5 Must See Stops in Portland + Life Lately

It’s been a busy couple of weeks! If you follow me on Snapchat (@blondebagel) you know that I moved! I’m seriously exhausted and admittedly not everything is unpacked yet, but I’m almost there!

Right before the big move KB and I jet off to Portland! We actually had booked our tickets months ago and found out some of our best friends were headed there over the very same weekend so we travelled as a group! Between trips across Ireland, Italy, and local gems, KB and I are no strangers to travel. We had never actually travelled with anyone else before though so it was a whole new fun experience to get to explore a new place with friends.

I can pretty much sum up Portland for you in three words: food, beer, nature. But really. There are breweries and restaurants galore – and I’ve seen few cities with more gorgeous greenery. We spent most of our days wandering the Pearl District, sipping stouts, and chomping on the most sinful goodies from the food carts. Ugh I can still taste the homemade mac and cheese…

Today I’m dishing on the top five must see spots in Portland – according to me! Which obviously means a bagel spot is on the list.

1. The Rose Garden

I can’t even with this place. The Rose Garden in Portland is seriously jaw dropping, unbelievably gorgeous. This one is on just about everybody’s “must see” list – and there’s a reason why. It’s hands down the most beautiful place in Portland. It was so beautiful that KB and I couldn’t stop snapping away. All the pictures from this post are from the Rose Garden!

portland rose garden

portland rose garden

portland rose garden

2. Multnomah Falls

Located just outside of portland, Multnomah Falls is the perfect off-highway stop for a nature hike. Okay I won’t lie – I definitely couldn’t make it up to the top of the falls. This hike was way more cardio than I was in for. But even from the bottom or midway up the falls, the view is breathtaking! I’ll admit I was surprised by how packed this spot was. It seemed a little more like a theme park than a waterfall with a gift shop and churro stand located at the start of the trail. Still if you can manage to get far enough along, you’re in for some amazing views!

portland rose garden

portland rose garden

3. Kenny & Zukes Delicatessen

Seriously if you’re in Portland get. Your. Butt. Over. To. Kenny & Zukes! I had the most cathartic experience with a bagel from Kenny & Zukes and sometimes when I eat other bagels I think back to that bagel just to get by. No joke. I had a moment.

KB, friends, and I stayed at a hotel right across from Kenny & Zukes and we ventured into the restaurant for a group breakfast one morning. I totally had a cheat day (who am I kidding – my entire trip to Portland was one giant cheat day) and had pastrami biscuits and gravy. To. Die. For.

I loved my biscuits and gravy, but throughout the entire breakfast I kept thinking how badly I wanted to try one of their housemade bagels and cream cheese. I mean hello, my blog is dedicated to my deep rooted love of bagels. I had to try a bagel from a true Jewish deli.

KB and I stayed an extra day in Portland and he was enough of a sweetheart to indulge me – we stopped into Kenny & Zukes for an onion bagel toasted with cream cheese and lox. AND IT WAS MIND-BLOWING.

I’ll leave it at that. Seriously go to Kenny & Zukes and have a bagel.

portland rose garden

portland rose garden

4. Powell’s Books

Also on just about every “must see” itinerary for Portland, Powell’s Books has totally earned it’s spot on each and every list. Imagine the biggest book store you’ve ever been in – now multiply it by ten. No joke. Powell’s is huge. There’s a room for every genre, with each genre broken down into subtopics. Each room has shelves upon shelves upon shelves of every book you could ever hope to own. KB and I walked out with a shopping bag of a few goodies – including a Paris street style coloring book for me!

portland rose garden

5. A donut shop of your choosing

Portland is big on donuts and which donut shop is “the best” can apparently be a point of contention. Locals tend to love Blue Star while tourists often flock to Voodoo. KB and I tried both and I tend to think they’re two entirely different experiences. Blue Star is just a good old fashioned donut spot – and boy are they good. Voodoo is flashy with cereal coated specials and funky flavors.

A little tip for those of you hell bent on trying Voodoo – the lines are notoriously long (sometimes an hour or more!). KB and I beat the crowd by going late at night (around 9-10 pm). Snag a Voodoo for dessert instead of breakfast and you’ll save yourself some time!

portland rose garden

portland rose garden

We had such a blast on our trip to Portland! Life’s been a bit of a whirlwind ever since! Thank you #BagelBabes for being super patient with me as I’ve been quiet over here on the blog for a couple weeks. I’m finally feeling settled and am super excited to get cranking on some amaaaazing content for you guys! Including a little blogiversary celebration and a giveaway! Stay tuned!

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