Hey! It’s good to be back with you guys. How was your weekend? How is your week starting out? I had envisioned this post being all about the amazing time we had in Portland, and for the most part, it is going to be about the good experiences we had. But I got some really devastating news while we were there that I am still processing and it felt inauthentic not to acknowledge that while it was wonderful to spend time with my brother and sister-in-law, my heart was aching and elsewhere much of the time. I am not going to talk about the hard stuff right now, but hug your loved ones extra tight and know that I appreciate all of you.
Now let’s try to focus on the good, shall we? I don’t want to shortchange the good moments, and as someone who rarely experiences fall weather, I want to share lots of pictures of Portland in the fall so I will be covering the first half of our trip today and the second half tomorrow.
First off, my baby girl did amazing on her first flight, I was so proud of her! She was super excited and more or less sat calmly in her seat on the way there. I thought she would be a little freaked out when we took off and landed, but it didn’t phase her at all and she loved looking out the window.
We arrived in Portland late (at least for the little miss) so after a quick catch up with the fam, I settled into the hotel with her and put her to bed. We woke up to this beautiful view.
I snuck in an early workout in the hotel gym (which was huge! 3 rooms, I didn’t get a picture of the main room because there were lots of folks working out).
Then the little miss, my mom and I headed out for some sightseeing. We strolled around Portland’s Chinatown (not a lot to see in the am as most of the stores do not open until midday) before heading over Mother’s Bistro for brunch.
Mother’s was super packed but worth the wait. Also, they had a nice kiddo waiting area with toys and books, which helped a lot. I loved the decor inside.
The food was awesome as well. I had the breakfast nachos, which are potatoes, caramelized onions, bacon and cheese topped with sour cream and green onions. It was indulgent and amazing. Also, how cute is that mouse pancake (and that sweet little hand honing in on the syrup?
After our meal, we enjoyed the weather and walked around outside for a bit, before heading to the hotel in hopes that the little miss would take a nap. Spoiler, no nap was had. We were all in awe of the multicolored leaves, it was just so beautiful!
After the nap attempt, my sister-in-law joined us for a trip to the Portland Children’s museum. It was so much fun! There was a giant lite brite, which made me super nostalgic, it was one of my favorite childhood toys. As well as a circus room and a face painting area. The little lady insisted on painting her own face, which was adorable to watch. She took it very seriously and had a beautiful, multicolored forehead.
After the children’s museum, we picked up my brother (he had been working all day) and picked up a couple of odds and ends from Whole Foods. Since miss no nap was fading fast, she and I got dinner at Whole Foods to eat in the room, while the fam went out to dinner. My salad was pretty excellent though, so no complaints.
I will be back tomorrow recapping the remainder of my Portland highlights. Hope you have a wonderful day!
I’m so sorry about your bad news, I hope everything turns out okay!! I’m glad you got to spend time with family 🙂 Oh man, I loved lite brite too, brings me back!
Thanks Christina! The lite brite was my jam, I want to figure out a way to make a big one like that, I️ fee like it would be both a toy and cool home decor. Hope you have a great day!
So sorry about your bad news. I hope you find some peace with whatever it is.
Your trip looks beautiful too! Such pretty fall leaves.
Thanks Julie. I hope you are doing well. The scenery was really amazing there.
Portland looks beautiful in the fall! Sounds like the first half of the trip was a nice one. I’m so sorry you got some bad news while you were there. Sending love and prayers to you <3
Thank, I️ really appreciate that. Portland really is beautiful in the fall.
Sorry the devastating news put a damper on your trip. It looks like you still had a chance to see life’s beauty and count your blessings.
Thanks Tanya, it was still very nice to see some family.
Looks like a great trip!! I’m sorry for the bad news 🙁 But glad you guys had a good trip. I’ve never seen a hotel gym so big!
Thanks lady! It was a HUGE hotel gym, like I️ have been to freestanding gyms that were significantly smaller.
Sorry about your bad news 🙁 Hope everything is okay, I’m praying for you guys.
Looks like you had an amazing trip!
Thanks Erinn, I️ really appreciate that!
I have always wanted to visit Portland; it looks so cozy and pretty!
It is an awesome city! I️ love visiting there.
Super fun!! I’ve never been to Portland, but it is on my bucket list!! Looks like a blast! Think of you in your devastating news! <3 Sending love!
Thank you Katie! It is a great city, definitely worth visiting!
What a fun trip, everything looks gorgeous. I can’t believe the little one didn’t fuss on the plane, I still fuss on the planes lol. I’m a new follower of your blog and I can’t wait sit for the next update. I may have to add Portland to the travel list.
Thank you! Right, traveling can be a pain, but she did so great! It is definitely a fun place to visit.
Portland looks awesome! I was just in Vancouver this weekend, and it made me want to visit the west coast more!
Oh nice, hope you had a great time in Vancouver!
I recently visited Portland and loved it! I can’t wait to visit again
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I think it is such a cool city.
Sounds like a good start to Portland:) I can’t wait to hear about the rest!
Thanks! Hope you are having a good one!
Not bad:)
Yay! Thanks for this! I am headed to Portland next week!
Hope you have a great time!
Looks like a great trip! Im sorry that you got bad news. It looks like you were still able to enjoy your time away.
Thanks Lisa, it’s always nice to catch up with the fam.
Sorry to hear that you are having a difficult time and I hope that things are looking up this week
Thank you! Hope you are having a great birthday!
So glad your little one handled the flight well! I love Portland and I’m glad you had a good time 😍
Thank you!
Looks like such a fun time! Good memories for the family!
Thanks Keri!