by Blue Star Donuts
I was pretty stoked to try Voodoo Donuts as it’s a place many friends recommended we visit when they heard we were visiting Portland. But, our Seattle native traveling partner insisted that Blue Star was the best donut in Portland.
When we first walked in, I was underwhelmed. It was way too clean, modern and white to have delicious fried balls of gooey dough to enjoy. Then I saw the prices. $3.50-$5/donut?! What?! That’s what a whole dozen of Krispy Kreme cost when I was a kid. Hesitantly, I ordered the Lemon Poppy Seed Buttermilk donut. My husband ordered a Meyers Lemon key lime donut. It looked like a hockey puck covered in powdered sugar. I also negotiated that he get a carrot fritter too. This was a good call on my part. The carrot fritter was everything I want in a fancy donut- dimension, sweet balanced with carrot, plenty of moistness with a perfectly fried/crispy exterior. It took the cake (or donut) for our trip to Blue Star.
Pittock Mansion
This historic mansion offers so much to visitors. Free access to the grounds allows you a breathtaking overlook of downtown Portland. Even with mist and low clouds, we still were blown away by the far away views from the mansion’s front yard.
For $11 each (my five year old was free), we had a self guided tour of the mansion. It is filled with history of the city- damaging storms, immigrants, fires, floods, and rebuilding issues. I also loved seeing how the wealthy lived in the early 1900’s (husband and wife had separate bedrooms, closets and entire bathrooms). The hand carved, built in storage/furniture throughout the home is phenomenal.
If we’d had a longer time, I would have loved to hike some of the trails on property.
Tasty n Sons
Y’all, this southern gal loves a high filutin brunch. This place delivered x10. We sat at community table which was a bit awkward at first but everyone was really nice. To be honest, the menu was a bit mature for JB to be in tow, but we made do. I highly recommend the salmon platter, potatoes bravas, and radicchio salad.
Aerial Tram
This was a big hit for my 5 year old traveler. It’s a transportation option from WaterFront park up to the Hospital. The majority of the folks who use it are medical staff with a few tourists sprinkled in (🙋🏼♀️). The city views are incredible while riding over the city. At the top, we exited to see the city from the hospital outdoor deck.
That’s how we spent our 6 hours in Portland!
Xoxo,
Brooke
#Portland
brooke's brain 
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