This is the trip we were talking about going on for our 10th anniversary. We didn’t know exactly where we were going, but we knew it had to be somewhere west in our own country. Although we had been talking about visiting Oregon for years since we went to New Zealand, Portland happened on a whim. Our Southwest flyer points were yearning to be used, so we decided it was time to treat ourselves and book our flights less than a month before the trip.
We wondered about transportation & housing and the expenses that might incur but we were taken care of! A Nashvillian friend, whose brother and his wife live in Portland, urged us to ask them if we could stay in their guest room. We had only met Hunter & Whitney once before but our welcome into their home was warm. We were provided a place with easy, quick access to the city!
Day 1: A Welcome Arrival to Portland
Our sweet friend, Sarah, who we met and became friends with in Nashville, kindly insisted she pick us up from the Portland airport. Knowing the great places to eat, she led us to Bollywood Theater, a very fun and delicious Indian restaurant. We were later joined by her husband, Nathan (who I’ve known since we were little kids!), for ice cream at Salt & Straw. Nom.
Day 2: Biking and Hiking in the Same Day
Everybody and their mom rides their bike in Portland; thus, our hosts encouraged us to use their extra bikes anytime!
We started the morning biking to Pine State Biscuit and shared a delicious chicken biscuit with peach jam, sausage biscuit, and a hash brown as big as Lori’s face while sitting on their patio with a pleasant people-watching view where many came and went on bike or foot. Then we biked across the Williamette River for lattes at Heart. This place had a perfect name since we were right in the heart of downtown on the sidewalk enjoying our cups while contemplating on the reasons the logo was in a heart shape rather than a circle.
On the way back, we took a different route, crossing the Hawthorne Bridge, for a seamless ride on bike paths set aside just for us and many other bikers. We arrived back to our guest room tired but happy.
Nap time was required before our big excursion to Multnomah Falls.
Hunter generously let us borrow his truck, which he rarely uses to drive to work since this is a bike town, and we drove out about 30 minutes east along the Columbia River to Multnomah Falls. You can pull off the interstate and walk right up for a great view of Multnomah Falls, but we took the 6.7 mile Wahkeena-Multnomah loop hike past 6 other waterfalls first. We crossed Wahkeena Creek, went under a fun overhang in the basalt cliffs, and hiked up to a bridge that took us right in front of the upper tiers of Wahkeena Falls. At this bridge, we were hit with pleasant spray from the falls colliding with a rock landing next to the trail. Next to us on a rock column, we spotted what I later learned is a Fingered Dagger Moth Caterpillar which are found in moist forests. Let’s just say I’m glad we decided not to touch it!
Fairy Falls was 20-ft waterfall where the water flows down what resembles the side of a mossy Aztec Temple. We really enjoyed hiking in our sandals as they were so light, hence the name, Unshoes Wokova Feather sandals. We could feel all the rocks under our feet while giving enough protection on our soles, and wade through cold water during our hike. I also like to feel the dust sweep over my feet.
After leaving Wahkeena Creek, we walked through the forest full of towering Douglas firs. We decided to hike a little ways off the loop to visit the Wahkeena Spring, the source of the creek, and filled up our bottles with fresh, sweet, cold water. Then we ventured back to the trail where we headed back downhill through a very scenic area of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. To our right, Multnomah Creek showed off its string of cascades and led us to the first waterfall, Ecola Falls, standing 55-ft tall, yet mostly hidden by tree branches.
Further into the canyon, we hiked past Weisendanger Falls, which also drops 55 feet in a single plunge but provided a more open view.
I originally thought this was Wiesndanger Falls and the photo above of Ecola Falls but I was mistaken. This was a set of three falls known as the Dutchman Falls, which didn’t fail to be photogenic.
After four and a half miles in near solitude through a rich forest full of basalt cliffs, waterfalls, and cascades, we arrived to the top of what we were here for: the second tallest waterfall in the country next to Yosemite Falls. This loop concluded with a paved trail down from the top of Multnomah Falls, with viewpoints at the brink, then crossing Benson Bridge at the middle, and a head-tilting view from the bottom. It was a mile back to the lodge where we started at the brink, descending down 11 switchbacks. We were glad to have saved Multnomah Falls for last instead of starting with a steep ascent of 725 feet!
Half asleep after biking across the river and back in Portland, then hiking 6.7 miles, food couldn’t come soon enough! We enjoyed tacos courtesy of ¿Por Que No Taqueria? (Tacos. Why Not?), then shared a ice cream sandwich from Ruby Jewel Ice Cream.
Day 3: Eating through downtown & the International Rose Garden
We slept in, then biked to Stumptown Coffee for lattes and a scone. When in Portland, right? Afterwards, we biked to yoga class at The Grinning Yogi to brush off any stiffness from the hike yesterday. On the same street would be our next foodie destination.
It was Portlandia in real life moment when the people sitting next to us at the world famous street-style Thai restaurant, Pok Pok PDX, asked which local farm the Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings came from. But for real, if you are in Portland, those wings were legit. Also get the sticky rice and a drinking vinegar. We had a Strawberry Thai Basil. For dessert, we indulged our passion for frozen yogurt at EB & Bean.
We biked back home, then took the bus to Washington Park. We met Sarah at the International Rose Test Garden for some beautiful sights and scents. Here, in the rose garden, are over 7,000 rose plants of about 550 varieties. It is the oldest continuously operating rose test garden in the United States, thus the Portland nickname: “City of Roses”.
From Washington Park, we proceeded on an easy walk along NW 23rd and decided to eat pizza at Escape from New York. Their cheese is whole milk mozzarella, their sauce prepared each day, their dough handmade every morning, and their toppings fresh and bountiful! This combination created a taste that was fresh and delicious.
DAY 4: Yoga, Donuts, and All the Good Sights
We decided we would need our Hunter’s truck once again since we were planning to visit multiple areas across Portland in a day. We started the morning with another refreshing class at The Grinning Yogi with the exciting prospect of fresh juice waiting for us.
Portland is full of murals and great little gems like Best Friends Juice. Most of the places where we ate were along SE Division Street. The connecting neighborhoods are full of character and happy surprises on morning walks.
Every day since this day we first tried Pip’s Original Doughnuts, we’ve wanted to come back to this place. We ordered a mini doughnut assortment and hot house-made Chai. This may have been our favorite place in Portland. My mouth is still blown by all the tastes we experienced. Pip’s Original deserves visits on repeat!
We met another friend & her little one (Aly & Jude) to hike Mt. Tabor Park and saw Portland on a stunning late August day. The water here is a reservoir that used to be the city’s drinking water. Lori said it made her think of a castle moat, so we’ll go with that. On the other side of the park is a great view of Mount Hood.
We couldn’t visit Portland without drinking lots of kombucha. SOMA Kombucha was 100% self-service. Zero staff inside. We swiped our credit card to get in the door and paid via Square on the iPad Inside. There was a diverse range of flavors on tap, but the regular, pure kombucha was our top choice. It needed nothing extra.
Lunch consisted of delicious Hawaiian poke bowls at poke mon, sustainable, locally-caught fish, made to order, with ingredients from local businesses. Remember this is Portland, people, and it fit our problem-free food philosophy. With content bellies, we drove over the tallest bridge in Portland, St. Johns Bridge, and made a stop at the adjacent Cathedral Park where we took a pleasant nap in the shade of the bridge.
We were all over this city and saw Mount Hood from many different places. I’d say the best view goes to Pittock Mansion’s overlook. And get this, Henry Pittock, who built a financial empire in Portland, was an avid outdoorsman and bicycle enthusiast. Seems like that matches the description of Portland today which, sticking out in the midst of mountains and forest, looks to be built solely around bike trails and tops the “Most Cycling-Friendly Cities” list.
DAY 5: Anniversary at the 4Ts
On our 10th anniversary we took the 4T in a loop around Portland – trolley, train, trail, and tram. We began at the riverfront and rode the streetcar trolley to the main library, then took the train to the zoo where we stopped at the second deepest train station in the world. Forest trails took us to the top of Council Crest where we had epic views of Mount Rainer, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, and Mount Hood (pictured). The trail wound its way to the hospital where we caught a ride on the aerial tram back to the waterfront where we began.
We made a stop at Pine Street Market, explored the food scene, and decided on Kim Jong Smokehouse which had a menu of Korean-style street food using Southern-style BBQ smoking techniques and famous for their Bibimbap bowl. Nom. Afterwards, we were itching for kombucha again, from SOMA of course, so we made another stop there!
After miles of riding and hiking, we ended the last day with a taste-bang by getting off a bus near SE Hawthorne Blvd, and walking the rest of the way to the lively space of Thai Farmhouse where we enjoyed Neua Num Tok Rolls, Larb Tuna, and Pad Thai.
It was fantastic seeing friends among the mountains, the falls, the forest, and the food of Portland. We can say this city deserves another visit!
