My Guide to Portland

I've tried to write a recommendations post about Portland for so long and each time I do, I get overwhelmed by all that I want to say. So now I am going to extend myself some grace and say that I could not possibly include EVERYTHING I love in Portland so these are the go-to's. Phew.

Ok. Here we go.

First off, Portland is divided into 4 sections. There is SW (downtown, Portland State, Goose Hollow), NW (The Pearl, Alphabet District, Slabtown), NE (Alberta, Mississippi, N Portland, etc.), and SE (Division, Hawthorne, Laurelhurst, etc.). The Willamette river divides east and west and Burnside street divides north and south! Downtown and The Pearl district divide at Burnside (as a general spot) near Powell's Book Store. Highway 405 divides The Pearl and the Alphabet District. 

So now that we are all situated...

T I M E   T O   E A T

 

 

1. Tasty & Alder- go for cocktails or dinner but you NEED to go for brunch. Also their radicchio salad is in my top 10 favorite things I've ever eaten list. 

2. Kiva- delicious acai bowls and smoothies (pictured above)

3. Ava Gene's- an amazing culinary experience every time I go. It's Italian. That should say enough.

4. Tilt- delicious burgers and tator tots. Definitely a good low key spot.

5. Bamboo sushi- super fresh and delicious!

6. 23 Hoyt- I like their brunch but dinner is also good!

7. Food carts- I love whole bowl

8. Ken's Artisan Pizza- AMAZING! 

9. Tusk- delicious middle eastern fare and the decor is 100%

10. Grassa- handmade pasta!

11. Matador- a chain but great for street tacos

12. Por Que No?- a classic but I do love their tacos and aqua frescas

13. Produce Row- fun happy hour place. Sit on the patio!

14. Sweedeedee- go for brunch! It's small but worth it!

15. Please Louise- delicious pizza!

16. Pine Street Market- like an adult cafeteria. You have to go for lunch. Don't forget Wiz Bang Bar (that's Salt & Straw soft serve for ya!)

17. Pip's Original Doughnuts- YOU HAVE TO GO HERE. This is my favorite doughnut spot hands down. Sure, go to Blue Star, do what you want, but you HAVE to go here.  

18. Guero- delicious Mexican tortas

19. Vivienne Kitchen and Pantry- go for brunch!

20. Olympia Provisions- love their brunch. 

21. Podnah's- their bacon is the best of all time. Now you have to go just to see if I'm right. 

22. Prost- a German bar and restaurant that has a large selection of only German beers.

T I M E   F O R   A   D R I N K

 1. The Rambler- my favorite bar on Mississippi. It's in a house and they have a killer back patio and fire pits out front. 

2. Multnomah Whiskey Library- worth the wait! Put your name in then go explore downtown.

3. Departure- rooftop bar!! It's part of The Nines hotel.

4. 10 Barrel Brewing- delicious beer and they have a rooftop patio.

5. Bar Bar- also on Mississippi. This is a part of Mississippi Studios so there are usually concerts happening right next store. Maybe you can snag a ticket!

6. Dig a Pony- I love the feel of this place.

7. Bit House- one of the oldest bars in Oregon! Right across from Dig a Pony too!

8. Vault- I've made every friend in town meet me here for a drink. I love their Habanero martini!! Also best happy hour!!

9. Pope House- also in a old house!

10. Church- there's a photobooth!

11. Eastburn Public House- they have swings!

12. Kask- tiny & intimate.

13. Irving St. Kitchen- They have a really good happy hour and a delicious drink called the Berry Blast.

14. Rontoms- one of the best happy hours and a really fun spot.

 (Friends at EastBurn)

D O N T   F O R G E T   C O F F E E

 1. Heart Coffee Roasters- my favorite. Hands down. They do cupping classes and different brewing methods that are fun for the coffee addict!

2. Upper Left Roasters- great spot to sit down for a while and their coffee is 100%

3. Never Coffee

4. Barista- my favorite is the one on NW 23rd

5. Tea Bar- obviously a tea place but you have to go

6. Sisters Coffee- the cutest and coziest

7. Chai at Pips' Original Doughnuts- my favorite is heart of gold

8. Coava Coffee Roasters

9. Ristretto Roasters- go to the one in Schoolhouse Electric and shop around!

10. If you have to go to Stumptown, go to the one in the Ace Hotel.

11. Water Ave. Coffee

12. Cathedral Coffee

13. Good Coffee- big influence on giving back


14. Kainos Coffee

T H I N G S   T O   D O

1. Walk the waterfront. I recommend going over the Tilikum bridge. I like walking on the east side of the river (opposite of downtown).

2. Visit the rose garden in Washington Park

3. Catch a concert at the Doug Fir Lounge or Mississippi Studios

4. Walk up and down Alberta St., Mississippi St., Hawthorne, and/or Division. 

5. Walk around NW 23rd. Stop at Salt & Straw.

6. Go hike the Gorge. I like taking people to Multnomah Falls then Horsetail and climbing the upper Horsetail. If you are feeling like a longer, more intense hike, do Tunnel Falls.

7. Hike around Forest Park.

8. Beach day on Sauvie Island in the summer. In the fall visit the pumpkin patch there!

9. Wine tasting in the Willamette Valley. See THIS post.

10. Explore Hood River. Drive the fruit loop and taste delicious ciders. You can do this after the gorge!

11. Do a brewery tour- you could go to 10 Barrel, Rogue, Deschutes, Fat Heads, and Bridgeport all in one afternoon and they are all right next to each other.

12. Visit the Grotto. 

13. Relax in Laurelhurst Park. Bring a frisbee.

14. Go to the beach! I love Cannon Beach and Pacific City!

15. Drive up to Mount Hood. Tell him I say hello. Eat something at the historic Timberline Lodge.

16. Catch a movie at the Living Room Theaters

17. Shop in downtown & the pearl- I love Tender Loving Empire, Poler, Ecru, Boys Fort, Porchlight, Made in PDX, Bridge & Burn, Work/Shop, Union Way, and Alder & Co. Oh, and get lost in Powell's!

18. Saturday Market in Downtown

19. Portland Farmers Market on the Portland State campus

20. See if there is a '90's night at the Crystal Ballroom. If so, GO.

21. Pack a picnic or get food to go at Pine Street Market and sit by the waterfront

22. Relax in Cathedral Park.

23. Go to Mt. Tabor, Rocky Butte, or Pittock Mansion for some pretty views!

24. Buy a distillery row passport and try out some of the amazing, local distilleries!

W H E R E   T O   S T A Y

 

I recommend staying in downtown or NW for easy transportation and use of the streetcar and the MAX (our modes of transportation out here). If you are planning on renting a car, then maybe an AirBnB on the east side would be a good idea! You can rent bikes at any of the Nike Biketown locations for easy access to bikes and another mode of transportation other than walking (they are bright orange and you can't miss them!). 

I've had friends and family stay at the Residence Inn in the Pearl (great location), The Nines (in downtown), and an AirBnB on the east side. Most everyone else has just stayed with me so I'm not incredibly helpful with recommending a place to stay. If you need something cheap and are willing to be more adventurous, there is a nice hostel in the Alphabet District that was just redone! 

Phew!! That was a lot. You still with me?

With this list, you are bound to have a good time in Portland. Send me pictures!

Why Knot Explore:: Charleston

Going to Charleston has been a dream of mine for quite some time. If you look back to THIS post (hello 2013), you'll see that I've always felt that Charleston was a kindred spirit kind of city. For my sister and I's graduation trips, we spent 8 days around Charleston. Our home base was with our cousin on Seabrook Island just south of Charleston and we took day trips into Charleston, around the greater Charleston area, and to Savannah. I'll do another one day guide for Savannah but for now I want to share with you my little guide to Charleston. 

I had done a LOT of research prior to our trip on where I wanted to eat, shop, drink, and walk around. So that's how I'll break this down! This is going to be a guide for the greater Charleston area since we spent a decent amount of time not specifically within the city of Charleston. :)

T I M E   T O   E A T!

 

(obstinate daughter!)

 1. Minero- delicious Mexican food!!

2. The Ordinary- best oysters of my life. Pricey but worth it for HH oysters!

3. Cru Cafe- delicious, fresh food that was a HUGE crowd pleaser

4. Obstinate Daughter- on Sullivan's Island and 100% worth it. I got the Lieutenant Dan pizza!

5. Beardcat's Sweet Shop- yummy gelato right below Obstinate Daughter!

6. Monza- amazing pizza 

7. The Daily- their breakfast tacos were unlike anything I'd had before.

(the ordinary- in an old bank!)

W H E N   Y O U   N E E D   A   D R I N K

1. The Watch- rooftop bar!

2. The Ordinary- they specialize in rum based cocktails!

3. The Living Room- at The Dewberry hotel and the people that work there are THE BEST

4. 48 Wine Bar- on Kiawah Island and they let you taste so many different wines all at your own pace! 

5. Rise Coffee Bar- so cute and they had some delicious latte flavors

6. Firefly Distillery-  on Wadmalaw island and they have a sweet tea flavored vodka and 1000 other delicious flavors.

(Rise coffee bar)

** there were so many more places I wanted to try but my sister is still underage and we didn't want the whole trip to be centered around alcohol and cool bars ya know?**

   T I M E   T O   E X P L O R E

(Boone Hall Plantation)

 1. South of Broad- the CUTEST homes. I could walk around there for hours.

2. King Street- shopping!

3. Boone Hall Plantation- loved the tours and the grounds were un.real.

4. Angel Oak- so cool

5. Sullivan's Island- the beach as well as eating at Obstinate Daughter!

6. Cannon Street- walk down Cannon St. and go inside the cute shops. I liked Cannonborough Collective (the shop owner was SO sweet), mac & murphy, and Sugar Bakeshop. 

** we also toured the Calhoun Mansion and were NOT impressed. I would not recommend paying the money to tour the house. I ADORE touring old homes and plantations but this looked like a hoarders dream and our tour guide was pretty rude. The new owners have JAM PACKED the place with old artifacts. Just an FYI.**

Overall, Charleston was a dream. As I mentioned before, we spent a decent amount of time on Seabrook Island (the beach is pictured above) but I also saw so much of Charleston and totally get why people love it! I can't wait to go back with a group of girlfriends sometime. 

 

Why Knot {Explore}:: Philadelphia, PA

Holy smokes. It's been a while! Or at least sporadic. I'm in my last semester of classes for grad school so time is limited and blogging has not been receiving the kind of time it demands unfortunately. 

Last week I went to Philadelphia for the American Speech-Language & Hearing Association conference AND it was my very first time in the city/state! What a diverse city filled to the brim with history! So unique!! Now add 15,000 SLP's to the mix and you've got yourself a party ;)

This was my friends and I's first ASHA conference and the only way to describe it, would be- intense. I learned SO much and loved all the sessions I chose. I'm realizing my interests lie in traumatic brain injury and working with adolescents! Some of that probably has to do with the population i am currently serving (I'm at a children's hospital) but it's been fun to discover what really gets me excited. 

We wanted to make sure we took some time out of the busy conference schedule to actually see the city so we carved out some time on Thursday. We walked to Old City for coffee at Menagerie Coffee (delicious!!), Elfreth's Alley (stole my heart), Rittenhouse Square (pictured above), the Rocky steps (classic), and Boathouse Row. Oh! And we also strolled around where the liberty bell is, Benjamin Franklin's grave, Betsy Ross' house, Constitution center, and all the other amazing historic buildings. 

We also ate at some great restaurants! I had lunch two days in a row in Reading Terminal Market and while it was overly crowded and I was a bit overwhelmed, it was worth it for the delicious food. (I was told it is not usually as crowded as I experienced it. Us SLP's were taking over) For dinner we ate at Little Lion, Common Wealth, and we had Philly cheese steaks at Jim's Steaks. (Though we were told many times after the fact that we should have gone to Gino's!).  I highly recommend Little Lion for the atmosphere and the happy hour! 

I miss writing trip reviews and recaps! I wish I had more time in my schedule to escape more often. :) I have to say though, flying back into Portland make my heart flutter. I sure do love this little city. 

Happy Thanksgiving week! 

(I included links to all the restaurants and some of the attractions! Just hover over the words)

Let's Go Back: Summer 2016

Last summer contained so many changes, exciting moments, big moves, & uncertainty. In comparison, this summer was all about being present, exploring, and not letting one minute go to waste. At this time in my life I never really know how long I'll be in one place, one state, etc. so I'm learning to embrace living in the moment and really seizing all that is near me. 

I'd say summer 2016 pulled that all together nicely. 

So I wanted to look back on the summer before I start school again and everything becomes crazy. This is more for me in the future than anything else, but I guess it could also serve as a Oregon summer guide. :) 

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M A Y

I surprised my mom in mid May by flying in for the family Yosemite trip. I originally didn't think I would be able to go so it was a huge surprise and one I'm glad I made a priority. That trip was just what I needed after an intense Spring. See post: HERE

Friends visited me at home and we spent the day in San Francisco. I documented my One Day in SF trip HERE. 

My youngest sister graduated high school and is now off to college!! Both my sisters are now in San Diego living the beach life. 

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J U N E

I got back from my quick trip home in the first days of June and had a little bit of time before summer classes began so my friend and I decided to take a beach day trip to Oswald West State Park and Cannon Beach. I love taking quick trips to the coast whenever I can.

The app, Square, put on a fun flower crowns, wine tasting, local Portland goods kind of showcase one weekend and we had fun checking out the pop up space. We also went to Pine Street Market for the first time and it's now one of my favorite places for lunch in the city. 

My mom came out to visit and we did a little trip out to McMinnville, OR to go wine tasting. It was such a relaxing trip and I just love spending time with my mom. She's the best. I definitely got my love of wine from her. See that post HERE.

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J U L Y

For the fourth, my friends and I knew we wanted to take advantage of 2 days off of classes so we booked a day trip out to the Painted Hills. Absolutely worth it. One of the most awe-inspiring moments of my time in Oregon so far. Post: HERE

And a bunch of us had a lake day out at Hagg Lake near where we go to school because when it's the fourth of July weekend, you best believe I'll find a lake to go to. 

One of my oldest and dearest friends came out to visit me with her boyfriend in July and it was such a fun time. We went to Tunnel Falls (see the post HERE), Hood River, the Multnomah Whiskey Library and as many breweries as we could fit in to a quick day and a half trip. 

 I went back to Oregon wine country again with some friends because I just couldn't stay away. This time we went to Dundee and it was absolutely picturesque. I have a post about it that I forgot to actually publish but look for that soon. 

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A U G U S T

To celebrate the last week of summer classes and our summer internships, my friend and I went to Cape Kiwanda! (HERE'S the post) It was a perfect beach day and I knocked off an item from my Oregon bucket list. 

I went camping with my church and some of my small group that following weekend and the place we were at was insane. Lake Billy Chinook is stunning if you ever get a chance to go! It's in the high desert part of Oregon not far from Bend and worth it for the views. 

In the second week of August I went to visit my friend Steph's family just outside of Seattle and we had some serious fun exploring the city, her hometown and Lake Cushman! See first Seattle post HERE.

I think I went to Seattle more than I ever have before this month! Less than a week after returning from Seattle, I was back up there to pick up our friend Bridget from her home in Seattle so we could continue up the coast to Canada! It was fun to do some of the classic things mixed with new adventures. That post is HERE.

For four days on Vancouver Island, we all got to relax, disconnect from reality and forget about school. It. Was. Glorious. We ate amazing meals, kayaked, watched 4 Harry Potter movies, read our books and enjoyed coffee out on the patio every morning. 

ALSO! I recently gave myself a 3 month goal of being able to do a headstand and guess what?? I did one!! So what should my next goal be? Handstand? (#iwish)

Vancouver was beautiful and those mountains made me positively giddy every time I saw them huddled around the city. So glad I was able to cross this off my bucket list!

Finally (I know, you probably finished reading this post when I was still talking about July! If not, thanks for hanging in there) I ended the summer by helping my cousin move into her new college here in Portland and got to show off my city to my aunt and uncle. I finally hiked into the Oneonta Gorge and it was everything I thought it would be. Holy smokes. 

Perfect end to a great summer.

What did you do this summer??

The One Day Guide To Seattle

Just as I did with San Francisco, I thought it would be fun to give you a jam packed one day in Seattle itinerary. I've been to Seattle only three times but each time has been filled with different experiences. I've really tried to make each trip unique and, if possible, not cover the same ground twice. 

So here's one day in Seattle! 

8:00 am- My friend lives an hour and a half away from Seattle so we started out getting coffee at Blackbird Bakery and took the Bainbridge Ferry over to Seattle. This was my first time on a ferry and it was so much fun! 

10 am- Drive into downtown and shop a bit. My friend had to try on a bridesmaid dress at Anthropologie (they have a BLHDN!!) so we did some window shopping there and at Nordstrom (the original!). 

11:30am- We are now starving and decided to head into upper Queen Anne neighborhood for some delicious lunch at Bounty Kitchen. The food was fresh and healthy and the decor was adorable. I got the roasted cauliflower salad and Steph got the Potlicker bowl. Both delicious!! I also got the lemonade and, as a warning, it was extremely tart but still delicious. :)

12:30pm- Kerry Park is right around the area so we headed there next with full and happy stomachs. We took some pictures, admired the emerald city and then found the intern house from Grey's Anatomy. #becauseobviously 

1:30pm- We then went to Gasworks Park to see a slightly different view. That park is so funky but really fun to check out. Don't forget to see the Fremont troll under the bridge on your way out. Definitely a fun quirk of Seattle. 

3:00 pm- Steph wanted ice cream from Molly Moon's so we went to their Capital Hill location next. I got my signature waffle cone with no ice cream #lactosesensitive and we walked around quaint capital hill a bit. 

4:00 pm- We ended our stroll at Little Oddfellows for some of the cutest decor and mugs I've ever seen. The coffee shop is inside a bookstore and they serve all their drinks in these adorable mugs and unique saucers. There's book wallpaper, fiddle leaf plants and a picture of Jane Austen on the wall....so needless to say I was hooked. 

5:00 pm- We saved the best for last though. We ended our exploring at Bar Melusine, still in Capital Hill, and I died and went to perfect design heaven. This place is expertly designed from top to bottom. When you order a drink they write it down on custom notepads for goodness sakes!! I can't gush about this place enough. We also got some oysters because it seemed necessary being close to the ocean and they were delicious! I would love to eat a full meal there or next store at their sister restaurant, Bateau. Also, the same owners own General Porpoise and that's next on my list of places to go. 

Also, if you've never been to Seattle, Pike Place Market is a must see, there's a Storyville Coffee there as well that is supposedly adorable and fun, the Starbucks Reserve shop if you like your Starbucks, the University of Washington campus is beautiful and, as always, I would recommend asking a local for recommendations because they know what's up. :)

(hover over any of the restaurant mentions and you'll see they link to their website)