5 Tips for a Weekend Trip to Portland, OR
Sometimes you have a long weekend or the next reading break coming up and you just want to get out of town, see something new, something different. That’s how I felt about Easter this year. With no family here in Canada that I could spend the holidays with, I decided to call up some friends and go on a road trip to Portland, Oregon. And let me tell you why this was an absolutely amazing decision:
1. Mississippi Street
This is a lovely street with little shops for visits during the day but especially bars to come back to in the evening. It’s talked about as one of the hippest streets in town right now!
2. Mill Ends Park: the world’s smallest park
Yes, you read that right. Just Google it and you will see, it’s in Portland (actually, I’ll tell you: It’s on SW Taylor St).
It’s so tiny that it’s hard for one person to stand in there, never mind four.
3. Food truck corner(s)
You will see food trucks sprinkled all around town but most of them are organised in small groups, called “pods”. And there’ll be a truck for every cuisine you can image — Mexican, Chinese, Vietnamese, vegan or, yeah, traditionally German.
I tried to look up which one of the bigger pods we might have visited (because I don’t remember the street name anymore, sorry) but there are just too many. However, they all sound incredible, so just choose one!
4. Powell’s Books
Another amazing Portlandian thing that you shouldn’t miss: 7 crazy huge rooms filled with books about every topic that you can imagine. The endless shelves at Powell’s offer so much to explore that it becomes pretty hard to settle on one book (or two, or three…)! It’s located at 1005 W Burnside Street.
5. NW 23rd Avenue
This street is the perfect place for a relaxed stroll to explore all the little, amazing shops and cozy cafes. Many of the shops you will find here are uniquely Portlandian or just special in general, like the Himalayan Arts & Handicraft Store (818 NW 23rd Ave) that brings over all kinds of beautiful, playful things.
I also really liked Tender Loving Empire (525 NW 23rd Ave), which is a record label and an artsy shop all in one. It’s perfect to discover new, local music and to get some unique Portland postcards you won’t find anywhere else! And when it’s getting late, enjoy the lights in the trees all along the street with a Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper or Pear & Blue Cheese or classic Chocolate Gooey Brownie ice cream in your hand from Salt & Straw (838 NW 23rd Ave). The perfect end to an exciting weekend trip!
