portland {part two}

I want to tell you more about our trip to Oregon!

Just a heads up this post is Suuuper photo heavy!!

My parents took a few days off while we were in town so we could hang out together.  We went to the Portland Art Museum, and saw the show they had up called  Allure of the Automobile.  There were so many cool cars!

I want the 1954 Plymouth Explorer Sports Coupe 

and the 1957 Jaguar XK-SS Roadster. 

The Man loved the Ferrari GT (Enzo Ferrari's own modified version)

(He took this photo with his iPhone - sorry for the quality)

The main reason we went to Portland for the week was to celebrate my Mom's 50th Birthday, that's right the 50th anniversary of Rebeccakah! (that's her birthday festival's name!)  So we spent Sunday and Monday at the coast.  We stayed at our favorite spot, the Inn at Otter Crest.  The hotel is cozy and secluded, and has access to it's own beach right next to the Devil's Punch Bowl.  Most of the hotels you pass as you drive down the coast are right on the street and either look run down or way too expensive.  The Inn at Otter Crest is off this windy road south of Depot Bay and north of Newport.

We stopped at McMenamins, and had some burgers

Mmmmm, look at all those mustard's!

And then we went down to the sand

We did what anyone would do when visiting the beach

We climbed rocks

Searched for rocks (Agate Hunting!)

and Took naps

It was all very romantic

We also went to go see the Devil's Punch Bowl

When the tide comes up a bit this cavern is filled with ocean waves, sometimes it splashes all the way up the sides and over the top to the look-out point (where we were).

The next day we went back down to the beach.  Low tide had been around 2am so we thought the water was going to be at about the same place as the day before.

But we were wrong. And quite happy to be wrong.

We were able to go a little further around some of the rocks and caves that jut-out into the ocean. Then the brave men hiked-up their shorts and were able to get to the other side . . . and then come back and carry me over.

We climbed up and began looking around.  We walked further and further and suddenly realized where we were.

INSIDE THE DEVIL'S PUNCH BOWL!!

It was so freakin' cool! The walls were a deep red and even though we were safe and the tide was low, the water sloshing into the bowl seemed unpredictable, as if it could swallow you up at any moment (and it could, I've heard the stories!).

There were some little tide pools as well.  We saw little crabs, and hermit crabs, sea anemones, and starfish.

It was quite a morning!

When we got back from the beach Andrew and I took the car and headed downtown.  He had to pick up some Stumptown Coffee from his boss, and I really wanted to show him Powells Books.  We spent so much time there we had to go feed the meter again, and that whole time we were only in the Orange room.

It was wonderful and we got some great steals to take home with us, which I'll tell you more about later!

The days kept passing, and I was afraid we weren't going to have time for Escape but we made it

And was it just as delicious as I remembered?

 No. 

It was even better!!! Seriously, it's the best pizza from the West Coast all the way to New York itself!

There were a few places we didn't get to.  We wanted to try out PakPak, I keep hearing great things about it, and we when we walked passed it on Saturday it smelled awesome.  I also really wanted to go to Kenny and Zook's a delicatessen next to the Ace Hotel, but when we were in the neighborhood, looking at books at Powells, we had already eaten.  So, now we have somethings that we'll just have do to next time!

I already can't wait to go back!!!!