Upon landing in Portland on a Friday afternoon, we rented a car and headed straight into the city. Our first stop was the hotel located in the heart of downtown. We stayed at The Bidwell which is a Marriott property. This was a very nice hotel with a great location. It was easily accessible and we were able to walk around the city. As we entered the lobby, staff greeted us with complimentary cocktails and assisted us with our check-in. We were also provided with $20 a day towards anything we wanted to spend it on in the hotel. We opted to use it in the hotel's convenience store, but it could be applied to anything such as room service or the restaurants. After checking in, we brought our luggage to our room and got settled in.

Still adjusting to the new time zone, we decided to head straight to dinner. We walked to Bamboo Sushi and it was incredible! It was slightly more expensive than other sushi spots, but worth every penny. We did a shareable meal and left very full. The vibe was casual, natural, and relaxing. We were sat at the sushi bar since we did not have a reservation and got to watch our sushi get made. For any restaurant in Portland, we strongly recommend making a reservation ahead of time, especially on the weekends.

After dinner, we explored the city using the Nike e-bikes. This is one of our favorite ways to explore cities because you get fresh air and can make your own journey. Portland has bike lanes throughout the city that made it safe and easy to navigate. A few spots that we stopped at to walk around were the Pearl District, Powell's Books, and the Union Train Station. After exploring for the night, we headed back to the hotel to get some rest to prepare for an early morning.

We woke up early for our 90 minute drive to Cannon Beach. Our first stop was the town's most famous landmark, an incredible 235-foot sea stack called Haystack Rock. We planned our arrival around low tide and we were able to observe a variety of marine life such as starfish and anemones. The beach was still foggy in the morning, but it cleared up by the time we left. After exploring the tide pools, we headed into town and got an amazing breakfast at The Lazy Susan Café. Make sure to bring cash, as they do not accept credit cards. After breakfast, we explored the downtown area, which is filled with boutiques, art galleries, and coffee shops.

We then headed South on Highway 101 to explore the coastline. This road offers beautiful ocean views and the opportunity to explore unique small towns along the coast. One must-see spot just a few minutes into the drive is Hug Point State Recreation Site. This secluded beach features a hidden waterfall, beach, sea caves, and historical wagon road ruts carved into the cliffs. Hug Point quickly became one of our favorite spots. Before leaving for the day, we visited Ecola State Park, which was completely free and offered hiking trails and great surfing spots.

Click here to read the full Cannon Beach blog!

On our way back from Cannon Beach, we visited the International Rose Test Garden. This is located inside of Washington Park and is free to the public. If we did this again, we would recommend going in the morning hours since it was pretty busy. The Rose Garden has are over 10,000 rose bushes spanning more than 600 varieties. Established in 1917, the garden is one of the oldest public rose test gardens in the United States and offers panoramic views of downtown Portland and Mount Hood. Even if you are not a “flower person” this is a must see. You will see some roses that are larger than your hands! We were amazed by the size, beauty and variations of roses here.

We unfortunately did not have time to explore everything, but there was so much to see and do in Washington Park. You can explore the Hoyt Arboretum which is home to a diverse collection of tree species. Alternatively, you could visit the Portland Japanese Garden. If you decide to visit this, we recommend making a reservation ahead of time to avoid a long wait.

Click here to read the full International Rose Test Garden blog!

After the Rose Garden, we headed back to the city for dinner where we visited friends at Cartopia. Portland is known for their food trucks and it did not disappoint! There were 7 types of foods you could choose from and a truck for drinks. The prices for food and drinks were very reasonable and everything we tried was incredible. In the center, they have a tent to cover the picnic tables so you can enjoy it in all weather. After dinner, we went to a super neat bar called Rontoms. This bar has a hidden oasis in the the back and making you forget you are in the city. We stayed out later than we probably should have, but it was a great way to end the day.

On our final day, we checked out of the hotel and headed North to Mount Rainier National Park up in Washington. The drive takes just under 2 and a half hours and there is a fee to enter the park. We recommend checking out the National Park Service website for current conditions on any trails you want to hike. The park is open year-round, but some areas may be inaccessible due to snow or road closures. When we visited, it was extremely warm but there was still snow covering many of the trails. Some lakes even had ice. We also recommend arriving in the morning to make the most of the day. We explored a lot of the park just on the main road, but we still got out of the car to sight see, hike, and explore. There were plenty of opportunities to pull over and stop. The park was absolutely beautiful and it is something you can see in one day. However, if you are hiking you might want to stay longer.

Recommended stops inside the park:

• Narada Falls (short hike down to the falls and you might even see a rainbow)
• Reflection Lakes
• Henry M Jackson Visitor Center (food and drinks available)