Lake Oswego

I'd never thought of Lake Oswego as a travel destination. To me it was just a residential suburb near Portland, where affluent homeowners lived in lakefront mansions.

On a whim I decided to visit a well known brunch spot at Lake Oswego, and made the 15 minute drive south of Portland.

What's there to do at Lake Oswego?

I was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely, walkable downtown area in Lake Oswego. It was located on the northeastern shore of Lakewood Bay.

I began exploring downtown's First Street, and found an abundance of restaurants, cafes and boutiques. This led to the attractive Millennium Plaza Park with a European-style reflecting pool and seasonal farmer's market.

There's been a lot of legal battles over the general public accessing the lake. I'm pleased to report that water access is now possible from the concrete platform at Lower Millennium Plaza Park. As an added bonus, there's also a splashpad for kids.

From here I walked behind Lake Oswego's only waterfront hotel, The Lakeshore Inn. I then continued to Sundeleaf Plaza with lots of benches overlooking the lake. Speedboats were arriving from across the lake to dine at Mann's on the Lake, then catch a film at the theater next door.

My exploration of Lake Oswego also took me to the nearby Willamette River. I enjoyed the gorgeous gardens on the bluff at Foothills Park, and visited the popular sandy beach at George Rogers Park. Lake Oswego's Old Town is in this area, with historic markers for nine buildings, and loads of information on the old iron ore companies that were once here.

10 best things to do in Lake Oswego

1. Downtown Lake Oswego. 

I discovered that downtown Lake Oswego is very compact, with most of the restaurants and boutiques concentrated along First Street.  The whole downtown area has been designed in the tudor style, giving it the appearance of a European lakefront town.

Here's some of my restaurant picks:

• My favorite restaurant based on both food and atmosphere, is Holy Taco. This place is fun!! Love the large outdoor patio, and brighly colored interior. I chowed down the carne asado tacos, with a slushie margarita.
• Pizzeria Sul Lago is right on Millennium Square Park, and has a rustic, woodsy vibe. They only sell 12" pizzas, and there are lots of pasta, dessert and kids' menu options. There's also plenty of seating outside with awesome lake views.
• Five Spice Seafood has some of the best patio dining on Lake Oswego. This is a fancy restaurant, so don't forget to get dressed up. I enjoyed the grilled salmon and belgium dark chocolate souffle.

Check out downtown Lake Oswego with the striking, tudor architecture, and convenient turning circle at the end of First Street.

Here's a photo of my absolute fave place to eat in Lake Oswego, Holy Taco.

I love happy hour at Holy Taco!

The interior at Holy Taco is full of color, and there's both bar and booth seating.

This is a nice boutique on First Street.

2. Millennium Plaza Park.

The crown jewel of Lake Oswego's downtown is Millennium Plaza Park, just off First Avenue in downtown. It has a large reflecting pool that leads to a covered pergola area with a fireplace.

It's great to visit in summer for fun music concerts, or the bustling farmer's market. Enjoy sweeping views of Lake Oswego from here.

There's lots of shade around the reflecting pool in this beautiful plaza.

Enjoy a picnic on the grassy knoll at Millennium Plaza Park.

Here's a glimpse of Lakewood Bay from the Millennium Plaza Park.

I love the fact that there's a ton of outdoor seating at Millennium Plaza Park, including outside at St Honore Bakery and Pizzeria Sul Lago.

3. Lakefront splashpad and lake access.

After a lot of legal wrangling over the years, it's now possible to access the lake from the Lower Millennium Plaza Park. Just take the stairs, then continue past the railway crossing. From here you'll finding the seasonal splashpad adjacent to the Lakeshore Inn.

These are the stairs from Millennium Plaza Park, that lead to the railway crossing.

And here's the seasonal splashpad at the bottom of the stairs!

The access to the lake is in-front of the splashpad, and down these concrete stairs. Water access is one hour before sunrise, and one hour after sunset.

I always enjoy stretching my legs by strolling along the Headlee Walkway, adjacent to the splashpad. It's an easy five minute walk along the northern shore of Lakewood Bay, ending at 3rd Street.

Admire some beautiful sculptures along the way.

4. Sundeleaf Plaza.

My other favorite public space in Lake Oswego is Sundeleaf Plaza, past the Lakeshore Inn.  This is a wonderful place to relax on a bench and watch all the action on the lake. It's also near the movie theater and restaurant, Mann's on the Lake.

5. Lake Theater and Cafe

Lake Oswego has a wonderful, historic theater, operating since 1940. The Lake Theater is on Sundeleaf Plaza, and serves yummy pizza and house cocktails.

There are two movie screens, and the cafe has a patio on the lake.

The cafe at the Lake Theater has a comprehensive wine and beer list, and some candy for the movie.

6. Mann's on the Lake.

It's so much fun watching the locals drive their speedboats across the lake, dock at the marina, then dine at Mann's on the Lake.  It serves New American cuisine like Alaskan halibut and Prime New York Steak. Choose from the casual patio, or dine inside the sleek, modern interior.

7. George Rogers Park.

One of Portland's best beaches is right here in Lake Oswego, at George Rogers Park. It has a beautiful setting on the Willamette River, with a wide, sandy beach. There are no lifeguards, so swimming is at your own risk.

Kayaks and paddleboard rentals are available in summer.

There's a lovely grassed area at George Rogers Park, with stairs that lead to the beach. In summer I discovered groups of young people sunbathing here, after they'd taken a swim.  Other amenities include a playground and tennis courts at the upper parking lot.

I was intrigued by this large stone structure at the edge of the lawns, and discovered it was an Oregon Iron Company Furnace constructed in 1866. In the early days of Lake Oswego, iron ore was the main industry.

This is the playground at George Rogers Park.

8. Lake Oswego brunch.

My favorite brunch destination in Lake Oswego is Lola’s Café Bar on Third Street. I enjoy the outdoor patio, but there's also plenty of indoor seating.

Lola’s Café Bar has it all, including breakfast bowls, toast, smoothies, coffee, and cocktails.

This is the heated patio.

Lola’s Café Bar also has cute, streetside tables on B Avenue.

I'm also partial to a visit to St Honore Boulangerie at Millennium Plaza Park.

St Honore Boulangerie serves baked goods, baguettes, quiches, panini’s and coffee.

There's also a third brunch spot I'd recommend at Lake Oswego. Drive to the northwestern shore of Lake Oswego to Babica Hen Cafe (pictured) and La Provence. However, just a heads up that both these cafes get busy on the weekend.

9. Riverfront trail with two parks.

If I need to stretch my legs, I take the riverfront trail that connects Foothills Park to Roehr City Park. The parking lot is at Foothills Park.

Foothills Park is 6-acres, and sits on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River. It's just minutes from Lake Oswego's downtown area.

It's fun to walk out on this dock at Foothills Park.

Can you spot the sunbathers on the lower dock? Swimming is not allowed from this dock.

There's lots to see along the pathway at Foothills Park. Highlights include a Vietnam Memorial, and a basalt art installation inscribed with William Stafford's poetry. I discovered the path's end at an overlook with lovely views of the Lake Oswego Railroad Bridge.

Here's the Vietnam Memorial at Foothills Park in Lake Oswego.

I loved the beautiful gardens!

I continued south from Foothills Park to the more forested Roehr City Park. 

Here's one of two viewing platforms at Roehr City Park.

I brushed up on my history, and learned that Roehr City Park is where the Oregon Iron Company was founded in 1865 at Lake Oswego.

There was a lot of excitement when iron ore was discovered here!  People even thought that Lake Oswego would become the "Pittsburgh of the West". The big opportunity was supplying cheaper iron for the West Coast, ten times more expensive than the East Coast. This was because of the crazy shipping costs around Cape Horn.

After two changes in company ownership, the company finally ended after the financial panic of 1893. 

10. Old Town 

I was keen to learn more about Lake Oswego's earliest days and homes. Old Town is just a 10 minute walk from downtown, and there are 9 points of interest, highlighted by bronze plaques.

I recommend you start at the oldest dwelling in Lake Oswego, home to the Iron Worker’s Museum (40 Wilbur Street). This cute cottage was built by the Oregon Iron Company in the 1880s to house its workers. It's on the National Register of Historic Places, and is free to visit (check hours).

I then walked across Wilbur Street to the George Rogers House built in 1929. Look at its walls, made from stones from the furnace plant at the Oregon Iron and Steel Company.

I then found a convenient street map above a park bench, that summarized the main points of interest in Old Town (it's on the corner of Wilbur Street and Durham Street). I was intrigued by the plaque above the bench, explaining how a settler established a free land grant here in 1850, and named Oswego after a small town in New York.

11. Oswego Heritage House Museum.

The Oswego Heritage House Museum is a short drive west of downtown Lake Oswego (check hours).

The gardens and original house constructed in 1928 are exquisite. The property developer behind it had an idea to transform Lake Oswego's land from the Oregon Iron and Steel Company, to a thriving housing development.

12. Lake Oswego’s Trolley.

I haven't taken a ride on the Portland Trolley, but it looks like loads of fun!  This vintage trolley is from the 1800s, and was known as the historic Willamette Shore Trolley. If you'd like a ride, go to the Lake Oswego Depot at 311 North State Street. The trolley will then take you on a ride to the SW Portland riverfront (tickets & times).

13. Lakewood Center for the Arts.

The Lakewood Center for the Arts is a prominent landmark near downtown Lake Oswego. This beautiful building has a full calendar of theater productions and art exhibitions (shows & tickets).