Oregon Trip With my Hubby!

My husband and I drove from Salt Lake City, Utah to Portland, Oregon for our second year anniversary back in 2018. It was a three day trip including the drive so a pretty quick trip. The scenery was so pretty so definitely worth driving. My favorite part was when we drove by a tree farm which had super tall trees for miles along the side of the road. I've wrote about some of the activities and places we ate at while on this trip.     

Keep Portland Weird sign:  We hit this right before stopping at Voodoo Donuts since its just right there by the donut shop. It was easy to selfie with since it covers the whole side of the building. This was just a fun picture to take so if you happen to pass by get one too! 

Voodoo Donuts: Be prepared for the coolest donut shop ever. The shop is decorated in bright pinks and greens and lots of crazy art and decor. It is fun to look at and sets the tone for the shop while you wait in line. Their donuts have lots of different combinations. I have tried the fruit loop one as well as their maple bar. There has been a line both times I’ve gone but it is all about the experience so definitely worth the wait. We did joke that we only went for the pink box which is a big plus too!

River walk: There is a trail to walk along the Willamette river near Voodoo Donuts. It was nice to just grab donuts and then be able to walk around and see the pretty views.  

Salt and Straw: This is the yummiest ice cream! They have very unique combinations. We went a few times on our trip. They do have a store that has soft serve ice cream that we tried as well but we love the hard scoop options best. We even hung out in Oregon the morning we were suppose to drive home just so we could get an ice cream cone for the drive.  

Nike Factory Outlet store: Nike is one of our favorite stores so we had to stop by at this one.  We were able to find Portland shirts with the cityscape of downtown Portland with a nike branding. That was our souvenir from Portland! 

Abiqua Falls: On our way to the hike we were able to drive through pretty flowers and trees which made a perfect backdrop for pictures! This hike was about a mile total which wasn't too hard at all. It had a pretty waterfall and beautiful scenery. You're even able to walk behind/under the waterfall. It looks like this hike may be closed due to the 2020 fires in Oregon so keep an eye out for it to reopen.  

 

Strawberry picking: We had passed this field while searching for our hike so we stopped on our way back into town. We loved it! They just give you a box where you to get to fill with strawberries as much as you want. We were shocked at how cheap they were too! They did go bad fast so eat them quick but they were the best strawberries I have ever had! 

 

Por Que No Taqueria: This was a taco shop that got recommended to us and we loved it! It was a really cute place but did have quite a line. We lucked out and got seats and sat and enjoyed people watching and eating our yummy food. 

Chipotle: We met up with my husbands family while we were here and drove around the city and saw the Lloyd's mall which had an ice rink in the middle of the mall. Then we tried Chipotle which was my husbands first time there. The sauces were so much more spicy at this location than others I had tried and they said it was because of the fresh peppers that were local. 

Blue Star Donuts: These donuts are more old-fashioned kind of donuts. It is very opposite from Voodoo Donuts. It’s very proper and a modern kind of place but is just as good! We tried the Buttermilk Old-fashioned donut.  Also, I am all for the fun sayings to take pictures with which this location had on the front window. We didn't hit a line at this one either so it was a quick visit. 

Kayak the Willamette River: This was not planned for our trip but we saw a sign advertising it and it got us! We rented a two-person kayak and took it out on the river. It was easy to navigate where we were and was so much fun!  

Greenleaf Juice: This smoothie shop was really good. It was very fresh and clean ingredients which tasted very healthy but in a good way! You can get smoothies, smoothie bowls, salads and quinoa bowls. We are always excited to find a new smoothie place. 

Burgerville: This is one of my favorites in Oregon. It is a fast-food restaurant but the ingredients are so fresh and so yummy. I love their fresh strawberry shakes and the burgers are delicious!

Haystack rock: We drove out to Canyon Beach where Haystack rock sits. We walked along the shore and really enjoyed it. It is beautiful out there. It is a tad bit cool even during the summer on the coast so be prepared for that. We saw starfish and got to walk around the rocks near the Haystack Rock area. 

   

I did spend two summers as a nanny in Portland, Oregon so there are a few of my other favorites that we didn’t get to on this trip.  Keep an eye out for my next blog on my favorite things I did while I was a nanny in Oregon.

https://jennaskingdom.blogspot.com/2021/07/nanny-in-portland-oregon-favorite-spots.html

I also made a video for our trip which you can watch here: 

 https://youtu.be/GA1MZTrr6iI

What are your must do's in Oregon?