How I Fared in Portland

I've discovered something about myself recently. I am exhausting to go on vacation with. I exhaust even myself. I pack more into two and a half days than most people get done on a week of vacation. And mostly it's all food.

I flew to Portland with my father for the weekend. Flew in Friday night, late late late; flew out Monday evening, not so late. I've been to Portland a few times. My aunt has lived there with her family for as long as I can remember. But visiting Portland for family reasons is not anything at all like visiting Portland. This time around, Pa and I were playing tourists.

Saturday we got up early enough to enjoy the Hillsboro Saturday Market. It was packed with deliciousness. My aunt and uncle had a booth where my cousin was selling bread. We didn't buy anything (I don't know that my aunt would have let us) but we stopped in and picked up a sample of blueberry lemon bread. It was moist and lemony and bursting with blueberries.

Oregon is mostly rural and the market showed it. Booths and booths stocked with the most delicious looking farm fresh vegetables,  fruits, and berries. I wanted to grab it by the armful. I didn't. It would have been impractical, being on vacation and all. And I like to pretend that I'm a practical sort of person. I did eagerly try any sample that was handed to me. I also purchased and shared a number of market goodies with my father, aunt, and cousins. We bought pita and hummus, a lemon white chocolate chip cookie as big as my face (so good!), a raspberry peach pie, a bumbleberry pie, and some potato salad.

We said goodbye to our poor cousin manning the bread booth and headed toward downtown Portland. We stopped in at Pittock mansion for the view and smelled the roses in the rose test garden at Washington Park. Then it was off into the heart of Portland for more food. Our first stop was a food cart for lunch. Food carts are all the rage in Portland. Pa was brave and tried a Korean food cart with me. The food was fresh and delicious and perfect for sharing. After the food cart we hit up Voodoo Doughnut. No, I didn't try the maple bacon donut, but I did sample a variety of others. Voodoo cooks up some super delicious donuts. I wouldn't wait in that line for them again, but I wasn't disappointed that I had. Also, carrying around a pink Voodoo donut box makes you an instant celebrity. "Hey, where is that place?"

After Voodoo donuts we wandered through the Portland Saturday market. It was big and loud and crowded and full of people showing off the stuff they can do. Pa and I shared a cherry lime sno cone and watched boats go by on the Willamette River.

After downtown Portland we headed home to pick up my cousin from the bread booth. He was done for the day, and it was nearing dinner time. We went to the part of Portland that used to be downtown but isn't anymore. We stopped in at the Salt and Straw first. Ice cream is far more important than dinner, as anybody ought to know. I had a blueberry lavender sorbet in a freshly made waffle cone. It was heaven. I savored it while we walked up and down both sides of the street, looking in the cute shops. I couldn't resist stepping into Moonstruck Chocolate. I limited myself to four: huckleberry truffle, lemon truffle, milk chocolate, salted caramel in milk chocolate. Some of the best chocolates I've ever had. Then it was time for dinner. We went to Pastini Pastorina, a local pasta restaurant for dinner. It was delicious. Pa and I shared, of course, leaving just enough room for us to share a tiny caramel steamer at Powell's Books after dinner, perfect for keeping you company while you walk up and down the endless aisles filled to the brim with well-loved books.

Sunday was far less intense. We didn't do much and ate even less (hard to believe I know). Before church we took a jaunt in the car up to Vancouver and drove along the Columbia. After church we headed to the Multnomah Falls. They were gorgeous and it was fun to climb to the top with my cousins, even though they though I was slow. I wasn't slow. I was enjoying the moment.

Monday, we started out early in the morning. We stopped for breakfast at Camp 18 on our way to the coast. Breakfast fit for Lumber Jack's. We shared a cinnamon roll as big as my face (really, it was that big) and each ate eggs and potatoes and biscuits on top of that. Also, the hot chocolate was delicious.

The Oregon coast is beautiful. When my aunt first suggested the beach I was not interested. I was thinking beachy beach. The Oregon coast is not beach. It's beautiful and rugged and gloomy. I fell in love.

We stopped in at Seaside, walked around the touristy shops, and grabbed a bag of sea salt taffy made in Seaside to munch on. Then we sat down to share a couple bowls of seafood chowder and a big platter of fish and chips. On our way out of town my Pa grabbed some peanut butter fudge. By that time I was all eaten out. Bet you didn't think it could happen, did ya? But I was, and I didn't have a single bit of that peanut butter fudge.

After Seaside we had just enough time to stop in at my aunt's house, gather up our stuff, and head to the airport to catch our plane.

I wasn't there nearly long enough. Portland is beautiful and delicious and I can't wait to go back.

PS I wore my pedometer the whole time I was there. Portland Vacation step count: 36,000. Not bad considering I spent hours sitting around while we traveled by car and plane.