Portland is one of our favorite day trips. It’s about three hours from us, and worth the drive. It’s even better when we take the train and don’t have to worry about parking or traffic.
The City of Roses is one of the cleanest cities in the United States. Part of that is because it’s nearly impossible to drive downtown. Almost everyone bikes, walks, or uses the free public transportation. That’s not a bad thing, but you should plan it into your day. Parking can be quite expensive, generally more than a dollar per hour. It’s best explored in 2 parts; one day with a vehicle, and another on foot.
When you’re on foot, remember that public transportation is free within the downtown area. The bus drivers are very kind and helpful, and will tell you when you’re at the closest free stop to your destination. We always get off at the end of the free zone, and then walk the rest of the way. Here are some great places to visit when you’re on foot:
If you’re a bibliophile, Powell’s bookstore is the largest independent used and new bookstore in the world. It’s level after level of books set apart by subject matter. If you’ve been searching for that particularly elusive book, you’ll probably find it at Powell’s. 6th & Yamhill.
Around the corner, at 8th & Everett, is a Chinese park with lots of room for the kids to run, a fenced play area for the littler ones, and a huge elephant whose trunk they can slide down.
Chinatown is a great place to catch lunch at a reasonable price. There’s a good restaurant at Glisan & 4th. Unfortunately, there are quite a few prostitutes and a lot of drug activity in the area. If your children aren’t the type to be able to ignore it, you might wait to visit Chinatown in Seattle instead.
Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park runs along the Willamette River. In summertime, there are various festivals and events that take place here. During the rest of the year, it’s a nice walk and place to eat lunch. The maritime museum is housed in a boat here, and if you’re interested in maritime history, it’s a good side trip. If you’re going in the summer, bring your shorts and play in the Salmon Street Springs at Salmon & Front. The water ebbs and flows, strongest between 12-2.
When your feet get tired, hop on the free streetcar. This is a great way to see the city without paying for a tour bus. We’ve always found Portlanders more than willing to talk about their city, but even if you aren’t comfortable approaching strangers, it’s a good way to just look around.
One of the places we hopped off the streetcar was at The Old Church (yes, that’s its name). This is an 1883 sanctuary that’s now a music and event hall. They let us look around at no charge. It’s just beautiful. If you go on Wednesdays at noon, you’ll be treated to a sack lunch concert free of charge. There are a lot of other events throughout the year, most costing $5.
You can do Portland on the cheap as long as you plan it out beforehand. It’s a city rich in history, culture, and all of the arts.
If you have teens, see the blogs on Backspace and Ground Kontrol. These are probably not as good for the younger crowd, but the teens love them! If you’ll be staying the night, check out how to save on hotels in the area. We’ve stayed at some very nice Portland hotels for very little.