The Most Overrated (and Underrated) Portland Summer Activities

Summer in Portland often feels ideal — the weather is mostly moderate, people seem friendlier than usual, and there's an endless list of exciting events and dreamy outdoor destinations to explore. But if we're being honest, not everything on our summer bucket lists ends up hitting the mark. Last week on the podcast, I joined host Claudia Meza and executive producer John Notarianni to debate what we think are the most overrated (and underrated) summer to-dos in our city. Here's some of what we came up with:

Outdoor Adventures

We were all in agreement that a river swim is perfectly rated, but where you swim can make all the difference.

Overrated:

John's hot take: "I think that swimming at Sauvie Island is dramatically overrated because it is so crowded. You are always in a traffic jam trying to get there. There's never anywhere to park. Once you get there, there's very little shade."

Claudia's hot take: I think the Sandy River is a little overrated. Any other river is infinitely better, less crowded, usually cleaner. I get people love the tubing…but every time I've gone I've been like, 'I wish I was at the Clackamas.'"

Underrated:

I had a suggestion for an alternative: Swimming at Elk Rock Island. " It's so much less crowded, and the terrain is a lot more interesting. It's not just a sandy beachfront; it's this rocky, mossy terrain. There's a little hike in, and a lot of the time you'll see folks driving their remote-controlled robot cars around the rocks. It's the cutest thing." Tip: stop by Panaderia Mexicana Cinco de Mayo to pick up tortas for lunch — I think they have some of the best in town.

John and I also had suggestions for less traditional, car-centric outdoor fun.

John's pick: The 99 West Drive-in movie theater in Newberg, Ore. "You can either watch it in your car with your friends or bring lawn chairs and sit right outside your car. It is just such a fun way to make seeing a movie the most social experience possible."

My pick: The Portland International Raceway. " It wasn't like this big, macho event. It was family-friendly…it was not only your standard super fast, like Lamborghini race cars, but they also did a vintage race car race where it was like all different kinds of cars, like Mini Coopers."

Tourist Attractions

Even Portland's most tourist-friendly attractions and activities can be fun for locals, so it was not easy to come up with some truly overrated picks. Here are some of our gripes and recommendations:

Overrated:

" I think the World Naked Bike Ride is overrated. It has nothing to do with the nudity…It's just the crowd. It is so crowded that it turns into a world naked bike walk," says John.

My take: I think the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park is overrated. "I would suggest going to Peninsula Park instead. It's half the amount of roses, but the way that it's laid out in the symmetry of the garden space is so mind-blowingly beautiful." Tip: After a visit to the garden, get dinner and drinks a short walk away on North Killingsworth. Plus, to learn more about Peninsula Park, check out yesterday's edition of our Weekly Wander newsletter.

Claudia has a more general take: " Anything you have to wait in line for already, you're losing. You're losing daylight. You're losing your heat tolerance. Unless that line is like misted and it comes with free drinks, hell no."

Underrated:

I suggest visiting the Ira Keller Fountain Park and making a night out of it. " You can go and walk behind these cascading waterfalls that come out of the fountain. It's amazing at night, the way that it's lit up. It's just this wonderful auditory, visual experience." Tip: Catch a show at the Keller Auditorium and grab late-night dinner at Somtum Thai Kitchen a short walk away.

John says visit the family-owned Enchanted Forest theme park near Salem. " It almost has this kind of outsider art vibe, where everything is just really interesting and meticulously made. You can go see the giant witch with the mouth you can walk into or the life-size gingerbread house. And they do have rides."