12 Ways To Have The Most Portland Day Ever

If you want to have a quintessentially Portland day, do these 12 things today. A combination of eating, fun, and exercise is just what you need to live your best Portland day ever.

1. Start With Brunch

Brunch is the most important meal of the day in Portland, and where you eat matters. Tasty N Sons is a great idea, as are Mother's Bistro and Bar, Arleta Library Bakery Cafe, The Roxy and Besaw's.

2. Go For A Hike

Work off some of that filling meal with a hike through one of the city's urban parks. Mt Tabor offers great views of the city, and Forest Park's expansive trails make it a perfect choice as well.

3. Visit A Market

No matter the day, chances are there is a farmer's market happening. If you are exploring on the weekend, check out the PSU market for food samples galore, or head to the Saturday Market to peruse local arts and craft vendors.

4. Pedal Around Town

Get moving some more by renting one of the orange bikes strategically located all around town. Tour the neighborhood, ride the esplanade, or simply travel from the market to your next destination: lunch.

5. Eat At A Food Cart

Exploring food cart pods is second nature in Portland and a must for a day in the city. There's the Alder Pod, Fifth Avenue Pod, Third Avenue Pod, and PSU Pod located downtown. If you still have that bike, you can pedal between them and decide from the myriad of choices what you want to eat for lunch, while working up a great appetite in the meantime.

6. Follow Lunch With Donuts

Nothing washes lunch down like a donut. Head to Voodoo, Blue Star, Coco Donuts, or Pip's Original to get your sugar fix.

7. Take Part in Some Adult Gaming

Head over to Ground Control Classic Arcade, QuarterWorld Arcade, Pinball Outreach Project, or Electric Castle's Wunderland to have some good old gaming fun.

8. Take a Distillery/Brewery Tour or Tasting

We have a ton of distilleries and breweries in town, and many give tours and/or tastings. Eastside Distilling, New Deal Distilling, and Stone Barn Brandyworks all offer tours, as do Upright Brewery, Buckman Botanical Brewery, Bridgeport Brewery, Hopworks Urban Brewery, and Widmer Brothers Brewery.

9. Cool Off At A Fountain

If the heat of the day is getting to you, cool off in the mist of one of these fountains: Jamison Square, Keller Fountain, Salmon Street Springs, or Lovejoy Fountain Park.

10. Dine With A View

For dinner, you are going to want a great view with your meal. Portland City Grille, Departure, and Noble Rot give you a view from above, while Salty's on the Columbia, Three Degrees, and Aquariva all have great river views.

11. Catch A Live Show

Live music is big in Portland. Catch a show at the Doug Fir, Aladdin Theater, or Mississippi Studios for a wonderful Portland experience.

12. Have A Nightcap

Finish your night with drinks at the Multnomah Whiskey Library for an extensive selection of whiskey, head to a dive bar for cheap drinks, or go pub crawling for microbrews. Whatever you do, get home safely and get a good night's sleep because that was a long day and you are going to need it!

What would you add to the most perfect Portland day? Share your thoughts below.