A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend approximately thirty-six hours in Portland, Oregon.

Thirty-six hours was not nearly enough, but I have the sneaking suspicion that I’ll be back [read that in an Ahhnold voice!]…

I was traveling to the Puget Sound region for work, and I had permission to extend the business trip into a little whirlwind personal trip. So I spent about four days in the Seattle area, then drove down I-5 on a Friday night to spend all day in Portland on Saturday, then rush back up to Seattle on Sunday morning to catch a plane back to Saint Louis.

Yeah, it was definitely a whirlwind. But it was so worth it. I thought I loved Seattle – and believe me, I do – but I think that I might be a bit more partial to Portland [shh, don’t tell Seattle]… I have been to Seattle many times, and only Portland once, but I just really enjoyed it. I guess that’s because I’m a #hipster.

But in all seriousness – Portland is downright amazing. I just got that awesome vibe from it, ya know? I was too lazy to drag my DSLR around, but I did try to get some snapshots with my good ol’ iPhone. I made a little collage with some of the highlights:

Overall, despite its hipster-esque reputation [I did see a lot of hipster-lookin’ folks, so that stereotype exists for a reason…], Portland’s food scene is on point, and they’ve got a boatload of delicious coffee. There are also vintage and/or vintage-inspired shops everywhere. All of the people I encountered were super awesome, and as for the weather – I was blessed with an absolutely gorgeous day.

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{Summary of Scenes from PDX}

01. Top Row, from Left to Right:
– Latte + Almond Croissant: I got this amazing almond croissant and vanilla latte from a cute little neighborhood coffee shop called TwentySix Cafe. My AirBnB host recommended that I try it out, so I walked there for breakfast. I didn’t even realize how much I love almond croissants, but man, they’re tasty as heck. The coffee is also very good!
– Juno the Pug: My AirBnB host has the most adorable little pug – her name is Juno. Michael/Santha, if you’re reading this: give her a hug for me! I’m more of a cat person, but I do enjoy dogs, too. In this picture, I was holding her little donut toy and she definitely wanted it!
– Keep Portland Weird: I had to get a photo of the infamous “Keep Portland Weird” sign.
– Gnocchi: This small picture is of some delicious gnocchi I got from a restaurant called Ned Ludd. I had a lovely experience there; I would highly recommend trying it out if you ever find yourself in Portland.
– Chickpea Burger + “Dirty” Fries: For lunch on Saturday, I tried out Lardo in downtown Portland. It’s just delicious. Neat space, too.
– Saying Goodbye to Portland: I took this photo real quick while I was waiting on my rental car to fill up with gas before heading out. {Side Note: Did you know that in Oregon, all gas stations require an attendant to provide full service? I haven’t dealt with that since I lived in Philly and occasionally visited New Jersey!}

02. Second Row, from Left to Right:
– Rerun: Rerun is a little hipster secondhand/consignment shop within walking distance from the house I stayed at. I hit the jackpot there and found two vintage Pyrex pieces, and some cute vintage clothes. They also have really good prices.
– Powell’s Books: This is another quintessential Portland spot. This bookstore is huge – it takes up an entire street block! It was a fun place, and I spent about an hour nosing around. It was a bit packed with too many people, though.

03. Third Row, from Left to Right:
– Montucky Cold Snack: You know I had to try various craft beers while I was in PDX.
– Pig Out: This is the first thing I noticed when I entered Lardo. It was love at first sight, and probably propaganda… But hey, I was going to pig out, regardless. 😉
– The Wishing Tree: I stumbled across this cool tree in one of the neighborhoods during a walk. I don’t remember which street it was on, but it’s this tree with a bunch of paper tags where people record their wishes. There were no more blank tags left, otherwise I’d have added a wish!
– Outdoor Shower + Sauna: You guys, I think this is the part I’ve been dying to talk about the most! My AirBnB hosts have an outdoor shower, bathtub, and sauna area. Now, I’ve never showered outside before, so I was a little apprehensive to be in my birthday suit outdoors. However, it’s in a pretty secluded area in the hosts’ backyard – so there’s privacy – and trust me when I say it’s not as weird as you might think it sounds. Honestly, once I got over my self-consciousness, it was one of the most liberating, refreshing experiences I’ve had yet. Plus, it’s in a gorgeous setting.

That being said, if you’re looking for a place to stay in Portland, I would definitely recommend Michael and Santha! Look them up on AirBnB, if you’re curious. [Side Note: I may write more about my experiences with AirBnB soon, as this was my first experience with it – luckily, it went splendidly well!]

04: Fourth Row, from Left to Right:
– Gorgeous Park: This is a neighborhood park, and I had to take a picture to illustrate how gorgeous it was outside. I was in heaven.
– Brioche Bread Pudding: I decided to indulge in a little dessert from Ned Ludd; this is brioche bread pudding with orange marmalade and sour cream sauce as the toppings. Amazing.
– Coffee Stop Number Two: I tried my second latte at Heart Roasters, as recommended to me by another food blogger. I wish I knew how to make latte art, for realz.

Thanks for being such a cool cat, Portland! 😀 <3

**Trees in the center graphic are from The Noun Project, by Jon Testa.