Portland: Fun even if you're poor!
pull4ud
Living and working in Portland -- 3 years and going strong!
Jun 12, 2006
based on 13 votes
Portland is a fun city that can be enjoyed even on a dime. Here's your guide to saving money and having a blast in the city of roses.
-
Explore locations featured in this Traveler List:
Portland, Cannon Beach, Bridal Veil, Hood River
- Category: Perfect week or more
-
Traveler type: Culture, Sightseeing, Shopping, Active/Outdoors, Never been before, Repeat visitors, Theater, Beachgoers
-
Appeals to: Business travelers, Couples/romantics, Singles, Families with small children, Families with teenagers, Large groups, Seniors, Students, Budget travelers, Active/adventure, Tourists, Pet owners
- Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
- Tags: Winery, nature, wine, affordable, budget travel, Portland, roses, ocean
|
|
1. International Rose Test Garden
|
|
| Have you really ever taken time to stop and smell the roses? Here's your chance. You may think you've smelled a rose before, but prepare your nostrils for some fragrance overdrive. It's completely free to enter the International Rose Test Garden (known locally as 'the rose garden'). Roses are seperated into sections by type, and you can sniff and compare. Or just enjoy the different color varieties. As a midwesterner originally, I have smelled a rose before, but never had an experience like this. You can also browse the past Rose Queens from Portland festivals of the past. Each past rose queen has her name cemented along a lovely walkway through the gardens. Also a bonus: The view from the rose garden is a breathtaking glimpse of downtown Portland, the Willamette River and (on a clear day) pristine Mount Hood. Don't forget your camera! |
|
|
|
|
|
After your free trip to the Rose Test Garden, you might as well stop into the beautiful Japanese Garden. Cross the street from the Rose Garden and you're already at the entrance! After a long walk up the staircase, you feel like you've been transported to Japan! It's not too expensive to get in, especially if you have any student ID. Plants and buildings have been painstakingly planted and built to replicate gardens actually found in Japan. It's a peaceful retreat from the busy city life, but still in the city limits!
Definitely check out the stone carvings and the view from the garden. It is one of the best views in town! |
|
|
|
|
|
| For the budget traveller wanting a beach day trip, Cannon beach is a great place to get away. Hop in the car for 1.5 hours (or less) and you're at breathtaking scenery and lovely bluffs. Once you arrive in Cannon Beach, park your car in the center of town. There is a lot of free parking. Browse the many shops along the main drag of town. Be sure to stop at the candy shop, especially if they are making freshwater taffy. This usually garners quite a crowd! Next, hit the beach! If you've seen "The Goonies," you might recognize Cannon Beach's most popular tourist stop: Haystack Rock. A natural rock in the Pacific Ocean, it is home to a vast array of marine life. Go during low tide, and you can view tidepools, and get guidance from a professional working on the beach. They will tell you all about the sea life around the rock. |
|
|
4. Portland Saturday Market
|
|
| Another totally free attraction, the Saturday Market is a great stop for people-watching, music and finding wacky and weird things. On Saturday or Sunday, stop into downtown Portland (near SW 2nd and Burnside) and be prepared to take it all in. Many items you can find elsewhere, but several vendors are creating their own art or clothing, and they are worth checking out. Get some great grub in the center of the market, and at the same time, take in some cool local music. |
|
|
5. Portland Farmers Market
|
|
| If you're more into food than crafts, this is another free attraction that's worth a stop. Here's a great chance to encounter tons of local Portlanders as they pick up breakfast, vegetables and seasonal flower bouquets. The most recommended market is on Saturday morning/ afternoon near Portland State University in the scenic park blocks of downtown Portland. Set amongst the trees in a green space of the park blocks, the market is host to several different types of vendors depending on the season. You can encounter wineries, cheese makers, small florists, meat/ fish distributors, vegetable farms, fruits of the season and local bakers. Take it all in by grabbing a sausage and having a seat, there's always some good music playing to people watch to. Definitely try to take home a freshly made bouquet -- if you have enough arm room! |
|
|
|
|
|
| For a low-cost day trip, head out east on I-84 to Multnomah Falls. Only about 20 minutes from Portland, this 600+ foot waterfall is the fifth largest in the country! Plus, the drive through the Columbia Gorge (84 runs along the Columbia River) is truly breathtaking! After you stop at Multnomah Falls, head to the next exit on I-84 and get onto the Historic Highway. THere, you can encounter amazing trails, such as Horsetail Falls. This particular waterfall is very powerful, and is the starting point for the trail. Along this hike, you walk underneath a waterfall (wow!), cross a deep ravine, peer into a thin gorge, and find Triple Falls, the climax to the hike. It's an easy hike, and again, it's free!! From the Multmomah and other falls areas, you can then get back on I-84 and head towards Hood River, OR. |
|
|
|
|
|
| After splashing around at the falls, head further east on I-84 and stop off in Hood River. Head to the city center and indulge yourself. You can save your money or spend on the cute little shops on the street. Mostly, this town is cute for window shopping and enjoying the buildings. Full Sail Brewery is a great place to stop on the way and enjoy the view while munching on a delicious Salmon burger (~8 bucks) and drinking a craft beer. In the windy summer months, be sure to head down to the beach for some serious windsurfing and kiteboard watching. This area is very well known in the windsurfing world as one of the best! And -- it shows! These windsurfers and kiteboarders fly around the water flipping and turning for on-lookers. Very entertaining to watch! After you get your fill of acrobatics, head towards the Hood River toll bridge heading into Washington. It's time for some wine!! |
|
|
|
|
|
| After driving over the Hood River toll bridge ($.75 toll each way), follow I-14 to the east, you'll notice beautiful scenery along this drive. The climate begins a dramatic change from pine and fir trees and green grass to yellow desert slopes and thin brush. I never believed it until I saw it. It's a must-see drive! The point of this drive isn't just to take in scenery, though. It's to experience a wine encounter like no other. I could recommend the Oregon Wine Country, nestled in Dundee, Oregon, producing the finest Pinot Noirs in the country. But, this trip is about fun and affordability! Marshal's is the first place I'll stop from now on for a fun winery experience. Off I-14, you'll see signs after the 197 interchange (past Dallesport) for Marshal's Winery. Head off to the left on the country road, passing grapevines and horse retirement centers to the real deal. Ron Johnston, a former welder, followed his dreams to start a winery almost 20 years ago with his wife, and named the winery after their son, Marshal after things took off. Calling this winery down-home wouldn't be enough to cover it. It IS their home. The tasting room is in a building adjacent to their house, which means you can always find someone to give you a tasting! You are greeted with a friendly hello, and start right into the wine tasting. Sample 14 wines (or so), but if you ever want to compare 2 wines or try one you haven't yet, they are pretty flexible there. This is the only winery I could say I've spent three hours at, and totally enjoyed myself. Ron and his wife are great story tellers, and make you feel like a part of their family after a 1 hour visit. They have great wines ranging from $9 to $25. If you want to splurge, try the Berbera ($25), or if you want a cheap tasty red wine, go for the Stone Face Red ($14). There's no tasting fee if anyone in your group buys. Also, make sure they get you out some of their home-smoked salmon to try. It's the best I've ever had, and a good deal. They're also the only winery that's served me "Munchem's" chips. A little off the beaten path, but well worth the trip. You taste some ingredients in their wine you can't taste anywhere else: love and hard work!! You'll thank me for sending you their way! |
|
|
9. Klickitat Wine Country -- Washington
|
|
After stopping at the most important destination, Marshal's Winery, be sure to hit up some of the other wineries for some cheap entertainment. One stop not to miss after Marshal's Winery is Cascade Cliffs Winery. The employees there really know their stuff, and can help illustrate the relation of Italian wine to Washington wine. A real learning experience. Also be sure to stop in the Hood River wineries on your way out of Washington, but don't forget to save $.75 for the toll bridge on the way back into Oregon!!
Only about another 45 minutes or so, and you're back to Portland! What a great day! |
|
Compliment pull4ud
