All posts filed under: Portland

Portland in October, My first Airbnb Experience

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If you have been following me on Instagram then you probably know that last month I was once again in my happy place–Portland, Oregon! The goal: to see fall colors, rain and a Ducks game. I accomplished all of these goals and more, but the one thing that stood out about this trip was my experience with Airbnb. I have not been able to stop talking about Airbnb since we booked this trip! I’ve been to Portland numerous times always staying in the downtown area, right in the thick of things. This time, however, I wanted to know how the locals lived so on a friend’s recommendation, I booked a basement apartment through Airbnb. I cannot recommend Airbnb enough–the process was simple and I was able to chat with the host several times before booking! The apartment was more fabulous in person than it was in the photographs (when does that ever happen??)! It was spacious, super clean, had a fully equipped kitchen and as an added bonus, the host family had an amazing garden and a chicken coop …

My 100th Post! Plus, Surviving the Portland Boil of 2014

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It’s my 100th post!  A couple of weeks ago, after I published my 99th post, I started to feel a little anxiety over what my 100th post would look like.  I initially thought that I wanted to do something BIG and insanely complicated.  A blog post that would cause balloons and confetti to fall from the sky.  But, that didn’t exactly happen.  Instead, I got myself so wound up about my 100th post, that I couldn’t seem to write anything at all.  And soon after that, I was out of town for two weekends in a row! So, instead of a big, complicated recipe, I’m going to show you some of my vacation photos! I make no bones about the fact that someday I would like to retire in Portland, Oregon.  Our dearest friends abandoned us relocated to Portland in 2011 and have been enticing us to move there ever since.  And since my feet first landed on Portland soil that first time in 2011, I’ve fallen inextricably, entirely in love with the place.   …

Home Sweet Home – How I Spent My Summer Vacation

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I’m finally home from my summer vacation and as awesome as it was, I am always reminded that there is no place like home.  I saw some amazing things; consumed a great many calories; tasted lots of beer and wine; walked everywhere! Uphill–both ways!  It was incredible and now that I’m home, I feel refreshed, excited about life and re-energized.  Although I run the risk of sounding like a beginning-of-the-school-year essay, here is a taste of what happened over the past 10 days: I started my vacation in Santa Barbara, California.  The weather topped out at a cool 70 degrees and the sun didn’t come out until the afternoon.  I had a chance to walk along the ocean and feel the salt air on my face. We headed up to wine country and tasted so much wine that my head spun! I didn’t drink all of these, I promise! Then we flew to Portland, Oregon where the bulk of the vacation was spent.  I started almost every morning with a latte, and every single one …

Day 1, Happy Wandering in Bridgetown

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At long last, vacation time has come and I’m back in one of my favorite cities–Portland, Oregon: land of microbrews, sustainable agriculture and generally fabulous quirkiness.  The header photo on this blog was actually taken last year at the Portland Farmer’s Market and I cannot wait to go there this Saturday!  We have traveled to Portland three summers in a row to visit friends and love to discover new places as well as revisit places from our prior trips.  I spent the majority of today wandering the streets and drinking in the local flavor.  We started out with a really great breakfast at a favorite spot in the Pearl District called Isabel.  What we like about it is that they have a lot of healthier options that will keep you filled up and energized for an entire day of walking around town.  I had the “avocado scramble”–eggs, avocados, black beans, rosemary potatoes and salsa.  Even though it’s filling, it’s pretty healthy and therefore, almost guilt-free! The only problem with having such a good breakfast is …