Exciting announcement: after a summer that saw me zooming back and forth between Cambodia, East Africa, Paris, London, and Central Europe (thank you, work travel!) I have a new adventure on the horizon, this time a little closer to home.
I’m going to Portland!
Portland, Oregon…home of cafes, hipsters, outdoor markets, a fantastic food scene, surrounded by stunning natural beauty (with mountains to climb and burn off all of that food!), and, by reputation, just an all-around fantastic city to hang out in and soak up the atmosphere and enjoy life. That’s pretty much the plan!
Mt. Hood, Portland (photo by Jessica Somers)
I’ll be taking this trip with my best friend Jessica, who is both a supremely talented professional photographer (see her photos in this post) and familiar with Portland already as she’s been there before and loves it. I’m very excited to explore the city with her, and there are a few stops we’ll be hitting for sure in our whirlwind weekend visit:
- Salt ‘n Straw—Honestly, this is approximately 25% of the reason I want to go to Portland (maybe more)…the ice cream at Salt ‘n Straw is reputed to be among the best on the planet. Will it live up to expectations? I suspect a lot of research is in order (don’t worry, I’m up to the task and won’t let you down!)
- Voodoo Donuts/Powell’s City of Books—It wouldn’t be a Portland trip without checking out the legendary Powell’s City of Books, an apparent mecca for bibliophiles. I may not conquer it all, but I’ll do my best, and hopefully come away with some new reads to enjoy while eating a multitude of donuts at Voodoo Donuts (power snacks for sightseeing!)
- Coquine—I’ve heard about this new-ish Portland restaurant for what seems like ages and am excited to check it out. My awesome BFF got us reservations for dinner, so we can see what the fuss at this Portland hotspot is all about!
- Nature—I also want to balance all the cafes and restaurants with some wilderness and foliage. We’re hopefully going to visit the International Rose Test Gardens, as well as do a little hiking in the area surrounding the city.
Voodoo Donuts, Portland (photo by Jessica Somers)
Other than that, not too many concrete plans except to eat, drink, and celebrate decades of friendship with a little cross-country weekend adventure. What could be better than that?
Bring it, Portland! (Especially the ice cream and donuts…)
Have you been to Portland? What are your favorite spots in the city and around? Any suggestions for our trip?