Highlights From Our Cross-Country Road Trip

Wow. What a whirlwind month it's been!

After taking 11 days to drive cross-country home to Boston, we quickly returned to our respective offices...and life has been non-stop ever since. As I write this, I am actually on a plane to Orlando for my company's customer conference. Talk about getting right back to reality!

Our trip home was nothing short of incredible, though. It was a lot of driving, but our trusty Subaru Outback stayed in great shape the whole way - we didn't even encounter so much as a flat tire. Here was our full itinerary:

Oregon ---> Redwood Forest ---> Reno, NV ---> Park City, UT ---> Denver, CO ---> Kansas City, MO ---> St. Louis, MO ---> Louisville, KY ---> Asheville, NC ---> Richmond, VA ---> Boston, MA

Along the way, we saw a ton of old and new friends, ate a lot of great food, sampled a ton of great beer, and saw #allthesights. It would take me days to recap our entire trip, so instead, here are some of the highlights from our 11-day journey across the country (in no particular order).

1.) The Redwood Forest

We hit the Redwoods on the tail-end of the typhoon that was hitting the Pacific Northwest, so a lot of the parks were closed. However, we stopped at one of the park ranger offices and got some fantastic recommendations for open parks - and frolicked through the massive trees in the rain. It was really a remarkable experience, and definitely a big highlight for both of us!

2.) Louisville, KY

We stopped in Louisville on a whim - it was a great way to cut our original ride from St. Louis to Asheville shorter - and I am so glad we did. Louisville really surprised us: the downtown was gorgeous and quaint, with Louisville Slugger baseball bats scattered throughout, recognizing famous baseball players who used them. (Z loved that part!). Against the Grain Brewery was also a fun stop for dinner and fresh beers, with plenty of vegan and vegetarian options to boot.

3.) Vegetarian Reuben from Laughing Seed Cafe in Asheville, NC

Z actually ordered this, and I had major food envy. I mean...how good does this look? It was phenomenal, and definitely a food highlight from our travels.

4.) The roadside scenery

From the Salt Flats in Utah (first photo) to the snowy mountains in Wyoming to the gorgeous views of the Pacific in California (second photo), we saw some gorgeous, ever-changing sights along the way. 

5.) The beer...obviously.

Just like our last cross-country trip, we made a ton of stops at some breweries and beer bars we were eager to check out. Some of my favorites included: Wicked Weed (they have two locations in Asheville, but we both liked the Funkatorium the best); The Answer in Richmond - great hoppy beers and stouts; Side Project in St. Louis; and Sergio's World Beers in Louisville - very unassuming place with a brash yet super friendly owner behind the bar; who will be happy to show you his extensive beer collection, if you're nice to him. This place had some great beers on tap and for sale via the bottle; really impressive options here!

Our trip back to Boston was definitely exciting and too so much fun, but I am so excited to be home - and I promise, I'll get back in the kitchen again soon, too!

Your turn! What's new with you??

Crater Lake

Behold the beauty that is Crater Lake:

Last month, several friends from Boston visited us in Oregon so we could explore Crater Lake. We drove from Portland to Bend, then Crater Lake, then up to the Coast for a few days of road trippin', camping, and hiking.

Crater Lake, as you can see, is a sight to behold, and a must-visit if and when you're in Oregon. (It's a little over four hours from Portland). Mazama Village Campground was perfect for our "glamping" adventure - once you reserve a spot ahead of time, you can drive to find a vacant campsite, park your car right there, and unload accordingly. (The only odd thing is that, even though we reserved a spot, we still had to drive around to find a vacant one versus having our own spot pre-claimed).

Many hikes are within a short driving distance from Mazama, boasting gorgeous views at all angles of the mighty lake.

It was a fantastic trip - one I wish we had time to do again before we leave! (More on that soon...).

Have you taken any fun trips lately?

Beers, Eats, and Views - The Seattle Edition

Seattle. Is. Awesome.

You've already heard a little about our trip to Washington (here and here), but these are the remaining noteworthy stops we visited during our weekend getaway.

Columbia Center - Sky View Observatory

That photo above? That was just one of 10,000 pictures I took at the top of Columbia Center. My cousin told me about it, and I am so glad she did. No lines + affordable entry price + the tallest building in Washington = better experience and better views than the Space Needle. Winning!

The Hangar Cafe

The Hangar Cafe is a small, no-frills spot in the Georgetown area of Seattle, and we lucked out with zero wait time. (An apparent rarity here!). The abundance of sandwiches as well as savory and sweet crepes and waffles on the menu was enticing, and they have several different kinds of mimosas. Oh, and plenty of vegetarian options/substitutions to boot. I went with the Hangar Crepe ($10.75), filled with egg, Swiss, cheddar, slivered red onion, Roma tomatoes, baby spinach, and Field Roast Chipotle Sausage in place of Black Forest ham. The crepe was also drizzled with housemade poblano-basil vinaigrette and creme fraiche. 

On the side: a mason jar glass of the OG mimosa (OJ + champagne).

Pike Place Market

I mean...duh.

Pike Place Market was high on my list - mainly for the "full Seattle tourist experience" - and it was definitely worth the walk-through.

The farm stands and people-watching were fantastic (as expected), but it was also fun to check out the Pike Brewery for a quick pint

Fremont Brewing

Fremont Brewing was high on our must-visit brewery list, and it did not disappoint. Their bustling Urban Beer Garden had great views of the water + boats + sunset across the street - I could have sat out there all night. 

 

At the time of our visit, Fremont also had their Ales for ALS IPA on tap, which was a delicious, borderline juicy IPA (my favorite!). Great beer for a great cause = win-win.

Holy Mountain Brewing Co.

Holy Mountain was also fun to check out, despite the lack of air conditioning in their not-so-breezy taproom. (Heads up: Few places we visited actually had A/C, so plan accordingly if you visit Seattle during the hot summer months!). I really enjoyed the Somnium saison - wonderfully thirst-quenching on such a hot day.

Elliott Bay Brewery & Pub

Elliott Bay has a few locations in and around Seattle, but we stopped into the West Seattle location before heading back to Portland. The beer, in all honesty, isn't anything too special - and the space inside is dark, loud, and overall unimpressive - but I'd go back here 500 times for the sandwich above alone. This here is the Pan-Seared Tofu Sandwich ($10.50), piled HIGH with chile garlic-marinated tofu (cooked to perfection), tomatoes, lettuce, red onions, sliced avocado, and cilantro-garlic sauce, all sandwiched between a fantastic, toasted seed bread. Served on the side were addictive fries and housemade pickles.

For being a no-frills spot, I was really impressed with this sandwich and the thought that went into all of the food overall.

Who's seen "10 Things I Hate About You"?

Other notable breweries/beer bars to visit in Seattle: Reuben's Brews, Cloudburst Brewing, Outlander Brewery & Pub (for weirder beer flavors - like Lavender!), and Toronado.

Have you done any traveling this summer? 

Georgetown Liquor Company | Seattle, WA

A full vegetarian menu in a [sunny] dive bar with plenty of old school video games. Did we find heaven?

Georgetown Liquor Company is situated just a short drive outside of downtown Seattle in the cute - yet no-frills - section of the city called...you guessed it...Georgetown. Our friends who we were staying with highly recommended this spot, and we were so glad they did.

Beers on tap are mostly local, and a Crikey IPA by Reuben's Brews did not disappoint.

The indulgent-sounding, all-vegetarian menu (that could be all-vegan, too, if you ask for no dairy, etc.) made it hard to choose what to order for lunch. (Their motto is "strong enough for a carnivore, made for an herbivore." I love that!). I ended up going with a solid choice: the Captain Nemo sandwich ($10.45) - a toasted whole wheat hoagie piled high with housemade vegan chickpea salad, provolone cheese, Romaine lettuce, and tomato. 

Served with a pickle spear and my choice of side (salad, soup, or tortilla chips and salsa - I went with the chips), this was one filling lunch. We were amazed at how such incredible food can be pushed out of a tiny kitchen. Clearly, the chefs here know what they're doing. We almost came back that night for dinner, but decided we should explore some more of downtown Seattle instead.

After lunch (and some Mario Kart on Super Nintendo), we made the short walk over to Georgetown Brewing.

We were hoping they'd have their Gusto Crema Coffee Ale that we tried at the Oregon Brewers Festival (it legit tasted like iced coffee), but they didn't have it at the brewery that day. The beers were still decent, though, and it was fun to check out the source! (FYI: they only serve samples of their beer on-site here - for free - but have plenty of growlers, etc. to-go).

Overall, we had a fantastic time exploring Georgetown, and I'm still dreaming about that chickpea salad sandwich.......

Three Magnets Brewing Co. | Olympia, Washington

Last weekend, Z and I hopped in the car and headed to Seattle.

Seattle's almost a three-hour drive from Portland, so we made a much-needed pit stop along the way at Three Magnets Brewing in Olympia, Washington.

We've tried several of Three Magnets' beers since we moved to Portland, and we've been big fans of every one of them - so we were excited to finally check out the source.

Three Magnets is setup where you can seat yourself, outside on their medium-sized patio (overlooking apartment building construction - normal stuff in these parts), or inside their bar/lounge area. We opted to stand at the small bar (that had a few stools), as we just drove over an hour and wanted to stretch our legs. The service behind the bar was odd at first - no one could understand why we opted to stand vs. sit, and we waited a solid 10 minutes before anyone even asked us what we wanted to order. Thankfully - and strangely - the service got much better as the night went on (and after we got hungry/a table), but the first impression was not ideal.

Regardless: the beer here is good, and the food was also quite tasty.

For beer, I loved the Little Juice IPA as well as the New Mex Lager - something I would typically never order, but it was delightfully refreshing on a hot night (and paired well with guacamole).

For an appetizer, we got the Nopales and Guacamole ($9), which included lime, cilantro, pickled red onion, tomatillo, queso fresco, and tortilla chips. 

This was some good guac, and all of the toppings worked nicely. The chips were also delightfully sturdy and salty - making them able to stand up to the thick guac and accompaniments.

For my entree, I went with the Grilled Sockeye Salmon Veracruz ($14), which consisted of grape tomatoes, Castelvetrano olives, caperberries, cilantro, lime, aji amarillo crema, and grilled flour tortilla.

The salmon was cooked a fantastic medium-rare, and the accompanying crema and vegetables made this dish really fantastic. The grilled tortilla, however, I found to be an odd choice as a "side." I would have preferred something a little lighter - like rice - to help soak up the sauce.

Overall, we really enjoyed checking out Three Magnets, and the location is a prime pit-stop between Portland and Seattle.

More on our Seattle adventures coming soon!

4th of July Weekend in Government Camp, Oregon

When your husband's birthday is July 4th, you celebrate all weekend long.

This year, Z, myself, and a group of our friends rented a house in Government Camp, Oregon. We were late to the game in renting - so the Coast, etc. was booked solid - but Government Camp ended up being the perfect summer getaway.

Kicking things off Saturday morning, Z and I enjoyed perfectly spicy Bloody Marys at Ratskeller - a no-frills spot right in town with a giant patio, complete with corn hole, picnic tables, and a fire pit.

From there, we spent the day relaxing and greeting friends before we went to Mt. Hood Skibowl, a short walk from where we were staying. A ski resort during the winter, the park transforms into a summer playground during the warmer months - complete with Alpine Slides, which you take the ski lifts to get up to (sooo fun!), mini golf, tubing (on the grass), and more.

Before hitting the Alpine Slides, however, we indulged on the patio with beers and nachos. (Vegetarians: make sure to ask for the nachos without the meat chili - the menu doesn't mention it).

Taking the ski lift up!

On Sunday, we decided to be a little more low-key and our entire group setup camp at one of the picnic areas at Trillium Lake. We spent most of the day playing corn hole, card games, floating in the water, and exploring. Talk about an absolutely gorgeous area!

On Monday, before heading back to Portland, we popped into Hood River for the afternoon. After beers at Pfriem, we walked a block or two to have lunch at Solstice Wood Fire Cafe & Bar. After a short wait (they text you when your table's ready so you don't have to wait around), we somehow got lucky enough to score a table on their patio, despite our large group!

The pizza at Solstice was phenomenal. I enjoyed a small 10-inch pie of Cremini ($13), topped with Hood River Organic cremini mushrooms, goat cheese, shredded mozzarella, lemon zest, truffle oil, and herbs. It was delicious, but I loved Z's pie even more: he ordered the Country Girl Cherry ($14 for a 10-inch), topped with fresh cherries, Field Roast sausage (although the original pie comes with house-made chorizo), goat cheese, shredded mozzarella, and marinara sauce. The combination of the sweet, plump cherries with the salty sausage and cheese was incredible. 

I washed down my pizza with a great summer cocktail, too - the Sweet Suzanne Basil Gimlet ($9), made with your choice of vodka or gin (I chose gin), basil simple syrup, and organic lime juice. It was refreshing, and perfectly strong.

We then sat by the river, ate Z's "homemade" (thanks, Betty Crocker) angel food birthday cake - complete with whipped cream and fresh berries - and then made the trip back to Portland. We went out to dinner in town, then enjoyed the fireworks on the waterfront.

It was an epic weekend spent with great friends in some wonderful towns here in Oregon. And all for such a great celebration!

How did you spend the July 4th weekend?

Breweries to Visit in Bend, Oregon (+ Where to Sleep Them Off)

It seems like our trip to Bend was about...six months ago now. But hey, better late than never to give you guys the inside scoop on where to drink there, right? 

I hope you're thirsty.

Crux Fermentation Project

Crux was right up the street from our B&B (more on that below), so it was an easy (albeit rainy) walk to and from the brewery. We parked at the busy bar and sipped on some incredibly fresh brews while we debated on what appetizer to order. (We had heard great things about Crux's food menu). We finally settled on the Savory Kale Brownie - an odd yet tasty snack where kale and smoked Havarti are baked together into a "brownie" and topped with Sriracha whipped cream and chimichurri. 

Boneyard

Boneyard was also a short walk from our B&B, and it was a must-visit on my list. The tasting room itself is in a garage-type setting, with industrial walls covered in Boneyard and metal paraphernalia. You can't get full pours here, but you can get taster-size portions of any of their current draft beers. (Tip; get the Notorious Triple IPA).

Silver Moon Brewing

Oh, man. What a hidden gem Silver Moon is! We decided to check this spot out after dinner downtown on Saturday evening, and I am so glad we did. We walked in on a busy, energized crowd dancing and drinking to a local punk-rock band who was playing right in the dining room. The space is huge, so we opted to head to the other side of the bar to take in the crowd and [try to] hear each other speak. The best part? Silver Moon's beer is actually really good. We had a blast sipping on their great beer, people-watching, and listening to the live music.

GoodLife Brewing

If the weather had only been a little less rainy (and cold), we would have totally partaken in GoodLife's awesome outdoor beer garden - complete with an outdoor bar and corn hole. But alas, we stayed warm inside their indoor bierhall, where we sipped their made-on-site brews at a communal table. (GoodLife also offers food, cocktails, on-tap local kombucha, ciders, and guest beer taps). 

10 Barrel Brewing Co. 

10 Barrel makes some tasty beers, so I was excited to check out their Bend location. We rolled in here borderline hangry (and thirsty), so we sipped on Apocalypse IPAs and gorged on the Hippy Pie, topped with shredded mozzarella, baby spinach, marinated artichokes, mushrooms, red onion, roasted red peppers, and kalamata olives. 10 Barrel's Bend location was definitely a fun place to hang out, and right up the street - a few short, walkable blocks - was Sunriver Brewing. Sunriver was about to close when we popped in, but they were kind enough to let us have a pint (or two) anyway. Definitely worth checking out!

And, once you've hit all of those breweries, you'll need a nearby place to stay. The Mill Inn - a short walk from Crux and Boneyard, and an easy, barely-10-minute cab ride to downtown - is an adorable option.

Breakfast is included every morning, and each room is themed to a specific city (we had the San Francisco room).

Our only gripe with The Mill Inn is that the walls are paper thin. As in, I could easily hear the woman next door to us whisper - as if she was in the same room. Besides that, though, we loved The Mill Inn's proximity to everything - and the homemade breakfast was pretty fantastic.

Have you done any traveling lately? Or, any trips on the docket for this summer? We're eager to get to Seattle for a weekend soon!