Food, Flowers, and Friends. This past week I found myself in Portland, Oregon. Before embarking on this trip I had a few stops at the top my list which included a visit to the Columbia River Gorge to hike the infamous waterfalls as well as a trip to VooDoo Donuts. With some help from friends, we also added the International Rose Test Garden and Vegan Beer & Food Festival to the trip.
Starting our journey at the Vegan Beer & Food Festival, it was the perfect introduction to the people and culture of Portland. Laid back and relaxed, the festival entrance fee included all the beer you could drink. The festival featured local breweries with unique brews like Pumpkin which was perfect for fall. In addition to the beer the food was... well... shall I say different. While I'm not a vegan it was very interesting to see the food geared towards this lifestyle. Mac n Cheese, hummus and pita, tacos, and donuts were among the few foods we tried. I must say as a girl who loves her a bowl of kraft mac n cheese, the dishes were not horrible.
The International Rose Test Garden is a must see site. An 8 minute uber ride from downtown, this garden is free to the public and has impeccable views of the city. Every color rose you can imagine can be found equivalent to the size of your face.
The Columbia River Gorge was the last stop on our getaway. While many are familiar with Multnomah Falls, I highly recommend hiking some of the other waterfalls to avoid the large crowds that gather around Multnomah. Our journey consisted of Bridal Veil Falls, Latourell Falls, Shepperds Dell, Wahkeena Falls, and of course Multnomah. Each of these falls are less than a 5 min drive apart and the surroundings make the trip a dream.
Now it wouldn't be a trip to Portland without a stop at VooDoo Donuts. A one of a kind donut shop, VooDoo specializes in the crazy. My box included a CocoPuff and Captain Crunch donut as well as other eclectic treats. Sadly I had to pass on the maple and bacon donut but I've heard it is quite the crowd pleaser.
Sally, your pictures are so beautiful, and your blog so descriptive and just GREAT, that I want to go to every one of these places! Thanks for sharing your adventures!
ReplyDeleteYou are too sweet! Thanks Vonize <3
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