Hello! My name is Liz, and I have a blog called See Liz Run. Jessica and I met in college, and it has been so fun to see her develop her creativity through photography, design, and knitting. Naturally, I was thrilled when she invited me to write a post about my hometown.
I am relatively new to Portland, having only moved to the city last August. However, it didn’t take me too long to find my niche here as a runner and musician. If I could squeeze all my favorite things to do in Portland in one day, here’s how it would go:
I’d run a route starting from the riverfront, along the city and bridges…
AP Photo/Don Ryan
…then cut over a few miles and run along the seemingly endless trails of Forest Park. It is a beautiful place to explore, and being that Portland is such a running mecca, you never know when you will cross paths with an Olympic medalist or a world record holder. I’ve seen both!
After my run, I’d clean up and go to my favorite coffee shop, Java Vivace. They make one of the best handcrafted white chocolate mochas I’ve ever tasted, and crepes that are to die for.
Then I’d head south down the same street, NW 23rd, to enter my favorite shopping district in Portland. There are a lot of neat clothing shops and cafes, but one of my favorite places to browse around is The Paper Source. The store is filled with the most beautiful paper prints, unique craft ideas, beautiful locally made greeting cards, and much more.
That night for dinner, I’d walk around the corner of my block to my favorite little sushi restaurant, Meiji-En. They serve hot tea on the house always, have a quiet atmosphere, and make the best sushi rolls in town.
by nikameri
I’d finish the night by playing a set of piano music at the ever-quirky Rimsky-Korsakoffeehouse, an old Victorian-turned-coffee house that features classical musicians almost every evening. I’ve had the pleasure of playing there a few times since living in Portland, and it is always quite literally a treat! They have a full menu of desserts, coffees and teas, guaranteeing you to leave with some kind of caffeine or sugar buzz.
There are so many more fun things I would love to share about Portland, but so far these have been the highlights for me. I hope this will inspire you to plan a visit!
Tags: hometown guest blogger series, liz anjos, portland oregon
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