Day 1- My partner and I, along with another couple, flew into PDX on a Saturday to kick off our trip! We all love craft beer and the outdoors, so Oregon seemed like the perfect place for a vacation. Walking through the airport, we all took note of the famous PDX carpet! I was eager to try some Stumptown coffee, so we stopped by the stand in the airport for some caffeine to kick off our trip.
We grabbed an Uber and headed to our Airbnb, in the cute little hipster neighborhood Alberta. We then went to check out a brewery close by, Great Notion Brewing, for some flights. After, we headed to the iconic Powell's Books to peruse the many shelves of new/used books and novelty items. Definitely a must do in Portland! Afterward, we headed to Voodoo Doughnut for a delicious sweet treat. While we were in that area, we stopped by the neon White Stag sign, and miraculously arrived just as it lit up. We hung out for a bit as it grew darker, watching the sign sparkle intermittently and taking some photos. By then, we were ready for some dinner, and headed over to Deschutes for some good food and beer. Afterward, we went to one of the infamous McMenimans bars, the Crystal Ballroom. We enjoyed some swanky cocktails and jazz music before Ubering back to our Airbnb in Alberta and wrapping up our first day.
Day 2- We began our day with a hearty breakfast at Pine State Biscuits in Alberta- HIGHLY recommend. We enjoyed delicious biscuit sandwiches (mine had fried chicken topped with cheese and apple butter) and crispy hash browns. With our stomachs full, we headed over to the International Rose Test Garden to admire some blooms. It was a gorgeous day to walk through the rows of roses and admire the various types. Afterward, we rented scooters and scooted down to the Portland Saturday Market, a farmers market that is very deserving of the hype. We enjoyed perusing the food and craft vendors before heading to the Pine Street Market (a neat little food hall) for lunch. Our next destination was Distillery Row for some locally-distilled spirits- we got a passport for $20 that got us a free tasting at each distillery. There are many grouped nearby so you can pop into whichever suits your fancy. Wild Roots was our favorite, and we came home with some of their marionberry vodka! On the recommendation from a staff member who did one of our tastings, we ended up at Tilt in the Pearl District for dinner, where we enjoyed burgers and cheddar-stuffed tots. Afterwards, we managed to find our dessert stomachs for ice cream at Salt and Straw in Alberta, where you can find the most unique flavors you've ever seen! You can sample as many flavors as you like. I ended up choosing the blue cheese and pear flavor- absolutley delicious. We walked back to our Airbnb to relax after another successful day in Portland.
Day 3- We grabbed breakfast at the Tin Shed Garden Cafe in Alberta. Very cozy and delicious- it gets crowded fast, so be prepared to go early or wait! After filling up, we picked up our rental car and began our drive out to Bend. On our way, we detoured to stop and see Multnomah Falls, where we walked up on the iconic bridge and enjoyed the gorgeous waterfall.
Brilliant itinerary! I went to Portland in November and it just rained all the time :(
Can't go wrong with a combo like nature and beer!