A few weeks ago we spent a long weekend in Portland, OR exploring and eating – what better to do while on a mini-vacation?! We fell in love with the wide variety of beautiful areas the city has to offer. We rounded up our top 5 favorite things to check out for a visit in Portland; not only will you love each of these, but we also know they’ll be top performers on your ‘gram.
Image by Ready Set Jet Set
Hi-Lo Hotel
This is one.chic.space. From the lobby, to the rooms, to the attached cafe to the bathrooms (yes, the bathrooms) every design details is perfect. It makes snapping a beautiful photo a breeze! In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, the Hi-Lo has the best location in the city. We walked to the best restaurants, rode bikes to the bridges and shopped right down the block. If you want the most beautiful and best-service hotel, we found it for you.
Image via @angelika.fabyanchuk
International Rose Garden
The Rose Garden is part of Portland’s famed Washington Park overlooking the city. Portland is sometimes called “The City of Roses” and part of that is because this park is the oldest, continually operated public rose garden in the US. The blooms are on display April through October and with over 7,000 bushes, you’ll find just the perfect spot to snap a photo for the ‘gram.
Alberta Arts District
If painted murals are your thing, a trip to the Alberta Arts District is a must for you. The street art is colorful and vibrant; the perfect background for a photo. Stroll up and down Alberta street and enjoy not only the murals but also the painted trash cans, sculptures, and local art galleries. Plus there’s a Salt & Straw and some of Portland’s trendiest restaurants. You’ll leave that area with full stomachs and a full camera roll.
Image via @paolaavalosss
Cathedral Park / St. Johns Bridge
One of the most iconic bridges in Portland isn’t quite in Portland proper, but just a bit north in the neighborhood of St. Johns. The St. Johns Bridge (appropriately named, no?) spans the Willamette River and sits above Cathedral Park, which is named for the Gothic architecture of the bridge and its supporting arches. It’s up for debate whether the best view is from above or below the bridge so you need to check out both. Can we also talk about the bridge’s minty hue? Perfection.
Image by GirlfriendisBetter
Burnside Street
Burnside Street is jam-packed with Portland novelties and is a must for anyone visiting from the city. The Burnside bridge connects East and West Portland and is a great place to snap a picture of the river cutting through the city. It’s also home to two famous landmarks – the Keep Portland Weird mural, and Powell’s City of Books, which is the world’s largest independent book store in the world. We’re not kidding when we say you will get lost in there, get a map. It’s also home to Screen Door, one of the city’s top-rated restaurants, and just a block off has Portland’s perhaps most iconic eatery – VooDoo Doughnut. There’s a little something for everyone!
Image by Saltycanary
Ready to book a flight for a visit in Portland, Oregon?! Yeah, we thought so, but if you are ready to take your travels international don’t worry we have some fun guides for you. Check out how to spend a weekend in Bordeaux, and what to do in Lisbon Portugal!