PDX

Even though we've been married for five years, Tyler and I had never taken a vacation together until this year. Crazy right? We didn't even go on a honeymoon because I had just moved back to Springfield and started a new job when we got married. So this year, we decided to extend a trip we had planned with my family and spend some time to ourselves.

We flew into Portland around 10am and hit the ground running (side note: if you've never flown out of the Kansas City airport early in the morning on a Saturday, just know that the recommended two-hour advance arrival for domestic flights is a woeful underestimation--we got to the airport at 4:30 for a 7:50 flight and barely got to our gate before our flight started boarding!). Since Tyler had never been to Portland, I wanted to make sure he got to experience some of my favorite spots--like Powell's! The Portland Saturday Market was up and running, too, which I think is one of the best ways to get a feel for the city. I mean, a guy was standing on the corner playing a didgeridoo; how much more PDX does it get?


After a few hours downtown, we headed to our BnB, a little spot called The Bluebird Guesthouse that has become my go-to accommodation when I'm in Portland. It also happens to be a block away from Salt & Straw, which is a huge perk as far as I'm concerned. Honey lavender ice cream? Heaven. We turned in for an early night--we were wiped out, the time difference was starting to hit, and we had an early morning at the Gorge scheduled for the next day. I can't wait to post about that day--introducing my favorite person to my favorite place in the country!

Mt Hood is a beauty.

That famous PDX carpet

First stop: Powells. Always.