PDX...better late than never!

ok, I'm so sorry. this post is so long over-due. Maybe it's work, the beautiful weather, or the handsome ginger who floats through my mind all day long that's been keeping me busy? All I know is that PDX is still on my mind...

It was a beautiful Friday morning when Megan and I began to anticipate our weekend away to Portland, Oregon. But before we could hit the open road, we stopped for our usual Ladro caffeine fix (she got decaf) and two delicious rasperry scones(actually, they're horrible. Don't go buy them. ever.). After admiring the sexy baristas, we were I-5 southbound! Our only stop along the way was to deliver a cappuccino to JSW while he was slaving away at his desk all day. I couldn't drive by without saying hello, now could I? After a quick chat and a kiss goodbye, we continued the rainy drive south with Kate Nash & Jenny Lewis as our musical guides.

A couple hours later we were crossing the Columbia River Bridge and exiting into the Pearl District, Portland's art district which is filled with sweet boutiques, cafes and beautiful, ivy-covered brick buildings. After dropping our bags at Megan's moms condo, we headed out to explore. After walking just a few blocks in a torrential downpour, my shoes were filled with water and the umbrellas obviously weren't doing their job, so we spotted the best rainy-hideout ever: Whole Foods Market! After a quick bite to eat, a chat with a lovely lady who was visiting from the East Coast for the first time, and a moment to compose ourselves, we headed back onto the rainy streets. I suppose the rain was a good excuse to pop into shops along the way. We stopped into Powell's Books, a knit shop, and a cute French-inspired boutique called The Bubble Boutique where I scored the most amazing party dress - on sale no less! It was the perfect way to start the weekend!

The afternoon escaped us and soon it was time to meet Megan's aunt Liz and brother DJ, for some happy hour sushi and sake bombs! Megan's brother couldn't of been sweeter and her aunt couldn't of been crazier. She kept us all laughing and incessantly made fun of me for being on my iphone too much. Sake was only the beginning of our first night of mayhem in Portland. We hopped onto The Max, Portland's lightrail train and made our way to The Bitter End pub. Much praise should go to PDX's public transportation system. We took the lightrail and the streetcar all around the city so easily. Seattle should get a clue from our southern neighbors. Anyways, back to the drinks and bars: at The Bitter End, we kept the jute box blasting hits all night and played some pool. From one bar to the next we went but our night was not complete until Megan's mom picked us up and took us to the McDonald's drive-thru!

Saturday was filled with exploring all of Portland's unique gems and every eclectic neighborhood we could find. From cappuccinos and pastries at St. Honore bakery, lunch at Elephant's Delicatessen, exploring the Saturday market under the Hawthorne bridge, a raining drive through the Hawthorne district, wine tasting at David Hill and Appeloni Vineyards in the country with Megan's mom and then a pint with Joel, Megan's other brother. It was a long, exhausting, exciting day, but there was no sign of slowing down as we went from one thing to the next and then finally had a moment to take in the memories from the day over one of the best meals I've ever had at a restaurant called Roux. The food was mouth watering, the wine was delicious, and our artistic, Spanish waiter was both. He was cute enough for Megan to slip him her phone number after he had suggested she visit his favorite street corner in NYC when she moves there one day. After dinner, there were more spots in the city to take in and drinks to be drank. We went to Oba and met Arsenio, a handsome bartender who kept our drinks full for the remainder of the evening. If we weren't surrounded by enough gorgeous Oregonians, Megan's mother's friends Bruce and Chris joined us and were comedic relief and homosexual eye-candy all night long. Eventually, we did have to stumble home, crawl into bed and rest up for our next and last day in PDX.

Before we said our goodbye to our weekend in Portland on Sunday morning, we enjoyed breakfast at Rose's Delicatessen on 23rd street where DJ works. The food was yummy and the service was impeccable! ;) After filling our bellies we were back in the car and headed North on I-5, heading out of Oregon and leaving Portland's wonderful charm in the distance. Once again, it was only right that we stopped in again to see JSW, and with the hope of introducing Megan to the best hot dogs I've ever had at The Red Hot, sadly, it was closed for the day and we settled for nachos and beers at Masa. Unfortunately, we weren't entertaining enough, as PDX had sucked up all my energy, so our stay in the smelly city was shortened.

As we drove back into the city, rounding the corner on I-5 where you can spot the Seattle skyline in the distance, I remembered every memory that was made in Portland over the weekend and hope to return there again soon, possibly even to live one day.

The End!