Spring Break on the Coast - Day One

"I don't think I would live outside of the Northwest. I think the quality of life in Portland is really good. People move from intense, high-powered jobs, and move to Portland, work half as much and live twice as good." 

-Carrie Brownstein

It seems like it's been forever since we've been on a real vacation.  A year and a half, to be exact. I believe that is a record for our family. We did spend five days in Moab last summer, but I don't  count that as a real vacation. The wanderlust was really taking its toll come last December, so we went about booking a trip. With four children attending four different schools, it is literally impossible to plan a trip that will accomodate everyone. The college spring break coincided with Jonah being off track, but it did not coincide with Sabrina and Spencer's spring break. Sabrina was cool with missing a week of school. Spencer was not. "I have too many commitments!" he kept reminding me. He loathes make-up work. So Spencer opted out of this family vacay, which was traumatic for me. 

I did not realize, a year and a half ago, when we took our little family to the Oregon coast, that that would be the last family vacation as we knew them. I did not know how quickly my family would change and how difficult it would become to pull them together for a retreat. Fortunately, Taylor was willing to stand in as proxy for Spencer, so that the van wouldn't feel too empty. What a brave lad to join us on one of our adventures.

We left at 6:00 a.m. Monday morning. This happened to be the day after daylight savings. We didn't bother changing the clock in the van, knowing the time would be correct as soon as we got to Oregon. The plan was to drive straight through to Portland, barring any disasters. Thankfully there were no disasters, and we made it to Portland in eleven hours. That is after stopping in Pendleton for our favorite homemade chicken noodle soup at Roosters.

Our other favorite thing about this restaurant is the fact that the table is covered in butcher paper allowing for the creation of masterpieces whilst consuming warm spoonfuls of soup.

It's amazing what these kids can do with a couple of crayons. 

Sabrina drew this lovely character who she felt drew a strong resemblance to Christian Bale. I'm not seeing it, but she lovingly named the drawing Christina Bale.

Posing for a traditional family photo before hitting the road again. This is where we begin to eagerly anticipate the appearance of the Columbia River, at which point the ugly part of Oregon gives way to the lush green portion of Oregon. The part of Oregon we love with all of our hearts.

We also anticipate seeing Mt. Hood looming in the distance. This massive volcano towers in the haze and welcomes us to Portland every time.

We can't drive through the Columbia River Gorge without saying hello to one of our favorite waterfalls.

Picturesque Multnomah Falls is postcard worthy, and Watson Family Photo worthy. 

We are used to visiting this spot during peak season, when you have to fight to find parking, and every photo is graced with the presence of about eighty frenzied tourists. That we were able to shoot photos at our leisure and have no more than one yellow-shirted tourist in our shot was a miracle worth noting. And I noted it several times this particular evening.

This was the first of many photos of this strikingly gorgeous couple. My camera just couldn't get enough of them.

This was one of a few select photos of this slightly less strikingly gorgeous and significantly more aged couple. We didn't coordinate our outfits. It just worked out that way. Twenty years of marriage finds us routinely feeling the same vibe.

The hundred year old bridge that allows one to get up close and personal with these breathtaking falls.

It never fails. Every time I try to capture my kids having a moment...this happens. That was not the moment I was trying to capture.

That rock is the size of a minivan. It fell from the cliff back in 1995 and killed someone. Don't mess with nature. It wins every time.

Ah-ha! Moment captured! I can feel the mist on my face just looking at this picture.

The spontaneous growth in this area, even in March, is really quite stunning. This desert dweller is amazed no matter how many times I visit.

This is me all being a cool photographer. Okay not really. The shot wasn't as cool as I wanted it to be.

This was an actual cool shot that Jessica took. I'm telling you, my kids are much better photographers than I am.

Once we had our fill of the beautiful gorge, it was off to Portland, to suck in as much of this enchanting city as the evening would allow. First stop, Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe for a Conquistador milkshake. In other words, let the week long food orgy begin.

I love this picture of Neil. This man is completely and utterly committed to his family. He doesn't watch sports. He doesn't play video games. He doesn't spend weekends hunting or golfing. He spends all of his time with his family. But his one guilty pleasure involves stealing a minute or two to play Hobbitcom. Here he is stealing one of those minutes while our shakes were blending.

I believe Jessica was noting, in between heavenly sips, that this milkshake was not made from Nutella but from actual hazelnuts. Yes, we had traveled to the land of the foodies, and we wanted never to leave it.

Sabrina and Jonah had to indulge in a macaroon. They were kind enough to give us minuscule bites of their single two dollar treat.

We finished our shakes while taking in the nightlife of Portland's Alphabet district, also known as Nob Hill. The thing I love about Portland is how very urban and quaintly residential it can feel all on the same street. It is the most intimate of all of the big cities along the West Coast, and by far my absolute favorite. We couldn't get enough of the charming homes in the area. 

We could have walked those streets all night, but Sabrina was dying to get to Powell's City of Books which was conveniently open until 11:00 p.m., and Jess and Taylor had spotted a music shop overflowing with vinyl. At the end of the night, we filled the already packed van with our Portland spoils, books and vinyl. We never leave enough room for souvenirs.

Jessica had to get a shot of this little number at the bookstore, seeing that she and Taylor are obsessed with Portlandia. 

We drove home and marveled at the city all lit up. We had been going strong for 19 hours, and the instituting then removing of daylight savings all in one weekend was starting to catch up with us. We collapsed in the hotel, and blissfully nodded off to sleep, the heavenly hazelnut flavors lingering on our tongues, the sound of Portland's night life still echoing in our minds. It was not enough time in Portland. We knew that. But the coast was calling for us, and we felt a compelling urge to heed its call.