This past weekend, I traveled to Portland, Oregon. For the past ten years, it has been on my travel bucket list to visit both “Portland’s” in the United States. I really can’t tell you why: was this a love for smaller cities with access to nature or did the younger version of me just giggle that two cities had the same name? This was a big faux pas in school, when an accusation of “copying” was about the worst label you could receive. I had always been particularly excited for Portland, Oregon. Again, I’m going to speculate that I saw a heavily filtered picture from Voodoo Donuts from the early days of Instagram and decided this was the city for me. So, when it came time to plan my first weekend trip from Seattle, Portland was the obvious choice. 
      From Seattle, I took the Amtrak train three hours south. I have to say, I get the best sleep on trains. I grew up not far from a train crossing and loved falling asleep to the sound of the train whistles. It was gray and misty, essentially perfect “Twilight” weather to enjoy the mountains, and tall evergreen forests. In my mind, we were going to have a scenic drive through the Oregon coast because East Coast trains hug the coast. In actuality, the route went around the Puget Sound and then directly South through Washington and Oregon. One thing I will never promise is that I am good at geography (apologies in advance to those of you who are good at this subject). A trip to the Oregon Coast is a separate journey and on the books for the future. 
      I stayed in the downtown of Portland. When I visit a new place, I go in with a positive attitude. I had heard and read about the homelessness crisis on the West Coast, but reports do not always match my experience when I travel. That being said, I don’t know that I would stay in the downtown area again. Parks, street corners, and many blocks had encampments and people passed out on the sidewalk. This was especially prevalent around the train station, the Chinese gardens, and the white stag sign. From a practical perspective, safety is always top of mind when I travel. I would still recommend Portland as a place to visit, but I was surprised at the level of vigilance I needed when walking around, especially at night and in the early mornings. I debated including this because there are real societal factors contributing to this, especially post-pandemic. However, as a solo female traveler, I write with other women in mind. 
      What were the highlights of my trip? For me, the nature was the highlight. I loved seeing hills full of perfect evergreen trees on the horizon. From the Pittock Mansion, I could look out and see the snow-capped peak of Mount Hood in the distance. Through Airbnb, I booked a tour to Multnomah Falls (supposedly they featured these falls in the first Twilight film). We drove up into the mountains, visiting three separate waterfalls. I’m happy I brought outdoor shoes, because the ground was muddy and our tour guide really turned the experience into a hike. But I loved the fall colors, the crispy air, the views out over the Willamette River. I also loved visiting the Chinese Gardens. Located in downtown Portland, this garden felt like an oasis. Through the garden, I sat in the tea house, drinking hot oolong tea and reading in the sunshine. From the second floor, I could see the koi pond and beautiful landscaping. 
      What I loved about Portland was the vibe of the people living there. It felt like if all the weird and quirky people from your high school picked a place to move and made it their own. I say this with the upmost affection. At the Saturday Market (farmer’s market/craft fair), there were so many people selling their own pottery, handmade leather goods, jewelry, and sculptural metal pieces. I saw multiple people walking around in handmade capes and witches’ hats (one outfit made entirely from pumpkin fabric). There were men unironically wearing vests and flat caps or browsing pottery with tattooed skulls. I hadn’t seen a mohawk hairstyle in probably eight years until this trip. I was also surprised by the number of “naked” activities available. When I went to book a yoga class, I noticed a nude class offered by the studio. Up the Willamete River, I saw a nudist beach on Google Maps. My overall impression was that Portland was if Etsy was a place: strange, relaxed, and everyone is here to have a good time.

Final Thoughts: I wish I had explored more of the gardens in the city and taken a drive to the coast. As I said, the nature is the biggest draw for me. Specifically, I would visit the Rhododendron and Japanese gardens, and drive to Cannon Beach. I did not have access to a car on this trip, but I have had multiple West Coast friends recommend this activity to me. Stay tuned as I might have to take an Oregon Coast trip next year!

Portland Round Up:
•Best Bite: The double smash burger from Iron Strike Smash Burgers (located inside an outdoor beer garden)
•Favorite Activity: Visiting the Chinese Gardens
•Fun Fact: There is a stripper’s union in the city
•Biggest Tip: Get reservations at restaurants/check when they are closed (I did not expect to be turned away on a Monday because I did not have a reservation)
•Would I come again? Yes