A week in Portland, OR?

[jennysmitten]

H and I are thinking about going somewhere for a week in the Spring and Portland has been on our radar. I have been googling and now I am afraid a week is going to be too long. We would be flying in from KS so we would rely on public transit. Can we realistically spend a week there without being bored?

[trafficgirl]

It depends on what kind of vacation you're looking for. IMO, if you're looking to do some touristy stuff but generally take it easy/at a relaxed pace, you'll be fine. If not, you may want to cut it short a bit.

If you had a means of transportation other than public transit, I would say a week would be good b/c there's a lot of stuff to do outside of the downtown area. Like wine-tasting. God I miss wine-tasting.

[IndiaInk]

Portland is pretty great, but I'm biased since I live in Oregon. But I would recommend renting a car. If you're relying on public transit, you are going to be limited to the downtown area for the most part. We don't have a very robust public transit system out here. I would not want to have to rely on it if I were there for a week, because you will miss out on a lot of fun stuff in outlying areas.

[Deleted]

A week is not too long, especially if you rent a car and spend some time on the coast.

[jennysmitten]

I will bring up renting a car to H. I usually set us up in a city where we can just walk/ take the rail. I love food, so I know Portland has that going for it. And wine. Last city we visited (in which we flew) was Boston which had a good mix of tourist stuff, and cool local stuff to do. We did travel outside of the city then but could take the train.

[IndiaInk]

Oh yes, the wine tasting! If you have a rental car and drive 45 mins in any direction from Portland you can have some awesome experiences. And you're right - the food scene in Portland is to die for. You don't need a rental car to access that!

Don't expect the nightlife to be all that amazing in Portland. I remember visiting NYC and then coming back and walking around downtown Portland one evening and feeling like the city was DEAD. I mean, there is stuff going on but you have to seek it out. The streets aren't buzzing with activity at night.

Portland is fun! I love living in the vicinity!

[girlfriday11]

You need annyong

[goaskalice]

I can think of a bunch of things to do for a week. You could rent a car for just a day and go to Multnomah falls. Spend a day at Washington Park, the Arboretum, Rose garden and Pittock mansion. Do a brewery tour or a walking tour, they are actually really great. We've done the regular Portland one but I hear the Shanghai tunnel tour is pretty amazing too. Spend an afternoon at the Portland Art Museum. Shop tax free. Take the MAX to the east side to visit Hawthorne and Belmont Aves. Eat too much good food and drink ridiculously good wine and beer.

[jennysmitten]

H and I really do get in to the nightlife. Denver is like that though, it seems dead unless you really look. Not that we go to clubs but we like unique bars and live music. I will tell H he has to be DD because I will wine taste myself drunk lol.

[TrudyCampbell]

Paging monkeybabe

[monkeybabe]

Oct 1, 2013 14:45:04 GMT -5 Lucy Honeychurch said:

For a week, I'd seriously consider renting a car. Portland is awesome, but also awesome are the areas around it. Multnomah Falls, Vista House, the little towns and the drive along the Columbia River gorge.

A week just in the city, I'm not sure. I'm sure you could find things to do, but I think the area around Portland is so beautiful I'd hate for you to miss it.

I agree with this and other PPs. Portland itself is fun and there are things to do within it, but the area outside of Portland is just gorgeous. We're about an hour and a half from the coast, the Columbia River Gorge is gorgeous, and then there's wine country. Public transit is great for the city and going out to the burbs, but there's so much that it doesn't reach. 

We have typical city things like the zoo, gardens, museums, and such, so there's that without going out of the city. Forest Park is awesome, but will most likely be soggy in the spring. Also, food. Mmmm. You can get any kind of food, and it's good food, from the carts in Portland. There are places within the city to do wine tastings, and, if you like beer, there are a million microbreweries and most of them have a tasting option. If you're interested in wandering the city with a crowd, there's Portland Walking Tours.

I think a whole week in just the city might get boring, though.

[discogranny]

This summer we spent five days in Oregon and two in Washington and it was one of the best vacations we've had. I agree with PP, if you can get a car, do so. We spent one day in the downtown Portland area (beer, food and donuts!) three in the Willamette Valley (wine and cheese!) area and one in the coastal area. In Washington we did Seattle one day and Mt. Rainier another.

[vaportrail]

If you come to Portland and don't go to Multnomah Falls, you're basically wasting a trip. That place is friggin' breathtaking.