Take it from a downtown local! If you’ve got 2 days to spend, I’ve got the high light reel of what to see and do in downtown Portland.

Day 1

• Grab breakfast/brunch at Cheryl’s on 12th. Pro tip: order the Portuguese fried rice with an egg on top.
• Stroll around the block to Powell’s bookstore, the largest independent bookstore in the world- it’s an entire city block! Wander up the street to other shops if you so desire (Anthro, Splendid, Made in PDX, etc). Gotta get that tax free shopping in!
• Eat lunch at: La Jarochita, Korean Twist, Island Grill (or any food cart that suits your fancy) If you’re still feeling hungry, have dessert at Boom Crepe!
• After that, hop on the MAX and head to Washington Park! Take an easy stroll or ride the free shuttle to the International rose test garden and Japanese gardens.
• Treat yourself to dinner at Bistro Agnes but have a pre-dinner drink at Kask next door! Faves include the Pork Pate Maison starter, and the mussles mariniere.
• End the night with some good old fashioned nostalgia at Ground Kontrol arcade. If you forget a roll of quarters, they have a change machine handy.

Day 2

• Start your next day at Case Study Coffee shop. Have the hazlenut or Bourbon salted caramel latte! They make their own house made syrups and they’re heavenly. Add a petunia’s pastry and you’re ready for the day ahead!
• Walk along the waterfront and people watch. If you come in the spring you can catch the cherry blossoms! Stop at the Saturday market to browse local finds like jewelry and art.
• Eat lunch at Pine Street Market! Everyone will have something to satisfy their palate, Korean BBQ at Kim Jong Smokehouse, Ramen at Marukin Ramen, or Spanish tapas at Pollo Bravo. You gotta top whatever you choose off with Salt and Straw’s soft serve WizBangBar!
• Ride a ubiquitous orange Nike biketown bike and head back down the water front to the south waterfront tower lower tram terminal. Take the tram up to catch sweeping views of the city.
• Head over to the Pearl district for dinner. There’s a myriad of options for any taste, but Andina is always a crowd pleaser. Upscale Peruvian food and drinks will satisfy any foodie.
• Head up Hoyt street to Voicebox Karaoke Rent a room with friends, grab some drinks and belt it out until the wee hours of the morning.

Where to stay: Portland offers a myriad of choices for where to stay. If you have a favorite branded hotel, or earn points in one, it is probably available here. For a more unique Portland experience, I recommend staying at the Ace Hotel, the Nines Hotel or McMenamins Crystal Hotel.

Other notable eats: Clyde Common in the Ace Hotel, Bamboo Sushi (Portland’s premiere sustainable sushi restaurant), Departure or Portland City Grill(for sweeping city views), Higgins (a taste of history in one of Portland’s oldest restaurants), or Imperial (James Beard award winning chef Vitaly Paley’s venture in the Hotel Lucia). Donuts are also kind of a big deal here. I’d skip the crazy long line at Voodoo (the donuts are meh anyways) and head to Blue Star, Nola Donuts, or Coco Donuts instead.

Where else to shop: Pop onto the east side of town and wander down Hawthorne street for vintage shopping. For those with finer tastes, Pioneer Place offers shops like Coach, Tory Burch and Louis Vuitton. Up the street, Nordstrom houses Chanel, Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana boutiques. Head to the Pearl district’s 23rd street for additional interesting finds, and home goods.

Got other favorite Portland spots I missed?? Let me know in the comments so I can check them out!