Man, Portland is pretty. A serene river, set against the mountains, with several bridges and tons of trees--my eyes feasted upon its beauty! Here are my 10 picks for the prettiest things in Portland (this is a very Ashley list).
1. The Chinese Gardens
Located downtown, this is a tranquil getaway from the city where you can have a spot of tea and marvel at the well put-together gardens. Not a huge attraction, but still a beautiful one. I have a suspicion this would be the best to visit in spring.
2. Views of the City Across the River
I really liked all the bridges in PDX, it made for good photo ops! This photo was taken at the OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry).
3. Nob Hill
Beautiful part of town complete with unique restaurants, shops, and thrift stores. Great place for sunday brunch and a stroll on a sunny day.
4. Forest Park
Forest Park is a conserved section of forest complete with paved out trails for the not-so-hiking inclined. Drop dead gorgeous.
5. Portland at Night
The city is well lit, extremely walkable, and easy to get around. People are out and about and the buses run until pretty late, which brings me to my next point...
6. Public Transportation
Okay, so not all of you would add public transport to a "pretty sites" list, but this is a GORGEOUS site for me. PDX is WELL connected. Buses, trains, and streetcars make every part of the city accessible. Lainey and I took public transport the whole time we were there--no need for a car. It's a BEAUTIFUL THING.
7. Pretty Sounds and Drinks
Go to Jimmy Mak's (a Jazz Bar), order some French 75s, sit back and relish the moment.
8. That Fog
The locals said they don't always get this near impenetrable fog, but it was there for us nearly every morning. Bewitching, isn't it? Sometimes the fog engulfed entire bridges!
9. A Very Clean and Sleek Downtown
Clean air, modern buildings, easy grid system of streets makes for one walkable city. My fave.
10. Books Galore
If you are a book lover, you will cry at the site of Powell's Books. I've never seen so many books, aside from libraries. This is definitely a bookstore you'll want to explore.
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What are some of the prettiest places and things you've seen in Portland?
1. The Chinese Gardens
2. Views of the City Across the River
3. Nob Hill
Beautiful part of town complete with unique restaurants, shops, and thrift stores. Great place for sunday brunch and a stroll on a sunny day.
4. Forest Park
5. Portland at Night
6. Public Transportation
7. Pretty Sounds and Drinks
8. That Fog
9. A Very Clean and Sleek Downtown
10. Books Galore
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What are some of the prettiest places and things you've seen in Portland?
are the 90s still alive in portland? ;) i went there once in 99 whilst driving across the US and think it's high time to visit again .
ReplyDeletehaha, well it IS my favorite decade! But part of our clothing was just about staying warm. Going from CA to OR can be a shock to the system ;) Portland is the happenin' place now...you should go! And MAN would it be soooo different from Georgia. ha.
ReplyDeleteoh MY gosh, I want to go to that book store please!! looks like my kinda place. and i totally understand what you mean about public transport - coming from sydney to a place like louisville makes me want to cry, i miss public transport so much!
ReplyDeleteI think you would go absolute bananas over that bookstore!
ReplyDeletePowell's is pretty damn awesome. My sister and I ran the entire city (she was training for a race) and got to see so much of it that way. Next time you go back, you should journey out a little bit. There are some great sights just outside of the city - like Cannon Beach. I'm doing wine country, myself, next time!
ReplyDeleteI know what beach you speak of! I wanted to avoid renting a car this time around, but there's something really cool about beaches in the North. I'd love to see it someday!
ReplyDeletegorgeous photos! i want to go there so badly!
ReplyDelete