Last month we spent three days in Portland, Oregon. After starting out a bit rocky by missing our flight (or as Jim likes to say “processes at the airport prevented us from boarding our flight on time”), we made it there and absolutely loved exploring the city! We didn’t even scratch the surface of things to see and places to eat, but made a good dent. If you’re headed to Portland, there are some of our favorites.
STAY
We stayed at The Nines, which is located in downtown Portland near Pioneer Square. The hotel was different than many others we’ve stayed at. It has a cool artistic vibe. The Warriors happened to be staying there while in town playing the Trail Blazers. If it’s good enough for Stephen Curry, it’s good enough for us. :) Lawson loved crawling down the long hallways. I was tired after walking, I can’t imagine how much energy he used up!
EAT
I had a full list of places to try while in Portland and Blue Star Donuts was at the top of that list. It didn’t disappoint. We shared 6 of the best donuts I’ve ever had in my life. I think of them often. We went to Deschutes Brewery for dinner our first night. It was perfect for us – loud for Lawson, good food and beer flights for us (well, the beer flight was just for Jim). There are so many other spots I want to try on our next visit…Tasty & Adler, Pok Pok, Salt & Straw.
SEE
After lounging around our room on Sunday morning, which happened to be Mother’s Day, we hopped in the car and headed to the coast. It’s an hour and a half drive west of Portland. For us desert dwellers, taking in all the greenery on the drive was beautiful and a sleeping baby in the backseat was a bonus. When we got to Cannon Beach, Lawson was still sleeping so we headed south to Manzanita and Rockaway Beach. The weather was exactly how I imagine the Oregon coast – overcast and a little foggy. Cannon Beach is definitely the largest of the beach towns.
The following day, we headed to Multnomah Falls. When we were in Switzerland 3 years ago, we literally saw hundreds of waterfalls. Multnomah Falls is the closest we’ve seen to those in Switzerland since. At over 600 feet, it’s a gorgeous sight. It’s a popular destination and easily accessible, so be prepared for crowds.
SHOP
Shopping with a 1 year-old can be a challenge, but we managed to hit a few spots. Shinola, Imogene & Willie, Snow Peak, Powell’s Books and Canoe are all spots we don’t have in the Phoenix area. We bought Lawson two books at Powell’s and a bronze star for our mantel at Canoe. I love getting something that will remind us of the trip. I think about the fun we had together in Portland each time I read the books to Lawson or look at the star on our mantel.
After 3 hours awake overnight and an early morning flight, Lawson finally fell asleep on the plane with 30 minutes until we landed back in Phoenix. A tired baby is a sign of a great trip, right?!
