With summer coming up, it’s hard not to look forward to more free time without school work to explore and have fun with friends. For those of you who are also from Portland, like me, or to those who are visiting this summer, here are a few of my favorite summer Portland activities.
Sauvie Island
Just a 20 minute drive from downtown Portland, Sauvie Island is perfect for a beach day or even berry picking. You can swim in the Columbia River or tan on the sandy beach, there’s even a nude beach if you’re into that. The Island also has you covered in terms of berry picking with farms that have u-pick strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and more. And if you wander enough, you could even find yourself in a beautiful hydrangea field.
Lavender Field
In July and August, there are multiple lavender farms with events and public access around Portland that are very fun to visit with friends and family. My personal favorite being the Oregon Lavender Farm in Oregon City, about 30 minutes from Portland. The farm hosts an annual lavender festival where you can pick your own lavender bouquets, eat lavender flavored food, listen to music and make lavender wreaths, among other things. It’s also the perfect place to get a killer Instagram with a view of Mount Hood behind the lavender fields.
Find a River Spot
With the nickname “River City,” Portland has quite a few river spots to enjoy in the summertime. Whether on the Willamette, Columbia or Clackamas, there are plenty of parks and beaches to frequent in the hot weather. The best way to find your favorite spot is to do some Google searches, ask around and visit a bunch of locations. One fairly popular river spot on the Willamette is Sellwood Riverfront Park which has a city view and plenty of cute dogs to pet.
Drive-In Theater
For a fun date night or just a fun night with pals, the drive-in theater in Newberg is the place to go. It’s a bit of a drive from Portland, but so worth it. Load up the back of the car with blankets and pillows and cozy up to a good movie. However, it can fill up fast, so it’s best to get there early.
International Rose Test Garden
It’s hard to be in Rose City and not visit the famous International Rose Test Garden which is in full bloom in the summer months. The rose garden is the perfect location for photos because it’s so colorful and fun to visit with all the different varieties of roses to look at. Within the same parking lot is also the Japanese Garden, another beautiful stroll that costs money unlike the rose garden.