Toyota challenged me to go exploring and find some new places in the 2018 Prius they kindly dropped off to me for a week. With pleasure I thought and I started asking around with local friends – where should I go? I found 5 amazing hidden spots that I think every Portlander and visitor should check out…
Purringtons Cat Lounge
3529 NE MLK Ave, Portland Oregon
I had mentioned to my friend Jana I wanted to go to a cat cafe. She said she thought she heard about one in Portland so I raced to Google to find out where. I discovered it in a cool SouthEast neighborhood. Purringtons not only has cats to play with, but they also serve coffee drinks, beer, and wine.
They also sell cat-inspired art by locals. Oh, and you can adopt one of the kitties if you so choose to.
Cupcake Jones
307 NW 10th Avenue, Portland
While wandering around The Pearl District Cupcake Jones caught my eye. This was mostly due to sharing my last name with the shop, but also I was drawn to the purple letters and of course the cupcakes. I walked in and saw that not only did they have some delicious flavors available, there were also those same flavors in mini cupcakes. I love the local ingredients and organic-ness of the shop.
Little Big Burger
122 NW 10th Avenue, Portland
I love that through my #mytownmyprius excursions I discovered @littlebigburger in NE #pdx. (AD). The cheeseburger was delish! And you absolutely have to try the fries – they are made with truffle oil and sea salt and make all the difference. I also found out there’s a location near me at #orencostation! . . Be sure to LIKE THIS PHOTO 🙂 @toyotausa is giving my favorite nonprofit @aimhighma a wonderful donation for it! . . #portland #littlebigburger #prius #toyotaprius #pearldistrict 😍#thepearl #discoverpdx #traveloregon #oregon #oregovblogger #burger #burgerandfries #trufflefries #yum #food #pdxfood #pdxfoodie #food #foodie
How did I not know about Little Big Burger?! The shop reminds me so much of a burger place I went to in New York a few years ago (the name escapes me). The truffle fries are DIVINE, the root beer floats remind me of my childhood. The burgers are between a slider and a regular burger, which is great because I don’t feel like I am overeating. Hang out at one of the window tables and people watch because 10th Ave is an eclectic little street.
Portland Art Museum
1219 SW Park Avenue
Okay so Portland Art Museum is not that “hidden”, but it is often overlooked by many and really shouldn’t be. Nestled in the artsy part of SW PDX, Portland Art Museum has something for everyone. Currently there’s a beautiful exhibit all about Laika Studios, creators of Coraline, Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings to name a few.
Travis Knight lent a few key pieces to the museum to share with the world – including Coraline’s garden, the ballroom from BoxTrolls, and the giant skeleton from Kubo (which happens to be the largest puppet in the world). If you are short on cash they offer $5 after 5pm on Fridays.
Hoodoo Antiques & Design
122 NW Couch Street, Portland
Hoodoo is by far one of my favorite eclectic antique shops in the area. They have the weird, the wonderful, and the coolness factor in every piece they sell. Walk in and you will see all kinds of industrial lighting and old signs along with cool little tchotchke like rogue taxidermy, vintage medical oddities, and folk art pieces.
It’s definitely a great place to spend a couple hours at! You can find Hoodoo right near the famous Voodoo Doughnuts downtown.
About the 2018 Toyota Prius:
Driving the 2018 Toyota Prius was a dream. This compact and affordable car (starting at just over $23K) has everything I could want in a car – easy to drive, 5 Star Safety Rating, and mileage that is like no other. The hybrid model gets 58 miles to the gallon (city), so filling up is a rarity. It’s astonishing that I could actually get to Tacoma Washington on just over 3 gallons of gas. The cargo space is surprisingly ample and, of course, the kids loved it!
Toyota Safety Sense™(TSS) Standard
