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.

We had a lovely day to visit the Japanese Garden. There is a good amount of walking with stairs…read more(sometimes steep) so if that's not easy for you this might be a challenge. There was a shuttle available to get you up to the top if needed. We had an iced tea at the beautiful Umami Cafe - both the honey lavender spice and the Mugicha were absolutely delicious. The staff were all very welcoming and helpful. Sitting out on the patio was lovely. We kind of wandered the gardens in a big circle. My favorite area was the natural garden. The view of Mt. Hood from the pavilion observation deck was a nice bonus. I think to make the most of your experience you should plan to just meander and enjoy nature, and take your time. It's not a huge property, so you can take time to really soak it all in and still cover it all. We also walked through the rose gardens before we left. We went on a Friday afternoon and it was very challenging to find parking - we parked about a 1/2 mile down the road past the playground, so it was a bit of a hike. By the end of our visit many spots had opened up closer to the garden entrance.

IT'S A PORTLAND TREASURE! You could spend as few as 20 minutes or as long as an hour or more if you…read morewant to look at everything & read all the stuff. There's a greatmust-do selfie -- hanging off a building (spoiler: not really ) and lots of other peculiaria. I think they don't charge admission if you show up in costume, but that may no longer be true?

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.

Fun family activity for a couple hours. Twelve mostly large scale or interactive exhibits that you…read morecan puruse at your leisure. Our family highlights included any dancing videos (of yourself). Unsurprisingly, the kids loved the ball pit and 'trampoline' room, we loved the music and ball light installation as well. As they will remind you of you but tickets ahead of time, remember to bring socks as they are required for a few rooms. Not quite the TeamLab experience, more refined than Meow Wolf, but still a lot of fun.

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!

Love this retro arcade! The pinball and arcade machines are so nostalgic, and I absolutely love…read morethe multi-level setup and overall atmosphere of this place. There's just so much to look at and play that it's easy to wander around and keep finding another game you want to try. I know Ground Kontrol is also a bar, but I haven't tried any of the drinks, so I can only speak to the arcade side of things! The game credits are also pretty reasonable. For $20, you get 310 credits, which can actually last a surprisingly long time depending on what you play. I definitely appreciate being able to spend a good chunk of time here without burning through everything immediately. I played Street Fighter, Mario Kart, and a bunch of other arcade games, plus several of the pinball machines. There are so many classics packed into the place that it really does feel like a giant nostalgia trip. Definitely a fun spot if you like old-school arcades, pinball, or just want to relive the feeling of walking into an arcade and being surrounded by like-minded folks who are there to also have fun!

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.

Quick stop to see this iconic sign. Located next to the riverfront and a couple memorials.read more

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.

Normally, I would not review any location where I did not personally sample something from the…read morebusiness. However, I really did try. We stopped in here after playing a round at the Wonderwood Mini Golf. It had been hot and cramped and we really needed a drink. The door was being held open by a line of people and usually that is a great sign. Being busy is awesome for the business and I am glad they are so popular. It was a weekday, probably around 11 am and there were just so many people in line. It was really cute inside but SO chaotic. There were tons of kids screaming and at times it was difficult to tell where the line really was. After about 5 minutes of the line not moving, I started to get a slight headache from the noise and we agreed we would have to go somewhere else. It was probably for the best as all the indoor and outdoor seating was full so there would have been nowhere for us to eat even if we had braved the line. I think when a business reaches this level of popularity, it's important to put systems in place to keep patrons from feeling crowded and overwhelmed and it's definitely something they might want to look into in the future.

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

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.

Rick at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site was outstanding. He was knowledgeable, welcoming, and…read moreclearly passionate about the history of the site. He took the time to explain things in a way that made the experience more meaningful and enjoyable. People like him make visiting places like Fort Vancouver worth it. Highly recommend stopping to talk with him if you visit.

I've visited multiple times, and my pro tip is to visit when the blacksmith shop is open. It's…read morestaffed by volunteers and they work on projects including parts for doors, etc for the fort as well as other NPS sites. It's cool to watch them work, but even better, if you ask them nicely, they might even give you a hand-forged nail to take home! The rest of the fort is nice to stroll around. Sometimes there are heath cooking demonstrations with fruit and vegetables from the nearby garden. Don't forget to check out the Pearson Air Museum. It's a free museum that houses many artifacts related to aviation history tied to Pearson Field and Vancouver Barracks. Quite interestingly, the museum discusses the Spruce Mill (which is located quite literally on the ground you're standing on) which produced lumber for planes during WWI. It ran 24/7. There's a small visitor center and gift shop if you want more guidance on what to do on your visit.

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!