Aug 24, 2016
Self Growth
Portland is a unique mix of hippie and hipster and the lines often blur as to what is what. The roadways are not the friendliest often with one-ways and bicyclist and bus only lanes at every turn. My driving experience in Portland was terrible but Portland does have some redeeming qualities. The food is good, the landscape is scenic, and the Saturday and Sunday market is huge.
Food is huge in Portland. You can find just about every cuisine you would care to enjoy and you will likely be able to find it gluten free. You can find gluten free pasta, bread, and even cake. I seriously have not seen so many gluten free options in my life. I took the opportunity to check out as many happy hours as I could. I typically favor food happy hours over drinks. RingSide Fish House had one of my favorite happy hours which has mussels, chicken wings, and fish cakes; all of which were delicious. The service was top notch as well. Portland City Grill had a really nice view of the city just overlooking the river. The food here is subpar so I would only go here for the view and a couple drinks. Also, get here early as the good seating by the window fills up quickly. Finally Portland Seafood Company was a quaint little spot, the food and drinks were typical of bar food. It was not bad, but not exceptional either. And if you are interested in that gluten free cake, you can swing by Petunia's, a 50's style baker shop, that has a whole host of gluten free products.
Portland has some of the nicest scenery and you can really stop to smell the roses. The rose garden here was in full bloom with nearly 10,000 roses of every variety. The entry is free and you just have to pay for parking which at the time I went was $1.60 an hour. If you pay by phone, you are able to add time, so you can pay for 1 hour, then add if you end up spending more time in the area. The zoo and the Japanese Garden are also within walking distance and you can enter for a fee. Beyond the rose garden is The Grotto, a religious park of sorts. It is dedicated to the Catholic faith and the Virgin Mary. I am not religious myself, but I still found The Grotto to be tranquil and relaxing. On my 3rd day in Portland, I attempted to visit Multnomah Falls. Unfortunately, everyone else in Portland must have had the same idea because the traffic going to the falls was terrible. As such, I was only able to drive past the falls and admire it through the windows of the car. However, the day was not lost because just a little beyond Multnomah Falls was Horsetails Falls. You are able to park right next to Horsetails and walk underneath the falls, giving you the best picture and experience for the time and energy invested. And going even further beyond Horsetails Falls, we reached The Hatchery located off the Columbia River. The Hatchery is in a secluded area, a complete contrast to what was happening at Multnomah falls.
You cannot visit Portland without visiting their weekend markets. There are several throughout the week but the biggest ones are on Saturday and Sunday located near the water. You will find fun trinkets, wood workings, glass sculpting, and food truck. The event is so big, that it actually forms 2 separate market events, spanning roughly 4 blocks.
Unfortunately I was not able to make very good use of the no-sales tax benefit of shopping in Portland. I did pick up some much needed socks, but that was about it. For me I really did not need anything, and spending money just because there was no sales taxes did not make financial sense.
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