This past week I traveled to Portland (Oregon not Maine) which happened to be my first time in the Pacific North West and it was absolutely stunning. To try to describe Portland is a bit confusing because IT IS hipster but it’s so much more than that. Portland is small but mighty, a city that gets overlooked but packs a punch.

If you’re looking to travel somewhere new in the USA, I couldn’t recommend Oregon enough. Just do it.

A few things to note about Oregon in general are: you aren’t allowed to pump your own gas (they have people for that), weed is legal, and there is no sales tax. Heaven? Close to it.

My first suggestion is to rent a car if you want to sight see. If sight seeing isn’t your thing, don’t worry they have uber and lyft. As far as where to stay I suggest the Jupiter Hotel (if you want something stylish/comfortable and BUDGET FRIENDLY) or Airbnb. If you want to receive $40 off your next airbnb, use my CODE. Now, if you’re looking for some Mary Jane there are dozens of dispensaries to choose from, I recommend Cannabliss! They have different locations all throughout Portland so getting to one from various neighborhoods shouldn’t be an issue.

Where to go, where to go? If you want to be mind blown visiting a place with a view of Mt Hood should be your number one priority. There are a lot of places to choose from but during my research I saw that Trillium Lake had phenomenal views. Other places you may consider are Rocky Butte park, Timothy Lake, or Jonsrud Viewpoint. There’s a ton more possible views but these were the ones on my “maybe” list. Even though Mt Hood was stunning I think my favorite sight that we saw was Cannon Beach. It was freezing but so beautiful. Although Cannon Beach is about and hour and a half away – it is worth it, you’ll be greeted by the Pacific ocean and huge rocks planted on the ground. Right after we left Cannon Beach we rushed over to Multnomah Falls which is the tallest waterfall in the state. The falls were so calming and refreshing, I’m pretty sure you can hike it even though we didn’t. Also, right in Portland is the cutest Portland sign – the White Stag Sign. I caught it during the day but at night it’s even better looking.

FOOD: The culinary culture in Portland is booming and there’s just so much to explore. But here are some great places to kick off your experience.

• Pine State Biscuits (good ol’ southern food)

• Grassa (casual italian but stay away from the carbonara, try the spaghetti or the pork belly mac & cheese)

• Salt n Straw (homemade style ice cream)

• Screendoor (my favorite, try their brunch they offer southern food as well)

• Little Bird Bistro (a little on the pricy side but good for date night)
• Kachka (russian food, go early as later on they only have a “late night menu”)

• Noraneko (budget friendly asian food – noodles on point)

Also, during the day totally get on the tram for an aerial view of Portland. I believe tickets are only $5 or somewhere close to it. One thing to keep in mind that when you’re up in the air the tram swings back and forth (a lot) so make sure to hold on to something or to sit down once it starts to swing.

Basically Portland was perfection and I can’t wait to go back! *cough* any Oregon sponsors *cough* 

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