A Suitcase and Go

While I’m happy I went to Portland and explored, I completely feel like I missed a lot because of Covid and all the craziness the city went through in 2020 (and is still dealing with in 2021).  One thing I'm definitely going to miss is the beautiful white clouds – I’ve never seen anything like that. Livability for me :  I don't think I can see myself living there.  I would definitely visit again after a few years, and think I would really like the scene for a vacation, but I just don’t see myself being there longer term. Time to explore Seattle! Some final pics that didn't make the other entries. A cool sign at the waterfront Powell's City of Books - one of the largest bookstores in the world with over 4M books and 9 different book rooms - completely worth a visit! Ruby Jewel's Ice Cream Sandwich - for everyone that asked from the other post "Facing the Crowd" an outdoor sculpture in front of Providence Park One of the many bridges in Portland, look at tho...

I'm almost at the end of my time in Portland.  It flew by, but I feel like the 5 weekends I got to spend here were enough to soak up the city.  I also celebrated by birthday (definitely different this year, considering all my friends/family are spread all over the place), but it was still very great.  I got so many texts, calls, and messages that all made me feel so special and loved.  I treated myself to a great dinner and dessert, plus Saturday I did a tour of the local wineries. On my last Sunday here - I had a nice brunch and just did a final walk around downtown. Highlights: Jake's Famous Crawfish : I had a really great birthday dinner here.  The clam chowder was so good, and my birthday cheesecake was delicious and just melted in my mouth. Willamette Valley Wineries : Such a fun day! I was lucky to get a really incredible weather day (like 65 for March in Portland is unheard of). My tour guide was amazing and had so much knowledge about grapes and how they...

Portland is known as the city of roses.  While I'm here too early to see roses I was able to see lots of pretty blooming flowers while exploring Washington Park on Saturday.  On Sunday, I rented a car again to venture outside of Portland. Highlights: Washington Park:  Vietnam Memorial: One of the coolest and most interesting memorials I've been too.  It is built as a spiral and as you make your way around, each stone memorial has a year that highlights the progression of the war, along with the names of those Oregon soldiers killed. Hoyt Arboretum:  Such a beautiful place to hike and walk around. The park contains over 2,000 different plants/trees from around the world. I highly recommend visiting the redwood viewing area and the bamboo forest (small but has a really peaceful vibe). Silver Falls State Park: Probably my favorite park I visited in Portland.  There is a hike you can do called The Trail of 10 Falls (about 8 miles all around).  T...

I got some great weather and sun the last couple of days here in Portland, allowing me to really make the most of the weekend. I hiked and explored Washington Park on Saturday, and rented a car on Sunday to explore outside of Portland. Here are some highlights and pictures from my weekend: Pittock Mansion - The mansion was originally built in 1914 by Henry Pittock and his family.  Its a 46 room estate with panoramic views of Downtown Portland and the Willamette River.  I highly recommend walking up to it, its such a good workout and there are trails from Forest Park that lead right to the mansion. I first visited during the day and was able to tour the mansion.  Since I had a car the following day, I decided to drive up and catch the beautiful night view of Portland. Mount Hood - Such an awesome site. I wasn't able to go up too high because of all the snow (chains on your tires are required if you are driving up). I did get close for some pictures and to pass some of th...

So I’ve been in Portland for almost 2 weeks now.  Most Portlanders I talk to say the storm last week was the worst one in a few years - just my luck. Since Snowpocalypse it’s actually gotten much better and I’ve been able to explore Portland and walk around.  Here are some highlights of the recent exploration: The Portland Waterfalls -  go see them and hike if you can, so beautiful!  Too much snow for me and the paths were not fully clear, but I would love to go back and hike the area Tilikum Crossing Bridge - for some reason I’m obsessed with this bridge, it’s just for commuters and a fun walk/bike ride across. Views of the river are very pretty (I got a super clear day) and you can explore the Portland waterfront after visiting Vista House - built in 1917 as a rest stop on the Columbia River Highway - the views of the Columbia River Gorge and the Washington side are so pretty to see Cascade Brewery - check out some great sour beer Last note: I got some feedback...

Welcome to Portland, Oregon, destination #2!  I've already been here for almost a week.  My first couple of days haven’t been ideal, I landed during a crazy snow/ice storm and the weather was pretty cold at 27 degrees. I bundled up and made my way to a grocery store to stock up. Luckily, by my third day here the snow had settled down and temps were up 10 degrees so I went out and explored a bit. Things are starting to get better, snow is melting and temps are in the 50s.  I'm looking forward to exploring the city more this weekend. Landing in the snow and thinking what did I do? When your AirBnB used to be a hotel Venturing out in the snow Downtown Portland Very popular tourist attraction The snow starting to melt away