Portland, OR

Portland, Oregon - The City of Roses 🌹

Portland, Oregon, is a city where nature, creativity, and urban life come together. Known as the City of Roses, Portland is surrounded by the beautiful landscapes of the Pacific Northwest and is filled with parks, gardens, interesting neighborhoods, local cafés, bookstores, museums, and a great food scene.

One thing that makes Portland special is how connected the city feels to nature. Washington Park is one of the best examples. The park is home to several Portland attractions, including the International Rose Test Garden, Portland Japanese Garden, Hoyt Arboretum, and the Oregon Zoo. There are also many trails and green spaces throughout the area.

The Portland Japanese Garden is another beautiful place to discover. Surrounded by trees in Washington Park, it brings together Japanese garden traditions and the natural landscape of the Pacific Northwest. It is definitely one of those peaceful places that makes you slow down and appreciate your surroundings.

Portland also has a creative and independent personality. Powell's City of Books, which occupies an entire city block, is one of the city's most famous landmarks. The city is also known for its food carts, local markets, coffee shops, and neighborhoods where you can simply walk around and discover something new.

Our Experience in Portland

We didn't have much time to explore Portland, but we were still able to get to know a little bit of the city during our time here. Alex and Luke had more opportunities to explore the parks, and one place we especially enjoyed as a family was the museum. The museum is beautiful, very organized, and a wonderful place to visit with children. We first visited during our first summer together in Portland, and now Alex and Luke had the chance to go again. It was nice to see that they still enjoyed it just as much the second time.

Sometimes, returning to a place after some time has passed makes the experience even more special. Luke was older this time, so he could experience and understand things in a different way.

Shopping in Portland
Another nice benefit of visiting Portland is the shopping. Oregon does not have a general sales tax, so if you are planning to buy something, it can be a good opportunity to stop by a mall or visit some of Portland's stores while you are there.
Portland is also home to one of my favorite stores, MUJI. It is a Japanese store with a minimalist style and a wonderful variety of simple and practical things for everyday life from stationery and organization products to household items and clothing.
I love walking around MUJI and discovering all the little practical things they have. I just wish we had one in Bellevue, WA!

A City We Will Remember
There is still so much of Portland that we didn't have the opportunity to explore. I would have loved to spend more time discovering its neighborhoods, gardens, parks, cafés, and local places.
But sometimes a place becomes meaningful not because you saw everything it had to offer, but because of what you experienced while you were there.

For me, Portland became more than another city to visit. It was also connected to an important period of learning, personal growth, and new experiences in my life. While I was learning and dedicating time to this chapter, Alex and Luke were creating their own memories of Portland too exploring parks, visiting the museum, and discovering the city together.

So, even though our Portland list is far from complete, the memories are very special.

Thank you, Portland, for the memories, experiences, friendship, and all the knowledge I acquired here. You will always be part of this chapter of our lives. ❤️