Portland 2015
Road trip is something that I do not do often enough. Last summer, I took my family down to Portland, Oregon and we stopped by Seattle on the way. Most of our destinations consisted of culinary explorations and photo ops that are often featured heavily in postcards and brochures about the places that we were planning on visiting.
We stopped by Pike Place market in Seattle where we stopped for a quick bite at the very well-known Pike Place Chowder. The line ran out the door, and the tables were bustling with lunch time crowd composed of locals and tourists. We then checked out the gum wall which has since then been cleaned up.
Once we got into Portland, we checked into an an AirBNB apartment just outside of the city along the MAX line, which was very convenient to get to downtown. During our short stay in the city, we explored Powell's bookstore, food carts, plus coffee roasters (Stumptown and Heart) that the city is well known for.
We also visited picturesque Multnomah Falls just outside of the city, where we were able to sit down and relax away from the the city. I always thought the two waterfalls reminded me of Rivdendell from LOTR.
On the way back to Vancouver, we wanted to visit the famous Oregon Pacific Coast, and went on a detour to see Haystack Rock. Despite the overcast sky, the beach was busy with large crowds. We managed to find a parking in an adjacent local park and took a long stroll on the beach where tourists were enjoying the afternoon on recumbent tricycles.
Looking through the photos, I realize that sunnier weather would have made better pictures on the beach. With that being said, I am very grateful to have spent time with my family whom I do not see very often. I look forward to the next vacation with my family when we can catch up and spend quality time together.
We stopped by Pike Place market in Seattle where we stopped for a quick bite at the very well-known Pike Place Chowder. The line ran out the door, and the tables were bustling with lunch time crowd composed of locals and tourists. We then checked out the gum wall which has since then been cleaned up.
Once we got into Portland, we checked into an an AirBNB apartment just outside of the city along the MAX line, which was very convenient to get to downtown. During our short stay in the city, we explored Powell's bookstore, food carts, plus coffee roasters (Stumptown and Heart) that the city is well known for.
We also visited picturesque Multnomah Falls just outside of the city, where we were able to sit down and relax away from the the city. I always thought the two waterfalls reminded me of Rivdendell from LOTR.
On the way back to Vancouver, we wanted to visit the famous Oregon Pacific Coast, and went on a detour to see Haystack Rock. Despite the overcast sky, the beach was busy with large crowds. We managed to find a parking in an adjacent local park and took a long stroll on the beach where tourists were enjoying the afternoon on recumbent tricycles.
Looking through the photos, I realize that sunnier weather would have made better pictures on the beach. With that being said, I am very grateful to have spent time with my family whom I do not see very often. I look forward to the next vacation with my family when we can catch up and spend quality time together.
