Jun 7, 2025

Familiar, comfortable and welcoming to everyone

When we lived in Madison, Wisconsin, our next door neighbors had lived in Portland, Oregon, prior to the Midwest, and absolutely loved it. They would always tell us, you need to visit, you just need to go. After nearly 7 years since they were our neighbors, we’re excited to say we’ve visited the City of Roses!

Driving in, right away we were greeted by the roses on the freeway. Portland has such beautiful rose bushes at their entrance and exit ramps! The Rose City truly does live up to its name. As we saw more, it felt familiar, with similarities to PIttsburgh (the tunnels in the mountains and bridges over the river) and Austin (artsy, historic, but cool and modern) while being unique in its own. Most of all, Portland is comfortable and incredibly welcoming to everyone.

After spending 3 days here, we’re sharing our highlights below and it is our hope that you too will have an amazing time visiting such a gem in the Pacific Northwest of the United States!

Where to stay

We arrived around lunchtime, and we were grateful our room was ready for early check-in at the Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland. It’s such a nice benefit when available, so we suggest signing up for IHG One Rewards and start earning toward elite status!

Ryan took care of telling us about the hotel, and offered to take our car as they manage their own valet parking right from the front desk! We found this incredibly convenient.

The chic lobby is filled with natural light, plants (and did you know Kimpton Plant Pals encourages you to take one to your room for the duration of your stay?!), a lively bar and lounge area. Design elements here are inspired by wine. From the harvesting, to making, to bottling and enjoying! You’ll find pops of purple and accents done in wood, cork and of course, glass!

Our sky loft room was on the top floor and featured a 45-degree angled window, which added an incredible architectural element to the space. Comfortable, modern furniture and luxurious bedding gave us the rejuvenation we needed after our drive and made us excited to explore all around Portland.

Some other fun things we enjoyed: the staff offer a nightly social hour with wine served 5-6 pm in the lobby. The second floor gaming room has billiards, shuffleboard, and four-in-a-row. This area cannot be missed with impressive street art style decor! Head up to the 8th floor, as you need to see the dedicated computer dedicated to playing Oregon Trail!

What to see

Lan Su Chinese Garden

• The tedious intracacies in the wood carved window details were spectacular.
• The paths with the hand-laid stone was really special to see as we walked through the various parts of the garden.

Oregon Zoo

• Wander through the paths in the forest and get up close to many species, including elephants, harbor seals, penguins, primates, and our favorite, the polar bears!
• Did you know Tutu the baby elephant was born at the Oregon Zoo this year? She’s healthy and growing, currently weighing in around 500 pounds!

Drive (or walk) around Washington Park

• The neighborhood includes the Oregon Zoo, the Portland Japanese Garden, International Rose Test Garden, and beautiful homes nearby.
• The stunning homes, many of which are center hall colonials, also feature gorgeous gardens.

Look into a sightseeing cruise on the Portland Spirit (see dinner cruise information below)

• Cruising down the Willamette River, we went under 9 of Portland’s bridges and passed by Ross Island along with floatillas, rowing and sailing regattas. Then the boat turned and we headed back toward Portland with a narrated tour.
• Lake Oswego has incredible lake houses, with piers, boat houses and refreshing views. We returned to the Salmon Springs dock promptly at 9:30 pm, just as promised!

OMSI

• Touring the USS Blueback Submarine was such a great experience.
  • SS-581 was the last active diesel-electric submarine used by the U.S. Navy. We were only on the vessel for 25 minutes with 10 others, but cannot imagine the conditions the 77 troops lived under for the months they were out at sea.
• In addition, we loved seeing some of the exhibits where kids and adults can interact with elements capturing lessons in physics, science and beyond. Take in a movie or check out one of the shows at the planetarium while there, too!
• The special exhibit when we were there was Jurrassic World by Brickman, LEGO Certified Professional Ryan McNaught. Over 6 million bricks went into dinosaurs, set pieces and even an interactive Jeep you can sit behind for a photo opportunity!

Pittock Mansion

• Amazing to see the estate built in 1914 for Henry and Georgiana Pittock. Henry was responsible for successfully making the daily newspaper, The Oregonian the success it became. It is still in print today.
• Since 2007, the historic house-museum has been in operation for daily tours and special event usage.
• We were impressed with the sandstone construction, along with the bright and airy stairway along with the stunning grounds and views!

Where to eat + drink

Start the day at Java Man Coffee

• Plants are everywhere in this cafe with live-edge wooden tables and modern design.
• Sipped an oat milk latte with swan art, and an iced tiramisu latte with mascarpone cold foam!
• Shared a tasty egg, sausage and cheese burrito.

Breakfast at Il Solito

• Take in the fun artwork here! We sat by the window and people watched as they walked by on the sidewalk.
• Ordered Steak and Eggs along with the Brioche French Toast. Our server made Edward an iced oatmilk latte, and David enjoyed the really good drip coffee.

Zabpinto Thai Kitchen

• Delicious Thai cuisine offering lunch specials with balanced portions
• We each enjoyed the salad served with our meals

Ikimono Ramen

• We liked the Japanese Street Art and Anime posters on the walls along with exposed roof trusses and beams.
• Edward ordered a Mexican Coke and TanTan Ramen. David chose the Tonkotsu Ramen.

The Matador NW Portland

• Loved their al pastor tacos and enchiladas.
• Also, try their three-cheese queso with chorizo!

Dinner Cruise aboard the Portland Spirit

• The dock was an easy eight minute ride from the hotel, and we boarded the boat 30 minutes prior to the departure.
• We were welcomed aboard by Cruise Director Kendyl. Then Jono tickled the ivories and entertained us with some of the classics and piano pop covers, including our request to do Chappel Roan’s Pink Pony Club!
• Our meal included bread, salad with a mixed berry vinaigrette, chicken and beef tenderloin entrees were plated and served to us. For dessert, we had the lightest yet perfect New York style cheesecake with a mixed berry sauce. Also the chocolate cake was so rich! But oh so good! Cocktails included a manhattan, version of a French 75 named the Spirit ‘94 in honor of the boat’s inaugural voyage! We then had the margarita and aperol spritz.
• See above for the sights we enjoyed, too!

Pick-me-up from Roseline Coffee

• The decor and interior design details are really well done in this coffee shop on Alberta.
• We loved the iced coffee here, and it was so good black we almost didn’t add any oat milk.

Anytime coffee from Stumptown Roasters

• From the Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland, we took a 5 minute walk to the SW Washington cafe.
• One of our favorite roasts is Hair Bender that we often purchase from grocery stores around Cleveland, and we had to stop into Portland’s own, Stumptown Roasters!
• Both of us enjoyed the iced rose gold latte with oat milk. Earthy and provided the punch with light floral elements. Not too sweet, which we loved!

Where to shop?

Shop in the Pearl District Downtown

Powell’s City of Books

• World’s largest independent bookstore encompasses an entire city block!
• There are over 1,000,000 books here!
• Enjoy spending an hour here browsing the shelves of new and used titles for every genre!

Hello from Portland

• Found a fun t-shirt and prints made by local artists.
• Perfect souvenir and gift shop for everyone.

Woonwinkel

• Drawn in by colorful window display.
• Unique goods for home can be discovered here.

CB2 Portland

• Brought to us by Crate & Barrel, find modern accents and more in this home and furnishings store

Joybird Portland Showroom

• We were excited to stop into this furniture store that we haven’t been able to visit in real life since there isn’t one close to us in Cleveland.
• We loved the colorful and comfortable sofas and chairs that are available to custom-order. They were arranged nicely for you to view and imagine in your space.

Room & Board

• Room & Board is always inspiring for the home, with their classic modern lines and attention to craftsmanship.
• While we didn’t find a swivel glider for our nursery here, there are plenty of nice options for other rooms we might consider down the road.

Bludot

• Modern furniture in metals, wood and colorful upholstery.
• We loved seeing pieces that will grow with our family in the future, with curved and rounded edges that are kid-friendly!

Walked along 23rd Avenue in Nob Hill

• Found new shoes at the On Store for our upcoming travel to Walt Disney World!
• Caught eye of another fun graphic t-shirt from Budd + Finn.

Stroll the Alberta Arts District:

• ECOVIBE
  • Family-owned and operated store offering curated lifestyle products including plants, gifts, and urban decor.
  • We loved their selection of wall planters, including ones from WallyGrow.
• Grasshopper Boutique
  • The selection of baby, children’s clothing and toys caught our eye since we’re expecting this fall, and our friends’ toddler is turning 3 years old in July!
  • If you’re looking for books, wooden toys, and organic threads with fun prints, look no further than this shop!
• Collage on Alberta - Arts and crafts supplies, as well as stationery, greeting cards, and gifts abound in this inclusive store. - We particularly loved the unique designs on tote bags, zipper pouches and handmade cards, perfect for many people on your list! - A donation can be made at checkout to support p:ear, providing resources to eradicate youth homelessness in Portland, Oregon.