Places to Go
Mt. Hood Adventure Park
A lot of fun summer activities to do. Family friendly!
Timberline Lodge Trailheads
Hike around the Timberline area to see the wildlife. There are lots of lunch or dinnertime options at the lodge. Within the lodge they have large Saint Bernards that walk around that you can pet and enjoy a cosy afternoon with by the fireplace.
Huckleberry Inn
This is Stephen and Amanda's favorite place to go after an evening of snowboarding at Mt. Hood Meadows. Huckleberry Inn is known for their giant glazed donuts, giant apple fritters, giant maple bars, and good breakfast food. They also have accommodations as well if anyone wants a unique stay.
Government Camp
Go explore downtown Government Camp. There are tons of cute shops to walk and see, plus good food and lots of breweries for my beer drinking fans.
Mt. Hood Meadows
This is where Stephen and Amanda do all of their winter snowboarding activities. During the summer there are scenic summer chairlift rides, tons of trials to hike, summer music festivals, and geocaching.
Trillium Lake
Boating, swimming and fishing are popular on 63-acre Trillium Lake. A small boat ramp is available within the campground and a larger ramp is available in the nearby day-use area. An accessible fishing pier is also available. Anglers cast for a variety of trout. The 2-mile Trillium Shoreline Trail circles the lake, and parts of it are accessible. Visitors also enjoy hiking and biking on other trails in the vicinity. Tours of the area's historical sites are also popular. During the winter months the lake freezes over and people are able to walk across it. Make sure to have the proper permits/licenses for everything to avoid a ticket- especially for fishing.
Mount Hood
Tons of places to go hiking. Make sure to check the previous and current weather on routes you plan to hike to ensure your safety. Please make sure to be prepared with proper equipment as well. This includes but is not limited to water, hiking boots, snacks, hiking spikes, proper clothing, sun screen, bug spray, and so on.
Huber's Cafe
The best Spanish Coffees and onion rings in the city.
Keller Auditorium
There are tons of theater, ballet, operas, and orchestra performances. Stephen and Amanda had their first real date here and they saw the touring cast of Aladdin. Amanda still has the necklace Stephen got for her there.
Voodoo Doughnut - Old Town
Fun donuts right in the city center. They are known nationwide for their wacky donuts.
Nob Hill
Or also known as 23rd street in downtown Portland. Super cute fun shops, food, and treats to explore. It is part of the alphabet district in the city so all of the cross streets are in alphabetical order. On this street Stephen and Amanda love going to Little Big Burger, Stepping Stone Cafe, Salt & Straw, and Tai Chi Cafe.
Portland Saturday Market
The weekly market features over 150 booths, showcasing a variety of arts & crafts sold by local Pacific Northwest artisans. Established in 1974, the market has a thriving membership of over 300 artisans. Every Saturday from March to December the Old Town/Chinatown neighborhood transforms into an arts and crafts open-air marketplace, where everything from the elephant ears to the earrings are crafted by the vendors.
International Rose Test Garden
Fun fact, Stephen proposed to Amanda in the Gold Medal Garden section of the gardens. More than 10,000 individual rose bushes bloom in the International Rose Test Garden (IRTG) from late May through October, representing over 610 different rose varieties. The majority of roses in the Garden are commercially available. About 10 to 20 varieties are replaced each year with some of the best new roses released onto the market. Roses bloom from late May to October depending on the weather. The primary purpose of the Garden is to serve as a testing ground for new rose varieties. In the beginning, while World War I was raging, hybridists sent roses from around the world to Portland’s garden for testing. Every May-June there is the Rose Festival where Navy Ships come in, there is a parade, and the Queen of Roses is crowned.
Portland Japanese Garden
Portland Japanese Gardens is right next to the Oregon Zoo and the International Rose Test Gardens. Proclaimed as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan, the 5.5-acre (2.2 ha) space includes an authentic Japanese tea house, meandering streams, intimate walkways and an unsurpassed view of Mount Hood.
Oregon Zoo
Amanda's favorite spot to take pictures and to visit. The Oregon Zoo is filled with tons of different animals- the zoo is certified rehabilitation center and is a certified zoo for excellent care of animals. It is very hard to get these certifications. The zoo had tons of food, alcohol, and beverage options. It is one of the best places to get an elephant ear treat. Fun fact, Amanda used to go there about once per week during her undergrad.
Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls is the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest with more than 2 million visitors stopping by each year to take in the views. Fed by underground springs from Larch Mountain, the flow over the falls varies, but is usually highest during the winter and spring seasons. This is also one of the best places in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to study geology exposed by floods. The Multnomah Falls Lodge, which is run by a concessionaire, is well maintained with restrooms, a Visitor Center, a snack bar, a gift shop and a restaurant that is fully ADA accessible. Summer and fall of 2023 required people to get permits to park and enter the hiking area of the falls, if you decide to go please check to make sure if they are required or not.
McMenamins Edgefield
McMenamins is a staple for the PNW. There are tons of different locations across Oregon and Washington all with a unique setting. The company takes old rundown buildings, businesses, and homes to preserve them. They are then repurposed into restaurants, hotels, venues, golf courses, vineyards, and so forth. Many locations have secret rooms, halls, and faces on pipes you can find throughout the properties. Edgefield is the one Stephen and Amanda both frequent for a Ruby beer, an Old Fashioned, and some tots. Edgefield is a former “poor farm,” the 74-acre property now blooms with a winery, distillery, brewery and spa. Restaurants, soaking pool, golf, gardens, theater and concert venue complete the picture. There are also rooms to spend the night here.
St. Helens
Calling all Halloween Town and Twilight fans. A cute little downtown where parts of these movies were filmed, tons of fun little shops, and restaurants. Every Halloween the city sets up the downtown of Halloween Town, including the big pumpkin. This is the town where Stephen's family lives.
Cannon Beach
Canon beach is well known for Haystack Rock. When the tide is low you can see the Tide Pools with tons of wildlife. Please be courteous and do not walk in the pools or on the rock despite others doing it, you WILL get a $500 ticket. Downtown has tons of fun little shops to explore. Steidel's Art is Amanda's favorite, her family has been collecting his art since the 80's. You can also grab a bite at Mo's, they have world famous Clam Chowder. Ecola State Park at Canon Beach is where the infamous surfing scene from Twilight was filmed. It is a hike to get down there and you need to go when the tide is out, so be mindful of that and always watch the tide. When going to any Oregon coast beach, please remember that it is windy and cold. The water comes down directly from Alaska, so it is cold and not for swimming except for the brave. Bring a jacket. July is also Jellyfish season, so watch where you walk.
Lincoln City
Another beautiful beach on the Oregon coast. Tons of beaches and hikes to explore. Great place for late night beach bonfires- but be mindful if there is a fire watch. At the end of June there is an annual kite festival hosted on the beach. It is the best spot to fly a kite on the Oregon coast. Stephen and Amanda met at a party on at this beach. When going to any Oregon coast beach, please remember that it is windy and cold. The water comes down directly from Alaska, so it is cold and not for swimming except for the brave. Bring a jacket. July is also Jellyfish season, so watch where you walk.
Depoe Bay
A little small town on the coast, the best place for whale watching. Whale watching season starts from mid June and goes through September. Best time to see wild Orcas is in July, they come up right to the edge of the docks sometimes. When going to any Oregon coast beach, please remember that it is windy and cold. The water comes down directly from Alaska, so it is cold and not for swimming except for the brave. Bring a jacket. July is also Jellyfish season, so watch where you walk.
Castle Rock
"I don't know I've never been there, it's just a good hike people like to do" -Stephen