Ever since my first visit a couple years ago, Oregon had stolen my heart. There’s mountains, ocean, and everything in between within about a 50 mile span. Pretty perfect if you ask me. I would love to live in the Pacific Northwest at some time in my life. I often hear it calling my name from 2,200 miles away. Yeah, the pull is that strong.
So, I wanted to feature one of my favorite cities this week. I spent about 5 days here in April and really realized that this was a place for me. I felt like I fit in, that people understood why I live life the way I do.
Here’s some of my favorite things and spots around Portland.
Let’s start off with food (of course…). We ate so many lovely meals, it’s hard to say which was my favorite.
Little Big Burger. In the running for the absolute best burgers and fries ever. It’s all natural, fresh, and local, complete with homemade ketchup (literally the best I’ve ever tasted)
On some Saturdays, Portland has a HUGE farmers market called Portland’s Saturday Market. We spent some of the afternoon wandering around all of the lovely booths and produce. There were also food carts (of course, it’s Portland) and we had some BBQ on the lawn.
Pine State Biscuits. Oh Lord, these were heavenly. Fresh and natural biscuits and gravy, in a bunch of different ways. Seriously, I probably ate a pound of butter but it was so worth it.
Pok Pok. A deliciously authentic Thai restaurant. The head chef was named best chef of the Northwest in 2011. I’ve never been to Thailand, but I can only guess this is the closest to authentic I’ve ever had. I loved the spiciness that goes into a lot of Thai dishes.
The Pie Spot. Cutest thing in pie! Right across from Pok Pok on Division Street, there’s a mini pod of food carts. They make homemade mini pies in so many delicious flavors. My favorite was raspberry black pepper, a weird combination, but a wonderful one.
Last up for food, a Portland staple, Voo Doo Donuts. I think we had their donuts at least 3 times in the 5 days that we were there. For some reason, I just love donuts. I think it’s the whole breakfast pastry thing that I just can’t stay away from (croissants, scones, etc.). Plus, it’s just such a cool looking shop.
For a relatively small city, it is so easy to get around Portland without a car (unlike Nashville, ahem). There are light rails with pretty good reach, as well as busses and a train from the airport. Also, Portland is a HUGE bike city, so it’s pretty common to get around on 2 wheels.
Here’s a few snapshots from around the city.
What would Portland be without coffee?? We went to countless amazing shops. So many, that I am going to do a separate post, a coffee tour of Portland where I can go in depth about my coffee obsession. Be looking out for it!
So, there’s my version of Portland. I wouldn’t be mad if I ended up there at some point in my life, in fact, I hope the life leads me there.
almost overnight 