Why You Should Consider Travel Nursing in Portland

One of the largest and fast-growing cities in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, Portland, Oregon is an amazing choice for any traveling nurse looking for an exciting and unique location to practice. Nicknamed the “Rose City” because the city’s climate is perfect for growing roses, Portland’s natural beauty is matched only by the wide variety of restaurants, events, attractions, and city life that continuously make this one of the most unique cities in the United States. The city of Portland prides itself on the diversity of its residents and actively works to create an inclusive and multicultural environment in which everyone feels safe and welcome. Because of this, the possibilities for arts, dining, entertainment, and many other exciting opportunities are endless!

Don’t Miss These Portland Food Experiences

Portland is home to some of the best restaurants and most diverse dining experiences in the country. Whether you’re looking for a wide variety of ethnic and regional cuisines, dive bars with excellent food, or a great restaurant for a date night or a night on the town, then Portland is definitely a place for you.

A staple of Portland’s food scene since 2005 is Fire on the Mountain . Offering an extensive list of wings and a variety of sauces to choose from. With three locations in the Portland area to choose from and their very own microbrewery, Fire on the Mountain is the perfect place for an after work meal or a late night snack.

Feast Portland is one of the most exciting culinary events on the Portland calendar. With a mix of world-famous professional chefs, food carts, microbrewers, and coffee roasters, this Bon Appetit-sponsored festival has something for everyone.

During the month of March, Travel Portland sponsors Portland Dining Month . Participants pay $33 and can enjoy a three course meal at one of the over one hundred restaurants that participate in this delicious and varied event.

Portland is also a great place to take in some happy hour drinks or a great meal with an excellent view of the city. The Portland City Grill , located on the 30th floor of the U.S. Bancorp Tower has one of the best happy hours in the city and is a great place to grab a drink and some great bar cuisine before going home or continuing your night out.

If you are looking for a romantic evening with a great atmosphere then try Paley’s Place . The James Beard award-winning chef, Vitaly Paley serves up some of the most delicious locally-sourced food and drinks and Paley’s Place has an extensive list of Oregonian wines.

Another high end choice in Portland is Urban Fondue , which provides patrons with a great experience and a wide variety of different foods and fondue options to choose from.

One of the things that most Portland residents can agree on when it comes to restaurants and food is brunch! Weekend brunch has become a staple in the city and many restaurants have opened up to cater to this need. While the massive popularity of brunch for Portlanders makes for some long lines at some of the more popular locations, there are quite a few that take reservations so you don’t have to wait in line to get your eggs, bacon, and mimosas on.

Nightlife in Portland

In keeping with one of the city’s motto, Portland is home to an eclectic mix of theme bars, dance clubs, microbreweries, and many other places to make sure your night out is anything but boring.

The Funhouse Lounge is a great late night spot to see a variety of great comedy, improv, or even burlesque shows.

One nightclub that is uniquely Portland is the Lovecraft Bar , the city’s only horror-themed bar. Walk into this darkly-lit bar, surrounded by coffins, voodoo shrines, and a giant replica of Chtulhu, this is a great place to enjoy some great EDM music in one of the coolest bars in the Pacific Northwest.

Ground Kontrol is the perfect place to blow off some steam with friends after work or have an amazing night out with some great people. This bar/arcade gives you the opportunity to travel back in time and revisit some of the best arcade games from the 80s and 90s while enjoying some great drinks in an awesome and nostalgic atmosphere.

Looking for another bar to transport you back to another time? Then check out Bible Club in downtown Portland. Built in the style and theme of a southern, Prohibition-era speakeasy, almost all of the furniture and glassware was made in the United States nearly 80 years ago and their cocktail menu reflects the tastes of patrons from the 1920s.

Downtown Portland also hosts some of the best rooftop bars in the region, showcasing some of the best drinks and nightlife that the city has to offer with extraordinary views of the beauty that encompasses the city. Atop the Meier & Frank Building in downtown Portland, Departure is a great place to grab some Pan-Asian cuisine and enjoy beautifully crafted cocktails while taking in the scenic views of Mount Hood from this rooftop bar. If craft beers and a casual environment is more your speed then you should head to 10 Barrel Brewing in the Pearl District. This Bend, Oregon-based brewery’s Portland outpost has an excellent nightlife scene and their entire upstairs space is one large outdoor party. With clever beer names like Apocalypse IPA, Profuse Juice, and Cucumber Crush, you’re guaranteed to have an amazing night if you decide to choose 10 Barrel.

Portland also hosts a thriving queer nightlife scene with many great bars and clubs to choose from that cater to most anyone’s interests. The Eagle Portland , located across the Willamette River from downtown in North Portland, is a bear leather bar that has some of the friendliest staff and best drink specials outside of downtown. Escape Bar and Grill, located near the Portland airport, is a great place to unwind after a shift. This bar has an early happy hour special from 7am to 9am, for those working long hours overnight. Stag nightclub is perfect for those who are looking for a night on the wild side. They also host a drag brunch on Sunday with a $15 buffet. Looking for an authentic queer bar with a nice and relaxed environment? Then you need to head over to Hobo’s , possibly one of the last piano bars in the city.

Must See Attractions in Portland!

Parks and Gardens in the Portland Area

The city of Portland has quite a few urban garden spaces for you to enjoy and each one offers a unique experience.

The Portland Rose Garden is the country’s oldest and longest operating rose test garden in the country and offers visitors some amazing views of downtown Portland and a plethora of different rose varieties to take in. Located in Washington Park, this garden was founded during World War I to protect hybrid species of roses from habitat loss and has developed over the years into one of the largest parks in the city.

Once you’re finished at the Rose Garden, head across the street to the Portland Japanese Garden . Created in 1963 as an attempt to heal the wounds of World War II, this 5.5 acre garden is one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan. The garden contains five separate areas, all meticulously manicured to simulate the elaborate gardens of Japan. The Japanese Garden also boasts one of the best views of Mt. Hood in the entire city. One of the newest expansions to the garden is the Cultural Village , which is part of the garden’s larger attempt to integrate the history and culture of Japan with the contemporary surroundings of urban Portland.

Museums and Historic Sites

Portland is home to some of the best museums and historic attractions in Oregon and the unique environment of the Cascades Range helps amplify the available opportunities to explore all this region’s natural and man-made history has to offer.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a great place to explore how the natural world and science interact and is one of the best places for an afternoon with the kids. The museum also hosts events for both adults and children and is a wonderful place to explore if you’re interested in science and technology.

Another staple attraction in Portland that everyone should check out is the Oregon Zoo , located just west of downtown. With more than 1.5 million annual visitors, the Oregon Zoo is the busiest and most visited attraction in the Pacific Northwest. Like most large zoos, here you can see lions, tigers, elephants, hippos, and other exotic animals. However, the Oregon Zoo also hosts a large section dedicated to the animal life that makes the Pacific Northwest such a unique and fascinating environment. And, coming soon in Fall 2020, the zoo will open to new exhibits: one dedicated to black rhinos and another that will serve as a primate forest!

One of the best places to learn about the history of Portland and its rise from a small logging town to a bustling city is the Pittock Mansion . Built by the a Pittock family in 1914, this mansion tells the story of Portland’s history through the lives of one of its most influential families during the twentieth-century. Located close to the Portland Rose Garden and the Japanese Garden, this historic house is a great adventure for an afternoon off work.

Just south of Portland is the town of Oregon City. Once a competitor city to Portland, Oregon City was the final stop on the infamous Oregon Trail. In this town, there is a museum dedicated to the history of the Oregon Trail and the people who survived the journey to the west.

Sports Leagues in Portland

Portland is home to quite a few professional sports franchises and each one of them has an extremely dedicated fan base just waiting to welcome you to the team!

The largest sports franchise in the city are the Portland Trailblazers , who play in the Western Division of the National Basketball Association. Consistently competing for the league championship, watching the Trailblazers at the Moda Center is always a great experience.

Another Portland-based sports franchise with a dedicated and ferocious fan base are the Portland Timbers , the city’s Major League Soccer franchise. Sharing their arena of Providence Park with the equally popular professional women’s soccer franchise Portland Thorns , enjoying an afternoon or evening game just outside of downtown Portland is a can’t miss experience (particularly when they’re playing rival Seattle Sounders).

The Portland area is also home to several minor league sports franchises and their games are just as lively and entertaining as the major leagues. Portland is home to the minor league baseball team the Portland Pickles , who play their games at Walker Stadium in southeast Portland. In nearby Hillsboro, Oregon, the Arizona Diamondback affiliate Hillsboro Hops play ball at Ron Tonkin Field. Finally, Portland is the home of the Portland Winterhawks, who compete in the Western Hockey League.

If you’re interested in college sports, then there are a few options in and nearby Portland. The Portland State University Vikings in downtown Portland play in the Big Sky Conference and compete in just about every collegiate sport. South of Portland in Eugene and Corvallis are the University of Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State University Beavers . Both universities compete in the Pac 12 Conference and compete in a wide variety of different sports with highly competitive teams from all over the country. Both the Ducks and Beavers have highly ranked women’s basketball programs and both schools regularly make it to the highest level of the sport.

Day Trips to Local Mountains

Mount Hood

Located about 50 miles southeast of Portland, Mt. Hood is Oregon's highest mountain and is one of the loftiest mountains in the United States. As the second most climbed mountain in the world, Mt. Hood is crowned by 11 glaciers and is home to the only year-round ski resort in North America. Depending on the time of the year, you could see a wide array of different plant life. Nearby forests and valleys fill with lavender and wildflowers in the springtime, and apples, pears and berries in the summer and fall. This area is so well-known for its vegetation variations throughout the year that the drive between the mountain and the town of Hood River is called the Fruit Loop.

If you are more interested in the history of the region, then you should spend your time at the Mt Hood Cultural Center and Museum. This museum showcases the regional history of Mt. Hood including natural history, early exploration, settlement history, winter sports, and mountain climbing. Visitors rave about the museum’s educational enrichment and oral histories.

If you want to do some hiking, then you check out the Timberline Trail, which circumnavigates the entire mountain and rises as high as 7,300 ft. Typically, the 40.7-mile hike is snow-free from late July until the autumn snows begin. If you really feel adventurous, add a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail to your hiking plans as it coincides with the Timberline Trail on the west side of Mount Hood.

Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens is an active volcano located 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon in Skamania County, Washington. The volcano is located in the Cascade Range and is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes over 160 active volcanoes. As with most other volcanoes in the Cascade Range, Mount St. Helens is a large eruptive cone consisting of lava rock interlayered with ash, pumice, and other deposits. Notorious for its major eruption in 1980, Mount St. Helens is the deadliest and most economically destructive volcano in US history. During the 1980 eruption, a massive debris avalanche, triggered by an earthquake of magnitude 5.1, caused a reduction in the elevation of the mountain's summit from 9,677 ft to 8,363 ft. There is now a 1 mile wide horseshoe-shaped crater located on the side of Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens is a popular climbing and hiking destination for both beginning and experienced mountaineers. The peak is climbed year-round, although it is more often climbed from late spring through early fall. Since the eruption in 1980, a permit system has been in place for climbers and is required year-round for anyone who will be above 4,800 feet on the slopes. If you are interested in hiking in this area, it is recommended that you do so during the warmer months. The standard hiking route is the Monitor Ridge Route, which starts at the Climbers Bivouac. This is the most popular and crowded route to the summit in the summer and gains about 4,600 feet in approximately 5 miles to reach the crater rim. Although strenuous, most hikers complete the round trip in 7 to 12 hours.

Housing for Travel Nurses in Portland

As a large city with a lot of hospitals, Portland offers plenty of travel nurse jobs...but after those jobs are filled, now it’s time to dig into travel nurse housing options as well! Whether you are in the market for a single room with shared common spaces or you are looking for a full house or apartment to yourself, you will be able to find the right space to fit your needs and your budget. Here is a quick look at some available properties from Furnished Finder / Travel Nurse Housing:

Tiny House Adventure

Have you ever watched HGTV’s Tiny House, Big Living and wonder what it would be like to live in a tiny house? In this beautiful 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 300 sq. ft. freestanding tiny home, you will get the chance to experience it for yourself. Located across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington, this tiny house is a close walk to local restaurants, bars, coffee shops, a vintage movie theater and a weekend Farmer's Market. Though this may be a tiny house, the list of amenities is not. You can enjoy WiFi, a full sized bed and closet space, storage cubbies over the bathroom and bedroom, a gravel patio and large front yard, and off-street parking. Perhaps best of all, it is located close to five major hospitals in the area, including: PeaceHealth Southwest , Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center , Veteran's Affairs Portland , Legacy Emanuel Medical Center , and Oregon Health Science University .

Modern Condo with a View

Looking for a property with an amazing view that is still close to all the restaurants and attractions that downtown Portland has to offer? This spacious mid-century condo provides breathtaking views of the mountains, rivers, and the city lights at night. Located just outside downtown, this unit offers a quiet and safe place to relax and close proximity to a number of Portland’s parks and esteemed restaurants. Commuting to one of the number of hospitals ( Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center , Legacy Emanuel Medical Center , and Providence Portland Medical Center ) less than 7 miles away can be a breeze with the available public transit options nearby. You could even skip public transit altogether and walk or bike to Oregon Health Science University or Veteran's Affairs Portland as they are both less than a mile away. It is the perfect option for anyone looking for a quiet place to relax after a long day at work while still remaining close to all the city has to offer.

2 Bedroom Victorian-Style House

If you want to save as much money as possible during your time as a travel nurse, believe it or not there are some more economical housing choices in Portland that still offer a long list of amenities and close proximity to work. This 2 bedroom rental, located on the top floor of a two story old, Victorian-style house, is just one example of a more affordable option. This unit is surrounded by wonderful cafes, restaurants, bars and supermarkets that are all walking distance. Furthermore, this rental is located less than 4 miles from Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center , Legacy Emanuel Medical Center , and Providence Portland Medical Center .

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