Oregon Part 1: Portland

I have always wanted to explore Oregon. Its hard to believe I had never crossed the state line into Oregon growing up on the northern side of California. Chase had never been either. So when my amazing stepmom offered to come stay with the kids so Chase and I could go on a romantic getaway again, I knew I wanted to go see this part of the Pacific Northwest I had heard so much about all my life. 

Our first stop was Multnomah Falls just outside of Portland. Since it was after Labor Day it really wasn't too crowded. 

I loved reading about the legend of a Native American princess wanting a private place to bathe so Multnomah Falls was where she escaped to do just that. 

We stayed in the cutest Airbnb in the Mt. Tabor neighborhood of Portland. It is about 15 min away from downtown and was the perfect location for us! It was a separate tiny house behind the main home of the owners. They were very kind, the tiny house was clean and perfect amount of space for us! It was very close to lots of amazing restaurants, shops and bars. An uber driver told us we were staying in the best part of Portland. Score! 

I had been dreaming of the Portland food scene for quite some time. I was excited to give my taste buds an experience to remember! Our first meal of the trip was at Pok Pok. This was a Thai restaurant with family style dishes to share. I do not remember the names of our dishes, but it was so good! We sat outside, people watched, chatted and savored our food. There are tons of dogs and cats in Portland (people really love their animals there) and a few street cats would run under the tables and try and jump up to snag some food. I was glad they didn't jump on our table! Chase loathes cats, so he would not have been happy if they did 😂 Ha ha! 

Salt and Straw is iconic. I am an ice cream lover through and through. The time had finally come! I got to savor the flavors of this divine establishment! I chose a flavor made by a 4th grader in one of the nearby elementary schools. It was minty with fluffy chocolate swirls and made with Taro root. 

Hands down the best ice cream Ive ever had in my whole life. They choose a group of 4th graders each year from different schools to create their own flavors. A percentage of proceeds go to their school. So I will most likely never taste this deliciousness again since it is only on the menu a short while. 

When Chase and I travel, either with our kids or just the two of us, we love to get a feel for the local life. We drove by the most amazing high school. It looked like an Ivy League college campus! It happened to be Friday Night Lights time! So we parked at the school and explored the campus and football field a bit. We talked to a few people who told us the school had recently been renovated and added on to. It was their big rival football game of the season. It was fun to watch a few min of the game and get a taste of the high school life for these Portland kids. Franklin High School was beautiful! 

The next day we took the Max into downtown. We walked to the station  from our airbnb. There were quite a bit of homeless people at the station. Chase had his Orem Fire jacket on and one young kid asked if he was a real firefighter. We told him we were from Utah and he said "Utah was the best place I was ever homeless!" For some reason he stuck with me and my heart breaks for him. The homeless scene in Portland is a monumental crisis. I could not believe how many tents, couches and mini "homeless cities" were set up in downtown and under the freeways. 

Once we got off on our stop we walked to Washington Square Park where you immediately feel like you are escaping the city. It is so lush and green! We set out on the trail that took us to the Portland Japanese Gardens. 

The entrance fee was well worth it and we both felt the peace and serenity here.

The entrance to the gardens.

We began by lounging at the little tea house. Their traditional Japanese teas and pastries were delicious.

I loved being out on the balcony with my best friend and enjoyed the moment. 

The presentation of the tea and food was simple and pretty.

We were able to hear this woman from Japan play her koto which is a type of Japanese string instrument. We listened from the tea house for a while then walked over to see her next door. She played beautifully and told us stories behind her songs.

We took about 3 hours exploring at the Japanese Gardens and I really did feel like I was in Japan. It sparked even more of a desire to visit there one day. I would love to travel to Koyto during spring to see the famous cherry blossoms. One day... 

We hopped in an über afterwards that drove us up to Pittock Mansion.

These were very beautiful grounds with interesting American History. I loved learning about the family who traveled the Oregon Trail and built this home. 

The views were incredible. 

Next we made our way back towards downtown and checked out a farmers market. I LOVED this band playing! Their music definitely spoke to my soul! I loved the vibrations of his cello and message of her lyrics singing. 

We walked through more of the market and caught the Max home right when it started raining. On the Max two sister missionaries saw Chase's Orem Fire jacket and came to say hello. One of them was from Orem and was so excited to see people from her home town. We then started chatting with other locals next to us on the train. I love getting to know new people in new places! 

That night we went to Bollywood Theater for some Indian Food. Chase and I love our ethnic foods!

It was the cutest market/restaurant. 

Indian food is probably one of my top favorites! Chase and I both loved our dishes and ate every last bite. 

Portland has the most charming homes and quaint streets. This was one of my favorites right around the corner from Bollywood Theater where we parked. 

The next morning it was time to check out of Portland and make our way over to the coast. We ended our Portland food tour by eating breakfast at Pine State Biscuits. They are famous for their homemade biscuits. I also snagged a homemade pop tart full of chocolate and raspberry. Yum! 

Im a sucker for murals. This reminded me of Miami a lot! Its incredible to see the side of a building transformed into a magical painting. I loved the plants growing out of the building used for her hair. Genius!