The Pacific Northwest: Portland and Greater Oregon

“The dream of the 90s is alive in Portland.” -The theme song from Portlandia 

The spiritual homeland of horn-rimmed hipsters, food trucks, and craft beer; the city where the young move to retire: Portland is one hell of an awesome town. Stumptown is a Northwest metropolis choc-full of fabulous food, funky neighborhoods, and intelligent, friendly locals. Not to mention, it has more breweries per capita than any other city in the U.S. 

As for greater Oregon, I had no idea what to expect before visiting. For all the U.S. states I’ve checked out (all Fifty Nifty save Alaska and a handful in the Midwest), Oregon to my mind was pretty much just a nondescript appendage of California. Exploring the Beaver State opened my eyes; I now rank Oregon high on my list of favorite states in the U.S. Boasting an impossibly gorgeous coast, temperate rainforests, skiing, deliciously clean air, and world-class wine and beer, Oregon is simply magical. Not to mention it’s one of the most progressive and open-minded regions of our nation (e.g. they legalized psilocybin mushrooms in late 2019). 

Quick ‘n Dirty History of Portland: 

Built initially around a pioneer settlement known simply as “The Clearing” on the banks of the Willamette River, Portland was founded in the middle of the 19th century and named after Portland, Maine. Like much of the Northwest, the economy in Oregon depended on the trade of timber and furs, especially beaver pelts. In its 19th-century logging heyday, haters disparagingly called Portland “Stumptown,” referring to the stumps of fir trees strewn across the city’s streets. The moniker stuck. 

Portland’s fortunes tracked the boom-and-bust cycles of timber until World War II when Uncle Sam selected Portland to be a major hub for manufacturing naval ships. In the ‘90s, Portland, like Seattle, grew economically and demographically during the dot-com bubble. The city attracted a disproportionate amount of 20- and 30-somethings working in tech, perhaps explaining the wildly creative and progressive vibes that permeate the city. 

Cool Places in Portland: 

As of January 2021, Portland is under strict COVID protocols, but there is still plenty to do and explore outdoors. Indoor dining and museums are closed until further notice, but most stores are open, and tons of restaurants offer outdoor dining. Even in the depths of the winter, the temperature hovers around 40-50 degrees (a fleece, raincoat, and light scarf are sufficient), and being outside is comfortable and refreshing.

The Pearl District, a neighborhood whose weathered brown-brick buildings and streets bring to mind an old mill town, teems with excellent bars, markets, and restaurants. Yuppies in their late twenties and early thirties seem to be the dominant species in the Pearl. 10-Barrel Brewing Co. has an encyclopedic beer menu, but they certainly don’t sacrifice quality to quantity. Their house flight—a selection of ten 5-oz pours starting with light, airy pilsners, running the gambit of IPAs and ambers, and finishing with a couple of stouts—is a good option to get a feel for the brewery. 10-Barrel’s main taproom is closed, but they have seating available upstairs on their covered patio (though you may have to wait around 20 minutes for a seat). Nearby in the Pearl, Sisters Coffee, named after the mountain town of Sisters, Oregon, has fabulous coffee and breakfast-y pastries. Yama Sushi and Sake Bar serves up exquisite raw-fish delicacies that are plated beautifully even on take-out plastics. 

You can easily spend an afternoon strolling through the funky streets of Alberta Arts District, another foodie- and coffee snob-oriented enclave with sundry music and book stores to boot. Proud Mary’s french toast stuffed with brown-sugared bananas and crowned with candied apricots paired with exquisitely-crafted espresso drinks are alone worth the trip to this neighborhood—as well as the long wait time. Whatever you do, don’t sleep on Salt n’ Straw ice cream. The rich, fatty Oregon milk—Good. Lord.—it makes for some scrumptious ‘scream, probably some of the best I’ve enjoyed in recent memory. 

Portlanders claim that the food truck, now as ubiquitous across trendy neighborhoods in the U.S. as skinny jeans, was conceived in their fair city. In food cart pods, designated lots for a dozen or so food trucks to conglomerate (delightfully reminiscent of Singapore’s hawker centers), you can find many of the most acclaimed mobile kitchens. Bantu Island in Alberta is one of the city’s most renowned food cart pods, although it is partially closed due to COVID protocols. 

After gleefully filling your belly and restoring your caffeine levels in Alberta, refresh your mind in the serenity of the Portland Japanese Garden (tickets ~$25 with student ID). This Zen garden, acclaimed by many as the most beautiful outside of Japan, is a peaceful oasis right in the middle of the city. You can easily spend 1-2 hours (or many more if contemplating a koan or practicing zazen is on your to-do list) wandering the multi-leveled gardens, adorned with majestic trees and flora of the Pacific Northwest, and marveling at the non-pareil views of snow-capped Mt. Hood. There is a gift shop that sells Japanese lacquered boxes, tea, and other artisanal products as well as an art museum in the central pagoda of the gardens. The gardens are home to a restaurant called Umami (the name would have been enough to draw me in). 

For dinner or a nightcap, head on over to Mississippi, yet another neighborhood choc-full of alluring restaurants and bars. Prost is as close to an authentic, old German kneipe as you can find outside of Alemania. The bar itself, constructed primarily of carved wood, is beautiful, and Prost’s bartenders pour your helles, rauchbier, or pilsner in corresponding old-world glassware. The braunschweiger (pork liver pâté) and the pretzels with different types of mustards pair perfectly with the well-made beer.

Speaking of craft beer, to those who love the nectar of the barley: Remove your sandals, for you are on holy ground. Portland has more breweries per capita than any other city in the U.S. (Ashville, NC—a city that reminds me of Portland in several ways—is the runner-up). Indeed, Oregon, in general, makes exquisite beer. Ten Barrel, a brewery I mentioned in the Pearl neighborhood, was one of my favorites, as was Walking Man Brewery, located about an hour outside of Portland in a small town along the Columbia Gorge. Hell, when it comes to breweries, pretty much any you try in Oregon will be a home run.  

Cannabis Dispensaries: 

Oregon, like the entire west coast, legalized recreational cannabis. I have it on good authority that MindRite, located not far from the Pearl, is among the city’s best dispensaries. Their prices were solid too, noticeably less expensive than Washington state for comparable products. 

Outside Portland 

God smiled upon Oregon: She has rainforests, ski mountains, and endless, mesmerizing coast. For nature lovers, awesome camping- or day-trips from Portland are inexhaustible.

To get a feel for the coast and see a quaint Pacific Northwest town, head out early in the morning for Cannon Beach (~1 hour from Portland), a hamlet whose coves and seaborne rock towers are part of the setting for the movie “The Goonies.” I saw a house sign in Cannon Beach proclaiming “Nantucket West,” and with the town’s clapboard houses and cozy side streets, I found that comparison apt. 

Start the day in Cannon Beach with a hike through temperate rain forests and up bluffs to behold mesmerizing views of the ocean. There is free parking at the trailhead, and the entire walk takes about four hours (hiking boots are necessary, and after rain, the trail gets extremely muddy). The beach itself, mountain-rimmed and pocked with tidal pools, is just as captivating. 

For some unforgettable fish n’ chips washed down with craft beer, hit up Cannon Beach Hardware and Public House. Their beer-battered halibut n’ fries with malt vinegar on the side will haunt my dreams forever. After dinner, grab some firewood and a bottle of Willamette wine from one of the general stores in town and build a beach fire as the sun sets over the ocean.

The Columbia River Gorge also boasts awesome hikes and a drive whose majesty rivals that of the Pacific Coast Highway. Hood River is an artsy, outdoorsy town about 1.5 hours from Portland. Walking Man Brewery, located in a lovely hamlet en route from Portland to Hood River is worth the detour. 

For skiers and mountain lovers, cowboy-chic Bend, Oregon (~5 hours by car from Portland) is as good as it gets. There is an abundance of beauty, delicious food, amazing beer, and in the Northwest. Seattle is about four hours away by car.