In September 2019, I traveled by myself for the first time in my life. It was the first time navigating a new environment by myself and my first time traveling anywhere further west than Chicago. Portland has always held a special place in my heart and I’m glad I chose it to be the location of so many firsts in my life. Looking back it is probably my favorite travel experience to date and I’m very thankful to have this film as a memento.
The Airbnbs I Used:
The Society Hotel (+ Hostel) –
Juniper House –
Take $$ off your first stay with my code:
Everything Featured In This Video:
Burnside Bridge –
Eastbank Esplanade –
Poet’s Beach –
Portland Aerial Tram –
Chinatown Gate –
Downtown Freddie Brown’s –
Lan Su Chinese Garden –
Lan Su Chinese Teahouse –
Forest Park –
Kenny & Zuke’s –
Alberta Arts District –
Horsetail Falls –
Beverly Beach –
Sandlake Beach –
Broadway Bridge –
Coquine –
Mt Tabor –
Things That Didn’t Make The Cut:
Mill Ends Park –
Pine Street Market (NFM) –
TILT (NFM) –
Powell’s City of Books (NFM) –
Los Gorditos –
Portland Building –
Keep Portland Weird Sign (NFM) –
Goodwill on 10th –
Buffalo Exchange –
Cartopia –
El Burrito Azteca –
** If you see ‘NFM’ next to something, it means ‘Not For Me’. These are things I did that I didn’t particularly enjoy. Please explore and try things for yourself, but I wouldn’t personally recommend them.
I used just about every form of transportation Portland has to offer. I took the MAX in from the airport directly to my hotel and used various trains to get all around the city. It is a very walkable city so I spent a majority of my time doing that as it was free. For longer distances, I rent a bike from Biketown. These were my three modes of transit for the first couple days then I rented a car for the final two days so I could explore a little further outside of the city limits.
Hop Fastpass for TriMet, C-TRAN and Streetcar –
Biketown –
I hiked using an app called ‘AllTrails’. It was my first time using it and I really enjoyed it. I was able to track where I was in real time and divert down side trails with confidence. Whether you’re an avid hiker or this is a once-in-a-while things, I would highly recommend you give it a try.
AllTrails App –
Lower Macleay Hike –
If you’re interested in the production of this video, I make breakdowns of all my long form projects and they are available on my patreon page. The one I made for this project is available for free –
Equipment Used to Make This Video:
Camera –
Lens –
Microphone –
Stabilizer –
Drone –
All of my gear –
Special Thanks to Trox + his management for allowing me to use his song ‘Waltz’ in the opening montage. I’ve had that beat on every cell phone I’ve had since I was fifteen and it was a dream manifested to use it in one of my projects. Check out his most recent work:
All other music came from Epidemic Sounds:
All of My Links:
Website –
YouTube –
Instagram –
Twitter –
TikTok –
Patreon –
Kit –
Thomas Sawyer is a filmmaker, passionate about travel and learning. His videos focus on documenting his experiences, sharing personal philosophies, and providing a behind-the-scenes experience of how things are made.
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