My daughter and I recently took a short trip up to Portland, Oregon.  It was our first visit and we both loved the city.  True to its reputation, the people are friendly, the food is fantastic (even to these spoiled SF dwellers) and the tax-free shopping can’t be beat!  If you haven’t been, we highly recommend the short flight (at least from the Bay Area).  It’s a beautiful, lush city surrounded by mountains and water.  We spent our few days spending time with friends and exploring the city, mostly by foot.  On our next visit, I’d definitely like to spend more time outside — there’s so much to see, from Mt. Hood to the beaches and numerous waterfalls.  We can’t wait to go back!

In the meantime, check out our recommendations for your next trip:

Stay

We stayed at the newly-opened Dossier Hotel, which has a great location in between downtown and the Pearl, but tucked on a quieter street.  We were lucky to have a view of Mt. Hood from our room.  The design was inspiring and just hip enough for this mom and teenaged daughter.  It’s restaurant, the Opal, is a great place for a quiet breakfast or a more lively happy hour.

Eat

After doing my homework, our mornings started off with Heart coffee (for me) and Blue Star donuts.  Both were just a quick walk from the hotel and got us pointed in the right direction for our self-guided walking tour and shopping route, starting at Powell Books (which opens early and is HUGE!).

The Pine Street Market is a foodie’s delight.  Our group tried Marukin Ramen, Kim Jong Smokehouse and OP Wurst for lunch.  Of course we couldn’t resist a soft serve from Salt & Straw despite having very little room for dessert!

Source: Pine Street Market

Though Le Pigeon is probably the most well-known restaurant in Portland, we opted to dine at its sister restaurant, Little Bird Bistro.  The classic french restaurant lived up to its reputation by taste, though the timing of service was a bit off on our visit.

Shop

Portland is a very design-centric city and has a wealth of chic home decor, clothing and lifestyle stores.  It’s easy to take advantage of the tax-free shopping at these local boutiques (in addition to your favorite chains).

WM Goods ~ 1136 SW Alder Street

Alder & Co ~ 616 SW 12th Ave.

Carter & Rose ~ 3601 SE Division St.

Parachute Home ~ 820 NW 23rd Ave.

See

Multnomah Falls is a must-see and is only 15 minutes away from the airport.  While we were taking in this majestic waterfall, a proposal happened (and was accepted) right next to us.

Portland Art Museum — The Art, Science and Life of LAIKA was an inspiring and educational exhibit, despite our lack of familiarity with his animated films.  The level of detail and work that goes into making these films is awesome.  We also appreciated that this museum has a separate wing that focuses on contemporary art, which I prefer.  We were lucky to get exceptional weather during our stay (into the 80’s in April!), and the short, tree-lined walk from downtown to the museum was lovely.

Do you have any Portland favorites to share?

Unless otherwise noted, all photos original to RevolvingDecor.com and Act 2 Decor, LLC.