First Time in Portland
This March, I went to Portland for the first time.
Learning my lesson from staying in expensive cool hotels, I opted for a Marriott hotel downtown. It was clean, comfortable and in the middle of downtown.
Since it was supposed to be a relaxing weekend, I didn't have a set itinerary, but I knew I wanted brunch. I didn't have to walk far! Imperial looked like a trendy bar located just a block from my hotel. I ordered the potato latkes and a bloody mary. My partner and I also got a huge cinnamon bun to share.
Next, we walked to the waterfront for the Saturday Market. You'll hear everyone say that the Saturday Market is a must do. While I don't feel like it's that different from any other farmer/artisan market, I am a sucker for any farmer's market and you can't beat the views.
Along the way, you'll find Voodoo Doughnuts, which is a well known Portland eatery. My vote is to skip! It's good, there are funky flavors, but generally not worth the long lines.
On the other hand, the Chinese Gardens are worth a visit if you are into exploring gardens. Since I went in March, Spring was in full swing and it was beautiful. Even though we had recently traveled to China in September of 2016, it was still a treat.
I've heard about Powell's Books and many an instragrammer/blogger's photoshoots in this store. These pictures portray a quaint and quiet bookstore... so I was somewhat surprised to see a fully functional massive bookstore when I got there! I rarely ever purchase books, so I left relatively quickly.
One of the last places I wanted to go before I left Portland was Blue Star Doughnuts. I've heard this described as Voodoo's older, more sophisticated cousin, and that description is pretty on point! I waited in a 30 minute line to pick up a few doughnuts and while it was worth it for the experience, the doughnuts weren't so memorable that I'm dying to go back.
Unfortunately, I ran out of time to go Salt and Straw for some ice cream, or Pip's Original Doughnut and Chai for some Chai Tea Latte.
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Since it was supposed to be a relaxing weekend, I didn't have a set itinerary, but I knew I wanted brunch. I didn't have to walk far! Imperial looked like a trendy bar located just a block from my hotel. I ordered the potato latkes and a bloody mary. My partner and I also got a huge cinnamon bun to share.
Next, we walked to the waterfront for the Saturday Market. You'll hear everyone say that the Saturday Market is a must do. While I don't feel like it's that different from any other farmer/artisan market, I am a sucker for any farmer's market and you can't beat the views.
Along the way, you'll find Voodoo Doughnuts, which is a well known Portland eatery. My vote is to skip! It's good, there are funky flavors, but generally not worth the long lines.
On the other hand, the Chinese Gardens are worth a visit if you are into exploring gardens. Since I went in March, Spring was in full swing and it was beautiful. Even though we had recently traveled to China in September of 2016, it was still a treat.
I've heard about Powell's Books and many an instragrammer/blogger's photoshoots in this store. These pictures portray a quaint and quiet bookstore... so I was somewhat surprised to see a fully functional massive bookstore when I got there! I rarely ever purchase books, so I left relatively quickly.
One of the last places I wanted to go before I left Portland was Blue Star Doughnuts. I've heard this described as Voodoo's older, more sophisticated cousin, and that description is pretty on point! I waited in a 30 minute line to pick up a few doughnuts and while it was worth it for the experience, the doughnuts weren't so memorable that I'm dying to go back.
Unfortunately, I ran out of time to go Salt and Straw for some ice cream, or Pip's Original Doughnut and Chai for some Chai Tea Latte.
<
1 comments
I have only driven through Portland, so this city is definitely on my list of places to visit! I'll definitely have this blog post in mind when I do. Thank you for sharing!
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