Been a good few years since I visited the Japanese Gardens, and a lot has changed. But wow if they…read morearen't still worth a visit. The plants and water features are outstanding, and it is such a delight to just wander around and soak it all in. Really, what can I say that hasn't been said by many other visitors? If you aren't captivated by the running water, the intricate rock gardens, or the lovely koi fish, then there is something wrong with you. This is such a gorgeous gem, and a must-see attraction in Portland, especially if you are already wandering around the Washington Park area. Some of the changes in the years since I visited are a whole new entranceway, with an amazing water foundtain. Plus, a redesigned plaza with new gift shop, cafe, and a library. Oh, and speaking of the the cafe, do try out some of the excellent teas and Japanese snacks on offer here. Plus, all the staff and docents working here were very friendly and helpful. As for a few things to be aware of: First, the parking situation is a pain. There are pay-to-park spots, but not enough for the crowds. So you should really plan to either walk over to the gardens from somewhere else in the park, or take the park shuttle service. Also, as some have also noted, the number of people visiting can sort of harsh the serenity a bit. So do your part, and be a courteous visitor, and try to keep things mellow, chill, and quiet enough for others to also enjoy. In a city so full of other gorgeous gardens, I have to say these stand out. It's a city favorite for a reason.

Was a well maintained garden. Super pretty but not sure if it's worth the price tag for it. If you…read morepartner it with the rose garden it seems a bit more reasonable but probably closer to being worth a $10-15 experience. We took our time strolling through and were out around in an hour. Highlights were the waterfall and view of Mt Hood. They do have a shuttle that also takes you to the gardens itself. Parking can get busy in the area.

I found this place on Atlas Obscura and I felt like visiting with my partner and our dog. To our…read moreluck, our well behaved dog got us 1 free admission! We spent about 15-30 minutes in here just taking it all in and reading as much information as we could. There are plenty of photo ops as well as interactive things to play with. We were lucky to find a parking spot a few steps away and paid about $1-$2 to park for almost an hour. The person behind the front desk was kind and welcoming. The merch selection was vast and interesting. I just wish they had a photo booth because it would tie into the place perfectly. Overall, highly recommend as it is a fun spot to hangout for under an hour.

This is a quirky throwback to Portland high-weirdness and is more like a circus sideshow exhibition…read moreof yesteryear. Like a lot of these places in Portland, it's a gift shop in front with exhibits in the back. It's an eclectic collection of oddities covering everything from sci-fi & horror, to bigfoot, to exhibitions to urban folktales. It might be slightly pricy for what is there, because the museum portion is quite small, maybe taking thirty minutes to navigate. However, it has a few instagrammable exhibits for fun photos, my favorite was the one they dedicated to the Talking Heads lead man. The staff is friendly and welcoming and very chill. The gift shop is a parade of off-side oddities that's very different than anything most anything I've seen, but so different I couldn't find anything for me.

My best friend took me to Hopscotch while I was visiting Portland, and it ended up being one of the…read morebest parts of the entire trip. We went with her 3 year old, and honestly, I think we had just as much fun as him. Every room had something different to see or interact with, and it felt like there was always another surprise waiting around the corner. The mix of lights, art, music, and creative exhibits made it easy to lose track of time. One of my favorite areas was the Secrets room. You could step into a phone booth, record a secret, and then hear anonymous secrets playing through the giant speakers overhead. Some of the kid-submitted ones were absolutely adorable and had everyone smiling. The biggest hits for our group were definitely the interactive light rooms, where the lights seemed to react to your movement, and of course the giant rainbow ball pit. Watching everyone dive in and immediately turn into kids again was pretty entertaining. We also checked out the gift shop on the way out. I ended up grabbing a magnet, a postcard, and a few stickers that I thought were really cool. And I have to mention this: I was oddly happy to find out there was an actual hopscotch game inside. After walking through the whole experience, I was starting to wonder if the name was just symbolic. Nope. There was hopscotch, and it made me laugh. Overall, we had an amazing time. It's fun, colorful, interactive, and works just as well for adults as it does for kids. If you're looking for something different to do in Portland, I'd definitely recommend checking it out. For us, it was absolutely worth the price of admission.

Super interesting place! While we did have fun, I was a bit underwhelmed. Honestly, I was thinking…read moreit was more a "Meow Wolf" type of place... so I guess I should've just entered the space without any expectations. The bar in the beginning was a nice touch. You can walk around with your drinks and explore the different rooms they had. You can even take a break and grab food- once you get in your time there is unlimited! One of the best rooms was the Secret Garden. This is where you stand under a cloud like dome and hear secrets from people who have recorded them from a month or two ago. They have a recording booth within the room and you sit there and confess things. Then it plays it back after a couple of months to make sure you remain anonymous. The secrets we heard were gnarly... Won't repeat any, just go there and see! That was probably the best room we went into. The other rooms were super cool, which included a ball pit, infinity room/light looking room as well as a semi-bouncy room. Really interactive and creative space. Entrance fee is not bad for the type of space it's in [Around $22ish?]. Just don't be a jerk and be respectful of peoples' spaces. Not that anyone was disrespectful to us, just saying!

If I could give it ten stars, I would. So my better half told me about this place and that may have…read morebeen part of why I picked a hotel where I did. So that we would just be around the corner and popping in here would be easy during our stay. Luckily I was able to come in on two different days, and at different times! We got both the night life experience and the day time experience. I think I preferred the day time because it wasn't as busy. Night means cover charge ($4) and bag check. And no kids. You might see some kids during the day. What a cool place, with yummy drinks (no food), and all my favorite arcade games, and then some! They operate on a card system, so no coins needed when you visit. My pinball wizard friend had been traveling arcade ready with coins in her bag, but it turns out they weren't needed. Ground Kontrol supplies free lockers to store your stuff; just follow the instructions and don't forget your code. I learned a lot about pinball during my visits here, and played more pinball than I usually do because of that. I mean, why not? I played one of the newest pinball games, released within weeks of my visit, which was Pokemon themed, and I played one of the more vintage pinball machines, Xenon. And everything in between! It was awesome. $20 loaded onto a card will get you 15ish games, but there is a different cost depending on which game you're playing. I was satisfied with the value and would, and did! come back again. Highly recommend stopping in if you're in the area! Make sure to check out the whole place, as it's bigger than you think and there are more games (mostly pinball) upstairs.

A little smaller than I was expecting. The place is really cool tho…read more It seems like majority of the games were pinball machines or old school classic arcade games. There's a parking lot right across the street for easy parking. I didn't try any food or drinks from the bar this time around but the staff at the entrance were nice and friendly. Overall, this place was a bit underwhelming but if you're into drinking and pinball machines, this is the place! I just wish they had a little more variety with their games.

Finally got the chance to see and be where the stag sign is after many years! Street parking is…read moreavailable in the area and a quick walk towards the park where you have a better view of it. You can also go up the stairs and see it from a closer view. Tree branches do obscure the view a bit. Very satisfying experience!

One of the iconic things about Portland is the white stag sign that sits just across a bridge that…read morelights up the sky at night. It is used in so many shots to depict Portland that while in the area though raining, I had to get some up close photos. Thankfully, the bridge wasn't busy so Ben was able to drive pretty slow as I took picture after picture while we got closer. After a little while, I told him to just stop the car and let me out and I'd walk the rest of the way to avoid anything getting in the view of my pictures. There was a small little pull off (kinda) that I told him to wait for me at right at the end of the bridge. I love these types of things, unique and distinctly Portland.

Love Love Love I go on Tuesday night for Bingo you win gift…read morecards & cash which is nice. Only cost $20. I like cause it's supporting our St.Johns Community that have donated prizes. The food is good & coffee is good. I'm looking forward to Tuesday night Bingo @ 6:00pm with Bard

We came here for lunch after the Aquarium and were very happy with the friendly staff! The decor…read morewas fluent with the aquarium's artistic animal experience and the kids enjoyed that. We ordered Kids Chicken Tender Basket, Kids Cheeseburger Basket, Portobello Mushroom sandwich, Fried Chicken Sandwich protein style which had 2 small chicken strips. The chicken strips from the $12 kids meal were bigger and had more! Wonderwood Cheeseburger protein style came with waffle fries. When I got my burger it was the patty only, they forgot all the toppings which they apologized for and remade for me. When they brought back the new burger the fries were very cold. I think this place would be as unique as the artwork if they were able to create their own house made sauces and flavors for the food and drinks. It's store bought ranch, BBQ sauce and Talenti syrups disappoint the thought and care of the uniqueness of its atmosphere. I would not come here for food, but maybe a quick coffee if you're in a rush. Wouldn't recommend this place.

These are some cool modern takes on the northwest Totem Poles. They are located on one side of…read moreJamison Square. Brightly colored the full name is Tikitotmoniki Totems There are 4 of them in all. They are interesting and really fit into the area. Fun Fact: they hide poles for the trolley inside.

If you are anywhere near Vancouver and have even the slightest appreciation for history, do…read moreyourself a favor and walk the waterfront, then wander over to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and soak it all in. Right nearby sits Old Apple Tree Park, home to what was known as the oldest apple tree in the Pacific Northwest. I remember seeing the old tree standing there like some weathered pioneer that had witnessed centuries pass by. The original trunk finally died, but shoots from its living roots were replanted, and the tree lives on through its offspring. Considering apple trees were not native to this land and had to be brought across oceans and continents, there is something downright incredible about standing next to the very beginning of Northwest orchard history. Fort Vancouver itself is fascinating. Established by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1825, it became the center of trade, farming, and industry in the Pacific Northwest long before Washington or Oregon were even states. Back then this place was a bustling multicultural settlement with trappers, traders, farmers, blacksmiths, sailors, and families from all over the world. They cultivated massive gardens, orchards, and farmland here to feed thousands of people traveling through the region. It was essentially the headquarters of the Pacific Northwest during the fur trade era. Walking through the fort today feels like stepping into another century. Between the wooden palisades, parade grounds, river breeze, and views of the Columbia, you can almost imagine canoes arriving loaded with furs while smoke curled from fireplaces inside the fort walls. It is peaceful now, but this place once shaped the entire region. I honestly think one of the best afternoons you can have in Vancouver is to stroll the riverfront, grab a coffee, walk through the historic reserve, and end up here reflecting on how much history happened on this patch of ground. Relish it. So much of the Northwest rushes forward so fast that we forget where it all began. Fort Vancouver reminds you.

We love visiting this 191 acre site! There's so much to see...Officer's Row, barracks, gazebo, the…read moreFort, gardens, land bridge trail, and the Pearson Air Museum. We've been to almost everything this historical site has to offer. Our favorite part is just walking around any time of year and seeing what's in bloom. In the spring they have gorgeous cherry blossoms and tulip trees. In summer there's tons of hydrangeas around the historic buildings along Officer's Row. The Fort Vancouver gardens are gorgeous in summer with a wide variety of plants and flowers. There's a lot of vegetables too! Overall a great place to explore. I feel so lucky to have such a gem so close to home! Would highly recommend.

Animals in Pools, by Georgia Gerber and installed in 1986, is a neat public art piece in downtown…read morePortland between 5th and 6th avenues, on SW Yamhill Street. There are several bronze sculptures of various animals, such as ducks, otters, bears, and deer, frolicking in water fountains. It's one of the neatest public art installments I've seen, and I loved the animals. If you like statues and public art, you won't want to miss this, and kids will love the animals. After reading up about the sculptures on Wikipedia, I realize that I only saw part of the installment, so if I'm in the area again, I'll definitely want to look for the sculptures I missed -- according to Wikipedia, there are 25 in all. Addendum, July 7: I had a chance to go back to the area and saw the other sculptures (beavers and seals) on SW Morrison Street. [Yelp collections: West Coast 2018; Public Art]

This is the most adorable little sculpture and fountain group in Portland, Oregan!…read more Known for its designer fountains, Portland's Animals in Pools is a set of sculptures in fountains, consisting of a bevy of otters and a family of bears. The fountain part is usually turned off in the winter, but will also boast knitted hats on several of the animals for the season. This was probably my favorite fountain in the city (Benson bubblers not withstanding) and was a super adorable stop during our Portland trip!