We recently returned from an epic roadtrip 1,021 mile trip that included Oregon and Washington. Let me recap some of our highlights.
We flew into PDX after a short layover at Dallas Love Field (Dallas, TX). Our flight landed around 5:30 pm and after getting our bags pretty quickly (Thanks Southwest) we made our way to the short-term parking garage where we picked up our Turo. (We love Turo for car rentals!)
After getting the car we made our way into Portland, specifically The Inn at Northrup Station. In the northwest neighborhood, The Inn at Northrup Station, is a quirky, eclectic hotel. Their rooms all come with a full kitchen or kitchenette and a seating area. It was the perfect place for us to begin our adventure. Included is parking, free breakfast (pretty darn good breakfast), and daily streetcar tickets. Plus, the hotel is in a great walkable area.
After getting checked in and freshening up, we walked to Bamboo Sushi where we had reservations for 7:15 pm. This was our first meal of the trip and honestly one of our best. Our sushi was incredibly delicious and fresh, plus the restaurant staff was attentive. When we first entered Bamboo Sushi we were hit with a whiff of the most delicious smell. We later realized that this smell was waffle cones and was coming from the ice cream shop next door. When our server asked if we wanted to look over the dessert menu we all responded in unison "no" because we knew we HAD to visit the ice cream shop.
As we walked next door we realized the line for Salt & Straw was about 30 people long. We had nothing but time so we jumped to the back of line. After a 30 minute wait, it was finally our time at the counter where we were encouraged to sample their many flavors. The staff answered our questions and never rushed us along. We decided to go with the "coffee and love nuts" in a waffle cup and the "chocolate gooey brownie"in a cup to share. It was definitely worth the 30 minute wait. Without a doubt, visit Salt & Straw if you are nearby. You will not regret it!!
We started our first full day in Portland with hotel breakfast. Choices included cereal, fresh fruit, Tillamook cheese and yogurt, oatmeal, pastries, granola bars, etc. I especially enjoyed the automatic coffee machine. The coffee was delicious. Coming from Central Time Zone to Pacific Time, we woke up ready to go. After breakfast, we grabbed the car from the adjacent parking lot and headed to the International Rose Test Garden. Since the Rose Garden opens at 5am, we made this our first stop and arrived around 8am. Parking was easy and we paid using the parking app. We spent around an hour or so strolling around the garden. It claims to have over 10,000 individual rose bushes in bloom and I can certainly believe it.
After leaving the International Rose Garden, we then drove to the Upper Macleay parking lot near the Audubon Society to begin the short trek to the Witch's Castle. The Witch's Castle has some cool history, but I was most excited about finally seeing the natural beauty that Portland and Oregon has to offer. We lucked up on a parking space and started our downhill journey. The trail is very well maintained with several switchbacks. Because we were simply enjoying the scenery and the experience it took us a bit longer than a typical .5 mile downhill hike.
The path eventually evens out after crossing the Balch Creek. The path continues alongside the creek. You will eventually walk directly to the Witch's Castle....you can't miss it. At the time of our visit, the stone structure had been covered by graffiti but I think this really adds to it's character. Interestingly, the Castle was never a home for anyone but instead a public restroom for hikers.
The hike back, while uphill, was an easy trek. It was made enjoyable by the friendly people and the beauty of the trees and the creek.
After returning to the lot, we realized that the trail continued on to Pittock Mansion, which was next on our itinerary. While we wanted to continue the hike, we were afraid this would limit our time that we could spend exploring the mansion. So, we drove the short distance to the Pittock Mansion. The Pittock family occupied the Mansion beginning in 1914. The home was built with modern technology of the day and it was important to Henry Pittock that it be impressive architecturally.
We arrived at the Pittock Mansion and found a space in the parking lot that is adjacent to the Mansion. We were able to quickly purchase tickets for the self-guided tour. This home is perched high upon a hill which allows beautiful panoramic views of Portland, the Willamette River, and the distant Cascade Mountains. After touring 3 levels of the mansion (the 4th level is not accessible) we walked along the path and saw many hikers and others picnicking at the edge of the property. We all enjoyed visiting the mansion-- even our 16 year old daughter.
By this time we were starting to get hungry. Because of the time difference, we were torn if we wanted lunch or breakfast so we chose a restaurant where we could get both-- Pine St. Biscuits.
After lunch we decided to head back to the Washington Park area to tour the Japanese Garden. We were really excited because we had read that it was a very interesting place to visit. However, by the time we arrived, it was SUPER crowded. In fact, it was so crowded we couldn't find a parking space even though we circled the area for at least 45 minutes. Later, I learned there was a free shuttle that could get us there but we never saw where there was parking for the shuttle. I encourage you to do your research so you don't miss experiencing this Portland attraction.
At this point we decided to head back to the area near our hotel and we did a little shopping. There were several stores in this area that we do not have at home, so we enjoyed the shops such as Cotopaxi, Arc'teryx, Title Nine, and Like Nobody's Business. Picking up our car, we decided to head over to Voodoo Doughnut and Powell's City of Books. We were a bit underwhelmed by Voodoo. Not much to say other than I've had much better doughnuts elsewhere. There was a significant line that was managed efficiently. We were overwhelmed by Powell's City of Books. If you are not familiar, it is "the world's largest independent book store". With 3 locations, the Portland store (W. Burnside Street) is the flagship store with over 1 million books alone. If you are a book lover, this should definitely be a stop during your Portland visit.
About to run out of time in our parking spot we decided to take our car back to the hotel and ride the street car. The street car runs directly in front of the hotel and has a stop about 2 blocks away. We rode the street car to give us an opportunity to see more of the city. We got off the street car in the Pearl district and made our way to the Waterfront Park Trail. This is a smooth paved walkaway overlooking the Willamette River. After a good long walk we caught back up with the street car and made our way back to our hotel where we freshened up for dinner.
After dinner we were still in the exploring mode, so we drove 15 minutes to Mt. Tabor Park. Not real sure what to expect here, we drove through the park where we saw many cars parked. We found a parking space and decided to walk towards the people we saw standing around. As soon as we got beyond the line of the trees, we understood. We were about to experience an epic sunset. We hung out for about 15-20 minutes and saw the sun dip below the horizon. It was a great ending to a a pretty perfect day.
The Travel Gritty: There is a ton of things to do in Portland. It is an outdoor lovers paradise but also a great place for those that enjoy shopping, artwork, and great food. Portland also has a HUGE homeless population with tents all across the city.
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