At the beginning of the month, I spent three nights in Portland, Oregon with my mom and boyfriend. The three of us had a blast exploring the city’s different neighbourhoods, soaking up a few hours of sunshine, drinking beer and eating donuts, and enjoying the surrounding lush nature in the Pacific Northwest.

Here are my top five picks for Portland:

1. Multnomah Falls

Although it is technically not in Portland, my favourite stop on our road trip was this ethereal waterfall that looks straight out of Lord of the Rings. The waterfall tumbles over a cliff and bends beneath a second cascade which is crossed by an elegant bridge. It’s only a 30-minute drive from Portland. Tavis and I went twice to get photographs and hike to the top of the falls. It was a glorious adventure—I wrote about it for explore.

2. McMenamins Kennedy School

Part hotel, restaurant, brewery, and movie theatre, this renovated schoolhouse is worth the visit for the artwork in the hallways alone. Built in 1915 and renovated in 1997, it has eerie, dimly lit corridors and two tiny, perfectly named bars: Honors and Detention.  We ate in the old school’s Boiler Room. It looked exactly like a bar in a boiler room should, including unique touches like railings made from pipes and a gigantic metal access door.

3. Raven’s Manor

Probably one of the coolest bars I’ve ever been to, Raven’s Manor is a horror-themed bar. It’s extremely dark inside—our table was lit by a single tall candle. We both ordered frightening drinks: mine was a glow-in-the-dark concoction and Tavis’s was emitting fog. With boarded-up windows, thick spiderwebs dripping from the ceiling, and creepy organ music interspersed with loud cracks of thunder, it set the stage for a haunted mansion movie—and without feeling cheesy.

4. Saturday Farmer’s Market

I was a bit confused about where the Farmer’s Market was when planning our trip, as there are several locations noted online, but we were delighted to learn that there was a massive market right along the river, just a short walk away from our hotel. Vendors selling artwork, clothing, and unique souvenirs were stacked next to food trucks and a beer cart. Cross the road for even more market stalls!

5. Powell’s Books

No trip to Portland is complete without a trip to Powell’s, the largest independent bookstore in the world. With more than one million new and used paperbacks and hardcovers lining the wooden shelves, Powell’s can be overwhelming to navigate. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the atmosphere or aesthetic very conducive to browsing and sitting in a corner with a book, so we bought a few unique-looking tomes and headed on our way.

Bonus: Donuts! Beer!

When in Portland, we were told to eat donuts and drink beer. We enjoyed a selection of donuts including Blueberry Bourbon Basil and Chocolate Bergamot Old-Fashioned at Blue Star Donuts rather than going to the tourist-favourite Voodoo (the lineup was way too long, and people confined in us that the donuts aren’t that amazing). We also enjoyed some local beers at Treebeard’s Tavern, a lightly LOTR-themed bar featuring a ton of taps, and Old Town Brewing, which serves up delicious Hazy IPAs and drool-worthy garlic bites.

Have you been to Portland? What would you recommend?

Comment below!