Many of us dream of a west coast trip. Feeling the sun on your skin, driving down the stunning highways, and dipping your toes into the warmth of the Pacific Ocean – all of these experiences feature highly on countless bucket lists. But we will look at a place a little more north than the usual west coast trip destinations.
Forget about the golden beaches of California for a moment and venture with us towards the border with Canada. Not quite as far as Seattle, you will find the unique city of Portland, Oregon. Known for its sense of weird, incredible food trucks, and sports teams that feature on mytopsportsbooks.com, this place has to be seen to be believed.
Even though Portland has gained quite the reputation as one of the must-see places out west now, plenty of people still don’t know enough about the city – and what to see and do there. We will put that right by telling you about a place you will never forget.
Hike in Forest Park
You will soon discover that any trip to Portland will never be long enough. The good thing is that it gives you more than enough reasons to keep returning. But we recommend some activities for that all-important first trip to this most incredible of cities.
It says something about this unique place: one of the most important things to do in the city is get out into the local nature. Located on the northwestern edge of town, Forest Park is 5,000 acres of incredible greenery, with hiking and biking trails suitable for all experience levels.
Try the Best Donuts in the World
After all that exercise and communing with nature you will want to give yourself a treat – and what better way to treat yourself than with donuts? Luckily, Portland is well known for its culinary delights and donuts are a specialty around these parts.
You can take your pick from countless donut establishments – and there is even a walking tour if you don’t want to miss out on what’s new – but a visit to Voodoo Donuts is essential. Its incredible creations virtually put Portland on the donut map and the place is a much-loved fixture of the city.
Try All the Food You Can
But why stop at just donuts? Make sure you don’t fill up completely on those sugary delights, as Portland is known for its food establishments – of all types. You can discover the different areas of town, specializing in their forms of cuisine, or wander around checking out whatever takes your fancy.
But, even if you are more of a Michelin-star restaurant type, you should take some time to explore the incredible food truck tradition in Portland. You can find them everywhere in the city and they cater for every taste and culinary desire – all at a very agreeable price.
Marvel at the Gardens
One of the things we like to do in every city we visit is to take time to walk around and explore. Portland has an incredibly interesting mix of architectural influences, but we suggest that you visit two of the most serene gardens you will ever find anywhere.
Portland is known as the Rose City and the International Rose Test Garden is the place to go if you want to experience floral beauty. Over 100,000 rose bushes are here and plenty of events to keep you interested. You can follow that up with a trip to the nearby Japanese Garden to find that feeling of Zen.
Check Out the Microbreweries
If foodies love Portland, Oregon, there is no doubt that anyone who loves a tipple will also find this city the place to be. Craft beers and microbreweries can be found in just about every town and city, but Portland was one of the first to embrace different and local ways of making beer.
Portland has more breweries than anywhere else in the country, and they know exactly what their visitors want. Many operate their own tours if you want to see how everything is made. But you can also grab a bite to eat at virtually all of them as you try out the local, independent specialties.
Catch a Game at Providence Park
Although there are no NFL teams in Portland, the Trail Blazers NBA team is worth supporting if you want some sports action as part of your trip. But if you are after a truly unique experience that just screams “Portland,” you should try to get a ticket for a soccer game at Providence Park.
Portland is regarded as one of the homes of US soccer and the Timbers Army fans behind their team at Providence Park are more like European or South American supporters than you might expect from US devotees. Tickets are hard to come by but the Portland Thorns, the women’s soccer team, also play at the stadium.
Keep Portland Weird
Whatever you decide to do during your first trip to Portland, you can be guaranteed two things: You will want to return as soon as possible, and you will be utterly taken in by the unique sense of fun and living that this place exudes.
The city’s motto is “Keep Portland Weird,” and the people and places here certainly give off that vibe. Portland, Oregon, is like nowhere else in the country, and once you have visited, you will undoubtedly have been bitten by that weird bug, too.
