June in Portland is one of my favorite months of the year! Summer is just starting, roses are blooming, berry season is on the way. And we’re already counting down how to best use our 91 days of summer. So June holds a lot of promise and long-awaited summer weather. No pressure, June! Plus, since most of June is still technically spring (summer solstice is June 21, 2026),…
May in Portland can feel downright summery and is a great “shoulder season”, travel-wise. Depending on the year, it feels like a summer preview with way less spring rain and growing daylight hours. The average high temperature in May is 68°, but there are always a few 80° days scattered throughout the month. But be warned, it can still drop down to freezing at night! May is a…
Portland is known as the City of Roses. One of the best things about May, is that all throughout the city roses are starting to bloom. The International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park is flooded with roses, and my local favorite is the Peninsula Park rose garden in North Portland. So here are the best rose gardens in Portland, Oregon – from the biggest The International Rose…
Ah spring! April is the start of a comfortable shoulder season in Portland. Some warmer spring weather, but still not as busy as summer gets. And April brings loads of spring events from tulip festival to beer fests and runs. April can still feel a little rainy and cold, but with an average of 12 days of rain and only 3.5 total inches of rain for the month,…
Spring is almost here, which means one thing for the Portland waterfront… cherry blossoms! The best time to see cherry blossoms is for just a couple of weeks each spring. After they bloom but before a heavy rain storm knocks all the blossoms off the trees. Depending on the year, cherry blossom season runs from early to mid-March through early April. It’s fun to go back through pictures…
March in Portland kicks off spring, after what always feels like a long winter. The worst of winter drizzle is almost over (or snow, in some cases), spring is arriving and in three months it will be summer! March is also the last month of five months of heavy rain (November through March see about 5-7″ each!). So we’re beginning to see the light of spring in Portland.…
February is still one of Portland’s colder months. And with the grey and drizzle stretching on for what feels like ages, it can leave your spirits feeling pretty low! If you live in the PNW, February is a great time to escape to a warmer area. In lieu of a winter getaway, even a Portland-area day trip to a sunnier area can do the trick! In winter we…
Mt Hood National Forest is full of gorgeous lakes. From hiking to kayaking, paddleboarding, fishing, camping, backpacking and more Mt Hood lakes are some of my favorite destinations – in all seasons. So here are my favorite lakes near Mount Hood. And a map that includes a bunch more obscure lakes in the Mt Hood National Forest. Best Lakes on Mt Hood: While there are dozens of lakes,…
This week marks the official start to summer! As the weather heats up – yes, it gets into the 100s in Portland – city folk run for the Oregon coast and the nearest rivers. It’s time to river float Portland! If you’ve been dreaming of a leisurely day on the water, here’s everything you need to know to get out on one of our many rivers. TL;DR –…
Portland is a city with more green space and parks than most urban cities. And as a city sitting on dormant volcanoes, vast forests, and multiple rivers, this makes urban Portland a great place to hike! You don’t even have to leave the city limits in Portland to find exceptional hiking opportunities. So here are the best hikes in Portland for mountain views, forest wanders, and streams and…
With one day in Portland, you’ll have your work cut out for you! Here is my Portland itinerary – 24 hours in Portland, Oregon. More often, visitors will have a weekend in Portland, which gives you a bit more time for Friday night and Sunday morning add-on. But with one full day, here’s where I take visitors. A few of my favorite things to do in the Rose…
Sunriver, Oregon is a charming vacation town in Central Oregon. And while the Sunriver area may not seem like much more than a resort community, there’s a lot to see and do when you’re basing your Central Oregon explorations from here. In any season – from summer to winter, here’s a list of fun things to do in Sunriver, Oregon. Sunriver is just a twenty minute drive south…