Portland Oregon is one of the coolest cities on the west coast, and with fairly cheap flights there it’s a great destination for a little weekend getaway. It’s known for its great food, hipster culture, and beautiful roses. And while you probably won’t be able to eat all the delicious and amazing food this great city has to offer in a weekend, you can certainly try, I definitely tried while I was there!

Stay

Air BNB – I love staying in Air BNB’s, it’s just a little more homey and you feel a little more like a local. We stayed in a cute little eco cottage on Hawthorne in South East Portland as well as an awesome craftsman in the Alberta Arts District. Staying in a residential neighborhood can be a lot of fun because you’ll discover restaurants and shops around you that you might not have stumble on otherwise.

Ace Hotel – If you are looking to stay downtown you can’t get any better than the Ace Hotel. I haven’t actually stayed at the Ace in Portland, but I’ve stayed at other Ace Hotels and they are awesome! The one in Portland is in the heart of downtown right near Powell’s Books, it’s got a coffee shop, restaurant, and super cute lobby to hang around in.

Itinerary for a weekend in Portland

Friday

You’ll probably be getting into town on Friday afternoon or evening so you’ll need to get checked into your accommodations and settled in. But it’s Friday night so it’s time to grab a drink and some food.

Breakside Brewery in Slabtown has awesome beers, good food, and just an all around good vibe to it. The high ceilings and open front give it an indoor/outdoor kind of feel which is great for summer. Try any and all of their locally brewed beers, as for food I had the buffalo chicken wrap and Rob had the mac’n’cheese, both were delicious!

If you are feeling a little sweet tooth after all that savory walk over to Salt and Straw for a giant ice cream cone. Their unique flavors will surprise and delight you for sure and you’ll be able to smell the waffle cones from blocks away!

Saturday

Saturday morning means brunch, and Pine State Biscuits is the place to go. Head to the Division St location for easy outdoor seating and amazing biscuit sandwiches, and don’t forget the Bloody Mary! Because what is brunch without a cocktail? Just late breakfast.

From Pine State Biscuits you can walk off your food coma by walking down to the Tilikum Bridge. You’ll get awesome views of the Willamette River and downtown from this modern pedestrian bridge. Once on the other side you can walk over to the OHSU Aerial Tram. The Aerial Tram connects two parts of the Oregon Health & Science University and is open to the public so you can hop on for $4.90 and get awesome views of the city. At the top it does feel a bit like a hospital which I’ll admit is a little weird but there’s a nice atrium that you can sit in for a minute before heading back down.

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After your tram ride head back over the bridge, you can walk or rent an orange BikeTown bike and ride over. The bright orange bikes work like Bird or Lime  Scooters, you’ll need to download the app and enter all your info, but it’s a great way to get around and biking in Portland is a lot of fun. On the other side of the bridge is Mt. Hood Brewing, it’s in a couple old train cars which is pretty rad, so grab a beer and take a little break from all that walking.

Since it’s Saturday why not make a little brewery tour of it, and hit up Baerlic Brewing Company a few blocks away for a few more local brews. Then for dinner head over to Cartopia (Hawthorne and 12th), a collection of food trucks that will have something for everyone.

If you are feeling up for some more beers you can continue your brewery tour with both Cascade Brewing Barrel House and Rogue Eastside Pub right up the street from Cartopia.

Sunday

Keeping Sunday mellow since you’ll probably be having to head home at some point, but if you have time definitely get downtown to check out Powell’s City of Books. Grab some coffee from Heart Coffee before you go perusing the many shelves of Powell’s. Going to a book store might seem like a weird tourist attraction but Powell’s is massive, and it’s fun to just wander the isle of books, we just don’t have many books stores like that around any more.

Not far from Powell’s is the famous Voodoo Doughnuts which merits a stop. Their crazy donuts are delicious, from cake donuts covered in cookie bits or Captain Crunch to their classic Voodoo Doll donut. It’s a doll shaped pastry filled with strawberry filling and a little pretzel stuck in him.

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If you have time definitely go to Por Que No? for lunch. Their tacos are awesome and everyone knows it so it can get a line. If you go early in the day for lunch the crowds aren’t bad and the lines aren’t too long. The eclectic decor and bright colors really give the space a fun and happy vibe.

Portland is an awesome city and while you could spend weeks exploring all its unique neighborhoods, packing a weekend full of good food and beer is always a good option too.

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