Claire & Christopher

If you're traveling from out of town, the easiest way to get to Portland is flying into PDX - Travel & Leisure's Best Airport in the Country.

Portland has grown into a popular vacation spot and home to a number of fantastic vacation rentals.  If you're looking to stay close to the wedding or reception venue, Airbnb is your best bet.  Take a look at offerings in Sellwood, Westmoreland, Eastmoreland or Woodstock.

An urban hotel located in Portland's Inner Southeast, this artsy hotel is only ten blocks from the reception venue.  With two restaurant partners and a music venue on property, the Jupiter Hotels’ lush city vibes are a nod to Portland’s rich history of makers and creators all the while looking forward toward a dynamic future.

Named after the statues adorning its roofline, Sentinel is a classically Northwest hotel in downtown Portland that speaks to forward-thinking movers and shakers. With an extensive list of signature amenities, a curated art collection and two of the city’s finest culinary establishments — Jake’s Grill and Fortune, this vibrant Provenance Hotels property is a beacon for creatives, entrepreneurs and thought leaders. Treat yourself to a stay at Sentinel and find yourself in good company.

Dossier offers travelers a remarkable immersion into Portland’s curated culture and unique way of living. Part of the renowned Provenance Hotels collection, our hotel embodies the city’s cultural ethos, in harmony with its natural surroundings. Each of Dossier’s art-filled rooms and suites features locally inspired amenities designed to bring the spirit of Portland into the hotel. Wake up refreshed and ready to explore the region’s endless opportunities for adventure, culture, and cuisine. Dossier is your home away from home. Naturally.

This modern hotel opened in 2020 in the heart of Portland. Walk to quirky coffee shops, buzzed-about restaurants, chic Pearl District shopping, and landmarks like Powell’s bookstore, all within half a mile of Hyatt Centric Downtown Portland

The Duniway Portland Hotel is a boutique-style, pet friendly hotel a block away from Pioneer Courthouse Square. Named after pioneer Abigail Scott Duniway, the 11th-floor rooftop hub, Abigail’s Hideaway hosts live entertainment and offers panoramic views of downtown.

Situated on a tree-lined bend of the Willamette River, just minutes from downtown Portland, River’s Edge Hotel is an urban retreat rooted in warm Pacific Northwest hospitality. Relax in rooms framed by views of the river or lush surrounding hillside.

The world-renowned International Rose Test Garden at Washington Park is the oldest, continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States. The picturesque garden was established to serve as a testing ground for new rose varieties. Today, awash in fragrance, it is one of the top free attractions in the state of Oregon. Some 10,000 roses consisting of more than 610 different varieties, await each season. On clear days visitors enjoy spectacular views of downtown Portland, Mt. Hood and other Cascade Range volcanoes.

Proclaimed the “most beautiful and authentic Japanese garden in the world outside of Japan,” Portland Japanese Garden sits nestled in the hills of Portland’s iconic Washington Park. Overlooking the city and providing a tranquil, urban oasis, it encompasses 12 acres with eight separate garden styles, including an authentic Japanese Tea House, meandering streams, and a spectacular view of Mt. Hood.

Looking for an activity for the kids while you're in town?  Check out OMSI!

Founded in 1944, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is one of the nation’s leading science museums and a trusted educational resource for communities throughout Oregon and the region. 

OMSI's mission is to inspire curiosity through engaging science learning experiences, foster experimentation and the exchange of ideas, and stimulate informed action.

The oldest art museum in the Pacific Northwest, the Portland Art Museum was founded in late 1892 when seven leaders from Portland’s business and cultural institutions created the Portland Art Association. The goal of the Association was to create a first-class art museum that would be accessible to all citizens. Now with a collection consisting of some 42,000 objects, the Portland Art Museum is one of the leading cultural institutions in the Pacific Northwest.

The Pittock Mansion is a French Renaissance-style château in the West Hills of Portland, Oregon, United States. The mansion was originally built in 1914 as a private home for London-born Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock and his wife, Georgiana Burton Pittock. It is a 46-room estate built of Tenino Sandstone situated on 46 acres that is now owned by the city's Bureau of Parks and Recreation and open for touring.

Lan Su Chinese Garden, formerly the Portland Classical Chinese Garden and titled the Garden of Awakening Orchids, is a walled Chinese garden enclosing a full city block, roughly 40,000 square feet in the Chinatown area of the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, United States. The garden is influenced by many of the famous classical gardens in Suzhou.

The Portland Saturday Market is an outdoor arts and crafts market in Portland, Oregon. It is the largest continuously operated outdoor market in the United States. It is held every Saturday and Sunday from the beginning of March through December 24, in Tom McCall Waterfront Park underneath Burnside Bridge and south of the bridge, as well as within an adjacent plaza just across Naito Parkway, extending west to the Skidmore Fountain. 

Bibliophile?  Or just looking for something to read on the flight home? Check out Powell's City of Books!  It's the largest used and new bookstore in the world, occupying an entire city block and housing approximately one million books.

Want to get a taste of Oregon wine country without leaving the city?  Check out the Domaine Serene Wine Lounge - located in the Sentinel Hotel downtown or Amaterra - a full vineyard and winery in Portland's West Hills.

Hinterland is a new bar and food cart pod on SE 50th between Hawthorne and Division. With extensive heated and covered outdoor seating, Hinterland offers guests a safe, comfortable destination to enjoy a wide selection of excellent food and drinks.  Food carts at the pod are:  Matt's BBQ Tacos, Burger Stevens, Poppyseed, La Taquiza Vegana, and Third Culture Kitchen

Gumba is a low-cost, high-end dining experience. Named Portland's Best New Food Cart of 2017, Gumba specializes in fresh, handmade pasta dishes and delicious classic Italian sides and desserts.

Frog & Snail is a crêpe and brunch restaurant in SE Portland's bustling Hawthorne neighborhood.  Their buckwheat crêpes are a delicious gluten-free option.

This sandwich cart has one goal: to make the best pastrami sandwich in the nation.  Featured in The NY Times and Sunset Magazine, Sammich uses fresh, local ingredients and smokes all their own meat.

Starting life as a food cart in SE Portland, rarely has a spot been so aptly named. Rocking an ancient charcuterie moniker that truly serves as a harbinger of things to come, Lardo is a sandwich shop that worships at the altar of bovine & swine. Using old-world techniques, contemporary flourishes and a gonzo approach, Lardo proudly celebrates its excesses. Pushing a menu that features pork drenched double burgers, a giant meatball Banh Mi, and hand-cut french fries (again) smothered in pork, Lardo also has beer. Lots of beer, actually. Rotating taps of knee-buckling craft brew greatness, backed-up with a refreshing mix of premium cocktails. Operating on both sides of the river, Lardo serves as a mecca for those seeking a uniquely smash-mouth deli experience.

A Mexico-forward food and drink concept, Republica offers  a 5-course Mexican tasting menu with a veggie option, plus a terrace.

Le Pigeon features a rotating menu of creative French-inspired fare served at communal tables or the bar in a snug room.

Freshly roasted single origin specialty coffee.

Tov Coffee is certainly not your average coffee shop, in fact it's not a shop at all, it's a double decker bus specializing in Egyptian coffee.

The "Champions of Breakfast" -- Cricket Cafe makes wholesome, hearty breakfast staples from scratch every day. The cafe offers delicious options for diners and diets of all types — omnivores, vegans, gluten-free, and most everyone in between!

If you only have one night in town, this North Portland Thai barbecue spot is worth the (inevitable) wait. They don’t take reservations, but just make a night of it by having a drink in the bar area first, or by heading to The Box down the street for a cocktail in the meantime. The menu is full of hybrid dishes, like burnt-end brisket curry and baby-back ribs with Thai pickles, and “vacation drinks,” which you’ll realize are just tiki drinks once you see the ceramic blowfish they come in and mini-umbrellas.

New Cascadia Traditional was born out of the desire to create handcrafted gluten-free breads and pastries that had been missing from co-founder Chris Gumke’s diet since discovering his severe gluten intolerance. His inability to eat gluten and the lack of exceptional baked goods prompted Chris and his wife, co-founder Teresa Atkins, to start New Cascadia Traditional in the Spring of 2007 at the Portland Farmers Market. Over the last decade, what started as a two-person endeavor at local farmers markets, has grown to become one of Portland’s most respected bakeries. New Cascadia Traditional now includes a bustling cafe and a thriving wholesale production facility supplying grocery stores, cafes and restaurants in the Portland metropolitan area and many locations throughout the southern Willamette Valley.

Bringing Midwest Tavern-Style Pizza to the Pacific Northwest.

This one is a favorite in our house!  Pizza Jerk makes delicious and unique thin crust pizzas.  Lola and Claire recommend ordering the "It's Always Sunny in Cully" pizza with pepperoni, pineapple, hot peppers, basil and hot honey.

This restaurant makes amazing Neapolitan-style pizzas in the Sunnyside neighborhood.

Wood-fired oven pizzas from Ken’s Artisan Pizza are Italian-inspired with an American accent. Long fermented dough, hand-stretched mozzarella, Italian tomatoes, and excellent toppings, baked with a blistered crust.

Doughnuts and chai - some of the best in the city!

This charming, family run bakery on the edge of downtown is a must-visit for delicious gluten-free and vegan donuts, cakes and bakery items.

An elevated take on the classic donut shop - Coco's serves delicious, handcrafted donuts in unique flavors (mochi Oreo!) alongside their in-house roasted coffee.

Casual spot for Mexican sandwiches & vegetarian bowls with locally sourced ingredients, plus drinks.

Festive Latin American joint offers creative street fare & drinks in a hip venue with patio seating.

Clean & healthy food made with love.

Refined Southern specialties like buttermilk-fried chicken in roomy digs offering weekend brunch.

Modern Thai outfit is a buzzy spot for inventive dishes, craft cocktails & sophisticated atmosphere.

Nacheaux is a family-owned and operated Mexican-Southern fusion restaurant. Featuring Sat/Sun brunch, rotating specials, and dessert & cocktails, too!

 Widely regarded as making some of the best pizza in town - and in the country - Lovely's wood-fired pizzas rely on locally sourced, organic ingredients for a unique and delicious pizza.

A local whole-grain, long fermented, sourdough bakery located at the base of Mt. Tabor.  NOTE: This bakery is NOT gluten-free.

Serving Portland's "Most 'Grammable Taco" since 2016 -- Tight Tacos serves authentic Mexican street tacos using handmade tortillas, scratch marinated meats
from family recipes!

"The Piña Colada King!"  Come here for Palm Springs vibes, great outdoor seating, delicious tacos and piña coladas served in a whole pineapple.

This Japan-based noodle shop opened their first location outside of Japan in SE Portland!

This restaurant got its start as a humble food cart at the PSU Farmers Market and has grown into a popular chain with four restaurants in Portland (and one in Reno).  They specialize in buttermilk biscuits (their Reggie Deluxe biscuit sandwich has been called one of the best sandwiches in the nation).

If you're in the mood for a fresh green juice, smoothie, or açaí bowl - we recommend checking out Best Friend.  Their drinks are all made fresh to order and all their granola, toast, etc is gluten-free.

Known for its smoked meat sandwiches, this chill BBQ joint has classic sides, plus beer & cocktails.

Portland's original wing joint!  Serving free-range, all-natural, and never frozen chicken wings in a huge range of delicious sauces.