Pacific Northwest Adventure: Mount Hood
As promised, a few images and notes from our trip to the Pacific Northwest. We started our trip in Portland with breakfast at Vita Cafe. After walking around for a bit we grabbed some treats to go from Back to Eden and headed up to Mount Hood. The Timberline Lodge that is perched half way up the volcano is where some of the exterior shots in The Shining were filmed. It was too early in the year for snow at that level but it was lovely to walk along a tiny bit of the Pacific Crest Trail that I’ve been reading so much about for the past year.
After doing a little bit of hiking and exploring the lodge itself, we made our way down the mountain to Mirror Lake where we ate the quiches and pastries that we had picked up from Back to Eden. They were delicious, all having a singular flavor, and the perfect picnic meal. We walked around the lake before it got dark, enjoying the views of the mountain and the wooded terrain.
Making our way back towards Portland, we stopped and hiked up to Little Zigzag Falls. The short trail was lush and green and beautiful. It was such a stark contrast to all the dried up rivers and streams that I’m used to in California. Seeing water rush over the falls was a real treat.
We spent the night at McMenamin’s Kennedy School. Last time we were in Portland, we had stayed at the Ace, which was great for exploring the whole city on bikes. We both loved the vibe of the Kennedy School, with its long hallways and hidden rooms. It was conveniently close to so many of the restaurants we wanted to visit and just blocks from our favorite bar, The Bye and Bye.
Previously, riding bikes around Portland really allowed us to connect with the city, to travel slowly and take in all the different places we visited. This time, while we did a fair amount of walking around, we opted to try and visit as much of the Pacific Northwest as possible, getting more of a sense of the whole area, rather than just Portland specifically. While it wasn’t quite as immersive, it was great to see some of they outlying areas like Mt. Hood.
Next up: we travel up to Washington to see the Olympic National Park.
a few more Portland bites
This is the bagel that started my recent bagel obsession. Sesame bagel with avocado, pesto, tomato, cucumber and spices made fresh at Red and Black Cafe in Portland. Perfect ingredients. Perfect breakfast. Plus a tasty latte to go along with it.
So let’s talk about macaroni and cheese. I love it. It’s been a favorite of mine forever. Isn’t it a favorite of everyone’s? As far as vegan mac and cheese, I’ve had some good ones but they’re usually nothing spectacular. Don’t get me wrong, there are some damn tasty mac & cheezes out there, but not usually something that I would order frequently. I’m a big fan of the plain old Shells and Chreese out of the box. This mac and cheese from Hungry Tiger Too was an exception to the rule. This was the perfect cheezy consistency with big soft noodles and wonderfully tasty breadcrumbs on top. The ceasar salad that came with it was pretty darn good too.
Last but certainly not least, this tasty “chicken” salad sandwich from the Bye and Bye hit the spot for a snack to go with our drinks. I’ve already mentioned how much I loved the Bye and Bye. It’s awesome to order something that is outstandingly delicious while enjoying a beverage and their lovely atmosphere.
Ok this isn’t food, but I wanted to give a little shout out to Julia, Angel and Austin who we ran into outside of Powell’s books. When I say ran into, I mean, they started shouting “Little Vegan Planet” at us. Apparently they’re readers of Shawn’s blog and they recognized us. Honestly, I thought it was awesome. Not to mention they gave us the scoop on some vegan spots in Portland that we should try and were just super nice!
You should really check out Little Vegan Planet if you haven’t already as Shawn has the scoop on everywhere we ate on our trip. And if you’ve seen it already, he’ll be posting more in the next few days. Not to mention it’s the cutest ever.
Portland craft: Summit of Awesome
How cute are these guys? While in Portland, we got to visit the show of awesome, part of the Summit of Awesome. The Doug Fir lounge was filled with so much creativity and craftiness. I wanted to buy one of basically everything.
Going to a craft show like this is just so inspiring. I couldn’t believe how much talent was packed into this room.
I loved these rings. I couldn’t decide which one I liked best.
I probably could have spent most of my day roaming around this place and checking out all the handmade stuff. I also got to meet Becky from Glue and Glitter, which was cool. It’s times like those when you realize you’re a total internet nerd. Oh well.
After all that crafty fun we checked out some vintage stores nearby and then headed over to the Bye and Bye. You know the Bye and Bye right? Only the coolest vegan bar around. I think so anyway. Check out that amazing mixed drink in a jar. So darn good. Oh and then some other awesome stuff happened.
I think I’m in love with just about every aspect of Portland. I suppose I should share some of the great food we ate as well…perhaps next time…
Portland vegan desserts
In the four days Shawn and I spent in Portland, I ate more food than I ever thought possible. With so many vegan restaurants, it’s not even possible to try everything, but we were on a mission to test as much as we could. One of the highlights was being able to visit some completely vegan bakeries which Los Angeles is sorely missing. The most amazing treat that we tried, I believe was the raspberry coconut cream pie from Back to Eden. I don’t even like coconut, but oh my god, this pie was heavenly. Fluffy and sweet with the perfect crust.
Back to Eden was basically the last place we went before we headed for the airport. After getting numerous recommendations, we had to go there before we left. I tried a chocolate marionberry cupcake and also snagged some marionberry bread for the plane. I don’t even know what marionberry is but it is damn good. The fruity frosting on the cupcake was rich and amazing. The marionberry bread was moist with just the right amount of sweetness.
They had a case full of delicious treats including whoopie pies, tartlettes, chocolates and other savory items like quiches. The whole place is adorable. Oh yeah, and they have soft serve.
Of course we visited Sweetpea Baking Company. Actually we visited quite a few times. Everything we tried was super good. I loved the cute little zucchini cake. We also had cookies and donuts and…
Loved how cute these pride cupcakes were. They were completely sold out on our second visit. We really tried to make it for their Sunday brunch but couldn’t get there in time. Not to mention, the idea of eating a huge brunch was a little terrifying considering all the food we had the day before.
We stopped in Saint Cupcake Deluxe just to check out the selection and were happy to find a handful of vegan flavors. This shop was super sweet and not only had cupcakes, but also had a lot of sweet cupcakes supplies. It was also attached to Noun, a shop where I wanted to buy basically everything.
It’s not a trip to Portland without Voodoo donuts. Do I really have to say anything about these guys? So good. While I usually prefer risen donuts to cake donuts, the chick-o-stick donut is a must have. It may have been my favorite. I’ll probably have to try them again to see.
Wow, that’s a lot of dessert. That’s not even everything. I drank a lot of coffee to counteract the sweetness. That makes sense, right? This soy latte from Stumptown was one of the best I’ve ever had. I mean, Intelligentsia good. Damn I want one now.
personal detour
Last weekend Shawn and I went to Portland. Neither of us had been before and it seemed like a heaven of vegan food, bicycles, delicious coffee and exceptional beer. I can’t even put into words how amazing a trip it was. I’ll try, soon anyway. Pictures help.
The craziest thing happened on our trip though. Mr. Little Vegan Planet himself asked me to marry him!
Surprised? I was! Not to mention he got me the most beautiful vintage ring. It’s 100 years old and platinum and has a pink diamond in the middle and I love it. It’s perfect. I’m so happy and I had to share my happiness with you.
I’ll have some posts about our trip coming up, so get excited. Lots of fun adventures, craft fairs, cute stuff, amazing desserts and fantastic drinks. Plus more food than this little blog can handle.
