City Guides: Things to do While Boating in Portland, Oregon
Set against the backdrop of snowy Mount Hood and the waterways and private boat dock rentals of the Columbia River and the Willamette River, Portland makes an excellent anchorage for a Pacific Northwest trip. Go fishing for chinook salmon and sturgeon, drift past houseboats on the Willamette River or cruise by national parks, waterfalls (Bridal Veil Falls and Multnomah Falls) and the Lewis and Clark Memorial Highway.
Located in the northwest part of the state at the Washington border, the city lies north of Salem, Oregon, south of Vancouver, Washington and west of Cannon Beach. While the area is known for historic happenings like the Oregon Trail (the actual 2,000-mile trail, not the retro game) and Lewis and Clark, Portland has become known for its parks, bicycle paths, green space, microbreweries and coffee houses as well as thriving art, theater and music scenes.
Plus, there’s that fun slogan “Keep Portland Weird,” which we assume is in relation to the artistic culture and quirky attitude found around the city. Regardless, it’s a cool saying. Let’s go to Portland!
Washington Park
Photo: Japanese Garden (Facebook)
Washington Park is a West Coast Central Park of sorts. Within the park, you’ll find the Portland Japanese Garden, the Oregon Zoo, the Bamboo Garden in Hoyt Arboretum, a Sacajawea statue and the Oregon Holocaust Memorial as well as an amphitheater, a playground, a café, an archery range and nature trails.
The 410-acre park has 15 miles of trails and 1,800 zoo animals. Special events include gardening lectures, nature tours and cultural performances like tea ceremonies, tai chi and cello performances. The park is free to enter, but some of the attractions - like the zoo and Japanese Garden - require a fee.
Portland Art Museum
Photo: Wikimedia
Founded in 1892, the Portland Art Museum is one of the oldest in the U.S. Spend time checking out galleries of modern and contemporary art from Asia, Europe and the Northwest. Everything from sculptures and paintings to photography, drawings and textiles can be found. Special exhibits focus on topics such as nature, Queen Nefertiti’s Egypt, Ansel Adams, graphic arts and shades of light. Sign up for programs like artist talks, group tours and family tours.
Oaks Park Amusement Park
Photo: Wikimedia
Gather the whole crew and spend the day soaring, spinning and skating the day away at Oaks Amusement Park. Open since 1905, it’s one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in the U.S. Enjoy a day of rides, games, roller-skating and mini golf. There’s a carousel, roller coasters, bumper cars, a Ferris wheel, go-karts and a train as well as special events like Halloween scare fests. We think it’s one of the best things to do from a private boat slip for rent in Portland.
Pittock Mansion
Photo: Wikimedia
The Pittock Mansion is a terrific spot to visit from a private boat lift rental. Built in 1914 for publisher, investor and fundraiser Henry Pittock and his wife Georgiana, it’s a stunning example of French Renaissance architecture. Take a tour and learn how Portland went from a pioneer town to a modern and industrialized city.
Exhibits include original and donated items such as period furnishings, Limoges china and Pittock’s masonic sword. Special traveling exhibits range from Portland’s 1905 World’s Fair and dining in the Gilded Age to Lewis and Clark and African American heritage in Oregon.
Weird Portland
Photo: Wikimedia
Photo: Voodoo Doughnuts (Facebook)
Based in Portland, Voodoo Doughnuts was founded in 2003 and features an ever-evolving array of gourmet doughnuts in creative flavors and shapes (think: bacon maple, ring of fire, PB&J and banana cream pie). Order a dozen and share with neighbors at a private boat dock for rent. Now, doughnuts themselves aren’t necessarily weird … but you can actually get married at Voodoo Doughnuts (there’s a wedding package and everything). Say “I do” and seal it with a doughnut.
Photo: Wikimedia
Grab a cup of coffee at Rimsky-Korsakoffe House. Named for Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the Victorian house offers late-night dessert and coffee in a spooky setting (or completely cool, however you look at it). Tables are named for deceased composers, live classical music is played, tables randomly rotate (hold onto that mocha fudge cake), items dangle from the ceiling and there could be squirt gun fights and fake spiders in your water. It’s been open since 1980 and makes a cool place to visit from a private boat slip for rent.
Photo: Freakybuttrue Peculiarium (Facebook)
The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium, established in 1967, is filled with freaky (but apparently true) and peculiar items. Interactive art installations are made from other things by artists with a shared love of urban legends, weird science and cryptozoology (which includes things such as Big Foot and the Loch Ness Monster). If you love the weird and imaginative, this is your kind of place.
We hope you’ve found a few cool spots to visit in Portland the next time you’re hanging out at a hotel, anchored at a private boat dock rental or moored at a marina. Have fun and stay weird!
