July 28, 2016

I’m officially on vacation, and I’m heading for the coast – Oregon Coast! I’ll be heading to Honeyman State Park tomorrow, but today’s one-day stopover is….. Portland!

I have a friend in Portland (born & raised; he says that’s important!) so he’s been taking me around town today. The temperature reached 34 C, which definitely affected our choices! I had wanted to do an 11-mile bike ride around downtown, but the sun& heat are too much for this Canuck. So instead, I let my friend make suggestions, and it was a great day! (Be prepared for a whirlwind of explanation. Apparently I was still in go-go-go work mode because what we did/saw in one day, usually takes people a couple to three days to see and enjoy – hahahaha.)

For breakfast, we hit up St. Honore, a French bakery, where I had a mouth-watering bacon and maple croissant, paired with a great coffee from Caffe Umbria. What a great start to my day: how can you go wrong with BACON AND MAPLE in the same pastry! (My mouth is watering as I type this. I may have to swing back through Portland in the way home to get another…. but I digress…)

Next up, we sauntered around NW 23rd to see the cute shops and stores. I loved the eclectic atmosphere, although I admit I’m not a true shopper so I didn’t go in any stores.

We then made our way up the back way (locals’ route) to Pittock Mansion, a beautifully-kept homestead and grounds from the early 1900’s, that has now been turned over to the City of Portland as a park. I didn’t take the tour inside, but was still very happy to see the amazing views of the city from the top of the estate! The grounds were also very nicely done, with lots of flowers and shrubbery to look at.

Next up in the whirlwind tour: Washington Park. We didn’t stop here; we just drove through – haha.  It was really busy AND hot. If you check out their website, they have a “Estimated Parking Availability” and after driving through, I can see why! (We came back at Round two of Portland and actually found FREE parking and got out of the car. More on that later.) From what I saw from the cool, air-conditioned car, it was beautiful.

After Washington Park, we headed to Mississippi (the avenue, not the state… obviously) for some more funky stores and delicious food. If you’ve read any of my posts, you know I love my travel food….  We ate lunch at Little Big Burger. I had the burger (natural and local ingredients!) and truffle fries – YUM!!!  Although it seems “little” it was very filling, and, in order to avoid succumbing to the food coma and heat, we walked. Slowly. Because it was hot and I was full.  We found the Tiny House Hotels on Alberta (I LOVE TINY HOUSES!!!) where I cooed and squealed like they were a box of kittens or puppies. (Did I mention my obsession with tiny houses? No? Well, I LOVE THEM!) I had looked at staying there, but decided against it because: (A) I was on a travel budget, and (B) I had a free place to stay already. Once I saw it from outside, I was glad I made the decision that I had. Some of the tiny houses were quite close to the sidewalk, and although it was gated, snoopy people could just stare and squeal and gawk at you while you tried to relax. (I know, because I kinda did. Until it became awkward. Then a few minutes later, my friend suggested we move on…)

By now, I needed something cool to drink or eat. So we headed down the street and found Salt & Straw Ice Cream. I debated if I wanted ice cream, and decided I didn’t and we headed back….  then I thought, this heat is clearly getting to me! I NEVER say no to ice cream, so back we went. I was told that, in telling this story, it wasn’t as important to say which flavours I got (Ancient Heritage’s Fresh Cheese & Strawberry, and Gin-infused Blueberry Jam with Chocolate chips, for the record) but that I ONLY WAITED FOR 5 MINUTES IN LINE! This is apparently unheard of, with tales of lines wrapping around the block touted as being “normal.”

My friend had a coupon for 20% off at the Columbia Employee Store, and I’m always up for a deal, so off we went! (Plus, they have air conditioning!) After getting a great deal on a climbing top and shorts, we were off for more coffee… (when in Portland….) This time: Poppa’s Haven, which serves Sleepy Monk Coffee from Cannon Beach. Yet another fabulous cup o’ coffee! I’d never sleep if I lived there….

 

At this point it was finally time for a late dinner (I told you we packed a lot into one day!) and we headed to a nondescript Japanese restaurant, named Sanbi. They are so low-key they don’t even have a website. But the amazing food and authentic atmosphere made me feel like I was back in Japan again. The nigiri melted in my mouth! (Mouth watering….  note to self: get sushi tomorrow…  is 5 hours to far to drive to get take-out?)    Lastly, we finished off the day by going to the local Japanese store, where I reminisced through each aisle and eventually bought some snacks for nostalgia.

Next stop: Honeyman State Park!