If you never have visited Portland, Oregon, choose the most popular places to visit, such as the Pittock Mansion, the Japanese Gardens, and the Portland Zoo. Most people want to visit Multnomah Falls, a gorgeous waterfall about thirty miles outside town.
We wanted to try something different during our visit to Portland, Oregon, since we have have visited the city about twenty times: two grandchildren and their parents live there. The famous sites are wonderful, but this time we planned a few less well-known spots.
Before we started our adventures, I convinced the family to visit Powell’s Book Store, a “must-see” stop. Despite perusing this gem many times, I always head for Powell’s, which offers four floors of books at 1005 Burnside. They sell used and new books, and the staff helps find what you want. Plus, the gift shop offers items, like clever socks and bookmarks, which are easy to pack to carry home.
Powell’s has a smaller shop in the Hawthorne area at 3747 SE Hawthorne, which is filled with coffee shops, breweries, retail shops, and eateries. My sixteen-year-old grandson loves vintage clothes. We ventured to the Hawthorne area to “improve” his wardrobe. Thrift, resales, and vintage shops created a memorable experience. Retail shops offered antiques, household items, ceramics, and often “good buys.” I looked for paperweights for my collection, but none fueled my addiction.
My son and his wife suggested we take a class in ceramics for fun during our visit. Ceramics? I made a bowl out of Playdough when I was eight-years-old. Dressed in crappy T-shirts and our oldest jeans, we laughed and became covered in gray powder and dough during the class at Morning Ceramics. My husband was a star. He made two vessels in the allotted time, and we will spend next week’s grocery money to get our three “treasures” mailed to us.
The food, oh the food, we ate! We ate succulent cow meat, which melted in our mouths. We tasted unusual flavors of ice cream. The adults had breakfast at Fleur de Lis Cafe Bakery and Cafe for the best chocolate croissants in the world. We stopped at a pizza place after our ceramic escapade, dressed shabbily, for sure. I never had a better white cheese pizza with basil and tomatoes. My mouth is watering as I write this.
“Let’s go to Cannon Beach today. We may eat at the hardware shop with a deli. I’ve got enough jackets for us, and we’ll take our beach chairs. The hardware store is across the street from the ocean,” said my son. Yes, it really was a hardware store with a full kitchen. After eating delicious “fish and chips,” we donned jackets in mid-August and relaxed on the beach. The scenery and sound of ocean waves remain happy recollections
One morning, we walked around a neighboring community with an extraordinary number of glorious roses. Flowers grow everywhere, regardless of the high temperatures in Portland this summer. Although we didn’t visit the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park this trip, it is another impressive site from May through October. Thousands of rose bushes overlook the city, making the trek doubly special; vivid roses and a spectacular view. At the Farmers Market, the flowers and vegetables dazzled my eyes.
Luck played a role in our search for a nearby place to stay. Our little Air B&B required walking a half mile across Grant Park to our son’s house. We didn’t need a car. The walk through the park, where children played and dogs chased squirrels, provided pleasurable exercise and a calming atmosphere strolling across it.
You may want to try other fun things to do. Maybe get a tattoo. Or perhaps just sit on the patio with your Great Aunt who needs to recall how cute you were at age five. Or go to see a comedian.
Time flew, and it was time to fly home. We hated to say goodbye. I miss that family and its funky atmosphere. Maybe I’ll find a paperweight next time.