Vacation: Portland, OR

The Portland, OR leg of our trip out west seems like a blur, now! On Friday afternoon, after an amazing breakfast and then checking out the Space Needle in Seattle, we boarded a train to Portland. Along the way, we spotted Mt. Rainier, had lunch and took a much needed nap. My brother and his friend met my husband and I in Portland, and we immediately headed to Rogue for dinner and beer sampling. Saturday morning was spent strolling through the Portland Saturday Market, which was really neat despite the rain. Once we had our fill of the market, we indulged in Reggie sandwiches from Pine State Biscuits (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives!) When the rain cleared out, my brother took us to Washington Park. The park is full of gorgeous trees and moss that is almost neon green. We also visited another Portland brewery and a massive bookstore. We dined on sushi that night, and then headed back to the hotel to get some rest. Early on Sunday, my husband and brother and I drove up to Mt. Hood for a day on the slopes. My brother is a really talented snowboarder, and is very familiar with Mt. Hood, having worked on the mountain last year. The snow out west is much different than the snow out east, and took some getting used to. The mountain was enormous -- we couldn’t even see the peak because of the snow and clouds. Everyone was tired after skiing, but we made it to one more brewery for dinner before crashing. On Monday, we slept in, packed and then had to head home to reality. It was a long day of traveling followed by a tired Tuesday, but we’re back in the swing of things now!

We had a great time on our vacation, and really enjoyed experiencing the Pacific Northwest. It’s a location that my husband and I have always wanted to visit, so we’re very lucky to have gone on the trip this year! I hope you enjoyed my vacation posts -- I’ll be back to regular posting now!