Weekend Road Trip To Portland
Summer is the best time of the year to hop in the car and explore the best of the Pacific Northwest. The weather is great, the scenery is gorgeous, and it’s easy to pack up a cooler filled with your favorite snacks and hit the road. If you’ve been craving a weekend road trip, look no further than Portland. The trip will take a little over three hours by car from Seattle, but once you arrive, get ready for good food, great sights, and tax-free shopping.
We just returned from a long holiday weekend in the ‘Rose City’ and it was definitely a trip to remember. It’s been over two years since our last visit because of the ongoing pandemic, yet despite all the changes in the city, there’s still a lot to love. We arrived on Friday evening and checked into The Bidwell Hotel, just a few blocks away from Pioneer Square. Valet parking was easy and we got a spacious corner suite with a king-sized bed and cozy sitting area that overlooked the city.
The next morning we drove 30 minutes away to explore Topaz Farm on Sauvie Island. It’s a family-run, working farm that uses regenerative practices to grow fresh fruits and vegetables. On arrival, you’ll find easy parking, plenty of space for the kids to run around, tractor rides, and a great marketplace with beautiful farm-to-table food offerings for an easy lunch. Topaz Farm also does LIVE music under the oak tree on beautiful summer nights. You can check out the line-up here. We will definitely be planning our next trip around one of those events.
Later that evening I met up with some friends at High Horse, inside The Bidwell on the second floor, for drinks and light bites. Best known for its signature cocktails, craft beers, and local wines, High Horse is also a great pick for exploring delicious regional cuisine. The menu includes fresh oysters, mussels, grilled calamari, goat cheese bruschetta topped with grilled peaches, and flank steak salad. High Horse offers happy hour specials daily at 4 p.m.
On Sunday after doing a bit of shopping downtown, we decided to venture even further outside the city to check out Hood River. Located an hour from Portland, Hood River is a beautiful drive filled with scenic waterfalls and breathtaking views of the Columbia River. Once you get there, you’ll find cozy bookstores, boutique shopping, art galleries, and plenty of great restaurants. After cruising the main strip, we stopped for lunch at Double Mountain Brewery. They’re famous for pizza and also have a great selection of sandwiches and salads. If you’re feeling adventurous, don’t miss the Truffle Shuffle pizza, a white pie with mozzarella, crumbled goat cheese, and portabello mushrooms marinated in truffle oil.
After our meal, we headed to the waterfront park to watch local outdoor enthusiasts kiteboard and kayak. The park is located on six acres of land and has a swimming area, bike path, picnic tables, play structures, and even a pint-sized rock wall for the kids to climb. You’ll also find plenty of coffee shops, ice cream stands, and breweries within walking distance of the park. This was a relaxing way to end the day and we loved sitting in the grass overlooking the water and soaking up the last of the summer sunshine.
Monday was the 4th of July, so we decided to check out a parade with some friends in Portland’s Mt. Tabor neighborhood. The local fire department led a precession of kids on bikes as part of the 4th of July festivities and then pulled over to let the littles check out the fire engine and try their hand at working the fire hose. There were plenty of laughs and photo opps for kids and adults alike. The day was complete with neighbors socializing and enjoying a good old-fashioned potluck complete with classic American hot dogs and 4th of July-inspired treats.
To cap off our Portland adventure, we also checked out a few of our favorite shops on Hawthorne including Sloane, the House of Vintage, and Communion. If you love a treasure hunt, the House of Vintage is definitely worth the trip. It’s a 13,000-square-foot store featuring a curated selection of merchandise from over 60 dealers. We always find great things when we visit and there’s always something new to discover.
Our Portland weekend was jam-packed with activities and it was nice to have the opportunity to catch up with old friends while we were in town. The Bidwell Hotel offered us the perfect home base for our adventure because it’s centrally located downtown and had everything we needed for a safe and comfortable stay. We will definitely be planning another trip down to Portland again soon.
Portland Road Trip Notes
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Bidwell Hotel 520 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205
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