While the kids were busy swimming, playing at parks, going to Tweetsie Railroad, etc. we were busy in Portland, Oregon.
Of course we drank a lot while we were there - Oregon is known for it's many craft brewers and Pinot Noir. We were both happy on this trip!
Andy was happy to find Moose Drool on tap!
We decided to hike to Multnomah Falls - It was such a beautiful hike!
We ate lunch at the bottom of the falls at the lodge and had this incredible view
Looking down from the top of the waterfall - It's a 620 foot drop!
Looking out over the Columbia River
A picture from the top of the falls
Every night was DATE NIGHT!
Mt Hood was another thing on our "To Do" list
Made me miss living in Utah with the snow capped mountain. This valley was more beautiful though. It was filled with orchards filled with apples, peaches, pears, etc.
Mt Hood in all it's splendor
We rented mountain bikes at Mt. Hood - at SkiBowl to be exact. It reminded us of Snowbird but without the resort atmosphere. Call me a snob, but Snowbird is a lot better than Skibowl, at least in the summer months!
The best part was riding the lift up and our bikes following behind us!
Andy's favorite bar in Portland - Henry's. They have 100 taps and plenty of bottles to choose from. They even had Moose Drool on tap The only thing better would have been Saranac!
We also rode the Mt. Hood Rail Road - another opportunity to check out the scenery and learn more about the history of the region
Another reminder of Utah - Wildflowers!
While we were in Portland, they were hosting the Oregon Brewers Fest. No coincidence here. We planned our trip during this week intentionally!
Enjoying the sampling, music and people watching
Downtown Portland has so many beautiful older buildings. During the summer the restaurants have little tables on the sidewalks.
We also did some wine tasting while we were in Oregon. We tasted some in the Columbia Valley as well as the Willamette Valley. Erath was our FAVORITE!
Kinda reminded me of Lancaster but filled with row after row of grapes instead of corn. Just incredible scenery in every direction.
In this one you can see Mt. Hood in the distance!
This winery also had a lavender farm. I bought some yummy lavender mint loose leaf tea there!
The first time seeing the Pacific Ocean! We drove out to the coast of Oregon after doing some wine tasting to see what the beach is like in the Pacific Northwest. Just the exact opposite of our beaches here in Jax!
Oregon Coast
Stopped at one of our favorite cheese places to do some sampling. We use to get Tillamook in Utah, but can't get it here. I might have to order some online and have it shipped.
The view from the Pacific Coast Highway
Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach - this was the cutest little beach town but it was WINDY and the water was FREEZING! Guess you could say we are spoiled with warm air and waters, but it was gorgeous all the same!
Portland is a very "tea" friendly town. I didn't have to settle for tea at a coffee shop like I do everywhere else in the country! I got a pot of tea EVERY morning!
We decided to go zip lining on our last day in Oregon. This was the view of the "shire" from one of the landings during our zip adventure.
Here we are all harnessed up and having fun! Our tour was just us and 3 guides. We lucked out!
Just an absolutely gorgeous day!
Portland also has an aerial tram that basically runs from the river up to the Oregon Health and Science University. There is a look out area at the top where you can see Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helen's.
Mt. St. Helen's from the top of the tram
We ate dinner at the Portland City Grill on the 30th floor of a big building. This was the view from our table. It was incredible and the food was as awesome as the view!
We couldn't leave Portland without a stop at Voodoo Doughnuts. They have 3 locations and are open 24/7! At 9 pm there was still a line outside and around the corner. We hit it up on the way to the airport at 4:30 am and there was one person in line in front of us!
Everywhere we walked, people recognized the pink box. I could have leveraged a lot of advantages with these doughnuts but I took them home for the kids instead!
We had a fabulous time and this trip was well overdue. It was great for us to get away from the kids and remember how much fun we have together as just a couple. I missed the kids terribly but we used Facetime, called and texted each other daily. Amazing how well you can stay connected with technology! Andy and I are already talking about where we can go next year...We've always wanted to go to New Orleans, Germany, Scotland, oh the list goes on....
