Fall in Portland!
No more sunny, warm afternoons and late sunsets: it’s the season of fall! Don’t let this keep you inside and, by all means, don’t let daylight savings keep you indoors after dark. I’ve lived in Portland my whole life so I’d like to think that I’m experienced when it comes to activities on rainy days! Read below to learn all about places to drink coffee, go hiking, explore, shop, read and learn.
Coffee
Portland, like many other cities, is plentiful with coffee shops. Instead of sitting in the library surrounded by hundreds of other studying students, change up the atmosphere! Bring your homework, try a cup of actually delicious coffee, and stay for a few hours. Close to campus, try Blend Coffee Lounge or Cathedral. Other favorites include Public Domain and Heart Roasters.
Hiking
Don’t miss the beautiful changing of the leaves during the month of November. Get out there and explore! If it’s a rainy day, try a hike in a forest; the density of the branches above you will catch most of the raindrops and keep you less-wet than if you were standing in the open. Warning: Be careful of hiking at night! It can get cold and wet faster than expected, so this activity is better done on weekends when you’ve got more of the daylight to get that hike in. If you don’t have a car, don’t fear! Try hiking in forest park or do the “4T,” which is a “self-guided urban nature tour” that combines different modes of transportation: Trail, Tram, Trolley, Train.
Gardens
Check out the Portland International Rose Test Garden and Hoyt Arboretum in the hills of Washington Park, or the Chinese Garden in Old Town. Sadly the Japanese Garden is closed this year, but keep it in mind for when it reopens.
Downtown Adventure
I love spending a weekend afternoon walking along a street or around an area of town, exploring the local stores, doing a bit of window shopping, trying some new restaurants, and taking photos of whatever captures your interest. Here’s some locations and neighborhoods to try:
Powell’s City of Books- a huge bookstore that takes up an entire city block, also perfect for people watching.
Pioneer Place- indoor, open-layout mall with a movie theatre at the top and plenty of stores.
Vintage/Thrift Shopping- try Magpie, Buffalo Exchange, Hollywood Vintage and House of Vintage.
Saturday Market- open on weekends, this is a great place to find unique and handcrafted items.
The Pearl District- lots of art galleries, cool parks and gorgeous apartment buildings.
PSU campus- college students galore, food trucks and some awesome park blocks.
Waterfront Park-a pathway and grassy park that runs along the river and below all the bridges.
23rd Avenue- Salt & Straw, Bamboo Sushi, Urban Outfitters, Will Leather Goods, Lush, and boutiques and other shops galore.
Belmont District- a very walkable street with plenty of character, history and diversity and a large selection of unique shops to visit.
Alberta Arts District- Boutiques, galleries, books, bistros, brewing companies, etc. Check it out on the last Thursday of every month for a street fair, gallery openings and local musician performances.
Museums (no, seriously)
As Bill Nye always says, “Science Rules!” At OMSI, it still does! This science-oriented and incredible interactive museum is actually a lot of fun and very interesting. Try seeing a movie at the IMAX theatre for an incredible cinematic experience. Plus, it’s all indoors!
The Portland Art Museum doesn’t showcase the most famous artists of all time, but it does have some nice exhibits that are well worth a visit. Don’t forget to check the visiting exhibits for some new material as well.
Pittock Mansion, although not technically a museum, has an amazing collection of historical artifacts. Learn all about the background of this powerful Portland family.
Music
Keep your eye out for concerts at the Moda Center, Crystal Ballroom and Wonder Ballroom! Usually the first two have major bands and singers but tickets can be very expensive. If you’re on a budget and prefer a smaller venue, try the Wonder Ballroom.