Pop Culture Passport: experiencing beautiful Portland, Oregon

Portland is a thriving city with local restaurants, a vibrant night life, and a limited time Pixar exhibit! Get ready to explore more of Portland, Oregon.

Exploring a new city is always fun, especially one as eclectic and unique as Portland, Oregon. This is the city where many of our favorite movies and TV shows were filmed like The Flash and Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionist! After watching those you’ll instantly recognize some of the iconic filming spots as you explore the city.

The city is known for the beautiful parks and bike paths. If you’re into hanging out inside there are countless microbreweries and coffee shops to find something you love and that’s truly unique.

There’s also a thriving cultural scene including art, theater and music. If you’re looking to take a trip to Portland we’ve rounded up a few places you’re going to want to stop and check out!

Where to stay: The Duniway Portland

Right in the heart of downtown Portland, the Duniway offers guests amazing views from their room, fantastic amenities and the ability to be super close to everything they’ll want to do in the city. The hotel is inspired by Abigail Scott Duniway, an American pioneer who was bold and daring. If you’re in need of something to eat while at the hotel be sure to check out Jackrabbit PDX which is run by chef Chris Cosentino, the winner of Top Chef Masters!

Where to grab a drink: The Hoxton

The Hoxton is a hot spot for locals and travelers in Portland. The bar is located in the basement of the building and doesn’t even have it’s own name it’s so discreet. The bar is serving up classic craft cocktails and yummy bar snacks of American-Chinese food. The bar menu is small, but that just means each drink is perfectly created and delicious every time.

We suggest getting a drink and a snack for the perfect pre or post-dinner treat. To drink we love the Pisco Sour which is made with Macchu Pisco, Rujero Singani, Avua Amburana Cachaça, lemon, lime and egg white. Because of the egg white, the drink has a unique texture and it acts as an emulsifier to bring all of the other components together. The perfect bar snack to go with any of the drinks are the Szechuan spiced cashews. They are spicy without your mouth being on fire for too long. The nuts are extremely addictive and we know you’ll be ordering another round of them before you leave the bar.

Where to eat: Han Oak

Han Oak is one of Portland’s most talked about restaurants and we understand why! The eatery is only open for dinner Friday through Monday starting at 5 p.m. and reservations are available five weeks in advance! Han Oak is named after Korea’s traditional homes, and is serving up some scrumptious dinners including a chef’s tasting dinner.

If you do decide to grab one of the coveted reservations at Han Oak you do not want to miss out on the Han Oak Onomiyaki, which is a savory waffle, poached octopus, ginger, cabbage and bonito! It’s everything you could want in a Korean-American mash-up dish!

What to do for fun: The Science Behind Pixar Exhibit

If you love Pixar movies as much as we do you’re going to want to head over to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry to see their latest exhibit, The Science Behind Pixar. This interactive exhibit allows guests to see how Pixar films are made and developed with modern technology. Throughout the space people can see life-size models of some of their favorite Pixar characters like Wall-E and Buzz Lightyear.

Each month, Culturess explores vacation destinations for pop culture fans. Whether you’re a fan of music or movies, fashion or video games, you’ll find inspo for your next wanderlust adventure with our Pop Culture Passport series.