There’s so much to do in Portland, we found ourselves a little overwhelmed. We took a lot of your suggestions to heart and tried to do as much as three days and two dogs would allow. Here’s the rundown in my final post on Portland. –Mary T.

Shopping

Canoe – I was taken with much of the selection at the spare and elegant Canoe. The votives by Lilach Lotan are exceptionally beautiful; I was amazed that they were made by hand and not directly from the sea! The foldable, portable stainless steel Pack + Carry Fireplace with Bag by Snow Peak would make a worthy addition to Megan’s search. At around $245, it was a little more than we could spend, but I stared at it in longing for a good, long while. You can order it by calling the store at (503) 889-8545.

Grass Hut – Half art gallery, half arty store. (You can tell by the top photo, right?) We loved the colors in this place, and I regret we didn’t buy the “Let’s Just Be Friends” screen print by Ryan J. Smith, $30, while we were there. The current exhibit in the gallery was called “The Squirrels Made Me Do It” — no wonder I loved this store.

Hive Modern – Hive Modern is right on the North Park Blocks. We didn’t do much more than peek at the selection, but there was one thing that got me drooling — an entire wall of Panton chairs in turquoise!

Life + Limb – See this post about our visit; we loved this place.

Powell’s City of Books – Everything our commentors said it would be, and more. We walked the dogs until they were tired, parked them in a cool, shady spot, and spent a little time in Powell’s, where we could easily have wasted hours. We made it out with an assortment of new and used books we’ve been wanting to read (I was deep into the A.M. Homes book by the time we hit the hotel that night) and two of their very cute souvenir glasses. We spent time in the main City of Books, but there are several Powell’s locations, including one in the airport if you’re passing through.

Really Good Stuff – Another really good reader suggestion! We stopped by just as they were starting to close up, unfortunately, but the owners graciously invited us in for a half-hour as they pulled in their displays from the sidewalk. We could have spent hours pawing through the crazy selection here. In the market for reels and reels of old films? The trunk lid to a vintage Beetle? Original mantle-size, framed paintings of Jesus and Santa (not together)? You’ve come to the right place. We ended up with a small tiki-head-topped souvenir spoon and a button that reads “I am not an Oregon pig,” a remnant from 1981 of an insult hurled at residents by an area cult leader who carried out a bioterror attack on the region.

Saturday Market – On a drizzly Saturday morning, the market was thronged with people browsing an impressive selection of local food (everything from mushrooms, truffles, and fiddlehead ferns to knitted hats and homemade pies) while listening to live music. My husband was beyond thrilled to find a vendor offering not only morels but hen-of-the-woods mushrooms. We bought some and took them home to saute the next day. Now that’s a souvenir.

Click for what we ate and where we walked.

Eating
Barista – We stumbled across this place and I remembered it from a brief stop in Portland en route somewhere else more than ten years ago! A very pleasant coffeehouse with good coffee and pastries, located within the charming brick warehouses of the Pearl District that are loaded with stores and galleries. Added bonus: the baristas came outside to say hi to our dogs.

Clyde Common – This is the official Ace Hotel room service restaurant, which we ordered after a long, tiring day traipsing around local parks. The food was just savory, and we splurged on a banana tart with peanut butter ice cream and brownies. The actual restaurant space looked like it would make for a fun night out.

Dalo’s Kitchen – What a great suggestion this Ethiopian restaurant was! The stark contrast between outside (deserted street, blank warehouse) and inside (bright and bustling restaurant filled with hipsters) was amazing! We had the veggie platter as suggested, and it was just delicious. I wasn’t crazy about the Injera bread — it had a bit of a sour bite to me — so we eventually just used the serving spoons to eat the veggies. Didn’t look cool, but sure tasted good. This place was totally hopping on a Thursday night, and it was so great to get a meal for two (with beer) for less than $12!

Food Carts – File this under “I wish we had this in Seattle.” Just wandering around downtown at 9th & Stark, we came across these and I luckily remembered that a couple of you had suggested them. It was almost 3 p.m. and we were starving, and a lot of the places were closed already, but we still had our choice of Indian, pizza, and several Mexican places in one block. We ended up getting giant burritos from Senora that were just $5 each and delicious. Hooray for the $5 meal!

Mother’s Bistro & Bar – Thank you to everyone who sent us here. I really didn’t know if the food would live up to the recos, but it did — and then some. We each ordered breakfast (biscuits and gravy were so good) but also a side of the day’s mac and cheese as directed. It was filled with onions, bacon, and sour cream — insane. The surroundings were great and the service was spot-on.

Stumptown Coffee Roasters – Just have to give them one more mention. I don’t know what it is about this place, but it’s just so good. The line on Saturday was crazy, but people were friendly.

Outside
Hoyt Arboretum – We walked the dogs through here and we all had a fabulous time. Scores of beautiful trees, meandering trails that give you some outside time but interconnect so you can finish in a reasonable amount of time, and views on a clear day of Mt. St. Helens.

Japanese Gardens – Simply stunning, as advertised. A shuttle will take you up if you’re not up to walking the short hill that leads to the entrance, but we managed the walk just fine. You can’t bring your dogs, and apparently that’s not well known — we watched as two separate visitors with dogs were turned away. It will cost $8 per person, but it’s worth it. Even the 45 minutes we spent wandering about the lush fountains, flowering trees, and peaceful garden nooks were refreshing. Respect and silence are encouraged, which made it doubly relaxing.

North Park Blocks – As I’ve mentioned, this was the closest park of any size to our hotel, so we visited here with the dogs three times a day. A little iffy late at night perhaps, but during the day it’s wonderful for people watching. The bronze statute of two fanciful elephants, Da Tung & Xi’an Bao Bao, is amazing. Hive Modern, Powell’s Technical Bookstore, and the Parkside Cafe are all located along this street.

Waterfront Park – It was probably a little early in the season to get the full benefit of sunning and relaxing here, but it was a pleasant place for a long stroll with river views. They were already setting up for a Cinco de Mayo celebration when we were there on April 25. Now that’s a party.

Need more Portland insight? I highly recommend giving Leah Hennen’s site More Ways to Waste Time a visit. Portland seems to have become her home away from home, and her coverage is comprehensive. Alas, we never got to have a bacon maple donut at Voodoo Donut, as Leah suggested. Next time, Portland. Next time.