I decided to take a Flixbus bus down to Portland, OR from Seattle, WA (current city) for a long “weekend” (midweek). Flixbuses are giant green buses known usually for routes in Europe, but they have begun services in the United States and Canada. The journey down to Portland was smooth sailing.
The gorgeous weather, friendly locals, and plentiful good eats made the city of Portland come alive in my eyes! I’d highly recommend a visit during the summer months in the Pacific Northwest (May – August). As my trip draws to a close, I have a few trips, tricks and hacks for making your next trip to Portland unforgettable!
1. Stay in Northwest Portland – Skip Pricier hotels in Downtown
The Northwest neighborhood of Portland is a laidback and fun area of the city! It is known for diverse restaurants, boba spots, and a European feel. Locals flock to the area to get a bite to eat. Shopping also abounds here. Rather than trying to scramble to find something in the heart of Downtown, you can stay in Northwest Portland and take a trip into Downtown Portland.
2. Explore local eats on NW 23rd Street
NW 23rd is a street in the Northwest neighborhood of Portland. It is a long walking street dedicated to eateries, bars and shopping. From Burmese to Thai to American, you can find a wide variety of food here. Additionally, there are a number of trendy tea shops to grab an iced tea or boba.
3. Visit the International Rose Garden – Pair it with the Japanese Gardens
Portland is well-known for its natural beauty. A clear example of this is the International Rose Test Garden located in Arlington Heights. According to Portland.gov, over 100,000 individual rose bushes bloom on the grounds per year ranging from May to October. Additionally, the Rose Garden is free of charge, so anyone can enjoy the sights.
The best ways to get to the Rose Garden include the 63 (runs once per hour), the Park Shuttle or an Uber/Lyft. I personally chose to take a Lyft due to not having cash on me for the bus, but the bus should cost around $2.50 for an adult day pass. I am not familiar with the Park Shuttle requirements or route, but it appeared to run fairly frequently.
The Rose Garden is open 5 AM – 10 PM daily during the time of writing this article (6/8/22). The address is presented below: 400 SW Kingston Avenue
Portland, OR 97210.
An additional stop to make while visiting the Rose Garden is the Japanese Gardens. Open 10 AM – 5:30 PM (except on Tuesday – closed at the time of writing this article), this wonderful place is truly worth the visit. While you can buy a ticket at the window, I would recommend booking online for your preferred time slot.
You can book online, here: https://japanesegarden.org/hours-admission/
Once you enter the Japanese garden, there’s a number of paths to follow and sites to see. I recommend checking out the Sand and Stone Garden as the path down to this area is the steepest in the entire park (with the rest of the locations being relatively level).
As you prepare to wrap up your experience in the Japanese Gardens, it is worth noting that the providers of the park have a gift shop on the premises and a tea house to try Japanese teas. Both of which are worth checking out.
4. Walk along the waterfront – Avoid some areas of Chinatown
The last thing to do on your trip to Portland from checking out the gardens to NW 23rd street is to walk along the waterfront on a pretty day. I recommend taking photos of each of the bridges to see how the architectural styles change along the way!
That concludes this brief article about what to do in Portland, OR during a short 1 to 2 day trip.
Stampchaser Photography 