If you find comfort in weirdness, then Portland is your jam. Portland is a vibrant and picturesque city in Oregon that attracts a massive crowd thanks to its incredible music, art and beer scenes. Moreover, you get all branded goods cheaper than in any other city in PNW because of zero sales tax. Are you still looking for more reasons to get convinced? Then keep reading this article to get a good idea of the place and the awesome things you can do during your trip.
We visited Portland during Christmas, and as a bonus, we saw the beautiful Christmas lights, visited a unique locality known for its Christmas decor and witnessed our first snowfall of 2021. We stayed here for three days. However, you can also go on a short weekend trip and cover most of the important stuff. Here’s what we did on our three-day trip to Portland.
Day 1: Reaching Portland and Celebrating Christmas eve at the hotel
Morning
We took the 7:40 am Flixbus from Seattle (6th Ave S & S Lane St) and reached Portland around 12:30 pm. It was Christmas eve. Therefore, we decided to take it to light and enjoy the festivities. We checked in to our hotel, Embassy Suites By Hilton, to freshen up before heading out. The hotel is gorgeous, and we highly recommend staying here on your trip to Portland. Here’s a quick tour of our room at Embassy Suites By Hilton.
Afternoon
We started our day with a delicious meal at a Moroccan cafe called Kasbah, located in Pearl District. We had a brief interaction with the owners, a lovely couple who gave us a good insight into the place and their source of inspiration. The ambience and the decor were so beautiful and on-point that it felt like we got transported to Morocco. We ordered Chicken Tajine and Moroccan Mint Tea (a mandatory order, or else it feels incomplete). Both tasted so authentic and delicious. The chicken was juicy and soft and paired well with Couscous. We highly recommend dining at this cafe.
I’ve also compiled a list of all our favourite restaurants we visited in Portland. Watch the video to see the complete list of restaurants.
After a delectable meal at the Moroccan Cafe, we headed to our first stop, Lan Su Chinese Garden. A tranquil place located in the Old Town. This garden takes inspiration from the famous Ming Dynasty gardens and is one of the most authentic Chinese gardens outside of China. The garden complex has many attractions, from breathtaking stonework and architecture to a waterfall. We were here for almost 2 hours, strolling and understanding the meaning of every element within the place. We then headed to the tea house for a hot cup of Chinese tea along with a mooncake. Everything tastes so good here. Plus the view! Therefore, the tea house is a must-visit.
Evening
By evening almost everything was closed due to Christmas. Therefore, we headed back to our hotel. But before that, we made a quick stop at a famous doughnut shop in the Old Town called the Voodoo Doughnut. They are known for voodoo doll-shaped doughnuts with weird names. We bought a few from their Christmas special menu, which looked like a zombie Santa called the “Santa Claws Doll” doughnut. Plus, it tasted good, not too sweet and soft in texture.
The rest of the evening at the hotel was all about munching on free Christmas snacks, taking 100+ pictures with the tree, drinking, binging Harry Potter movies, and dipping into the hot tub for hours. Best Christmas ever! haha
View this post on Instagram
Day 2: Exploring the waterfalls of Oregon and walking around Portland
Morning
Oregon is known for its breathtaking natural beauty. Therefore, while the entire city was getting over their hangover, we tourists decided to make the most of this opportunity to explore a few waterfalls around the Columbia River Gorge. We booked a half-a-day tour group tour with Around Portland Tours via Viator.
After having a deliciously heavy breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the rendezvous point, where we met our guide, Sarah. She drove us to many waterfalls and viewpoints around the Columbia River Gorge. We started with the tallest and the most famous waterfall in Oregon, Multnomah Falls. Watching the thick stream of water dropping from 620 ft was an absolute delight. Other falls that we visited were A, B & C. You can read about our experience in detail here. You can also watch the video of our waterfall expedition below. It’s truly a visual delight!
Afternoon
After our trip ended, we headed straight for lunch at Portland City Grill. The restaurant is on the 30th floor of the U.S. Bancorp Tower, also known as the Big Pink. This restaurant is no less than an observatory, thanks to its location within the second tallest buidling in Portland. We got the best view of Portland while gulping down THE most delicious Jambalaya.
Evening
The evening was quite a hop-on and hop-off ride, exploring Christmas decor around the city. The public transit here is wonderful and reliable. I found it better than in Seattle. Our first stop was Pioneer Courthouse Square, a popular spot in the city. The square was shining bright, and the main attraction was a gigantic Christmas tree beautifully decorated with ornaments. While exploring Pioneer Courthouse Square, we came across many fascinating things, such as a signpost with many directional markers, a giant mural on the floor and an umbrella man statue.
View this post on Instagram
Next, we headed to the Portland Theatre to take pictures of the stunning signboard. It was totally worth posting on the gram! From there, we went straight to the famous Peacock Lane, a four-block street in southeast known for its elaborate Christmas decoration. You can see for yourself in this video. Our day ended with a hot Mediterranean meal from a food truck near our hotel.
Day 3: Exploring the remaining spots in the city
Morning
On this day, we planned on exploring the remaining spots of the city, so we were in no rush. After a delectable breakfast at the hotel, we had an extensive gaming session in the Game room before checking out.
Afternoon
Our first stop of the day was a holy site overlooking the city named The Grotto. It is a Catholic outdoor shrine located in Madison South. The place has two levels. The Church and the Visitor Center are on the lower level, whereas the observatory and the garden are on the upper level. We strolled around this elegantly designed garden for an hour while learning about the life of Jesus Christ through beautiful illustrations and engravings.
Evening
Next, we headed to the vibrant Hollywood District to explore the shops and the famous Hollywood Theatre. We had lunch at Sushi Chiyo, one of the top-rated Asian restaurants in the Hollywood District. The main attraction was the Sushi conveyer belt. The food was also delicious and reasonably priced. After stuffing our faces with sushi, we made a short visit to the Hawthorne neighbourhood to explore the stores before heading to the Union Station.
Overall it was a great trip, and we loved the vibe of Portland. The best part is its connectivity from Seattle. You can drive, take a bus or a train and reach here in a few hours. Therefore, it fits best as a weekend getaway destination. I hope you find this article helpful. If you have any questions about my itinerary, drop a message on Instagram, and I’ll get back to you ASAP.
3 Comments
You can definitely see your expertise within the work you write.The sector hopes for more passionate writers such as you who aren’t afraid to mention how they believe. All the time go after your heart.
Glad you liked it 🙂
Pingback: Your Ultimate Guide to Mount Hood, Oregon