This trip was totally different than any adventure I’ve planned before. Portland has always been on my list, but the decision to go was pretty spontaneous. Regardless, buying that plane ticket was an amazing decision. It’s a trip that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I’m convinced that the best cities are built on rivers, and Portland is no exception. And can we talk about the beauty of a farmers market with a skyline view? Nothing beats it.
Portland reminded me of a bohemian version of Savannah, Georgia (but with a better food scene.) The houses are colorful and vibrant, the people are super friendly, and the city is extremely walkable. The waterfalls, lakes, crisp air, and mountain views are so beautiful. The nature in Oregon reminded me of my childhood summers spent on Lake Huron.
I chose Portland for the art, vegan food, thrift shopping, and hippie vibe, but I left Portland with so much more. Like any good adventure, I came home feeling completely revived and inspired.
I prefer to take 6-7 days to explore a city. Otherwise it’s too rushed. Having a whole week allows you to take your time, see all parts of the city, and actually enjoy your time without too much hurry.
Here’s what I did in Portland for 6 days! Hopefully it inspires your next adventure!
Day 1: Thrift shopping in SE Portland
Throughout the past several years, I’ve bought the majority of my clothes when I travel. I always research the best thrift stores, and I dedicate a day to finding unique pieces. It’s my favorite way to shop because each piece in my closet has a specific memory tied to it. This helps me avoid buying fast fashion, which goes out of style in a matter of months and isn’t great quality. Thrifting is a great way to find staple pieces that can be styled for all occasions.
Here’s a list of the thrift stores I went to, with honest reviews of each place.
Crossroads Trading
Location: 3736 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
I loved this place! The prices are what I’d expect for a thrift store. ($15-$20 for dresses) The winter jackets and sweaters were half off, so I paid $10 for a super cozy sweater. The store was very organized, and the stuff was high quality. I usually don’t care much about clothing brands, but this place had a lot of popular brands. There’s a rack of “staff picks,” which was fun to look through. Also, they had an extended return policy for Covid! The jewelry case was impressive too.
There are two locations in Portland and several stores in other cities too.
Village Merchants
Location: 4035 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202
This thrift store was exactly what I was looking for. It’s definitely my favorite on the list! The prices are AMAZING, and there’s so much to look through! There were lots of shoes, clothes, furniture, decorations, ect.
The summer shorts averaged $6! I found an ADIDAS Portland jacket for $10, and a Columbia long sleeve for $6. There’s actually a good selection, unlike many other overpriced second-hand stores. I felt like it was actually worth stopping in, and the staff was really friendly.
Buffalo Exchange
Location: 1420 SE 37th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
I’m aware that Buffalo Exchange is a chain, but I always enjoy looking through their clothes and earrings. I’ve found some great pieces at other locations, including an $8 Madewell jean skirt. In my opinion, this location was better than the NYC and Kansas City stores. It’s a really big store!
A lot of their clothes can be overpriced, BUT they run pretty good sales. The winter items were half off! It’s also possible to find other great deals. I ended up buying a beautiful sundress for $20, which is cheaper than most Target dresses.
House of Vintage
Location: 3315 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Although I found this place to be a rip off, I kept it on the list because it’s fun to look around. The store is giant, and the pieces are truly vintage. (Olympic t-shirts from the 60’s and 70’s, Nike puffer jackets, jerseys, ect.) However, everything is way overpriced. The word “vintage” usually means expensive these days. With that being said, there’s no way I’m paying $20 for a tank top I could find at GoodWill for $3.
I couldn’t shop here without feeling robbed, but the vibes were pretty fun. If you’re looking for truly vintage pieces, this might be your place.
ARTIFACT: CREATIVE RECYCLE
Location: 3630 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202
I wasn’t super impressed by the clothes here, but the Moroccan rugs and decor were cute. There's also a room in the back with furniture. The clothes gave me a “grandma prom dress” vibe, so I guess it was too hipster for me. I didn’t buy anything, but it was fun to look around. There's also some food trucks in the alley, next to the store! I'd recommend checking those out too.
Presents of Mind
Location: 3633 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
This isn’t a thrift store, but it’s a great place to stop for souvenirs! If you’re looking for Portland t-shirts, jewelry, or other cute trinkets; this is your place! I forgot to get pictures of the shop, but it's walking distance from the other places listed above.
Day 2: Pearl District, Alphabet District, Washington Park, Rose Gardens, Japanese Gardens & White Stag Sign
Portland is known for having great and public transport. It's super affordable too! I spent $5.00 on transportation for the entire day. I took the street car across the river and downtown. It reminded me of the street car in Kansas City, except with more routes. The view crossing the river was amazing too.
Pearl District
I started off exploring the Pearl District, and I could definitely tell I was downtown. There were loft apartments, restaurants, and lots of people walking their dogs. Things were pretty quiet, which I expected for a week day afternoon. After walking around the area, I decided to head to the Alphabet District.
Alphabet District
Several people recommended exploring this area, so I was excited to check it out! It's more touristy than SE Portland, but the shopping is fabulous! The local boutiques were so adorable, and the area is very walkable. There's also lots of restaurants, a popular tea shop, and a Salt and Straw location. The Street Car has several stops throughout this district too.
I stopped at a local boutique called Like Nobody's Business, where I bought this adorable backpack! It's handmade, and I've received so many compliments on it! Actually, the entire store is full of local art and hand crafted items from around the world. If you're looking for something unique to bring home with you, I recommend stopping here! The owners were extremely friendly, and they gave me some great local tips for the rest of my trip.
Like Nobody's Business Location: 904 NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97210
My second favorite shop on NW 23rd Avenue is the Hip Hound. This shop is a combination of my two favorite things: dogs + coffee. This is not a drill. It's a coffee shop located inside of a dog supply store. I definitely bought my puppy a toy and some locally made dog biscuits. My jaw actually dropped when I walked in here. I seriously love how dog-friendly Portland is. (I also might be bias because my dog obsession is out of control.)
Hip Hound Location: 610 NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97210
I didn't take many pictures of the Alphabet District because it's mostly a shopping area. But I'd recommend checking it out because it's walking distance from Washington Park, which has the Rose Gardens and Japanese Gardens.
Washington Park
Location: 4033 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR 97221
There's something so special about parks in the middle of a city. Washington Park is like the Portland version of Central Park. The Alphabet District feeds directly into this park, and it feels like you've just escaped the city. The trees are enormous, like they had been there hundreds of years. It sounds cheesy to say, but it reminded me of how small I am in the grand scheme of things. There were people jogging, walking on their lunch breaks, and meeting up with friends.
International Rose Gardens
Location: 400 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR 97205 (Inside of Washington Park)
For some reason, my expectations weren't very high for the Rose Gardens. Truthfully, I didn't realize how impressive these gardens would be. I've never seen so many roses in my entire life. Every color, size, shape... they seriously had them all. It was so calming and peaceful to roam the garden. Just when I thought I had seen them all, I stumbled upon more varieties. Surprisingly, the Rose Gardens take up 4.5 acres.
Believe it or not, there's over 10,000 rose bushes and about 650 varieties. The purpose of the garden is to showcase the, "best and newest roses available to the public."
I visited in July, so the gardens were in full bloom! The entry is free, and it's the perfect place to bring a picnic lunch. It's located on a hill, so the views are nice too. Now I understand why one of Portland's many nicknames is "the city of roses."
Japanese Gardens
Location: 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR 97205 (Inside of Washington Park)
It took me less than 5 minutes to walk from the Rose Gardens to the Japanese Gardens. I used my student ID for a discount, but the full ticket price is $16.95 for adults. It was a very tranquil experience, and there's an amazing view of the city. However, I personally don't think it was worth the money. I honestly enjoyed the Rose Gardens more, but if you're into Japanese culture, it's definitely worth visiting. The coy pond was pretty awesome too!
Portland Oregon White Stag Sign
Location: NW Couch Street, Portland, Oregon 97209
My last stop for the day was the iconic White Stag Sign. I walked from the Rose Gardens, back to the Alphabet District. From there, I took the Street Car downtown.
To be honest, I wasn't super impressed by the downtown area. It was probably my least favorite part of Portland. This is weird to admit because I'm a huge city lover, but downtown just wasn't impressive. (I got some great photos because it was golden hour though!) After exploring downtown for a bit, I headed down to the Tom McCall WaterFront Park, which is where the White Stag Sign is.
There are two ways to view the sign:
On the waterfront
On Burnside Bridge, which you can access from SW 1st avenue
This might seem obvious, but I wish I had known this before. If you follow the GPS location, it will take you to the waterfront. I'd suggest the bridge view if you're trying to get a group photo. It's also really pretty to walk across the bridge at sunset!
This was definitely a busy day! One of the reasons I love solo travel is because I can accomplish so much in one day. I definitely had over 26,000 steps this day, but it was totally worth it!
Day 3: Alberta Arts District & Boise
I'm a lover of street art (and basically all art), so I was really excited to explore the Alberta Arts District. It's located in the Vernon, Concordia and King neighborhoods, and it spans about 1.5 miles. I roamed the area and checked out the local shops, ate some Salt and Straw ice cream, and enjoyed the creative and local vibes.
I decided to rent a bike, and that's how I got around all day. I'd highly recommend using Biketown when you're in Portland. The city is very bike-friendly, and the views on the way were great. It's easy to download the Biketown app, which shows you where the closest bike stations are. (There's stations all around the city, so it's easy to switch out bikes.) It's also cheap transportation + great exercise!
After exploring the Alberta Arts District, I rode a bike to the Boise area. It's another fun neighborhood to roam around. N Mississippi Avenue has some food carts and really cute local shops. I bought some of my favorite jewelry in one of the shops here. (I wish I could remember the name of it!)
Day 4: Hiking in Corbett, Oregon
This was by far the best day of the trip. And it was all by coincidence (or in my opinion, fate.) There were 3 other girls staying at my AirBnb, and we became instant friends. They invited me join them on their day trip to Corbett, and we spent the entire day driving around the mountains in their rental car. I'll never forget that drive through the steep mountainside, listening to Avicii with the windows down. These are the moments that make you addicted to travel. (These are also the moments you almost have a heart attack because you should have rented a four-wheel drive.)
We stopped at view points, hiked to two waterfalls (including Latourell Falls), and laughed until our faces hurt. Sometimes unplanned days turn into the best ones. The hiking was so incredible. I felt like I was in a movie, and I kept having to remind myself that what I was seeing was real. The landscape and the trees were like something from Jurassic Park.
Day 5: Saturday Market & BBQ
Location: 2 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204
We started the day by heading to the Saturday Market downtown, which is in TomMcall Waterfront Park. It wasn't too lively because we went on a Sunday, but it was still fun to walk around. And I managed to find fresh mango! I'm not a huge donut fan, so I didn't feel like waiting in the long line for Voodoo Donuts. But I've heard they're super good! And they're definitely a vegan favorite. Also, the Keep Portland Weird mural is super close to Voodoo Donuts, so I'd recommend checking that out too.
After hanging out downtown for a bit, we headed back to the AirBnb. Our hosts were having a BBQ for the 4th of July, so we hung out there for the rest of the day and made sangria. It was a good time! One of my best friends also came down to hangout from Seattle, which was so fun!
Day 6: Cannon Beach & St.Johns Bridge
The last day of this trip was definitely one of my favorites. We grabbed coffee and lunch, rented a car, and headed to the coast. It took us about an hour and half to reach Cannon Beach, but it only felt like 20 minutes. The drive through the mountains was so beautiful that it should have been on my bucket list all along. We were completely surrounded by trees, jamming out to Bad Bunny's new album. I honestly didn't want the drive to end.
I've been to a lot of beaches, but Cannon Beach is it's own category. It was amazing to see Haystack Rock and the reflections of forest in the water. A lot of people had tents set up, and the dog watching was definitely a plus. It's the kind of place you could spend the whole day. We only left because the sun was going down, and we drove over St.John's Bridge on the way back to our AirBnb. St.John's bridge is located in North Portland, but it was totally worth the detour. If you have time, I'd recommend spending some time on the water front there. I've also heard there's some great food trucks in North Portland. Overall, it was a perfect way to end and incredible trip.
There are very few cities that I plan to visit more than once, but Portland is definitely one of them!
It has all the perks of a big city, with breathtaking nature surrounding it. Honestly, Oregon is easily the most beautiful state I've been to. I'd love to go back and see Multnomah Falls, Crater Lake, Mount Hood, Trillium Lake, and to do some more hiking! I definitely didn't check everything off of my list, but that just gives me a reason to visit again! My next trip to Oregon will definitely be more centered on exploring nature. I'd also love to see Mount Hood when the sunflowers are in bloom.
Thanks for reading! And let me know what you love to see and do in Oregon!
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