Our 3 Day Trip to Portland
Last week was my very first visit to the Pacific Northwest. Needless to say, I fell in love! During our 3 day trip to Portland, Oregon it rained the whole time- but instead of the Florida downpour I’m used to- it was a beautiful soft mist that sprinkled our cheeks and didn’t hinder us from walking around. In fact, I think I walked so much that my calves are still sore! Anyhow, I wanted to put together our 3 day trip into a blog- for anyone who’s interested, or perhaps wants to plan a trip to Portland in the future. As for myself, I am counting down the days until our next venture to the PNW!
Day 1
For Dinner we ate at Dame- a quaint Italian eatery on the other side of town in the Alberta district. Tuesday nights, they have #redsauce night- where their menu is shortened and their wine selects are half price! Double score! I opted for the cacio e pepe and Joe got the spaghetti and meatballs. Buonismo!
Day 2
Post our downtown excursion and post lunch at Zupans again— we went on a little hike with our dear friends who were coincidentally visiting Portland from AZ. They took us to the Hoyt Arboretum, and I am so glad they did, because truthfully I don’t know if Joe and I would have wandered into the forest by ourselves. The Hoyt Arboretum is free and has endless trails to walk through. We were surrounded by redwoods and although the rain was coming down the trees protected us from getting soaked. You could definitely spend all day here, wandering through the trails and streams. I feel like we hardly scratched the surface, but I am so thankful we came.
After dinner, we took a 10 min walk to Wonder Ballroom, a sorta divey concert hall. About 5 months ago, I bought us tickets to see Hania Rani ( Joe’s favorite pianist) she rarely tours the U.S., but Portland happened to be one of her stops. More the reason to visit! The concert itself was incredible. A beautiful performance with such intricate detail-- Joe was beyond thrilled because he brought his exclusive copy of her composition book and she signed it! Honestly, live music and Portland go hand in hand!
Day 3
With our last two hours, we caved and went to the Portland Japanese Garden. Let me tell, whether you visit in summer, fall, winter or spring— this is a MUST see (don’t let anyone tell you otherwise)!! We debated not going due to the weather and that would have been a grave mistake. Heck, as soon as we arrived the sun ( which we hadn’t seen since being in Oregon) decided to peep out and greet us. These gardens are immaculate. Our uber driver, told us it is the most renowned Japanese garden in the entire country. These photos do not do it justice. It was such a serene experience- so quite and peaceful. The tea ceremony at the Umami Café was the cherry on top. Joe Amico is now a green tea drinker- who knew!
Overall, our time in Portland left me feeling refreshed and inspired to explore more of the Pacific Northwest. If you haven’t been I hope this blog encourages you to visit. Leave me a comment below and share your experience with the PNW!