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Long Weekend in Oregon: Road Trip


Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9


This was probably the most random trip so far— it was not exactly a last moment trip, but wasn't the first choice. It wasn't even a choice initially. I was part of a plan to Florida with a bunch of friends, but that fell thru and we cancelled our tickets. But, I didn't want to waste a long weekend sitting home, hence began the search for affordable tickets last minute and also I wanted to avoid a lot of travel time. And thus I come to Oregon as an option and started looking at the things to do and pictures... And that was it!


We booked out tickets— Virgin America was pretty cheap and it was just a 90 minutes flight. And lucky for us, we got to fly first class on our way back because for some reason they were selling those cheaper than the economy. So, obviously I grabbed them!

Portland


We landed in Portland Friday night, and stay at a Best Western Hotel near airport. We were starving by the time we were done with the rental car, and checking in to the hotel. We used Yelp, and found a Mexican place Santeria for dinner. It was one of few places open that late. Nothing beats greasy Mexican food when hungry. It was a small place with very limited seating, but there was a hidden door inside to a hookah lounge. Unfortunately, we were too tired by that time to check out that part!

Next morning we woke up at a pretty decent hour to check out the city. We had our breakfast and left to explore the city. We drove through the Forest Park, which was a short but beautiful drive. We had planned to take a stroll inside the park, but it was raining quite heavily there so that didn't happen. No regrets though— coming from Cali, the rain felt pretty good to me.


Portland Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9


The next stop was the Lan Su Chinese Garden. There's an entry fee to see it, but once you enter the vibe just changes. The structures are beautifully built, and it was so calm to be there.


Lan su Chinese Garden Portland Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9

Next on the list was the Rose Garden, but it started raining again so we headed to the Pearl District to find a place for lunch while waiting for rain to slow down.


We randomly chose Prasad's Cafe, and hands down it's my favorite now. They have healthy vegan options and I tried their Chipotle Chili Bowl and yes, they beat Chipotle. They have several other tempting food options, and a variety of smoothies and juices to choose from.



I wish they would open one in the Bay too! (Or else I might have to make another trip to Portland just for this.)


Powell Bookstore Portland Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9


We also checked out the famous Powell bookstore and the rain started again. So we just decided to head back and nap for a while. It was one of the best naps!

Woke up from nap and went to Deschutes Brewery for drinks and Dinner. Oregon is known as the beer state, so definitely we had to drink just beer while we were there. The place was packed, and there was a long wait but on the upside you can order drinks while waiting- which definitely helps! After an hour long wait, we got food and we called it a day after stuffing ourselves with soup, burgers and beer.



Deschutes Brewery Portland Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9




Cannon Beach


Next morning, our road trip began. We headed to the Cannon Beach. The day was again cloudy, and was raining on and off. Cannon beach is around 90 minutes drive from Portland. This road trip was very different from any I have been on before— There were no glorious exits to grab food and coffee. All you can find along the road are small diners or stalls along the road to get any of that. I'll admit it was pretty uncomfortable at first, because we are used to stopping and the known names. Also, there was no network coverage for most part of the journey, so we couldn't even look up any places off road.

Reaching Cannon Beach, we stopped at the Sleepy Monk coffee first to get my dose of a latte. Then we walked up to the beach and to the Haystack rock. The view is incredible.

Haystack Rock Cannon Beach - Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9


Check out this sea vegetation on rocks on the beach. With high tides, these rocks get fully submerged in water, and during the day these rocks while strolling the beach.


Haystack Rock Cannon Beach - Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9


Tillamook 


We ate lunch at The local grill, and headed for Tillamook. We went for the free tour of the cheese factory— you get to try samples of cheese. They also have the famous ice-cream there, but I went for the cheesecake which was amazing! I'm sorry for no picture but I was too consumed eating it.

Tillamook Netart's bay Beach - Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9

We then headed to Netart's Bay to watch the sunset. We got there a little early so we just parked our car at a view point, and just hung out there till sunset. It felt amazing, and so relaxing. We were there for hours, just taking in the beautiful view, with a little bit of conversation in between. We then ate dinner at the Schooner and that marked the end of this day.

Crater's Lake


Sunrise Newport - Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9

Next morning was hard, as we woke up early to drive for around 5 hours to get to the Crater Lake. The drive was tiring, and hungry one too, since we couldn't find anywhere to eat along the road for a long time. Subway saved us finally. When we finally got to the lake, we weren't tired anymore because it is that beautiful.


The view is spectacular— we just stood there admiring the colors. And of course went back to taking pictures, once it sunk in. The lake was formed after a volcano collapsed around 150 years ago, and it is the deepest lake in the United Stated. We drove on the road around the lake, stopping at different view points to take pictures, and just enjoy this nature's marvel.

Crater Lake - Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9

Crater Lake - Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9

After spending some time there, we ate at Annie Creek restaurant— one of the only two places to eat there. We ordered quesadillas and burger, with some beer of course. It was then time to head back to Portland, as the trip was coming to an end and we had to catch an early morning flight next day. Again, there was absolutely no network coverage and we took the wrong road adding over an hour to our drive. Thankfully, the drive was beautiful to make up for it!


Back to California

Next morning, we had to get up super-early to board our first first-class flight. I was so glad we had the first class, we got a little breakfast and thanks to the reclining chairs we could take a short nap. Thank you Virgin America!

Virgin America Food - Long Weekend in Oregon: Flashback Friday — October blogging Challenge Day 9


It was an amazing experience— with a city with totally different relaxed vibe, the no-network road trip, the amazing views, driving through forests and on mountains, relaxing along the beaches just taking in nature's beauty. This trip definitely makes to the list of my top trips.


What was your favorite trip, scribblers?




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