While plans may have changed due to social distancing efforts and travel restrictions, we think with a little creativity and flexibility that summer 2020 can still be totally fun-filled and exciting. Check out our ideas below!
Take a Portland street art tour. You've probably noticed Portland's ever growing presence of city-wide murals from local artists. Take a day this summer and plan a walk or bike tour of the city using a free street art map from The Portland Street Art Alliance website .
Go to a drive-in movie: Is there anything more nostalgic and novel than hopping in the car with your quarantine crew and going to a drive-in movie? Luckily the 99W Drive-In theater in Newberg is open this summer with new safety guidelines in place and limited spots to allow for safe viewing. Follow their instagram @99W_Drive_In for the most up to date information on current films and protocol. Don't forget to get there early as it is first come first serve.
Another option is a new Portland gem, indonesian restaurant Gado Gado has a dinner & a movie drive-in special. Enjoy unique Indonesian fares and enjoy awesome movies. Follow them on social for announcements and information on how to reserve your spot! @gadog proadopdx
Go wine tasting in the Willamette Valley. With most wineries opening back up with lower capacity, you can visit and enjoy the Oregon wines and incredible winery views just as before. Just remember to call and make an appointment ahead of time as most wineries are not taking walk-ins. Some of our favorites include: Hazelfern, Domaine Divio, Argyle, Fairsing, and Adelsheim.
Recharge with a visit to the serene Portland Japanese Garden. Now open again to the public with new safety guidelines and lower capacity, a visit to the garden may be more enjoyable than ever.
Have a social distance picnic: Grab some takeout and support a local restaurant or food cart and enjoy it at a nearby park. Some of our favorites include: Desi, Kee's Loaded Kitchen, Jojo, Matt's BBQ, Yonder and Kim Jong Grillin.
Try a backyard campout: Set up a tent in your yard, enjoy a meal cooked over fire and do some stargazing. The annual Perseid meteor shower tends to have peak showers during early to mid-August.
Do Love bombs: Drop off flowers, notes or gifts (bonus points for supporting local small businesses) to friends and family you haven't seen for a while. A few of our favorite local places to grab gifts include: With Love from PDX Gift boxes, Mamancy Tea Company, Greenhaus Gallery, and Notary Ceramics.
Go berry picking: We are so lucky to be surrounded in most directions by an incredible array of berry farms. Head out for a beautiful drive and enjoy some u-pick goodies. Here are some of our favorites, Sauvie island farms, Smith Berry Barn, Rowell Bro's Berry Farm, Kirby's Blueberry Farm (don't sleep on the Barb's homemade cinnamon rolls!)
Take a summer scenic drive. Your larger summer road trip plans may have been cancelled due to our current circumstance, but that doesn't mean you can't still take a local scenic drive. One of our favorites is WA-14 which follows the Columbia river on the Washington side. This scenic byway follows the river at near sea-level, winding through tunnels and passing small towns along the way.
Learn how to be an excellent cook & mixologist. One good thing that came out of quarantine is that we got some great cooking videos from local chefs. You can go back on their instagram pages to have your very own free classes or inspiration. Some of our favorite include: Gabriel Rucker (Le Pigeon / Canard), Vitaly Paley (Paley's Place), Andy Ricker (Pok Pok).
Do Trivia with your friends in different homes online with Untapped! Totally free, and held every Wednesday from 7:00-9:00pm. This trivia was named "Best Trivia" in Portland 2017-2020 by the Willamette Week voter guide.
Have some other great ideas? Share them in the comments below!
