3 full days. We flew into Portland on Monday then flew out Friday. I think you can definitely extend your stay a few more days since there’s a lot you can do there!
Getting around:
We got a rental car. They do have public transportation. Lyft and Uber is also efficient and consistent in Portland. If you can’t get a rental, I’ve heard Turo is a great app to use. (It’s like Airbnb for cars). There are also tour buses available.
Stays:
We stayed in 1 airbnb for the full trip. We stayed in Portland since that was central to all the places we wanted to visit. Portland does have a lot of hotel options too.
Other Notes:
Be mindful and respectful of the places and people there.
You can’t pump your own gas.
Itinerary:
Akasaru Ramen: Restaurant
We had dinner here the first night. The food was pretty good over all. I had the ahi tuna bowl and loved it. The chicken and braised pork was also delicious.
Silver Falls State Park: Park Website
We did the 10 falls trail which was 8 miles total. It consists of the Canyon Trail and Rim Trail. The park actually has various trails to hike so depending on your time, you can take a shorter or longer hike.
We got there around 9:30-10am and there was plenty of parking space. We stopped by the North Falls parking. There’s also the South Falls parking and other parking areas around the park. There are also camp grounds available if you wanted to camp.
If you want to go chase waterfalls, THIS PARK IS IT! You get to see huge waterfalls and walk behind them! Absolutely beautiful.
When we went all the trails to the big waterfalls were open. I know some of them were closed in the summer.
The park is about 1 hr 15 mins away from Portland.
Food Trucks:
Portland has food truck strips downtown. I recommend it for the experience. There are a lot of variety of food as well.
Shopping:
Pioneer Palace: A huge mall that has underground access to the different buildings. The layout of this shopping mall was kind of amazing.
Muji: Muji is not located in the Pioneer Palace but if you are shopping downtown, definitely stop by Muji! It’s a lifestyle clothing store that has clothes, home, coffee shop and even personalized embroidery. I love the concept of this store. It’s worth checking out!
Nau: Nau is a lifestyle atheleisure sustainable brand. Definitely check them out too!!
Kungfu Tea: Located in Pioneer Palace near the food court. Loved their boba tea!
Voodoo Doughnuts
If you’re a sweet tooth or just want a morning pick-me-up, definitely check out Voodoo Doughnuts! We all loved their donuts! They have many different flavors.
Japanese Garden: Portland Japanese Garden
We stopped by the Japanese Garden in the morning. I definitely recommend coming here early because parking may be difficult on busy days.
There are a lot of beautiful sceneries to see. It’s also located on top of a mountain so you oversee downtown Portland which is beautiful.
- Lan Su Chinese Garden: We couldn’t make it here but I’ve heard that it’s amazing! Definitely make a stop here too if you can.
Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen: Restaurant
We had lunch here. The food was delicious! You can’t miss this restaurant. Their building is a teal blue!
Mt Hood National Forest: Park
We decided to take the short hiking trail due to time. We went on the Top Spur Trail which was only a little over 2 miles total. But the view was still absolutely beautiful!
If you’re crunch on time or can’t do longer hiking trails, definitely check out this trail. The view was breathtaking.
It’s located on the north side of Mt Hood, which is closer to Portland. I know there are many trails and different parks around Mt Hood.
This trail is about 1.5 hours from Portland.
Over all, definitely stop by Mt Hood if you’re in Portland!
The Bulgogi: Restaurant
We had dinner at this Korean restaurant. It was delicious! Highly recommend this place. The food was amazing.
Cannon Beach:
We went to Cannon Beach in the morning. We wanted to catch the sunrise but we had to get gas so we missed the sunrise. The beach was still wonderful nonetheless.
Cannon Beach has hotels, local eateries, and shopping stores around the area so if you want to stay a night there, you can.
You have Ecola State Park on the right. Along the coast you see huge rocks just in the water. It’s amazing. Definitely worth stopping by!
What is a visit to Portland without visiting the infamous Multnomah Falls? It’s only a 30 minute drive from Portland and it’s along the Columbia River. The drive there is absolutely beautiful, very scenic and amazing.
Columbia River Gorge Viewpoint: Park
On your way to Multnomah Falls (or on your way back), make sure to stop by the viewpoint for another amazing view!
Vault Cocktail Lounge: website
If you’re looking for a nice place out with drinks and good food, definitely check out the Vault Cocktail Lounge. Love the atmosphere of this place—not crowded, good seating, beautiful lighting.
That sums up the list of things I did in Portland and things you can do in Oregon. This trip was another gift to me, and it was an amazing trip.
Will definitely go back one day.
Connect with me on Instagram @daysbymc