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.