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Travel in Style: Why I love Portland and why you MUST Include it in your Travel Itinerary

Generally, when one’s planning their travel in the US, they don’t include Portland in their itinerary! It’s always Vegas, San Francisco, New York, Miami, LA… But Portland??!!! Why would you think of Portland!? Well, I’ve been there… And honestly, I think people really should start including it in their travel plans!! Because, it’s awesome sauce!

I wouldn’t have thought of it either, had it not been for my lil sister who’s recently moved there and is working with INTEL. And trust me I had absolutely no idea what I was in for, until I landed at the Portland International Airport!

There is a vibe to the city! Something I didn’t feel anywhere else in the US (I traveled to 9 cities in this trip alone).  I kept trying to put a word to that vibe… and finally… after my 10days of stay there… I zeroed it down to ‘HAPPY’! It really felt like the ‘Happiest little city in USA’!

People:

People are passionate, laid-back, loving, & content! Every city in the US has a ‘Hippie area’! Portland, however, is entirely hippie! It’s hippie inside! Hippie… is a state of mind that everyone lives in! And I really felt like I could live there forever!

My first morning when I woke up and looked out of my sister’s window… I was bamboozled! That view… of the church, the mountains and the luscious green was something even hill-stations don’t offer… And mind-you, she lives bang in the middle of the city center!

I stepped out of her building… and I’ve never seen so many happy, kind and smiling faces! People who just walk up to you and greet you… strangers who start conversing with you like they’ve known you forever… store-keepers who love their job so much, that they don’t care about selling… only about how much you like their work! (I went to this store on Hawthorne street, selling wool! Just wool… in every colour possible! And in spite of knowing that I wasn’t going to buy anything, she spent 30mins chatting with me… about wool, her sister, her family, her dogs and her work! Not once did she ask me to buy anything… and in fact, discouraged me from buying stuff coz I didn’t know knitting! By the end of it, I wasn’t even sure if that was really the first time that I’d met her! …. Oh, and there were at least some 10 incidents of this sort! :D)

Hell, even my sister’s tabby Cat behaves like a Dog…!!! Greeting you, crushing over you and missing you! He even sulks and apologizes if he scratches you by mistake! Now that’s not something normal that you find everywhere!!! Lol!

Fashion Quotient:

Its laidback and hippie attitude even reflects in the city’s fashion quotient. People here are eternally and internally Boho! So this year’s coolest fashion trend is almost like, tailor-made, for the people of Portland.

People are mostly seen in comfort wear. Also the weather (mild rains throughout the year) and the geography (sexy mountains, lakes and waterfalls all over) make sure that most people love outdoors! Most people have hobbies such as cycling, hiking, rock-climbing and river-rafting. And unlike us, they take their hobbies very seriously! So if they’re not going gypsy, then they’ll most likely be seen in sneakers, track pants and sweat-shirts!

People here, I’d say, are physically super-active and laid-back in their attitude! (ah… such a lovely combination :))

You know, the ‘tagline’ for the city officially, is “Keep Portland weird”… and if by weird they mean ‘super-happy’, ‘super passionate’, ‘super nice’ and ‘super-awesome’… Then I really really pray to God that Portland stays weird forever!!

And if all this isn’t reason enough… Let me bring you back to Shopping!! Portland is Tax Free! Yes you read that right… There’s no sales tax in the City! So while in any other city in the US, you would end up paying 8% -12% of the MRP as additional sales tax, in Portland, it’s FREE!

And if like me, you’re into vintage stores, thrift shops and little concept stores… then Portland is Shopping Paradise for you!

My next post is going to be a little shopping guide that will help you NOT miss some of the cutest and coolest stores in the city. So keep reading and enjoy the pics below…

Muuaahh!

That’s my ‘colour blocked’ look on my day 2 in Portland. Wearing these lovely high-waist bright blue denims from H&M with my Bright yellow, long tail top from Missamore. Layered it with a tan suede jacket from Zara and tan colour boots. A Lime-green scarf from Gap to finish up!

And this colourblocking combination I think was perfect for the green landscape that the gardens in Portland provide!

The Gorgeous Multnomah Falls on Columbia River!

My monsoon style for the day outdoors… Pink, ripped jeans, black cropped top from Zara and a super-comfy bomber jacket from Abercrombie & Fitch. Cute suede flats from Koovs, though not rain-friendly, add an elegant touch to the look!

My First morning looking out my sister’s window and sipping on coffee!

Wearing these super-comfy track pants from Forever 21 and this T-shirt which I had custom printed from “Crazu Print”…. it says “PinkPepperCorn in the US of A” 😀

The view of Downtown Portland!

Lavender Shrubs outside a gorgeous white house on Nob Hill.

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About Me

Sonal is a Post Graduate in Luxury Brand Management from Polimoda Institute of Fashion Design and Marketing, Florence (Italy) and has over 9 years of experience as a Brand Strategist working in the advertising industry.



She has also been a Consumer Insights Miner specializing in fashion and luxury brands.