Portland

Portland, OR Travel Guide: Where to Eat, Stay, & Play

By Esperanza on June 5, 2026

Portland, travel guide, foodie, foodie travel guide, where to eat in Portland, Portland restaurants, Portland coffee shops, Portland coffee, coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, restaurant guide, family travel, family trip, travel blogger, things to do in Portland, Portland boutiques, boutiques, vintage, Portland hotels, boutique hotels, The Urban Darling.

Since we were already planning a trip to visit family on the Oregon Coast, we decided to squeeze in a few days in Portland—a city that holds a special place in both of our hearts. We each lived in Portland at different times before we met, so it was fun getting to experience the city together and revisit some of our favorite spots. Portland is one of those places that instantly charms you with its beautiful old homes, walkable neighborhoods, towering trees, and endless green spaces. We love it so much that if housing prices weren’t still a bit out of reach, we would seriously consider moving there someday.

Leave a comment

3 Cute Boutiques To Shop At In Portland, OR

By Esperanza on June 4, 2026

Portland, travel guide, shopping guide, boutiques, where to shop in Portland, Portland boutiques, Portland shops, Portland vintage, vintage, plants, vintage shops, plant shop, family travel, family trip, travel blogger.

When we planned a quick two-day trip to Portland with our toddler, Sage, shopping wasn’t necessarily at the top of our itinerary. But between revisiting favorite neighborhoods from our years living in the city and stumbling upon a few unexpected gems, we found ourselves discovering some wonderful local boutiques along the way. Since my husband and I both lived in Portland at different points in our lives, it was fun to revisit neighborhoods we loved while creating new memories together as a family.

Leave a comment

Portland, Oregon, USA | Travel

4 Cute Restaurants We Loved In Portland, OR

By Esperanza on June 3, 2026

Portland has always held a special place in our hearts. Andrew and I both lived there at different points in our lives, so when we found ourselves visiting family on the Oregon Coast, it felt like the perfect opportunity to spend a few days exploring one of our favorite cities together—with our toddler in tow. Portland’s restaurant and coffee scene remains unmatched, and this quick trip reminded us exactly why we love it so much. From unforgettable fine dining to some of the best coffee we’ve ever had, every stop was memorable in its own way.

Leave a comment

Portland, Oregon, USA | Travel

A Family-Friendly Stay at Kimpton Hotel Vintage In Portland

By Esperanza on May 28, 2026

Kimpton hotels, Kimpton, Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland, Hotel Vintage, Portland, Oregon, Portland hotels, hotel, hotel stay, hotel review, family travel, family friendly hotel, dog friendly hotel, family trip, travel blogger, family blogger, boutique hotel.

There’s something special about finding a hotel that feels both stylish and comfortable for the whole family, and our stay at Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland checked every box. Located right in the heart of downtown Portland, the hotel made it easy to explore the city while giving us a cozy place to recharge at the end of the day. The hotel’s wine-inspired theme adds so much personality throughout the property, from the artwork and décor to the creatively named guest rooms. One of our favorite touches was the evening wine tasting hour, which we happily took full advantage of during our stay.

Leave a comment

Portland, Oregon, USA | Travel

Mother’s Day Weekend In The PNW

By Esperanza on June 22, 2024

We spent my first Mother’s Day weekend in the PNW with my parents, my brother, and his family. My parent’s and I flew down to Portland, OR with Sage and then met up with my brother, his wife, and my nephew Brio in Troutdale, just outside of Portland, where my mom had rented us an Airbnb for 3 days. My parent’s really wanted the cousins, Brio and Sage to meet, and my brother wanted to see Sage while he was still teeny tiny. We actually ended up having so much fun exploring the Troutdale area! Schyler (Sage’s dad), and I had lived in Portland for 5 years and I hadn’t really been back since, so it was cool (and bittersweet) to go back there with Sage. Afterwards, Sage and I drove up to Eastern Washington to visit Schyler for a week before heading back to Phoenix. In this blog post, I am sharing everything we did during our PNW trip!

My Style | Portland, Oregon, USA

Retro Photo Shoot In Portland, OR

By Esperanza on May 14, 2020

Retro, vintage, vintage cars, vintage fashion, retro fashion, fashion, photo shoot, cars, old cars, Portland, OR, The Urban Darling, lifestyle blogger, fashion blogger.

A little while before Schyler and I moved to Nashville, my sister and I shot these retro photos! I had spotted these locations while driving around Portland and had them written down on my phone for future shoot locations. All of the photo locations were very retro and funny enough they were all car businesses! If you guy’s are new here, you should know, I love anything retro! On one of the days my sister had off from work we finally went and shot these photos! I love how they turned out so I had to share them with you guys.

Portland, Oregon, USA | Travel

Instagrammable Coffee Shops in Portland, OR

By Esperanza on February 24, 2020

Never Coffee, Never Lab, Portland, OR, Portland coffee, Portland coffee shops, Instagrammable, Instagrammable Coffee Shops in Portland, The Urban Darling, lifestyle blogger, travel blogger.

I’ve said it before but I will say it again, Portland has an AMAZING coffee scene! There are so many cute coffee shops but I wanted to share a few of my favorite, very Insta-worthy spots! I would have loved to include more coffee shops because Portland has so many great ones, but these are the ones I had time to include before our move to Nashville!

Portland, Oregon, USA | Travel

The Best Instagram Spots in Portland, OR

By Esperanza on February 11, 2020

Everyday Music, record store, Portland, OR, downtown, Portland Travel Guide, The Best Instagram Spots in Portland, fashion, fashion blogger, The Urban Darling.

I can’t believe that I’ve lived in Portland, OR for 4 years and it’s taken me this long to create a photo guide! I’ve written a series about my favorite coffee shops in Portland, OR (read here!) and a few street guides (here!), but I’ve never done a compilation of my favorite spots for Instagram photos so I figured it was time I did just that!

Portland, Oregon, USA | Travel

Instagrammable Restaurants in Portland, OR

By Esperanza on January 7, 2020

Guero, Sweedeedee, Happy Day Juice Co., Carioca, Palomar, Rose + Lincoln Juicery, Bar Carlo, Tusk, Fish & Rice, Moberi, Virtuous Pie, Luce, Portland, OR, Portland restaurants, restaurants, Instagrammable, Instagrammable Restaurants in Portland, lifestyle blogger, travel blogger, The Urban Darling.

I love finding great restaurants with cute interiors AND good food. It’s a feast for my eyes and my belly! Of course there are tons of cute restaurants in Portland, OR so this blog post could really be endless! So I’ve rounded up some of my favorites for you guys.

Portland, Oregon, USA | Wellness

My Experience with Acupuncture & Cupping at Root Whole Body

By Esperanza on November 23, 2019

Root Whole Body, alternative medicine, Acupuncture, Cupping, Massage, Naturopath, Portland, OR, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling.

For the past three months, I’ve been visiting Root Whole Body for massage, acupuncture, and cupping! Read more about my experience with Root Whole Body here. I’ve had back problems since I was a pre-teen due to manual labor on my parent’s farm as a kid. Over the years, my back pain has gotten worse since my job requires me to sit at a desk on a laptop. I’ve heard great things about the benefits of acupuncture and cupping so I decided to try them out (combined with massage) to see if my back felt any better!