Three Days Livin' as a True and Local Portlander

Portland is a brilliant and bizarre place. We are known for our ridiculously large array of food carts, microbreweries, and hipsters. This is all true and does exist and is wonderful, but there is also so much more to this city that the average tourist does not discover. This itinerary is three days of living like I, a true Portlander, would (with a few touristy things thrown in!). 

Who is this itinerary for?

If you like traveling to understand a city, as opposed to traveling for the photo ops, or if you like traveling for the food, for the side streets, for the surprises, for the cheap, then this itinerary is for you.

Please note that I have included a fair amount of walking. This is really only because I walk this city back and forth most every single day, so if you enjoy this particular mode of transport then you will be just fine. For people who aren't used to so much walking, there are buses or bicycle rentals (or cars).

In short, this itinerary is for people who want to step out of the tourists' comfort zone and go home with more stories than with anything else.

What will you see?

You will see small galleries, vintage stores, waffles being served out of windows, rainbow intersections, happy hours, festivals and markets, a serene waterfront, street musicians, and food galore. I will take you through several different districts of Portland so you can really begin to get a feel for what this city is composed of. There is an incredible range of experiences that most tourists never get to see, because much of it is designed for the local.

I've included maps and information for the following areas, as well as transportation information between all of them:

• SE Hawthorne and SE Belmont
• Mississippi
• Alberta Arts District
• The Pearl
• Downtown
• SW Waterfront
• Portland State University District
• Oldtown-Chinatown
• Sellwood
• Springwater Corridor
• The SE Warehouse District
• Burnside
• SE Division

I've pointed out sights that should not go unnoticed, and sights that would otherwise go unnoticed. I've also given you all possible useful websites in the itinerary, for events and festivals and transportation and such, so you can build your trip around things that will be going on in the city. 

Finally...

If you have any questions along the way, my email is included in the itinerary and I'd be more than happy to help you out! Portland is a fun, quirky, vibrant city, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do!