Food cart pods are popular in Portland, Oregon, including the Third Avenue pod where you can try a variety of cuisines. Jonathan House for Insider Whether you’re visiting for just few days or longer, there’s always plenty to do in Portland, Oregon. Here’s a list of must-do activities according to a local to help map out your travel itinerary.
Visit Insider’s hub for travel guides, tips, and recommendations. A journalist who grew up in Portland, I’ve spent almost a decade of my career writing in this city. As a business reporter, I always hear about new openings and cool things to do around town.
Throughout the years, I’ve found my favorite spots to go to on the weekends with my husband and to show visiting family and friends. Here are my favorite activities and things to do in and around Portland that visitors should check out. Fill up on street food at food-cart pods.
There are many food-cart pods around Portland, including the Fifth Avenue Food Cart Pod downtown. Jonathan House for InsiderI often pick something up from a food-cart pod for lunch. You’ll find every neighborhood has one (or two, or three) of these spots if you walk down a thoroughfare.
They’re crowd-pleasers no matter how big or small your party is, and most have picnic-table seating areas. In the Northwest district, there’s Nob Hill Food Carts along 23rd Place and Thurman Street near Phuket Cafe. At the Nob Hill Food Carts, I usually go for Drunken Noodles or Ramen Ippo.
At Phuket Cafe, I like to order the Thai paella, but the curry is also delicious. Cartopia is at the northwest corner of Ladd’s Addition along SE Hawthorne (which also has fun shopping). I usually spring for BKK Pad Thai and sit in the beer garden.
I also recommend checking out the food-cart pods at Third Avenue and Fifth Avenue, the Portland Mercado, and the indoor food-court hall at Pine Street Market. At Pine Street Market, inside a historic horse-drawn-carriage facility, I like to pick up something from Pleasure Burger and a coffee cocktail from Pine Street Tap Room. My absolute favorite food cart in Portland is Kama’aina, a Hawaiian truck that visits different neighborhoods.
My order is the Kalua pig and edamame with garlic on the side — but the shoyu ahi tuna is a close second. Visit a cannabis dispensary. Serra Dispensary offers a variety of cannabis products for 21+ visitors.
Jonathan House for InsiderMarijuana is legal here, so visitors over 21 are welcome to check out the city’s supply of recreational greens. Many dispensaries are upscale boutiques with a luxe vibe. If you don’t like smoking, there are tons of options for edibles, vaping, dabbing, topical rubs, water-soluble oils, and more.
I recommend first-timers visit the spa-like Serra Dispensary. Gorgeous glass displays welcome guests, and friendly attendants can explain the differences between THC, CBD, and hemp, and which might be the best strain for your needs. You can also order discreet delivery from Serra.
For visitors already familiar with cannabis, Nectar, a fast-growing chain that can be found in several neighborhoods, has some of the best deals — and fun apparel, swag, and glass souvenirs to shop for. Explore Washington Park. It’s free to visit the International Rose Test Garden inside Washington Park.
Jonathan House for InsiderWashington Park is a 410-acre urban park with 40-plus miles of hiking trails designed by John Charles Olmsted, the son of Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York’s Central Park. Washington Park is home to the Oregon Zoo, the Portland Japanese Garden, and the International Rose Test Garden, which are all well worth a visit. The park is big, but you can take a free shuttle around it.
I recommend bringing a camera and spending the afternoon getting lost on an urban hike — see if you can spot the statue of Sacagawea, the amphitheater, and the arboretum. The International Rose Test Garden is free to enter and offers expansive skyline views backed by Mount Hood among rows of prize-winning roses. Nearby is the Japanese Garden, which will cost you about $20 to get in.
Adult tickets for the Oregon Zoo are about $25. You can take the shuttle between locations, so you won’t need to worry about moving your car and finding parking. See live music at the Crystal Ballroom.
The McMenamins Crystal Hotel and Ballroom. TFoxFoto/ShutterstockThe Crystal Ballroom may be one of the most iconic music venues in the city. Famous local bands have played here, and it offers numerous shows from local musicians of all genres.
The Crystal Ballroom has a dance-hall vibe with wood floors, a 21-plus section, and not much seating. For a more classical experience, visit the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Affectionately called The Schnitz, this historical theater hosts orchestra concerts; jazz, folk, and dance performances; films; and more.
Find festivals in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Bike or stroll with a riverside view at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Jonathan House for InsiderTom McCall Waterfront Park is where Portlanders celebrate the Rose Festival, the Waterfront Blues Festival, Pride, and more.
There are gorgeous cherry trees in April, and the Portland Saturday Market happens weekly from March through December. The park runs along the Willamette River, offering views of the water and bridges. Head down to this park, and chances are you’ll find a festival.
Shop in the Jade District. Pick up souvenirs from Fubonn Shopping Center in the Jade District. Jonathan House for InsiderEveryone knows about Portland’s ritzy Pearl District, but the Jade District is a gem of the city.
Head east to 82nd Avenue and Division to experience Portland’s richly diverse Asian communities, and be sure to visit the Fubonn Shopping Center, which describes itself as the largest Asian shopping center in Oregon. Visit the Goat Blocks. Sample cider from Schilling Cider House at the Goat Blocks.
Jonathan House for InsiderThe 2-acre Goat Blocks property on the east side used to be home to the urban Belmont goat herd. Now it’s a mixed-used complex with apartments, restaurants, and stores. Grab a cider from Schilling Cider House and eat at Kachka, the Russian restaurant featured on Netflix’s “Somebody Feed Phil.
” If you’d like, you can still pet the Belmont Goats at their new nonprofit home in North Portland. Peruse Powell’s Books. Browse new and used titles at Powell’s Books.
Jonathan House for InsiderPowell’s, which bills itself as the world’s largest independently owned bookstore, is a must-visit in the heart of downtown. Be prepared to get lost in there for longer than you probably anticipate. Topics and floors are color-coded (but it’s never helped me).
If you’re lucky, you’ll find the coffee shop inside. Powell’s also sells fun tchotchkes and stationary. Visit Willamette Falls.
You can take a boat ride near the falls or enjoy the water from a distance. Jonathan House for InsiderEveryone will tell you to go to Multnomah Falls (and definitely do if you have time), but Willamette Falls is a similarly great option that’s closer to Portland. Willamette Falls is in Oregon City, the official end of the Oregon Trail, about 30 miles south of Portland’s city center.
I wouldn’t swim in these treacherous falls, but I have seen kayakers bravely paddle very near the drop-off. Walk along the McLoughlin Promenade for a great view of the water, and learn more about the falls and Oregon Trail history at the nearby Museum of the Oregon Territory. You can also take the Oregon City Municipal Elevator up the bluff for an even better view of the falls.
Walk (or bike) the historical Vista Bridge. Walking and biking paths on the Vista Bridge. Jonathan House for InsiderMany people forget about the Vista Bridge because it doesn’t connect east Portland to west Portland — it connects the King’s Hill and Goose Hollow neighborhoods.
This historical bridge is both walkable and bikeable from Washington Park and the uptown area. One of the oldest bridges in the city, the Vista Bridge isn’t on the river but up in the West Hills, meaning it provides a unique view of the skyline from up above the city. End your visit at Washington Park or shopping along 23rd Avenue.
View Insider’s comprehensive guide to visiting Portland, Oregon. Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/things-to-do-in-portland-oregon
