Day Trip || Stormy Garibaldi

There's nothing quite like spending a stormy Fall day on the Oregon Coast. The gray skies, the misty rain, the salty air and the sounds of buoy bells in the distance. My parents and aunt and uncle spent the weekend in Garibaldi fishing and crabbing and I decided to drive my Nuna (grandma) down for the day to reap the benefits of their hard work. My mom sent me a picture of the 44 crab they caught the day before and I assumed they would need help putting a dent in it. Who can resist fresh caught dungeness crab.

The house was located across the street from the Coast Guard station and although it was a little dated it had an amazing view of the Tillamook Bay where we could watch the fishing boats and kayakers. After having some crab for lunch I was able to cozy up in the sunroom and indulge in a little quiet reading time followed by a quick power nap. 

It was a hasty but rejuvenating trip and was just what I needed to kick off the Fall season. The drive home was a little less rejuvenating and I had some white knuckle moments in the dark and pouring rain. Especially the moment when I saw a spider crawling up the windshield and I had to quickly pull over on the side of the road. As the cars rushed past me and I stood drenched by the rain I lost the spider and then had to get back in the car to continue driving. It was anxiety inducing. Needless to say I was happy to make it back home safe and sound. I look forward to the next beach trip that doesn't require night driving. 

What are your favorite ways to cozy up in the Fall?

Hiking in Forest Park

I love going on day hikes, and living in Portland offers plenty of places to explore. A few weekends ago a few friends from Levé decided to go on a hike in Forest Park to enjoy the outdoors and catch up on life. We started the day by meeting at St. Honoré Boulangerie on NW Thurman Street. 

After grabbing a quick bite and a coffee we started our adventure. We had a vague idea of where we were going but figured we would work out the details as we went. We approached the bridge and decided to take the stairs down to Macleay Park. 

We started along the Lower Macleay Trail and followed along the creek until we reached what locals call 'Witches'. It is known on the map as Witches Castle and many believe that it has a haunted past. Not to spoil anyone's fun, but the creepy stone building was actually a ranger station and restroom before it was abandoned. 

None the less, it is a great place for a photo opportunity.

We continued along the trail, commenting on the citrusy floral smell that was emanating from the woods and our curiosity was confirmed by some strangers that passed by discussing the same smell. A short way past 'Witches' the trail split and we walked along the Wildwood trail for a bit. Wildwood winds through all of Forest Park and is much more than we were looking to take on for the day so when we came upon another split we chose the Aspen Trail and headed back into the nearby civilization. 

Winding through the old northwest homes we talked about which houses were our favorites and where we imagined living some day. My favorite part of the whole hike was stumbling upon a Dinosaur National Park. It was such a fun surprise to see and so creative. 

The hike lasted a little over 3 miles and took us just over an hour (and the rain held off until I reached my car). It was a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning and I look forward to the next day hike in or around Portland. 

Exploring PORTLAND FLEA + FOOD

I decided to brave the heat this past Sunday so I could go out exploring. My friend Lisa and I wanted to check out the Portland Flea + Food event going on behind Rejuvenation on Southeast Salmon and Sixth Street. I have been to Portland Flea back when it did not include the Food part of its title and when it was held at Union/Pine, but this was my first time experiencing the expanded space and vendors. The event is held on the last Sunday of the month April through November. 

Our first stop was at the Pip's Original truck to grab some doughnuts to snack on. This was my first time having one of the highly praised Pip's doughnuts and they more than lived up to the hype. They are made fresh to order and are the perfect bite size (although you do have to order at least a half dozen. Fine, twist my arm). We went with three of the cinnamon sugar and three of the Nutella with sea salt. Both were to die for, but we agreed that the simplicity of the cinnamon sugar made them the best. 

After our quick pick me up we started checking out the adorable shops. Right away some treasures caught my eye. Mainly the necklaces from This Fine Day, the adorable cut out cactuses from Scout & Whistle and the wide assortment of products distributed at Made Here PDX.

After awhile our friend Wendy joined us with her adorable samoyed puppy, Yuri. While we grabbed food from Koi Fusion and Bunk Sandwiches we got to experience the crazy amount of people that squealed every time they saw Yuri and the four questions that everyone asked -  What type of dog is it? How old is it? What's his name? Can I pet him?

Yuri was desperate for shade so we went to check out the quaint little florist shop called Anna Mara, located on the loading dock of Rejuvenation. 

When we had thoroughly explored the event and were near heat exhaustion we left to find a place to grab a drink and some shade. 

It was so much fun checking out this Portland scene and I look forward to going a few more times this Summer (and maybe buying one of those funky little cactuses I saw).

Where to Spend a Day Wine Tasting in the Willamette Valley

One great thing about living in Portland is the access to so many great adventures. Only 60 minutes to the mountain, 90 minutes to the beach and a wine lover's paradise is a quick 45 minute drive out of town. I typically end up in Dundee, Oregon a few times a year to celebrate a friend's birthday, have a girls' day, or just go pick up my wine club shipment from Sokol Blosser. The Willamette Valley offers some amazing wine tasting and fortunately for me, my palate has evolved to a point where I LOVE a good pinot noir (which is what we are known for in these parts).

This Spring I had the pleasure of heading out to a few vineyards on the super cool Double Decker bus for my friend Wendy's birthday. The bus was incredibly accommodating of our large group. They allowed us to bring food and drinks on the bus and be as rowdy as we could be. We had a great coordinator that made sure we were all happy and kept us on schedule, which can be tricky when dealing with 30 tipsy 30 somethings.  There was a great group of friends and acquaintances that made the trek out to Soléna Estate, Sokol Blosser and Stoller Family Estate for the day. 

Double Decker PDX

Friends

That's a lot of glasses

It was my first visit to Soléna Estate. The venue was absolutely beautiful. The tasting room was large and made you feel like you were in a mountain cabin. And the view from the deck was stunning, surrounded by trees and a pond in the distance. 

Soléna Estate

Our next stop was Sokol Blosser. This is one of my favorite wineries, which is why I am a member, and I love their wine. They have the absolute best rosé which I am completely obsessed with. Their sparkling is also very nice. They have two tasting rooms, the original building and their new building. I'm partial to the new building due to its openness, clean lines, and modern feel. 

Sokol Blosser

Our final stop was Stoller Family Estate. This was my first time visiting that vineyard as well, although I had heard a lot about it since it is a very popular place. The tasting room is a 4,000 square foot, environmentally sustainable, modern building with floor to ceiling glass garage doors. It sits on an amazing piece of grassy property. They have a ton of white Adirondak chairs to lounge in and in the distance is a large oak tree with a tire swing. It's a great place to take a picnic and spend the day. 

Stoller Family Estate

I love visiting old favorites as well as discovering new favorites. If you have any suggestions of where to go next time, let me know!