boating the columbia river gorge, oregon

originally we had planned to rent a few cars and drive to multnomah falls to see some nature and hike around for the day. that all changed when kp's aunt & uncle offered to take us out on the river in their pontoon boat. pontoon boats were straight up made for groups our size! we couldn't have been happier or more grateful that they were willing to not only pick us up from portland, but drive us around on the water all day. 

we drank rosé, swam in the chilly water, ran up sand dunes, rolled down sand dunes, ate delicious food [thank you aunt cindy!], played hilarious games of pie in the face until we were out of whipped cream, napped in the sand and snuggled up in blankets during our cozy boat ride. later that evening we had dinner in our hood at the rambler – this spot had great outdoor seating [& games], good drinks, tasty food and we managed to stay there the majority of the night. 

thank you again to uncle kelly & aunt cindy for making this day happen – it was so perfect. 

see the full travel guide HERE 

4th of july weekend in portland, oregon

months ago we were sitting on our sofa and noticed a virgin america sale from SFO to PDX. being that our last trip to portland was in the brick of winter [seen here] we figured a warm july weekend would be the perfect time to get back. over the following months we softly recruited friends and somehow ended up with a group of 10! it was such a hilariously fun weekend and i'm feeling major withdrawals. 

we all arrived friday evening after a few flight delays and quickly settled into our mississippi street airbnb [see my portland wishlist here].  the weather was perfect so we wandered the streets, admiring all of the street art and architecture, before grabbing cocktails at clyde common & the ace hotel. dinner at mediterranean exploration company followed [the "chef's tasting" option here is perfect for groups] and we later found ourselves bar hopping and dancing. 

the next morning we picked up coffee and blue start donuts right near our house [the long line at voodoo just seemed like a waste of time. these are just as good and easy to get without waiting]. we later rented bikes and spent the day crusin' on two wheels. we had lunch at neighboring spots, BUNK and bollywood theater [if you like indian food, this place is insane!], and afterwards grabbed cones at salt and straw. we brewery hopped, checked out the park, popped into local shops like powells and had a relaxing afternoon back at the house with cocktails on the patio. that night we had a really fun and casual dinner on the patio of mississippi studios [right near our house] and of course did some more bar hopping afterwards. portland is one of those cities i think we can go back to time and again and always find something new and cool. i'm so grateful we were able to explore a new place with so many great friends. 

see the full travel guide HERE 

^^ on our last day we explored the warehouse district with lunch at olymipa provisions and antique shopping at grand marketplace. there are a ton of other cool antique/flea markets in this hood that we popped into. such a cool area. 

a chilly winter weekend in portland, oregon

friday afternoon we flew north to have a weekend of relaxing, eating, drinking and more eating. being that it was the dead of winter, kp made reservations at some delicious places – knowing that we would want to spend most of our time indoors. even though we almost froze, some of my favorite moments in portland were really just wandering the streets in some of the cutest little neighborhoods. this city has so much character and every neighborhood has something unique to offer. much like sf!

highlights include:  drinking coffee or cocktails @ rum club, rontoms, mcmenamins kennedy school, KASK, benson hotel, clyde common, stumptown coffee, extracto coffee  eating @ le pigeon, tasty and sons, roe -- sushi speakeasy, beast, bunk, and pokpok. exploring: loyly spa, so many shops, olympia provisions, the ace and so much more.  can't wait to visit this city in summer! 

see the full travel guide HERE