BEND, OR

July 13, 2022

FIVE YEARS MARRIED!!!

Original plans were to revisit Denmark & Holland but with Covid and flights being over-the-top expensive, we decided to spend some time exploring Oregon - something we also haven’t really been able to do with all the restrictions. We always heard how cute and cool Bend was and some of our favorite PNW Breweries live here.

Our first stop was a highly rated gastropub, Bangers & Brews. We were greeted by the owner who walked us through his menu and helped us order a Duck & Bacon and Wild Boar Sausage over their mac&cheese. I cannot express enough how good this was. This place is 10/10 and the best part is that the owner’s Father hangs out there and chats with everyone. It was so cute and personal.

After dinner we made out way 10 Barrel and Duschetes Breweries and walked along the Drake River before calling it night which was very quaint and peaceful sans the massive amounts of goose poop. No one warned us about that.

The first two nights we spent at an Airbnb in Tomolo, a quiet town 15 min outside of Bend. It was definitely rural but very beautiful and quiet. We napped, read & drank wine outside, and hung out the owners cat, Grey, who I liked to call Alphabet.

The next day we planned to hike Smith Rock: a very picturesque State Park with great hiking trails, rock climbing, and more. We chose to Misery Ridge for it’s views but it 100% lived up to it’s name. It was one the hardest hikes I have ever been on. And going down isn’t a blast either since it’s so steep but it had incredible views. Would probably do it again.

BUT the best part of the day was when we were driving to the park we passed Crescent Moon Alpaca Farm and we had to stop. This farm homes over 200 Alpacas of all ages, even 1 day old babies. We spent hours here feeding and petting them. I even talked to owner about buying some but now is not the time. This is another 10/10 most visit.

We ended the day dinner at Dogwood Cocktail Cabin, which was highly recommended by our friends and it was great. A nice spot of top notch cocktails and bites - get the Firecracker Shrimp!

Bend is also home to Sparrow Bakery, famous for their croissants, especially their Ocean Rolls. We enjoyed one of these as the best Chicken Waldorf sandwich I have ever had. There will be a line and worth the wait. Also, they do sell out so get there early!

After our stay at the airbnb we checked into McMenamin’s Old St. Francis School which we were really excited about. We got a lovely corner room in Art House that was just perfect. After grabbing a cocktail we immediately went into robe life and went for dip in their Roman inspired soaking pool. The roof is open in it which would be so cool to be in if it was raining hard or snowing. After, we roamed around the grounds visiting all their bars and getting stamps and locating all their secret rooms, including the Broom Closet Bar which is so fun.

Having visited and stayed at a few McMenamins, this is definitely my favorite for food. Though they all kind of serve the same food, their chef at this location does an exceptional job. You can’t go to Bend without popping in here and at least getting some tots.

All and all Bend was cool and we are glad we went but I would like to come back during off season. The one thing I didn’t mention was how crowded it was - EVERYWHERE. And lot’s of BROS. Water Sports + Beer = Bros. Also tons of Bachelor/Bachelorette parties but it come with the time of year. It also drizzled the majority of time which we coined Bendrizzle. It’s definitely clean, pretty, and has tons to do for everyone.

Thanks, Bend. We’ll see you in the winter.

LIFE LATELY

May 30, 2018

It's been a minute. Life got really busy after Easter, and finding time to blog has been difficult. Here is what we have been up to.

PERSONAL
So, I guess the biggest thing that has happened was my change of jobs. I knew my first job in Portland wasn't the right fit since day one, and job-hunting for an ideal position similar to the one I had in Los Angeles was more time-consuming than I had anticipated. But, with patience, I landed a perfect position at an awesome company, and it's been even better than I imagined. I am so glad to be there!

OUR HOUSE
Word on the street is that home renovations always take longer than you wanted. Well, thats 101% true. Here we are, entering June, and besides my husband's studio project, putting a new toilet into our main bathroom, and painting one of the bedrooms, then turning it into an office, and now our bedroom, not much has physically has happened to our house. But, good news: demo for our stairs starts next week, so I will have some fun updates to share soon!

The backyard: We have been making progress on our garden! When you move into a home in late fall/early winter, in a place that actually has seasons, you don't know what you have growing in your yard until Spring! But, back in March, I got antsy and we went to the nursery to buy a peony bush (because I have a backyard now, damnit). So, I bought a Coral Charm because they are my absolute favorite and duh. We planted it and were excited to watch it grow. Little did I know, our backyard was filled with peony bushes! Within weeks, tons of shoots started to sprout. I couldn't believe it! If we would've known when we first saw the house, I would've said SOLD right away. Now, we will never have to buy overpriced peonies at the store again! And I have tons to share!

In additional to the peonies, our garden has also been sprouted tulips, four different color irises, tiger lilies are coming soon, and our apple trees are started to populate baby fruit for the Fall!

Last weekend, I also felt like we needed more color and foliage, so I headed back to the nursery, and bought some fancy rose bushes on a whim. I mean, I actually don't love roses, but this is Portland so it seemed like a must-have. Since our backyard shares an exterior wall with our neighbor's garage (with the window looking into our yard), I thought it would be a perfect place to plant climbing roses. I really wanted to bring in some more vibrant colors to pop on the blue paint, so I got Pretty In Pink Eden roses. I can't wait util they start blooming and getting huge! It's going to smell heavenly out there!

Lastly! We bought some cute patio lounge chairs from Ikea and it has made a huge difference! We love to sit outside and sip coffee in the mornings. But something was missing: A Fire Pit! So, this past weekend, Danny and I jumped in the van and picked up a ton (literally felt like a ton) of masonry stones and built our very own fire pit! Should be up and running soon! I'm so excited to spend evenings out there!

It's safe to say that our yard is turning into a magical garden.

EXPLORING
Travel has slowed down a bit due to house projects and my career change, but we have managed to get out and explore a little more of Oregon. Early Spring is tulip season and the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival is where it is at! From seeing photos on Instagram I knew it was going to be beautiful, but it was more stunning in person than we thought. Tulips of every color literally went on forever! I definitely recommend stopping by here if you are in Northern Oregon around this time.
Pro tip: bring your rain boots! It is VERY muddy!

Then, our friends from Vancouver, B.C., came down to visit us in April and we headed to an area of Mount Hood called Rhododendron. We rented this super charming cabin in the woods that was vintage but cozy. Scattered with many hiking trails near by, we chose to tackle the trail to Ramona Falls. Roughly about 3.5 miles each way, we were faced with crossing a river by shimmying over logs and trekking through tons of snow! It was a pretty challenging hike, but making it to the falls made it worth while! I hope we can visit them again in the future! Steve came along, too, but he chose the luxury route - in a backpack on Danny's back!

Look at these Canadian Cuties! And they are expecting August 2018!

As part of my birthday gift back in January, Danny wanted to take me to this Alpaca Farm about an hour from our house in an area called Molalla! And man did we luck out: upon arriving for our tour, it turned out the others that were supposed to join were no-shows, so we got a private tour! Oh my god, they are so freakin cute! It's so funny how each Alpaca is so different from another, all with their own faces and personalities. Not only did we get to admire and learn about them, but we got to feed them, walk them, and pet them! It was so special. Thank you, Marquam Hills Ranch!

And then somehow in the thick of things, Danny and I made it to Los Angeles for a weekend to celebrate his sister and dad's birthdays as well as Mothers Day. It was a quick trip, but we were able to pack in seeing our best friends and even went to my first metal show to see Behemoth. I am now a fan of metal.

So, with blog radio silence came a lot. Time moves really quickly nowadays, and I know it's only going to move faster soon. It's crazy to think about what we were doing last year at this time, getting ready for our wedding, or two years before just having gotten engaged, and here we are now living in Portland taking care of our dog and working on our home. A lot can happen in a short amount of time, and I keep trying to remind myself to slow down and try to document and store memories before I lose them. I am also excited and looking forward to seeing where we will be another year from now.
xo

M I N I M O O N // FALL CITY, WA

July 10, 2017

Minimoon?
Yes, it's the vacation before the big enchilada, aka The Honeymoon, aka in our terms: HANIMOON.

Danny & I must have had a brain lapse and decided on having two weddings. So, to make up for our insanity: we took two honeymoons. The day after our official nuptials, we jet-setted up north to a small area of Washington known as Fall City.

Why here, you ask?
For my birthday a few years back, we took a PNW tour starting in Vancouver, BC down to Portland, Oregon. While driving through Washington taking our Twin Peaks fanatics tour, we stayed in Fall City near Snoqualmie. This area is lush, filled with hiking trails, and is somewhat mysterious (we see the appeal, David Lynch). I recommend everyone visit, if not stay, here at least once. You'll want to go back (as we did)!

Our first night we stayed at The Fall City Roadhouse. Yes, it's the actual Roadhouse from Twin Peaks, but it's not a bar or music venue. The Roadhouse is a small, sweet, cozy and very comfortable home-like-hotel with a fantastic restaurant, and it has the nostalgic road sounds that you hear as the flatbed trucks filled with tree trunks drive by (it really happens there). Did I mention the food is really good? Their Goat Cheese & Garden scramble is my favorite breakfast to-date and they make a killer Bloody Mary (it's as big as your head!). Stay here. Eat here. You won't be disappointed - and take some "Ugly Biscuits" back home for the family.

The next day, we did a little exploring and site-seeing over at Snoqualmie Falls. You might recognize this place. Hint: Insert Twin Peaks theme song. This is a must see in the area! The impressive falls are so loud and beautiful at all times of the year with various view points and trails to check out. Caution: you might get a little wet in the winter months if you stand too close! Sitting to the left of the falls is the Salish Hotel (aka The Great Northern). Although the interior is nothing like the interior from the show, you'll want to stop inside for a drink and/or a bite at The Attic. Danny and I love this place - so much so that we ate here three times during our short trip. Pro Tip: Put your name in and wait for one of the tables against the windows looking over the falls. And, you MUST order the ribs and a cherry pie! You can thank me later.

On the roads between the Fall City and Snoqualmie, we stopped at some cute road-side vendors, where we picked up some fresh local cherries, and (since I had to leave my beautiful wedding bouquet behind) Danny bought me some new flowers for our room.

That evening, we checked into the highly-anticipated TreeHouse Point bed & breakfast. This place is amazing, and even better IRL. Tucked away off the main road sits six individual, unique and private tree houses. Luck would have it they had two nights available in their Bonbibi tree house right when we wanted to go. Bird, their chef, takes the time to know your food preferences and makes a killer breakfast while Damon, the manager, meets and greets all the guests. We made friends with one of our neighbors and bonded over beers while wading in their private river. Later, we grabbed drinks and bites at Fall City's kitschy, overly-decorated, knick-knack-heavy dive bar, The Last Frontier (they make pretty decent salads and jalapeño poppers). We ended up spending a lot of our time with them. It was awesome.

When outside the TreeHouse (and not eating at the Attic), we got in some good hiking. This area has so many great trails for all levels. We, of course, rose to the challenge and hiked Rattlesnake Ridge, which was totally worth it for the view. I mean, come on, look at that. The hike took a few hours but there were plenty of cute dogs and chipmunks to gawk at. On our last day, right before we took off back to Los Angeles, we hiked Twin Falls early in the morning before the crowds showed up. An adventure pass is required for this hike, but can be bought on-site at a kiosk. Highly recommend.