Eight Days and Counting!

Hello, this is the other half speaking. Nick suggested that I find (and post) a few places that I want to visit during our first couple weeks in Portland. I figured the best way to discover new and exciting attractions and restaurants is through Yelp, and boy was I right! I am now obsessed with the website. Do you know how many 5 star attractions there are within 5 miles of us? Too many to count! Last night I was up till the wee hours of the morning reading the rave reviews and bookmarking my favorites. Since then I've narrowed down my hefty list a bit.

There is SO much to do and see around Portland that I decided to keep my list of attractions to 5 miles or less from our place. Here they are in no particular order:

Stumptown Annex

AKA the coffee connoiseur's dream! This cute coffee shop offers free "cupping demos" (aka coffee education and sampling) twice a day. While their coffee is a tad more expensive than we're used to, I'm sure the quality is like none we've tried, too. I have a feeling this will be a big hit with Nick!

Wunderland Electric Castle

Now this is not something I would normally pick out as a top attraction, but the reviews are great and I don't think Nick and I have ever been to a read arcade together--letalone a nickel arcade. How much fun would this place be for date night?!

Glowing Greens Mini Golf

Pirate-themed glow-in-the-dark black-light 3-D mini-golf? Why not?! Once again, Nick and I have never gone mini-golfing together, so what better way to start than with this fun-looking place! $8 per person (plus $1.50 for 3-D glasses) isn't too bad, either.

McMenamin's Kennedy School

Hotel, Restaurant, Cinema, Concert venue... I'm not quite sure what this place is like but it seems like an all-in one. I remember NIck's cousin Danny highly recommending it, especially because of its uniqueness. Apparently it's an old school ground turned... everything!

Hollywood Farmer's Market

I'll let a couple Yelpers share their opinion on this one:

" The farmers, ranchers, cheesemakers, burrito folks, sausage people, ahhh hell everyone here has such passion for their product. I do not think I have been around such a happy group of people in my life. They love what they grow or make and they all love to share that with you."

"I love this market, held directly in front of the Grocery Outlet; kill two birds with one stone and buy your produce fresh at the market, then cross the parking lot for good savings at the G.O.
The live music is always fun, and there are more than just a few choices for a bite to eat.  I particularly like the French bakery.  Aside from fresh fruits and vegetables, the market also has everything from fresh salmon to homemade fruit sodas to beeswax candles."

Laurelhurst Theater

Beer! Cheap Food! $3 Movies everyday! Both independent and mainstream films! Enough said :)