Funs Things To Do: Portland, OR
/Keep Portland weird....and fun.
Much like San Francisco, Portland is a city with a strong counter culture vibe, and it's also smack dab in the middle of so much beautiful geography and activity. Roughly two hours from the rugged Oregon Coast, it's very much a city...that also happens to have a large forest in its northwest section and is close by to several waterfalls and parks.
There really is something for everyone in Portland, whether you're a literature lover, outdoor adventurer, or cocktail connoisseur. Here are some fun things to do the next time you visit.
Ace Hotel
Grab a cup of exquisitely delicious Stumptown Coffee and sip it while casually hanging out in the Ace Hotel lobby.
Peruse endless shelves of books at Powell's City of Books, the largest used and new bookstore in the world.
Visit one (or a few!) of the many famous Portland food carts, like the ones at Cartlandia.
Lan Su Chinese Garden
Travel thousands of miles across the world without leaving Portland by strolling through the gorgeous Lan Su Chinese Garden or stop to smell the roses at Washington Park.
Enjoy a scrumptious brunch at Clyde Common, which has some of the best cocktails around.
Clyde Common
Alternatively, tuck into some incredible steak frites with your drink during Happy Hour at Imperial or some tasty popcorn with expertly crafted drinks at the Victorian-inspired Secret Society Lounge.
Have a car and will travel a bit? Take a hike! Multnomah Falls is about a half hour out of the city, or go into the woods of northwest Portland at Forest Park. If you're willing to travel a bit further, take a day trip out to the coast and visit Cannon Beach, a famous Goonies filming location, or snack on some cheddar at Tillamook.
Imperial
Grab a scoop at Salt & Straw, but be prepared to wait in line, this shop is popular!
And, if you must, wait in line to grab a donut from the famous Portland institution, Voodoo Doughnuts.
Voodoo Doughnuts
We arrived after our brief Alpine adventure to Munich, staying at Schiller5 Hotel, a rather great and affordable option on a side street across from the main train station in an area that is, frankly, not great. It's just a bit shabby and a bit too modern is a brutally ugly way. But needs (and budgets) must and despite the neighborhood not being utterly idyllic, the hotel itself was really nice and the staff really friendly. So if you're looking for budget, convenience to public transport (which LOL WE WILL GET TO IN A BIT), but without sacrificing quality, then Schiller5 is a good bet.
Anyways, I'm not sure what I expected of fair München. Maybe it was being based in a less historical, kind of iffy neighborhood. Maybe it was that Rothenberg, Heidelberg, and the Alps were so freaking charming and quaint, but I found myself a bit disenchanted with Munich, maybe unfairly so.