Top 7 FREE Things To Do When in Portland, OR

My niece is coming to visit and she has never been to Portland  before, so we are looking for all the places we HAVE to take her while she is here.  If you do live in Portland, I most certainly hope you have been to most if not all of these places Not from here?  Sit back and let me give you a quick tour of a few FREE sights of Portland.

1. Rose Gardens – Portland is the Rose city after all, and this beautiful garden makes that point. This is such a great place to go and easy access from downtown.  From here not only can you see this amazing Garden but the view of the city and Mt. Hood is worth the drive up.
2. Pittock Mansion – Confession here, I have lived in Portland for 13 years and finally made my way up 6 months ago.  Again this is another beautiful orignal house/mansion that sits up high in the hills with views of all of Portland, and you can even tour the house.  It's free to tour the gounds and see the views, but if you have family or friends that live in the area have them go to the local library and pick up FREE passes to get into Pittock Mansion.
3. Multnomah Falls – Located about 30-35 minutes from downtown Portland, but a sight not to be missed.  We have been several times.  Choose your times wisely as the weekends are packed, so if you can go during the week you will have easier time getting a parking spot and you won't have to share the trail with so many people.
4. Hawthorn District -   It is such an eccletic area, that you are constantly looking for the next best thing around the corner.  The locally owned restaurants and coffee shops are everywhere.  It's fun just to stroll the streets and check out the shops.  If you must spend money here, the one must eat location in the Hawthorne District is the Waffle Window.
5. NW 23rd – I always describe this area as super quaint or an urban sweet spot.  The restauants in this area are abundant and creative, and choosing one is not easy. The neighborhood streets that feed into NW 23rd at filled with old craftman style homes. The Czech made street cars can get you downtown in 15 minutes for only $2 and that is an all day pass. I know this is not FREE, but cheap if you decide to give it a try. Check out Portland Street Cars for more information.
6. Powells Books – How many people go all the way to Portland just to look at a book store? More than you could ever imagine.  This book store is the size of a city block.  You could spend a whole day and not get through it all.  The topics are endless and the organization is incredible.  There are plenty of places to sit down and look through the books that you come across.  And don't forget this is Portland, so grab your coffee while you look through some of your finds.  Want to get some books for FREE, just take in some books that you would like to get rid of and shop with the money you get from those.
7. Waterfront – Portland sits right on the Willamette River.  You can stroll, roller blade or ride your bike along the path right on the river.  The park that sits between the river and downtown is a great place to relax on a sunny day.  It is also home to many events during the summer, such as the Rose Festival, The Bite of Oregon and Cinco De Mayo just to name a few.  When these events stroll into town, these grassy patches give way to tents and stages. During the Jazz Festival the boats line the river to listen to the music.  Waterfront in Portland during the summer is the place to be.