Portland, Oregon (part 1)

LOCKDOWN EDITION

So, I am reluctant to even write this as my first “travel” post due to the severe restrictions we’ve had on actually even leaving our homes these past 12 months.  A year ago around this time I was laid out on a Royal Caribbean Cruise deck with my roommate, sipping seltzers, sunbathing, and reading a very lackluster suspense novel together…which became an unintended race to see who would be disappointed by the ending first. Plot twist, it was me.  

Our mantra throughout that week was, “Books, sun, water.”  We weren’t looking to get wild, just hoping for some quiet relaxation after a lot of long weeks working nonstop.  That vacation was filled with incredible food, music, and some much needed chillaxin’ time.  It also involved a dangerous allergic reaction to a bee sting, paying $25 for sunscreen on an island, and an enthusiastic drunk lady cornering us in the hot tub to yell loudly “WHO IS SINGLE IN THIS HOT TUB AND LOVES JESUS??”  But that story could be a post all by itself.  Lovely gal, I wish her well! 

Though it is both glorious and painful to look back at my little “On This Day” from Timehop (a feeling that is universally relatable at this point), I have to say my mini staycation in Portland did not disappoint.  My partner and I were looking for something fun and safe to do as a holiday gift for each other and we landed on an adorable Airbnb on the east side of the river. 

On the surface, it probably would look like a mundane trip.  We drove twenty minutes to get there and stayed inside the majority of the time.  My partner is severely immunocompromised so it has been extra important for us to take safety precautions seriously this year. 

Honestly though, it was just as relaxing and necessary as the cruise. After a year of *coronaVIRUS* (picture Cardi B saying it), any time spent away from our homes felt incredibly special. We took a lot of masked, distanced walks and enjoyed the feel of the rain and cool, PNW air.  People watching and puppy watching from afar was also quite compelling. I have the tendency to squeal gleefully whenever I see a cute dog on the street, (a condition that has been exasperated this year too) so I was EXTRA excited to smile at every doggo we came across.  

And of course as with everywhere I visit, a main component was the FOOD. Our special meals for the week consisted mostly of items we could either walk to pick up, or could have delivered directly to our room.  Sort of like a food crawl, but you don’t have to put on pants or leave the couch.  Kind of optimal!

Part 2 of the Portland Trip will focus exclusively on food because there is no WAY I could condense that all into one post. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. And probably curse me for not taking better pictures!!!

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How has the current state of the world affected your travel plans this year?