Spring Date // Downtown Portland

City of Roses, Bridge City, Rip City, PDX. 
So many nicknames for this urban masterpiece called Portland!
I had an awesome time exploring downtown on a sunny day last April with my boyfriend.
It was his first trip visiting me as a couple (and his first visit to Portland!), so it was special (although I was pretty awkward and nervous part of it, haha!) 

 Portland's Waterfront
We walked alongside Waterfront Park, crossed the Willamette via Hawthorne Bridge, hung out on the docks of Eastbank Esplanade, then made our way back to Waterfront via the Steel Bridge. The total walk was somewhere between 2-3 miles and was perfect on this lovely sunny day. We made a full circle to Waterfront Park and rested on the grass before heading to dinner. 
our first "couple" photos. Awwww :)


Pearl District
A few days later, we explored another corner of downtown Portland, the swanky Pearl District. Brimming with local specialty shops, cafes, restaurants, and the urban Jamison Park and Tanner Springs Park, the Pearl has become an iconic pearl of downtown, pun certainly intended. 
 Tanner Springs Park

Jamison Park

Portland Saturday Market
 We explored another iconic Portland spot: the Saturday Market. We goofed around, smelled all the homemade soaps and lotions, and our bellies growled at the smell of all the delicacies around us. 
And then we enjoyed a little more time on the waterfront (so much busier on the weekend!)

Pittock Mansion
We ended our tour of downtown Portland by watching the sunset at Pittock Mansion, which boasts a gorgeous view of downtown and is just minutes away from my favorite downtown shopping area, 23rd Avenue. 



Laurelhurst Park
Quite possibly my favorite park in Portland, Laurelhurst boasts several miles of walking paths, a spring-fed pond, picnic areas, and plenty of trees to take shelter under and read a book or share a picnic. We only had a short time there and opted to take a short walk and then rest on a bench by the pond. It is a few minutes away from Belmont, a hip area full of great restaurants, so it is a great place to work off some calories before enjoying a good meal!

Day Trips Near Portland
We also took a few short trips out of Portland, which made for some dates filled with gorgeous northwest scenery for this Texan to enjoy!

Seaside & Ecola State Park
The Oregon coast is something beautiful to behold no matter the season. This spring beach trip was a bit windy, but we didn't mind since it was dry and sunny! We walked around Seaside, enjoyed sushi at Tora Sushi Lounge , through the frisbee on the beach (or atleast I tried to "through it". I blamed the wind for my bad aim, haha!), and relaxed on a bench overlooking the gorgeous view from Ecola State Park.  Less than 2 hour drive from Portland, it makes for a great escape from the busy city!

Angel's Rest
This beautiful hike is located about 45 minutes outside of Portland, on the western end of the Columbia River Gorge. It boasts an exposed bluff that gives a nearly 360 degree view including Beacon Rock, Silver Star Mountain, and the Columbia River. It is a 2.4 moderately easy trail and is worth the view. G and I made 3/4 up this time around because we wanted to relax and chat at a nice spot we found, so we let my brothers go ahead to the top. 

Spring in Portland is gorgeous! G and I loved exploring the city as well as escaping to the coast and the gorge, especially since the rain stayed away all week (which is quite a miracle in April!).  

Comments

  1. Portland looks beautiful. I use to live in LA and I tried a million times to get up there (people always talked about how Portland was so brilliant, etc.) Now I'm totally regretting not going!

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    1. You'll have to visit Portland some time! Summertime is the best! SO much to do on a sunny day!

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  2. Ohh how I would love to visit Portland some day! It seems to be such a gorgeous city! And the mansion on your last two pictures looks so very European. Could be situated somewhere in Germany or France as well ;)

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    1. You're right, the mansion DOES look European! I toured the inside and it reminded me of Europe too!

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  3. I love Portland! Looks like you can a great time.

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    1. Thanks Kiki!! I love it too! So much to do… and so much to eat! I didn't post about that this time around, but we had some great paleo meals!

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  4. All these pictures make Portland look amazing. After this post I am definitely adding it to my travel bucket. :)

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    1. Thanks, Laura! It is a fun place to explore (especially downtown!)

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  5. I'm the worst Seattleite ever, because I've never actually been to Portland. How is that even possible?!? I've been dying to go for ages though, so my goal is to make it there next time I'm stateside :)

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    1. Haha! ACTUALLY, some might consider you a GREAT Seattleite for not visiting Portland since they're sorta rivals ;-) But YES! You should visit once you're stateside again!

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  6. Nice pictures - Tanner Springs park is a great little oasis in the middle of downtown PDX. Cheers - Ellen

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    1. Thanks, Ellen! I love Tanner Springs! Such a fun little oasis in the Pearl!

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  7. I so need to come visit in the future! You're wetting my appetite... and those adirondack chairs are so inviting...

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  8. Such a gorgeous day out :) I am putting Portland in my some day list.

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