We are now warm and cozy back in our living room back home. The trip to Portland to see Uncle Bruce, Grandma in Soap Lake Washington, and dear friends Sarah and Brian on the way back in Portland was a great one.
Starting the adventures right off we went to the Saturday Sunday Portland Market, the many, many booths have such a great selection of hand crafted creations, fantastic people watching on top of all that we had some beautiful weather. We saw a Darth Vader on wheels playing the bag pipes, cat nip body pillows, and carrots of “cat nip joy”, crafty recycled old silver wear turned into everything from rings, to pens, to napkin rings.
After searching the market for treasures we decided to head out to Pittock Manson, a fantastic recommendation for a view of the city from my friend Sarah. The sun sets quickly with day light saving now, so we just made it up there after sunset. The view was incredible and the mansion, made in 1914 was very impressive.
Bruce had reservations for us at a favorite restaurant at 8pm so we had time to head back to the house and unwind for a bit before heading back out to downtown Portland. Driving anywhere in Portland is a beautiful site the trees are so beautiful with fall color and the variety of green reminds me of Hawaii. Finding parking in Portland can be a real trick, it makes you understand one of the reasons that Portland is such a bicycle town. With the damp cold of the evening I think I might still chicken out and drive a car though.We finally found a spot and walked a few blocks to Higgens. I was a very nice place with a staff that sticks around our server had worked there 7 years and he was still the new kid. We had some beautiful food and wine; the muscles in particular were fantastic.
Sunday morning we slept in just a bit, and then had breakfast with Bruce at the Cadillac Café, a great restaurant on the older end of Broadway in Portland. There is a full size pink Cadillac in the building and the décor is slightly art deco. The food was great with full plates of local chicken sausage, Hazelnut French toast, and tasty home fried potatoes. After some hugs and good byes to Bruce we hit the road to Grandma’s house. My dad had recommended a stop to check out along the 4-5 hour drive out to Soap lake, WA, and so across the Colombia River we went to Beacon Rock. The weather on Sunday was more typical of the Northwest with chilly rain and cloudy skies. The road to Beacon Rock was very beautiful, winding along the river and heavily wooded with more fantastic trees. When we arrived at the trail head Josh quickly realized that this hike would make for a very wet and cold experience, I thought maybe we could just tough it out, but then after a few min’s outside in the wind, the thought of hiking up and windy wet trail in the wrong gear began to seem very silly. So we took some pictures and pretended that we hiked it☺ We will just have to come back to hike this cool rock another time.
Back on the road we listen to an audio book and music and sight see our way to the flatter dryer lands of Eastern Washington. By early evening we make it to grandma’s house and we are so happy to see her and be done driving. Grandma already had dinner all prepped out, but she let me finish it and get the roasted chicken heated, the potatoes, cooked up with a little extra bacon, onion, and chicken broth gravy, and the potatoes with a bit of spice. We spent the evening talking and sharing stories, grandma was and always has been the perfect host.
Monday we all had breakfast together, grandma likes her coffee so Josh got his share and he made me a fantastic breakfast out of some of the leftovers. As we finished cleaning up form breakfast grandma reminded me that we still needed to beat Josh at canasta so we better get started. After a short, (very short) reminder for Josh on the rules we got to playing canasta. Canasta is a game that you usually play to 5000 so in includes many games that you tally points together and whoever makes it to 5000 first wins. We had to take a break for some lunch which was great fun. Grandma has two neighbors that have walnut trees so her freezer is packed with beautiful walnuts that she has cracked, there was chicken and some lettuce. I pounded out the chicken a bit, crusted it in walnuts, and pan fried it in a little olive oil, while that was cooking I made a dressing with what was in the fridge, and sliced up some fantastic WA apples for the salad, then put it all together and we all totally enjoyed it. Grandma seemed to enjoy it and said I had showed her a new dish, which I thought was so great. It is not every day that you get to share something new with such an accomplished lady as my 96 year old grandma. After Lunch cleanup it was back to cards and after a few more rounds Grandma beat us both by about 1000 points, I can’t totally remember who had what, but I know I was in last place. Oh well, we will have to try beat her next time.
Back on the road and headed to see Sarah and Brian we make it into Portland again by about 7pm and spend a wonderful evening with these two incredible friends. After touring through there sweet home, and spending time with the cats, having some wonderful drinks, we decide dinner is in order. Sarah recommends ordering in from sandwich place that delivers, and we end up having some of the best sandwiches I have ever had! The sandwiches were, so fantastic and simple, with such great bread and, flavorful fillings we are all more than satisfied.I am a little jealous that they can just order this great food, Colorado Springs has nothing like this yet. Brian made a fire in there awesome fire place and we all chatted until sleep eventually did us in. The morning was quick but sweet, getting so see Sarah before she had to leave and Brian making us a great breakfast. The hospitality of these friends is always abundant and warm.
The rest of the trip was mostly plane rides and waiting in airports not wanting to sit much so wandering around the airport to kill time. When we arrived back in Colorado we were greeted by lots of snow and temperatures in the teens. What a shock, but we just smile and know we are back in Colorado. What a trip, all the people we got to visit and spend time with made it Great!
Sunday morning we slept in just a bit, and then had breakfast with Bruce at the Cadillac Café, a great restaurant on the older end of Broadway in Portland. There is a full size pink Cadillac in the building and the décor is slightly art deco. The food was great with full plates of local chicken sausage, Hazelnut French toast, and tasty home fried potatoes. After some hugs and good byes to Bruce we hit the road to Grandma’s house. My dad had recommended a stop to check out along the 4-5 hour drive out to Soap lake, WA, and so across the Colombia River we went to Beacon Rock. The weather on Sunday was more typical of the Northwest with chilly rain and cloudy skies. The road to Beacon Rock was very beautiful, winding along the river and heavily wooded with more fantastic trees. When we arrived at the trail head Josh quickly realized that this hike would make for a very wet and cold experience, I thought maybe we could just tough it out, but then after a few min’s outside in the wind, the thought of hiking up and windy wet trail in the wrong gear began to seem very silly. So we took some pictures and pretended that we hiked it☺ We will just have to come back to hike this cool rock another time.
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