24 Hours in Portland (from a Local)

Hello, my darling friends. As promised (per my last post), here’s what to do if you have 24 hours in Portland, Oregon! These little tid bits are perfect for those who don’t know PDX well and are interested in exploring the city like a local would.

As some of you know, I’m an Oregonian! This post is a little funny for me as I didn’t spend a lot of time in the city, growing up. So this post is very much catered to being an adult, with some very nostalgic spots from my childhood.

Let’s start with my favorite area of Portland:

Table of Contents

South East Portland.

This area of the city is vintage, edgy, funky and filled with bohemian yuppies at their finest. To be honest, if I ever moved back to Oregon, I’d probably settle down in this area. It’s darling and filled with rich PDX history at every turning point. When people ask me what are of p-town I love the most, I tell the SE PDX and the Pearl District.

Oui, Presse.

Since we’re starting the say off on the south side of the many bridges Portland has, I recommend a terrific little cafe for breakfast. When I travel, sure I love brunch but today, a light meal is always a good idea and early. So we started the morning at Oui Presse which is a darling spot with some of the best oatmeal I’ve ever had. Guys, I don’t know about you but my all time favorite oatmeal is camp oatmeal! Literally outdoor school, girl scout retreat, CAMP style oatmeal. This blend wasn’t far off. Made to order and ordered with oat milk to make it vegan. It’s topped with brown sugar and homemade granola. UGH, looking at it makes me hungry.

They make their own breads in house and their Stumptown coffee is rich, flavorful and full of Portland hipster vibes.

Another place I recommend in this area is Jam on Hawthorne (for their vegan oatmeal chai and blueberry pancakes).

Victorian House Exploration.

These days, I’m on a very strict budget and to be honest, Portland is the perfect place to go for travelers on a dime. There is so much to see and explore because it’s genuinely untouched in many areas of the city. The old victorian homes around southeast Portland are in wonderful condition but upgraded to have lusciously bright colors that make you stop and stare. Each is unique and different, which can have you getting lost in and out of neighborhoods in no time.

Fuel Up On More Coffee.

… or tea! I prefer a nice oat chai during the fall season so we swung into Seven Virtue Coffee Roaster on Hawthorne Blvd. I like these guys. Plain and simple. They make their own chai mix, in house and can serve it with any milk substitute. They also believe in sourcing their own green beans and paying their farmers sustainable wages for their coffee. Additionally, they produce small batches at a time through direct trade. How do you not love that?

I love supporting local cafés like this.

Vintage Pink, Hawthorne Blvd, PDX // On the Trip Side

Vintage Shopping.

It’s really no surprise to any of you that part of my 24 hours in Portland blog post has to include some kind of thrift shopping, right? My darlings, if you are a vintage/antique/thrift guru like I am… Hawthorne Blvd is your sanctuary.

The whole street is either a coffee, crystal or a vintage store. This is where I spent most of my time. Drooling over beautiful 1970s dining room sets and 50s bakeware. True heaven! I will go further into this area in a future post, I promise. For now, let’s just say you need to go to: Vintage Pink and Lounge Lizard (my two faves).

Keep Portland Weird.

That’s the slogan, after all! Next up, head back over the Hawthorne Bridge toward the downtown district! Be a tourist. Check out our beloved Powell’s if you’re in need of a book. New and used are sold there!

Just walking around Portland, you’re going to see the funniest things… like how Walkens are welcome. You’ll wonder if it’s copyrighted or not but get distracted by something else and forget to look it up.

The downtown area has a lot of normal shops and stores and, of course boutiques. I mention this because they’re nothing more weird then forgetting to do ALL of your shopping in Portland because there is no sales tax. A common mistake until you’re too far across the boarder to go back.

xport bar and lounge Portland Oregon // On the Trip Side

Rooftop Happy Hour.

One thing a lot of people don’t know are all of the covered rooftop bars in Portland. What better way to spend 24 hours in Portland than at a rooftop bar for a fraction of the price? You get a view and delicious grub.

Personally, one of my favorite spots was at the hotel we stayed at: The Porter Portland at their xport bar & lounge.

The bar is opened to the public and isn’t too pricey during happy hour. It’s got a great view and multiple fire pits, heaters and even blankets for warmth during the cooler season. I recommend the ribs, which aren’t on the happy hour menu. Sorry!

Load up and head home

That’s it, darlings. Short and sweet. A very small guide to spending 24 hours in Portland, from me to you. Don’t forget to fill up on gas but you also can’t pump it yourself. It’s illegal and proves the community to jobs.

Thanks for reading! xo

Alli

Other On The Trip Side posts you might be interested in: