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Home >> Articles >> Life of Myden
Portland Is For (Beer) Lovers
72 dots in 6 nights. New record?
Tue, Aug 13
Flew to Portland, grabbed our luggage and caught the MAX train to downtown to pickup our rental car. Just missed the first train,
waited 15 min for the next one. Got on, and then had to get off (security sweep?) and then got back on to get downtown.
Walked to rental car place. Nobody was there, so we waited...and waited.... eventually someone showed up, we got our car, which
was parked on the 11th floor of the parkade. Drove 11 circles down and made it onto the freeway only to get stuck in rush hour
traffic. Our planned quick exit from the Portland area was not going smoothly.
Stopped at the Whole Foods to pick up some food for the next few days of camping, and at REI for stove fuel. Got back on the
road and continued our drive south to Crater Lake National Park. Turned off on Hwy 138 (Umpqua Scenic Byway) just as the sun
was setting, so we didn't get to see very much of the most scenic part of the drive!
Finally arrived at the Mazama Campground at Crater Lake around 10:30 PM. Luckily our camping slip was taped to the window of the
campground gate. Another family was not so lucky as the campground was full. We told them they were welcome to share our site
with us. We drove around the campground, and finally found one empty site, and set up our tent on one side, and the family
set up 2 small tents on the opposite side.
Then we got back in our car and drove to Watchman's Peak viewpoint to watch the Perseid meteor shower (1 night after the peak of the shower).
We saw about 15 meteors during a 40 minute span. The icy cold window prevented us from staying too long, so we got back in the
car and drove to Discovery Point, where we sat in the car and saw a few more meteors. Headed back to the campground and snuggled
into our new fleece + down blanket.
Wed, Aug 14
Woke up to discover our temporary camping neighbor (Steven) had about 5 boys with him. We couldn't believe they could all fit into
two tiny tents. Not to mention their was loaded with cases of ramen, which was to be their breakfast.
We had pan au chocolat for our breakfast and then headed to Crater Lake, hoping to hike Garfield Peak. When we got to the lake, the
view was very hazy. Not what we were hoping for! We discovered later that it was due to recent forest fires in the area. Luckily
things cleared up as we hiked Garfield and we enjoyed some amazing views of Crater Lake and it's spectacular blue water.
When we got back we sat in the chairs in front of Crater Lake Lodge and enjoyed lunch, taking in some more views. Went to the visitor
centre to watch a new movie about Crater Lake. Then we took a counter-clockwise drive around the rim, stopping at various viewpoints,
including Phantom Ship, but the view was starting to get hazy again.
Then we stopped at the only legal trail that descends down to lake level, Cleetwood Cove trail. Then we hiked up Watchman's Peak,
with the intention of watching the sunset, but by now the haze had become really intense, and you could barely even see Wizard Island.
Went back to the campground to pick up beers and firewood. The prices were surprisingly decent. Snacked on beer, cheese, bread,
chips + salsa, and had carrot thai soup for dinner (thank you Whole Foods!), along with m&ms for dessert. Started a fire, and
then called it a night.
Thu, Aug 15
Got up early and threw our tent in the car, and drove to Discovery Point to try and catch the sunrise. By the time we got there
the sun was already up, and there was still a lot of haze over the lake - so it turned out we didn't miss much!
Continued our drive and arrived in Bend around 9 AM, just in time to get a campsite at the busy Tumalo State Park, despite the
crotchety campground host telling us we would not be able to find one.
Set up our tent and then drove into town for breakfast at Chow, on their nice patio. CM had a delicious omelette, and I had
Caesar (polenta topped w/ weggs, hollandaise, verde sauce, avocado and cilantro). There were 3 different types of pepper sauce
with varying levels of heat.
After breakfast we walked across to Newport Avenue market, an upscale grocery store and picked up a few things. Next stop was
the Sparrow Bakery where we got an ocean roll (croissant with cardamom and sugar) and some bread pudding for breakfast the
next day. The owner served us and while we were there someone came in to show her a copy of a magazine she had recently been
featured in.
Next, it was on to Bed Bath & Beyond to look for kitchen items for our new house. CM had researched the best saucepans, frying pans,
knives, cookie sheets, cutting boards, cheese graters, microplane graters, etc. We found a few things and then it was on to
Home Depot where Chris bought a multi-meter.
By this time we had researched our shopping limit and headed to the Deschutes Brewery. We each got to sample 4 different brews.
Briefly stopped at Bend Furniture & Design then made our way to the Bend Brewfest.
We bought a Brewfest mug and sampling tokens and looked through the 'catalogue' to see which beers we'd like, and had no trouble!
There looked to be at least 60 breweries at Brewfest, each offering 2 different beers for sampling. We found a table in the shade
and began sampling. We shared our table with a father and son originally from Los Angeles who now lived in the area. There were
also quite a few dogs, but they had to go home at 7, along with all children.
Our favorite beer was probably the Elysian pumpkin. We also had an interesting one made with watermelon, and Sweet Hest by Burnside,
which contained apricot and Jamaican Scotch bonnet peppers.
Went for dinner at Hola! We were a little disappointed with it. CM had a burrito, while CB had an enchilada. The portions were large,
but the quality didn't seem to be anything too special.
Then we stumbled over to the pedestrian bridge over the river and took some pics. A lot of pics actually. Then we went to Walmart.
Yes, Walmart. I just had to see if there were any Cuisinart pots and pans, which there weren't.
After filling up the gas tank in a sketchy part of Bend, we went back to our campsite.
Fri, Aug 16
Woke up early, and ate our leftover Ocean Rolls from Sparrow. Then we arrived at Smith Rock and hiked up to the top of Misery Ridge. Posed
for some pictures on the ledge, saw the Monkey Head, and finished off the loop walking along the river.
Got back in the car and drove to Trillium Lake. Unfortunately the top of Mt. Hood was covered in cloud, so we weren't able to get quite
as nice a view as we had hoped. Trillium Lake had a lot of people fishing, and one angry man in a boat yelling at the amateur fishermen
blocking the boat ramp.
Drove to the historic Timberline Lodge in front of Mt. Hood, where the hotel exterior for the 'The Shining' was filmed. It was interesting
to see people walking around in full ski gear on a hot August day. Walked around inside the hotel for a bit and then headed to Mirror Lake.
We hiked up to Mirror Lake, but when we reached the lake, Mt. Hood was unfortunately still very cloudy. It would have made for an amazing
picture on a day when Mt. Hood was more visible, as the reflection in the lake was impressive. There was a lobster in the lake, and a lot
of dragonflies.
Then we drove to the Wildwood Recreational area, and hiked around there. I wanted to check out the cascade 'streamwatch', where a portion of the
river can be observed through a clear window, kind of like a real-life aquarium.
Continuing on to Portland, we checked into our accomoddations at the Bike Friendly Guesthouse. The owner wasn't there, but someone else
staying there helped us get into our room. Or at least, what we thought was our room. We'd end up having to switch later.
Walked over to Toro Bravo, one of the most popular restaurants in Portland. We put our names down for the estimated 90 minute wait time,
and then walked over to Amnesia Brewing Company and had a beer at the picnic table (unfortunately, just enough time for one).
Then we walked back to Toro Bravo, and were seated at the bar. We had potatos bravas (of course!), deep fried mahon cheese, and
a grilled flatbread with black truffle cheese and arugula.
After dinner we walked back to our hotel to grab the car, but our key code no longer worked. After contacting the owner, we realized that
we had settled into the wrong room, and had to move to a different one on the main level.
We drove over to Salt & Straw and were shocked at just how many people were lining up for ice cream at 11 PM. There were so many
interesting looking flavors, and I sampled the melon & prosciutto, the pear with blue cheese, and marionberry with goat cheese
and habanero, which I ended up choosing. CB sampled the almond brittle with salted ganache, but ended up getting the strawberry honey
balsamic with black pepper. Yes, these are ice cream flavors!
Sat, Aug 17
Went to the New Seasons Market to get some snacks for the day. Didn't think it was quite as good as Whole Foods. Continued on our way
to Silver Falls State Park.
Parked in the north parking lot, and commenced the hike of 10 waterfalls. We got a little turned around and realized we were hiking
the loop the opposite of the way we intended. There were some pretty amazing waterfalls, including some you could walk behind, which
were really nice. South Falls was probably our favorite, and also the busiest.
Drove back to Portland, and checked out Sock Dreams. A store with a lot of...socks.
Then we went to try and catch the food trucks downtown before they closed up for the day. Paid for parking, and went and
tried to eat at nong's khao man gai food truck, but it was closed. Then we wandered over to Koi Fusion, but it was closed too. Then
we tried to catch the world's largest gathering of red-heads, but missed that too. Things just weren't going our way this afternoon.
Next we walked to Andina, a Peruvian restaurant where we drank some of the best cocktails ever. I had the Sacsayhuaman (habanero pepper vodka shaken with pureed passionfruit and cane sugar, served up with a sugar rim and cilantro leaf garnish)
and CB had the RON-YKI-ÓN (roasted ginger rum shaken with fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, lime juice and cane sugar, served up with a cardamom-sugar rim).
As far as food goes, we had the chicken skewer, a beet salad, and MIXTA NIKKEI causa (Yukon Gold potato, spicy tuna and crab salad, topped with crispy breaded prawn).
And they also had bread with 3 types of dipping sauce, peanut, papaya, and a green spicy one. Looking back, Andina was probably our favorite
meal of the trip.
Then we did a little shopping. CB went to Anthropologie while I checked out Sur La Table, on my quest to buy cookware. I ended up buying
a whisk and a microplane grater. Not quite what I was hoping to get, but it was a start. CB bought a shirt at Nordstrom's while I rested
my weary feet.
Next we walked over to Bailey's Taproom, which was pretty cool. There was a giant screen showing all the different beers, when the kegs had
been tapped, how full they were, and other beer related stats. Talked to a guy from San Francisco who was by himself checking out Portland
for the weekend, and lovin' all the different breweries.
After that we walked around the block and noticed a lot of people carrying pink boxes, which we recognized as being from Voodoo Doughnuts,
a Portland institution. We headed over there, and it was more like a nightclub scene than a doughnut shop, complete with huge lines and
security. The girl in front of us assured us it was worth the wait, and it was. From the rotating selection we ended up choosing a Thai
doughnut with peanut butter, basil and siraccha.
Then we went to Kontrol Arcade, an arcade with fully functioning arcade games from the 80's and 90's. We started off playing Super Sprint, and
then CB played a shooting game (Dawn of the Dead) at which she only lasted about 30 seconds. Then we both played a shooting game, and
Chris refused to shoot anything, so I had to pick up the slack, and made it to the 2nd level. After that I went and played T2: The Pinball
Game, and didn't last very long at all. We would have ended there, but we kept finding quarters on the ground, or stuck in the coin slots,
and played some Ms. Pacman. All in all, it was probably as much entertainment as one could hope for, for one dollar!
Sun, Aug 18
Woke up early to be at Waffle Window before it opened at 8 AM. CB had a waffle with brie, cherry tomatoes, basil, and peach jam. I had
a spicy bacon jalapeno waffle. Mmmmmmm.
Hit the road to try and beat the rush out to the Columbia river gorge. Took highway 30, the old scenic byway. Stopped at the Vista
House, and continued on to the first hike of the day, Latourell Falls. We started at Latourell Falls, hiked up to Upper Latourell falls
and then back down a loop to lower Latourell falls, which was a surprise to us, because we didn't know it existed before the hike.
We had this hike to ourselves, but were definitely feeling the masses starting to arrive, as the parking lots were getting busier. So
we quickly moved on to Bridal Veil Falls, where it was starting to get busier. Walked down a short walk from the parking lot for a very
short hike. They were pretty nice.
Next stop was Wahkeena Falls, which had another short walk to the viewpoint.
And then we moved on to the busiest spot of the day, Multnomah Falls. Snack bar, gift shop, everything a tourist could want. There were
a *lot* of people. The Disneyland of waterfalls, but also the highest in Oregon, and certainly the most visited natural attraction. They
are pretty spectacular though, and busy for a reason!
We moved on to a hike that started in the Horsetail Falls parking lot, and took us past Ponytail Falls, and from there we headed up to
Triple Falls where we stopped for lunch. We came out at the Oneonta Gorge parking lot, after a little bit of confusion about where
we were going to end up, thanks to some poor hiking directions.
Then we drove to Hood River. Our first stop was at the Full Sail Brewery where we tried their sampler tray and then had a beer ice cream
float. We sat on the patio overlooking the Gorge area, a popular place for windsurfing and kitesurfing.
From there we moved on to Double Mountain brewery, where we tried a few more beers outside, and it was hard to stick to just beer and
not stuff ourselves with pizza as well.
Got in the car and drove to Panorama Point which had a view of Mt. Hood. Then we drove across the bridge to the north side of the
Columbia river, which is in Washington. We drove up to a viewpoint for another good look at the gorge, and then back down, through
the town of Stevenson, and back across the gorge via the Bridge Of The Gods.
Driving back into Portland, we stopped at McMenamins - Edgefield, a pretty unique property where you can walk around, check out the grounds,
explore gardens, etc, while enjoying a beer. There was also a golf course, movie theatre, a hotel, and more.
After that we headed to The Observatory for dinner. CB had the prawns with curry sauce, and I had a burger. Had a few cocktails that were
good, but not Andina good!
To finish the night we pulled into Bushwhacker Cider just as they were getting ready to close. Managed to try a cider while the bartender
swept up.
Went back to the hotel and packed up all our stuff to be ready for the next morning.
Mon, Aug 19
Got up for another early start and headed to Portland's Rose Garden. When we arrived, it was closed due to a recent pesticide application,
but we could still see most of it from above.
Went for a little walk, past the tennis courts and Japanese Garden. Went up to the Arboretum, walked around that for a bit, and then
drove to the Pittock Mansion and walked around the grounds.
Then we went to Tasty N Sons for breakfast, which was quite busy for a Monday morning. But we got there just in time before the lineup
really started. For breakfast we had a chocolate potato donut, potatos bravas with poached eggs on top, and a frittata.
Made our way to The Meadow, a store that sells salt & chocolate from all over the world. Purchased a coconut curry chocolate bar.
Went to Kitchen Kaboodle and bought some Cuisineart cookware (finally found it!) and an ice cream scoop. We debated for a while about
how much we'd actually be able to fit in our one checked bag.
Took our cookware back to the car, and re-packed everything, hoping we would be under the 50lb weight limit.
Went to Noun. Full of antiquish looking items, didn't really interest us.
Checked out Roses Kitchen Supply for a few more things, but didn't find anything we were looking for. Mainly a restaurant supply store.
Parked our car and walked across Hawthorne Bridge into downtown Portland. Went to Koi-Fusion after some Con-Fusion about where it was exactly. Had
a Korean taco for $2. Tasty.
Went to Prasad, where CB had a quinoa bowl and an interesting shake with berries, ginger, and coconut milk. It was also part of a yoga studio. Definitely still in Portland.
Walked back across the bridge, along the river pathway. Our last stop was to be Stacatto Gelato, where we had 4 kinds of gelato: coconut, hazelnut, cookies & cream, and peanut butter fudge.
Headed to the airport, and had a lot of trouble finding a gas station! Got to the airport and weighed our checked bag. 60 pounds, doh! Had to re-pack it, shifting the 10lb air mattress over to CB's carry-on luggage, which was now ridiculously heavy. Thank goodness for sky check!
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