For the rest of our trip, we spent our time around downtown Portland. Each day started with a continental breakfast, which consisted of standard make-it-yourself waffles, buffet-style eggs, breakfast sausage, a banana, and a mini muffin. It was far more food than I ate at home, but we were also walking many more steps than usual.

On Sunday morning, we took a short ride on the MAX to Washington Park. My wife loves hiking, so we decided it was a good day for an urban hike. I had never seen the Hoyt Arboretum before, but I knew I loved the nearby rose garden.

Washington Park

The Washington Park MAX station is somewhat of a destination itself if you are interested in transit infrastructure. The station is 260 feet underground, which makes it the deepest transit station in North America.

A long tube displays a rock core sample, along with a geologic timeline explained above it. Murals line the walls and, as you enter or exit the station, you take an ultra-fast freight elevator to the surface. If it is quiet, like it was on our Sunday morning visit, you can feel air begin to rush through the tunnel as the train approaches.

Hoyt Arboretum (Official Website: Hoyt Arboretum) is mostly a network of trails, although there is a small visitor center. Along the way, we passed rare plants, as well as plants that would not normally be found in this region. Often, they are accompanied by metal tags that name them, or, occasionally, large signs with more information.

The trails also connect to other popular sites like the Japanese Garden, the Portland Zoo, and the International Rose Test Garden.

We considered going to the Japanese garden on that day; however, we decided that, based upon our schedule, we would not have enough time to explore that garden.

However, we did have time for the International Rose Test Garden.

The garden is a beautiful place to spend time. It is free to visit, and the garden’s rows of roses provide a calming environment. There are varieties of all kinds, as well as test hybrids.

My personal favorite was the “Ink Spots” rose variety. According to the garden’s main information sign, it is the garden’s blackest rose today.

Muji

During our hike the day before, I realized that the pants I brought from home were not going to be nice enough for the party. So, I knew I had to solve that problem downtown before the event.

As a result, we headed to Muji. Muji is a Japanese department store that offers minimally branded products (particularly clothing, bedding, and stationery) at reasonable prices.

Their items, as well as the store itself, have a minimalist aesthetic. The quality is also quite good for the price. I ended up finding a pair of pants which fit perfectly along with a new wool sweater. I’m still disappointed now that we don’t have a Muji location in Phoenix.

Powell’s Books

Our final stop on Sunday was Powell’s Books. There is no shortage of other blogs and YouTube videos which cover this amazing bookstore. It’s independently owned and offers a vast selection of new and used books in their downtown location. Their inventory fills multiple floors.

Additionally, they have a rare book room. The room has a limited number of visitors passes at a time, but we had no difficulty in getting one. Inside the room, low volume or antique books are available for sale. Some of these books cost tens of thousands of dollars. However, there are also examples which are more reasonably priced.

It’s a good thing that I don’t live in Portland. I would spend far too much time and money at Powell’s. Fortunately, my purchases on this day were limited by the capacity of my carry-on bag home.

 I bought two books that day. One is a favorite of mine: “The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold” by Tim Moore. The book is about a man bicycling along the former Iron Curtain after the fall of the Soviet Union.

The other book I bought was an old book from 1940 titled “The American Guide Series: Oregon”. It was about the state of Oregon during the WPA era by the Oregon State Board of Control. It even has an intact map of the state. It was a goal of mine to get a book which reflected my visit, so I was excited about this find.

Afterwards, we spent the rest of the day with friends.

Quick Stops for Tea & Food

Monday was our final day of exploration. The day started with another stop at Portal Tea.

Afterwards, we grabbed pizza at nearby Angolo (Link to Yelp: Angolo), which offered pizza by the slice. The owners are Italian, and after our trip last year to Italy, I enjoyed this unexpected find. The pizza was delicious, reasonably priced, and authentic to what pizza should be. If you are in the Alphabet District, it is worth a stop.

Tilikum Crossing

The clock ticked closer to our departure time as the streetcar delivered us to our next destination: Tilikum Crossing (Link to TriMet Official Webpage: Tilikum Crossing).

I saw this bridge after it first opened, but I wanted to visit it again.

The Tilikum Crossing bridge crosses the Willamette River and runs parallel to the I5 bridge. The unusual part about the Tilikum Crossing, at least by North American standards, is that the bridge was never intended for automobiles. It exists only for public transit, pedestrians, or cyclists. This, along with the design, provides a uniquely Scandinavian feeling.

Also, although we visited during the daylight, the bridge offers LED lighting which reflects the speed of the current below. One day, I would love to incorporate this bridge on a bicycle tour.

We didn’t spend long at the bridge, though. After all, we had an evening flight to catch and we were going to meet with some friends one last time before we left.

Is Portland Worth Visiting in 2025?

I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Portland. Despite the city’s current publicity problem, I found that it’s still the great same city that I loved. It offers great public transit, natural beauty, quality destinations, and easy access to outdoor activities outside of town. It’s also reasonably priced for a city in the American West in 2025.

Truthfully, I find myself wanting to return.