My oh my, Portland– where do I begin?

We visited Portland last year at the end of October when all the foliage had changed colors and it was truly magical. It was a nice change from LA at the time, given that LA can be very hot even into October (take today as an example). The change of scenery (and of seasons, literally) from LA to Portland was refreshing.We specifically hopped on a deal that Southwest was offering and made our way up north. If you’re looking to travel somewhere far enough to fly to, but not too far from home, my advice would be to check airline ticket prices and see what destinations are on sale out of your local airport. I’ve found that coastal flights (flights up & down either coast) and regional flights to surrounding states often have special rates you can take advantage of.

Here’s a vlog of our time in Portland!

Keep reading this post for more details and of course, tons of photos!

WHEN TO GO

Our visit was during the last week of October in Portland’s rainy season–if my schedule had allowed us to, I would have liked to visit a few weeks earlier so we could still witness the beauty of the fall foliage, but have a little less rain.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed in two tiny homes (yay!)! It was our first time staying in a tiny house and I was so excited from watching Tiny House Hunters on repeat (thanks, HGTV!). Unfortunately the first tiny house we stayed in is no longer available on Airbnb, but there are many similar to it in Portland.

Here is the first tiny home we stayed in:

This is the second tiny home (more of a casita-style) that we stayed in: http://bit.ly/2vrSTok

I especially loved the attention to detail and interior design of our second place! Just look at that farmhouse sink and the rustic open shelving!

The vlog has a very detailed tour of both homes, so be sure to check it out if you want to see more!

We wanted our stay to focus more on nature and being outdoors, and less on city life, so we chose not to stay in downtown Portland (though we did walk around a bit!). Our tiny homes were closer to the Alberta Street area. I would absolutely stay in a tiny home again on our next trip to Portland, so if it’s something you’ve been curious about, try it and see if you like it!

WHERE TO EAT

We mainly ate around the Alberta Street area! There were a ton of cute restaurants and shops there.

A friend also recommended we check out Le Bistro Montage for their mac and cheese and alligator (eek!), and we had a great time there.

WHAT TO DO

We visited Powell’s Books in Downtown Portland (tip: it’s HUGE. definitely give yourself time to wander here), which was an awesome experience.

The next day we left the central Portland area and drove further along the Columbia River Gorge and visited Multnomah Falls. It was so, so beautiful and I’m so grateful we were able to experience it, especially given the fires in that area this year.

Somewhere along the Columbia River Gorge…

We also drove a few hours away to Cannon Beach! We couldn’t leave the Portland area without seeing Haystack Rock, and it was well worth the drive.

We really enjoyed our trip to the Pacific Northwest and I would highly recommend a visit if you’ve never been there.

What are your favorite things to see and do in Portland? Leave a comment below and let me know!

P.S. if you’re loving these photos and just have to have one to decorate your space, you can! Many of these images are available as fine art prints in my home decor shop.