portland day trip

Portland, ME

Portland, Maine is consistently rated one of the best beer cities in the US and is super gorgeous! I highly recommend this cute little city!

​Portland Tips: 

  • Walk! Portland is small enough that you can walk from spot to spot most of the time instead of needing to drive/Lyft.

  • Go whale watching! But don’t be surprised if your tour is cancelled multiple times due to weather.

  • Portland is pretty small so you don’t need much time here, 2-3 days is perfect. Acadia National Park is another great spot in Maine to explore, check out my guide here! are It is also easy to hop on the Amtrak to another Northeastern city if you’ve got more time! Check out my guide to Boston here!

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations:

  • Novare Res Bier Cafe: A great beer bar with a killer selection! They also have a nice patio and food options—I highly recommend the charcuterie board!

  • Tandem Coffee and Bakery: Delicious breakfast spot! I’d recommend ordering online as it can be quite busy.

  • Mast Landing Brewing: Fantastic spot just outside of town in Westbrook, Maine. They have a huge tap list exploding with delicious IPAs and a small food menu—I highly recommend the pretzel!

  • Maine Beer Company: Located in Freeport, Maine, about 30 minutes north of Portland, this is a must-visit. They have a beautiful space, delicious pizzas, and phenomenal beers.

  • Belleflower Brewing: An under the radar brewery that is crushing it. Definitely recommend checking out this little spot, particularly for their IPAs.

  • Oxbow Blending & Bottling: A terrific brewery specializing in Farmhouse Ales. This spot has awesome vibes plus they have Duckfat onsite for drool-worthy fries and other goodies.

Allagash Brewing Company

touristy things in portland worth doing:

  • Hang out on the Eastern Promenade: Walk the trail and gaze at the sailboats!

  • Wander around the adorable downtown and pop into shops!

  • Peak’s Island: Grab the ferry and adventure around! We rented a cheap and fun little golf cart to go around the island for a couple hours.

  • Cape Elizabeth Lighthouse: Gorgeous and totally worth the short drive from downtown Portland!

Portland Head Lighthouse

Other Portland things to do:

  • Liquid Riot Bottling Company: A variety of local beers + check out the view from the back deck!

  • Rising Tide Brewing Co.: Another great brewery in Portland! They have cute little flight trays and a wide array of options!

  • Austin Street Brewery: Located right next door to Rising Tide, this is a solid brewery with a small tap list.

  • Little Tap House: A restaurant with a farm-to-table menu and a large tap list. This spot is especially great for brunch and happy hour!

  • Lone Pine Brewing Company: Solid brewery with nice staff members and a large patio outback. The Oh-J is a must try!

  • Goodfire Brewing: Right behind Lone Pine, this a cool spot with experimental flavors + shuffleboard in the back.

Portland, OR

Portland is a Mecca for craft beer lovers & A super fun city to explore!

PDX Tips: 

  • There are so many breweries. Unless you live in the area or are staying for quite some time it is impossible to hit them all, so be sure to plan ahead so that you can visit the best of the best!

  • You don’t really need a car in Portland. Once you get to specific neighborhoods you can walk to many places and it’s not too big of a city. I personally preferred having a car so that I could do day trips, but would’ve otherwise been fine without one. Be prepared to do a lot of parallel parking if you decide to visit with a car

  • The weather in Portland can be very finicky—even with a 0% chance of rain it sprinkled and the sun really doesn’t like to come out until midday, so I would just recommend always having layers, one of which being a raincoat

  • You can’t pump your own (very expensive) gas in Oregon, just pull up to the pump and someone will come out to do it for you

  • Visiting Portland with your pup? Check out Pup Passport, a digital passport that lets dog owners have fun by exploring breweries and cideries with their dogs and get exclusive discounts at the same time!

Adventures & Ales Top Portland Recommendations: ​

  • Great Notion Brewing: Arguably one of the best breweries in the country, Great Notion is at the top of the list for places to visit in Portland! They have three taprooms in the area and each location has a slightly different tap list:

    • Alberta Brewpub: Their original location and a must visit! They also have a nice outdoor space and a small sandwich menu

    • NW Brewpub: Another great spot with somewhat more restaurant-vibes than the OG. They have fantastic murals and a large bar you can sit at

    • Beaverton Taproom: Their suburb location a bit further out of town

  • Wayfinder Beer: Yummy beers, a massive patio, and a full food menu—highly recommend!

  • Cascade Brewing: The House of Sour! Cascade is an absolute must-visit in Portland. They specialize in Sour Ales and absolutely crush it. Their taproom has a small food menu, a great shaded patio space, and super nice staff members

  • Migration Brewing: A great brewery with four locations in town, but I would highly recommend the Rooftop at Canvas spot! It is right across from the soccer stadium and has amazing views of the city and surrounding volcanoes. The tap list at this location is small but the views make up for it.

  • Take a day trip to the Columbia River Gorge! Check out my full one day itinerary here with waterfall hiking and brewery hopping in Hood River!

  • Ruse Brewing: A fantastic brewery in South Portland making delicious beers in a chill environment

Great Notion Brewing

  • Bentley’s Bagels: Super delicious New York-style bagels!

  • Baerlic Brewing: A cute spot with good beers, patio seating, and Ranch Pizza onsite

  • Upright Brewing: Good beers made with lots of passion from their team. They have a shared space, so food is available from PBS Cafe. It is somewhat of an odd intersection, so Google Maps can be a little confused as you are trying to get there as a forewarning

  • Belmont Station: A great bottle shop and beer bar!

  • Crema Coffee & Bakery: A great coffeeshop with fantastic baked goods!

  • Ex Novo Brewing Co.: Detroit-style pizza + solid beers, what more do you need? Ex Novo is a cool spot that can be quite popular. They have two locations in the Portland area, one in north/central PDX on Flint Street and one in the suburb of Beaverton. Their menu was heavy on IPAs which I enjoyed!

Mt. Hood

Portland Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

  • Hike in Forest Park: The park itself is massive and can be quite popular. I followed this AllTrails out and back trail up to Pittock Mansion for an incredible view of Portland and Mount Hood. The trail was 6 miles, 70 flights up, and took about two hours and fifteen minutes.

  • Pine State Biscuits: Touristy but delicious biscuit spot! They have multiple locations throughout Portland and you can order online ahead of time if you’d like

  • Mount Hood National Forest: Mount Hood is only an hour from Portland and is a super easy drive. I recommend hiking Mirror Lake, it is conveniently right off the highway and has some incredible views of Mount Hood. I followed this AllTrails loop trail, which ended up being 4.3 miles, 40 flights up, and took about an hour and a half. It is not too strenuous of a trail and the reflections in the lake are awesome. You do need a $5 day pass to park which you can purchase in advance or on your phone day of.

  • Salt & Straw: Fantastic (but touristy) ice cream spot with multiple locations throughout Portland

  • Eat at a food cart! I have never seen so many food trucks/carts in my life as in Portland. There are so many options it is absolutely insane, so be sure to have that experience while you’re in the city.

Pine State Biscuits

Other Portland Things To Do:​​

  • Breakside Brewing: Breakside has two locations in Portland: Dekum and NW Slabtown. They have a full food menu and large beer menu

  • Culmination Brewing: A small brewery with solid IPAs. Miami Nice is the food truck onsite

  • Ecliptic Brewing: An average brewery with a nice outdoor space and full food menu

  • Life of Pie Pizza: Yummy pizza spot with daily happy hour from 11-6 with $7 Margherita pizzas and $5 House Beer and Wine

  • StormBreaker Brewing: An average brewery with a great outdoor space and full food menu

  • Hammer and Stitch Brewing Company: Newer brewery near Forest Park with a full food menu and large patio with standard beers

  • Albina Press: A cute little coffee shop on Hawthorne

  • Level Beer: Located right near the airport making it the perfect stop on your way in or out of the city. They have food carts onsite, a cute greenhouse-style outdoor space, and average beers

Have more time in the Pacific Northwest?

A Day Trip to the Oregon Coast

I highly recommend checking out the Oregon Coast! I chose to do a day trip from Portland, which was a long day but absolutely worth it! From Portland I started just below Tillamook at Cape Lookout, drove up to Astoria, and then back over to Portland.

Oregon Coast Tips:

  • Anticipate that the coast will be much colder than other areas in Oregon—bring layers and a rain jacket for the foggy mist, not necessarily a swimsuit

  • Each city on the coast is quite different, so definitely check out at least a couple of different spots!

  • Traveling with a group? AvantStay has some amazing larger homes for rent! Use my link here to save $250 off your booking!

Check out my full guide to Portland!

Cape Lookout Trail

Hike on the coast!

There are several hikes along the coast in Oregon, so it really depends on where you want to launch from. I did the Cape Lookout Trail which ended up being about 5.3 miles, 52 flights up, and took about 2 hours. It is just outside of the town of Tillamook, right on the coast.

The trail itself was a bit muddy and overgrown in certain parts, but it provided great views! I recommend starting early, I was the only one there at 8am and when I left at 10am it was pretty busy.

de Garde Brewing

Tillamook

From the hike head into Tillamook, a sleepy little town just inland from the coast. People flock to Tillamook to visit the creamery, but don’t miss de Garde Brewing.

Tillamook Creamery

The hub of creamy cheese and ice cream! This is a massive tourist attraction in Tillamook overflowing with visitors. There is a self-guided tour you can walk through to learn more about the creamery process and then they have ice cream, cheese, grilled cheese, and burgers available on their food menu.

Five Rivers Coffee Roasters

A tasty coffee shop right across the street from the creamery!

de Garde Brewing

de Garde specializes in Spontaneously Fermented beers. All of their beer is produced in a coolship, then barrel aged, and then finally bottle conditioned. They have won a plethora of awards are are arguably the best brewery in Oregon. They are located right downtown in a small little taproom with a nice patio. Their tap list is small but mighty.

Rockaway Beach

A sleepy little beach town just north of Tillamook.

Haystack Rock

Cannon Beach 

Cannon Beach is one of the more popular beach towns along the Oregon Coast. As a result, anticipate pretty terrible traffic and parking. The beach itself is dog friendly which makes everything more fun. You can also see the surrounding mountains from the beach.

Pelican Brewing 

Pelican is extremely popular and has 3 locations—Cannon Beach, Pacific City, and Tillamook. They have a full food menu that is a bit pricey but tasty. I was honestly surprised by the quality of their beer because it is essentially a tourist hub that is more of a restaurant, but the beer was great!

Haystack Rock

A massive rock in the ocean that is worth seeing!

Fort George

Astoria

Astoria is pretty large city located at the top of Oregon. The Columbia River separates the city from Washington to the North and the Pacific Ocean borders the city to the West. It is a port city and it is the oldest city in Oregon!

Fort George Brewery

Fort George is housed in a large building in the heart of Astoria. They have both the upstairs and downstairs of the building providing ample seating. They also have an elevated patio with views of the water and the city. They have a full food menu that is focused on pizza. Fort George makes fantastic beers, particularly IPAs and Sours.

Buoy Beer Co.

Buoy is located right on the ocean and provides great views of the surrounding water and mountains. They also have a full food menu if you arrive hungry. The inside space has a glass floor to look at the ocean and creatures below. Buoy can definitely be touristy because of its location but the beers were good and the views were worth it!

Have you checked out the Oregon coast?! What is your favorite spot? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

Buoy Beer

A Day Trip to the Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge is the perfect day trip from Portland, Oregon. This scenic area is just about an hour away from PDX. It is full of hiking, waterfalls, water sports, and fantastic craft beer.

Check out my full beer and travel guide for Portland!

Here is my day trip itinerary for the Columbia River Gorge:

Hike in the columbia river gorge

Multnomah Falls is the highest waterfall in Oregon and one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area. I recommend doing the Wahkeena Falls loop which hits five different waterfalls. I did this AllTrails hike which ended up being 5.8 miles, 134 flights up, and took about 2.5 hours.

The trail starts along a ridge heading from Wahkeena Falls to Multnomah Falls. Multnomah Falls are truly an incredible sight. From the base of the falls you head up the trail across the iconic bridge on the falls and into the land of switchbacks. You wind up for quite a while until you’re at the top of the Multnomah Falls, and then head into the woods. First you encounter Wisendanger Falls, and then Ecola Falls which is a bit smaller and harder to see from the trail. From Ecola Falls you wind through the woods for a while until getting to Fairy Falls, which you essentially follow all the way back down the mountain to the trailhead at Wahkeena Falls.

The trail provides great views of the surrounding gorge and was a delight to hike throughout. It was mildly overgrown in some areas when I visited and there were a plethora of large slugs, so just watch your step! I recommend starting your hike early to avoid the crowds. Getting there anytime between 7-8am was fine, but by 10am the parking lot was packed. There are several other waterfalls and hikes along the Historic Columbia River Highway as well!

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls

Hood River

From your hike head further into the gorge to the town of Hood River, the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. The drive is right along the river and absolutely gorgeous!

I recommend making Stoked Coffee your first stop. This cute little coffeeshop is right on Hood River Waterfront Park. Grab a coffee and meander through the park or find a bench to watch the windsurfers!

Hood River also has several breweries worth checking out:

Full Sail Brewing

Full Sail Brewing

Full Sail Brewing

Full Sail has a small elevated patio with nice views overlooking the Columbia River. They have a full food menu, average beers, and restaurant-style vibes.

Ferment Brewing Co.

Ferment Brewing Co.

Ferment Brewing Co.

Ferment has a huge deck-style patio right on Waterfront Park. The views here were my favorite in Hood River. They have a full food menu with delicious offerings and fantastic beers—the best of the day! Ferment can be quite popular, so expect a line if visiting during peak season.

pFriem Family Brewers

pFriem Family Brewers

pFriem Family Brewers

pFriem is probably the most well-known brewery in the area and for good reason—their barrel aged beers are top notch. With that popularity comes long waits for a table, so I recommend heading to Bear’s Den next door. This is their beer-only outdoor section, whereas their taproom has a full food menu and more of a restaurant set-up. pFriem is also right on Waterfront Park, but they are on ground level so you don’t get the views that you do at Ferment.

Views from the Wahkeena Falls trail

Views from the Wahkeena Falls trail

Have you visited the Columbia River Gorge? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis