Portland, OR

Some of my best friends from high school got married in Portland, OR this past weekend. Our high school bunch is spread out all over the US (and Canada) now, so it's been a long time since I'd seen a lot of them. Everyone was flying in from out of town for the wedding, so it was fun to explore a brand new city!

Some of us got in Thursday night, so early Friday we drove out to the Oregon wine country near Dayton, OR. Jake (aka our own personal sommelier), booked some awesome tastings for us. Thanks for letting me tag along!

Our first stop, which would end up being my favorite, was Domaine Serene. We had the "Estate Tasting" complete with wine and cheese pairings. The grounds were so beautiful in the early morning. The fog in the hills made everything feel very surreal. We also were there at harvest, so there was definitely a flurry of activity that day!

We also stopped at nearby Domaine Drouhin and White Rose Winery. If you know me, you know I always enjoy a good wine tasting, but all of these were especially great. I wouldn't have minded spending some more time in this area! We grabbed a quick lunch at Red Hills Market on our way back into town.

Later that day, everyone went out to see Multnomah and LaTourell falls in the Columbia River Gorge. These falls were absolutely gorgeous. It was nice to hike around and catch up with old friends.

That night, we went out to explore the Pearl District. We started at Rogue Ale House with a beer and dinner and moved onto Teardrop Lounge. We had some great cocktails here and an even better punch bowl. Good times were had by all.

The wedding the next day was also in the Pearl District. Everyone had a great time catching up at the wedding - congrats to two of my very oldest friends. Your love for each other is really inspiring and I'm honored to have been there to celebrate with you both. ALSO, it's about damn time you guys tied the knot! :) 

Their "wedding cake" was dozens of Voodoo Doughnuts - a Portland classic. I tried bites of many kinds - bacon maple, Oreo-covered, and cinnamon & sugar, but my favorite was the fruit loop covered one. YUM!

The last morning, Emily, Jake and I went for brunch at Clyde Common which was delicious! We ended our time in Portland at the International Rose Test Gardens.

It was a short trip, but so great. I enjoyed Portland and definitely plan to make it back there (and bring Jason) to explore some more. Since there is no way I will go to my ACTUAL high school reunion next year, this was a perfect substitute.

Next up: I will be taking a quick girl's trip to...wherever we can go basically. We definitely have a few places in mind, but nothing is definite. It really will be a "get to the airport and pick somewhere" type of trip!