Category: Portland

Devon Berry, PhD, RN, has spent over 20 years in higher education, most recently serving as the executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing. He received his MBA from Western Governors University and has held leadership positions at Wright State University, and faculty positions at the  University of Cincinnati, and Cedarville University. Devon Berry resides in Portland, Oregon with his family and strives to live a healthy lifestyle, which includes exercising regularly.

Portland is known for its nearly limitless outdoor exercise opportunities including rock climbing, hiking, skiing, and wakeboarding. However, when the weather isn’t ideal—which, in a city where it rains nine months out of the year, happens often—it’s good to have a few indoor options to break a sweat. Here are some of the best workout studios in Portland, Oregon:

CityRow

With fast-paced, 30-45 minute classes, CityRow in the Pearl district uses water rowers to deliver a full-body workout that strengthens the core, hamstrings, glutes, and arms while being low-impact on joints. If unfamiliar with the rowing machine, take their fundamentals class and make sure to wear athletic shoes that can easily slip in and out of rowing machine foot straps. The studio has digital lockers to store your things, and offers pricing by class or month.

Planet Granite

Though technically more of a gym than a workout studio, Planet Granite in the NW industrial area offers a well-rounded assortment of classes and facilities that includes a weight room, rock wall, yoga, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes. Other amenities include locker rooms with showers, towel service, and sauna. You can opt for day passes or monthly membership.

Modo Yoga

This studio on SE Grand offers a wide range of heated and non-heated classes for all levels and ages, from the beginner “Modo” hatha-based class to the advanced “Power Flow” vinyasa. There are spacious locker rooms with showers and drop-in class options as well as monthly memberships.

Devon Berry is an academic nursing professional most recently serving as executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science (OHSU) School of Nursing. Before that, he held leadership positions at institutions in the Midwest including Wright State University, University of Cincinnati, and Cedarville University. Devon Berry resides in Portland, Oregon with his family, where they often like to get out and explore the outdoors.

Portland has a bounty of hiking options less than two hours from the city, many of which offer diverse terrain and sweeping views of the mountains, city, and beaches. Some trails don’t require much effort by way of mileage and elevation, while others make you work for it—either way, the payoff is more than worth it. Read on for the most scenic hikes near Portland, Oregon.

Clatsop Loop Trail

In Ecola State Park near Cannon Beach, 90 minutes from the city, the Clatsop Loop trail is a 2.8-mile loop that offers expansive views of the ocean. On a clear day, you can even see the Tillamook Lighthouse. To maximize ocean scenery, it’s best to use the trail as an out-and-back on the western side. Simply go left at the trailhead, follow the switchbacks up and turn around at hikers camp.

Grouse Vista Trail to Silver Star Mountain

Just over an hour northeast of Portland near Camas, Washington is Grouse Vista Trail to Silver Star Mountain, a six-mile hike with over 2,000-foot elevation gain. Though strenuous, the steep rocky trail leads to a satisfying view of four mountains—St. Helens, Baker, Hood, and Rainer. Make sure to take a car that can withstand miles of uphill gravel—there is about 20 minutes’ worth off the highway to the trailhead.

Lower Macleay Trail

Get a view of Portland’s cityscape at the top of this 5-mile hike, which peaks at the Pittock Mansion. The trailhead starts at the end of NW Upshur street and is one of the entry points to the city’s largest greenspace, Forest Park. It’s an easy, well-trodden out-and-back path with a steady incline that amasses just over 900 feet in elevation.

Devon Berry, PhD, RN, recently received his MBA from Western Governors University. He has served in executive leadership positions at academic institutions such as Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), Wright State University, University of Cincinnati, and Cedarville University. Devon Berry currently resides in Portland, Oregon with his family.

A mural in downtown Portland reads “Keep Portland Weird” and one of the many ways the city lives out the slogan is through its museums. There are odd finds everywhere—from the confusing to the fascinating—at the most unique museums in Portland:

Freakybuttrue Peculiarium

Not for the easily squeamish, this small museum pays homage to horror movies and sci-fi myths like aliens and bigfoot. There are interactive elements, where you can stand inside a spaceship or oversized shoe, hit a gong, or play the xylophone.

Hippo Hardware

Though not technically a museum, the goods you’ll find at this place are truly one of a kind, with hardware, lighting, and plumbing dating back to the 1860s—often salvaged from local homes and public buildings. Hippo Hardware has also been known to sell more eccentric pieces, like coffins and old elevator light sconces. To no surprise given the store’s name, there are over 3,000 clay, leather, and stone hippos spread throughout its interior.

The National Hat Museum

Those who are as excited about what goes on the head as what goes in it will find Lu Ann Trotebas’ curated collection of over 2,200 hats a sight to behold. The extra-enthused can take a 90 minute tour detailing the hats and their history that spans back to the early 1900s.

Devon Berry, PhD, RN, is an academic nursing leader who most recently served as the executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing in Portland, Oregon, where he oversaw strategy implementation and provided senior leadership for the school’s six Advanced Practice Nurse Registration programs. Outside of work, Devon Berry likes to explore the city with his family, which includes exploring Portland’s food scene.

Portland has plenty of restaurants that accommodate a wide array of dietary preferences. Dessert shops are no exception. Within the last couple years, traditional ice cream shops have begun offering dairy-free options for those who are vegan, lactose intolerant, or simply wanting to try something new. Thanks to incorporations such as oatmilk, coconut milk, and nut milk, vegan ice cream can be so creamy that it’s hard to discern from its pasteurized counterpart. Read on for where to find the best vegan ice cream in Portland:

Salt and Straw

Portland’s crown jewel of icy confections made twenty percent of its menu vegan last year, which means you’ll always find two dairy-free flavors on the menu with one seasonal option. Their Cloudforest Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies & Cream flavor is a year-round delight.

Eb and Bean

Technically soft-serve, this frozen yogurt shop is one of the few that offers as many vegan options as dairy. Their menu changes every month, rotating between flavors like salty pistachio, chocolate pudding, and horchata.

Doe Donuts

While selling inventive doughnuts in flavors like French Toast and Raspberry Poptart, this vegan shop has great scooped and soft-serve options such as Coffee and Doughnuts, Apple Pie, and Chocolate Birthday Cake.

Devon Berry is a nursing professional specializing in academic executive leadership. He has most recently served as executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Nursing. Devon Berry currently resides with his family in Portland, Oregon.

One of the benefits of living in Portland is having access to diverse geological landscapes within a few hour’s drive of the city—including the ocean, mountains, and desert. Below are scenic Portland day trips that give you a taste of each.

Sitka Sedge

Just five miles north of Pacific City is Oregon’s newest state park, Sitka Sedge, opened in 2018. The park is an atypical coastal attraction, with a mix of tidal flats, marsh, forest dunes, and one of Oregon’s last intact estuaries. About two hours from the city, it’s a great option for the family, with easy 2-3 mile trails throughout.

Cooper Spur Hike

A strenuous hike on Mount Hood’s north side—a majority of which is in direct sunlight—Cooper Spur more than pays off in views with visibility of Mount St. Helens, Rainier, Adams, Jefferson, and Three Sisters. It’s two hours from Portland to the trail head, where the hike is 6.4 miles round-trip with 2800 foot elevation gain. For those with an interest in history, it’s also worth stopping at the Cloud Cap Inn on the way up, an 1886-built luxury resort that OPB reports is the oldest Alpine lodge in the U.S.

Crooked River Gorge

Just east of the Cascades, two and a half hours from Portland, Crooked River Gorge is a great spot for rock climbing, fishing, and hiking with miles of desert scenery. The Gorge runs 500 feet deep, carved out by the Deschutes and Crooked rivers. Make sure to walk over the Crooked River High Bridge, built in the 1920s for automobiles and now open exclusively to pedestrians.