if that ain't love then tell me what is...
I'm back from a trip to Portland to visit my friend Lianne and her husband Ed - and it was awesome! They moved there a couple years ago and this was my first chance to check out their digs. It was also a great opportunity for a little girls reunion and our friends Lorinda, Marie and Teresa made the trip too! We've known each other for years (in the case of Marie and I it's 33 years and counting...) and have shared some of the most important moments of our lives with each other. But with my move to DC and Lianne's move to Portland we don't get to see each other as often as we would like. Which is why this trip meant so much! The tea towels I posted about last time were all for these girls and the baby things were for Lianne as she is expecting a little one soon!
As we only had a few days to see the sights, Lianne took us on a whirlwind tour of all of Portland's hot spots. First we checked out the Gorge, its pretty landscapes and beautiful falls:
My ladies at the Falls:
There are a bunch of other falls along the gorge, with names I don't remember but they were all beautiful:
(Teresa and I are trying to get our act together here while Lianne gets the shot of the waterfall!)
One of the highlights of the pretty drive around the Gorge is the spectacular view from the Crown Point Vista House. It was built in 1916 and it's pretty amazing to imagine people making the trek up to this spot back then:
As our first day of sight-seeing was fairly outdoorsy and wholesome, we planned our second day to be all about shopping and eating. Woot! Luckily our plans corresponded with Portland's Saturday Market:
we shopped and snacked at the market - we had to keep our energy up -
I thought downtown Portland was really cool:
After the Saturday Market we shopped around the Pearl District and hit some of the hot spots there including Powell's Books:
And we ate our weight in food at Henry's Tavern:
Can I just say? Big portions! (That I did not have any trouble finishing...)
Our last full day in Portland we hit a bunch of gardens. First we went to The Grotto - which is a Catholic shrine and botanical garden with gorgeous views of Portland and the surrounding mountains.
You take a cool elevator to the top of the cliff in order to see the botanical gardens. You don't have to pay to see the gardens, but you do have to pay to take the elevator...which is the only way to get to the gardens, so figure it out. You're paying. But I will say that it's worth it, the gardens are beautiful.
There is a Meditation Chapel where you can sit quietly and contemplate the view:
After The Grotto, we hit the Japanese and Rose Gardens in Washington Park.
We packed a lot into a long weekend. We also fit in a surprise baby shower, long talks late into the night and some great meals. It was wonderful and I can't wait to do it again!