Portland Solo Trip Guide (Car-Free Edition!) 🌸🚶‍♀️

After surviving no-vacation March & April, I’m counting down to Memorial Day & Juneteenth—the perfect long weekends for a Portland escape! Why May/June? ☀️ Perfect weather 🏔️ Snow-capped peaks + forests + lakes + beaches in one trip 🌹 International Rose Test Garden in full bloom ✈️ My 5-Day Solo Itinerary (No Rental Car!) 📍 Day 1: Shop & Book Therapy Flew in from SF, took public transit to Adidas/Nike outlets (tax-free haul!) Dinner + Powell’s City of Books (got lost in the rainbow shelves for hours) 📚💸 📍 Day 2: Waterfalls & The Shining Vibes Joined a day tour to iconic waterfalls + Mt. Hood Stopped at a farm stand with a hidden photo-worthy swing (see P4!) Visited the Overlook Hotel (aka Timberline Lodge)—yes, the axe from the movie is still there! 🪵❄️ 📍 Day 3: Coastal Adventure Cannon Beach day trip (2hr ride, but worth it!) Walked along the shore with dozens of happy pups 🐕🌊 (Bring a windbreaker—it’s WILD out there!) 📍 Day 4: Portland City Walk Explored downtown + tried bookmarked food spots Found the BEST braised pork trotters in the U.S. 😭🍖 Felt weirdly safe walking at night—almost like being back in China! (SF could never…) 📍 Day 5: Roses & Goodbyes Hiked to International Rose Test Garden (morning light = magic) Almost made it to the Japanese Garden (insane lines by noon—skip weekends!) Flew home, already missing Portland’s charm ✈️💔 💡 Pro Tips for Car-Free Travel: ✔ Use public transit (MAX Light Rail + buses cover most spots) ✔ Book day tours for far-flung nature (Columbia Gorge, Coast, Mt. Hood) ✔ Avoid Old Chinatown at night (only sketchy part of town) Portland proved you don’t need a car—or a crowd—to have an epic adventure. Already planning my next trip! 🌿 #PortlandTravel #SoloTrip #NoCarNeeded #RoseCity #PacificNorthwest 🌸