After soaking up sunshine in Hawaii, we almost forgot we still had a few Portland memories to share. We previously wrote about our day at the Portland Home & Garden Show and that evening’s meet-and-greet — if we crossed paths, you might have seen a photo of us together. In that picture Sherry is holding someone else’s baby and I’m wearing an apron that was meant for Clara.
Between presenting at the show and meeting readers, we carved out time to explore the city. If you’re planning a visit or just curious what we did, here’s a concise guide to the highlights from our quick Portland trip — family-friendly sights, favorite bites, and a few design stops we loved.
We arrived around 4pm PST on Tuesday and Clara was exhausted. She’d been up early, was close to her normal East Coast bedtime, and hadn’t napped on the flight — until she finally dozed for a moment as we landed. After a short power nap we headed out for dinner at a popular local taqueria. The carnitas and the shrimp-and-pineapple tacos were standouts.
To push ourselves onto West Coast time and savor more of the city, we stayed out for dessert at Salt & Straw. Tasting flavors like pear with blue cheese and Arbequina olive oil was delightfully indecisive, but I settled on Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbon and Sherry picked an almond-ganache flavor. The shop itself was charming — eco-minded, with composting options, wire-bird wall art, exposed beams, and rustic shelving filled with retro-style goods.
Clara loved her Double Fold Vanilla scoop so much she screamed “buh bye ice cream!” when we left. It was a sweet, low-key introduction to Portland’s food scene.
Wednesday was mostly the Home & Garden Show (my parents graciously watched Clara), but we did sneak in a visit to the famously eccentric Voodoo Doughnut between early interviews and presentations. The menu is full of inventive options — we tried a Bacon Maple Bar (bacon on a doughnut!), a Neapolitan with marshmallow bits, and an Arnold Palmer doughnut dusted with lemonade-and-iced-tea powder. All were fun, but the Bacon Maple Bar stole our taste buds with its salty-sweet crunch.
By midweek we were forming a quick impression: Portland is green, delicious, and delightfully quirky. Sherry embraced the vibe wholeheartedly.
Thursday was our extra day to explore. Breakfast at Pine State Biscuits was worth the hype — comfort-food sandwiches with gravy or apple-butter accents that felt like the best kind of indulgence. The Reggie and the Chatfield were both excellent. We also bought a letterpress wood print from a local maker to remember the trip.
Design-minded stops included The ReBuilding Center, a reuse-focused salvage store packed with lighting, tile, and reclaimed wood. It felt like a ReStore on steroids: inspiring for anyone who cares about sustainable materials and DIY projects. We almost brought home a scrap-wood picture frame but resisted since we were traveling.
We wandered into small shops too. Queen Bee Creations was a favorite — vibrant, locally made textiles and a studio that opens right into the shop so you can watch items being made. Seeing makers at work is a reminder that Portland’s shopping scene often supports local craft and small-batch production.
Driving through neighborhoods was another highlight. We loved the variety of bungalow and craftsman homes, colorful facades, and creative exterior details. It’s a neighborhood-by-neighborhood kind of city with lots of small surprises in the architecture and landscaping.
We also arranged a House Crashing visit to tour an inspiring local interior. The photos need a bit of editing, but the home was full of ideas we’ll share soon.
A homeowner tip led us to Schoolhouse Electric, where the expanded selection of lighting, printed lamp shades, and vintage-inspired pieces was a treat to browse. We especially liked a large “House 5” sign and some clever seating made from old library-card-catalog pieces.
With Clara getting antsy we made a toddler-friendly detour: the mall near our hotel had a carousel she adored, and the Portland Children’s Museum kept her happily busy for a few hours. Giant interactive exhibits and a rubber “gravel” pit full of trucks made it easy to spend time just watching her play.
We wrapped up the trip in nearby Beaverton with a family dinner. It was low-key and lovely — the kind of warm, slow evening we don’t get often when we’re on the road.
Our Portland visit was short but packed: food discoveries, design stops, and neighborhood wandering — all family-friendly and full of personality. It left us eager to return, perhaps for another book event in the future. Portland friends, we’d love any recommendations for next time — sunny days and unmissable spots welcome!
Photo credit for the Home & Garden Show meet-and-greet at the top of this post: NV Holden Photography.
See our other travel posts in the road trips and travel category on our blog for more trip stories and tips.