Portland Oregon is often thought of for its vibrant culture and love of coffee. We are loved for our food cart cuisine and our unique spirit is driven by the outdoors and an overwhelming lush, green beauty fueled by more rain that is the envy of dry deserts around the globe. Our specific location on the globe provides us with mountains, water in abundance and weather that though wet half of the year, becomes perfect for outdoor adventures that can only be had in our part of the world.
As we inch closer to spring I was thinking about some of the unique aspects of living in Portland. Yes, the things I outlined above did come to mind, but I really wanted to outline less traditional things. I wanted to highlight something that many take for granted about living in Portland, or simply never slowed down enough to realize. Being a culture of outdoor adventure, I started thinking about things that one can only experience by living in Portland, that can’t really be captured anywhere else in the world. Are you ready for an adventure?
3 Things You Can Only Do From Portland, In The SAME Day
Let me lay out a perfect Spring day adventure that will no doubt intrigue many Portlanders and make the rest of the world jealous. If you love the outdoors and the activities that go with it here in the Pacific Northwest, you are going to want to read on. There are three things you can do in the very same day from Portland, that can’t be done anywhere else in the world (I think). Let’s walk you through a single day adventure of outdoor activities that will leave you inspired.
You can actually snow ski or snowboard on Mt. Hood in the morning, Water ski or wakeboard downtown Portland and hit the surf on the Oregon coast, all in the same day! Here’s how it might look.
Time: 4:30 am in Portland, Oregon. Date: One morning in mid or late Spring
Adventure 1
Waking up early, you gather your snow ski or snowboarding gear and head east toward Mount Hood for some time on the slopes. You arrive at Mount Hood Meadows around 6 am and are hitting the slopes by around 7:30. You spend several hours enjoying the fair weather and sunshine on the glistening white snow-covered runs. At 11 am you grab a quick bite to eat and change into water sports attire, load your rig and hit the road back to Portland.
Time: 12:30 pm Downtown Portland Date: (same day)
Adventure 2
After a beautiful drive through lush green forests, flowing streams and lakes filled to the brim, you arrive back in downtown Portland and head to the boat ramp. As you glide down the boat ramp and reach the floating dock you see your friends waiting in their ski boat for you. You head out on the water to spend the afternoon water skiing and wakeboarding on the Willamette River.
At 2 pm in the afternoon and now wearing your warm dry suit, your friends drop you off at the dock where you quickly hop back in your rig to head West toward the coast.
Time: 4:00 pm Seaside, Oregon. Date: (same day)
Adventure 3
Arriving at a secluded spot on the Oregon coast, just outside of seaside, you unstrap your surfboard from the roof of your vehicle and take in the salty air. Walking on the cool sand toward the water you can’t help but smirk as you think back at all you had done today. Braving the frigid water, you pound your way through the breakwater and begin planning your first drop-in.
The outdoor adventure opportunities in the Pacific Northwest are nothing short of amazing. When you consider that in a single day you could actually snowboard, wakeboard and surf right from Portland Oregon, it boggles the mind. Though this adventure is truly unique to our great city, there are so many other hiking, boating and sightseeing opportunities that await you. So even if you are not so adventurous to do this outlined single day excursion, take a look around and find something new, unique and interesting to do from our great city.
