Wonderful Weekend in Cannon Beach

We had such a great (and unseasonably warm!) weekend in Cannon Beach last weekend. Each time we go there I love it even more, it really is a magical place. Patrick's brother Jordan and his wife Tiffany joined us for one night and we had a great time hiking with them in Ecola State Park. As you can see, the views were incredible.

It's so fun to see Mylo growing up and experiencing new things like crawling on the beach, playing in the water, and "hiking." He absolutely loved the ocean and beach and was crawling around like a mad man. Can't wait for our next trip to the Oregon coast.

PS. Cannon Beach two years ago and last spring for my 30th.

Birthday Weekend in Cannon Beach

For my birthday a couple weeks back the three of us packed up and headed to the Oregon Coast for some relaxation and sea air. It was a wonderful way to celebrate turning 30 and a much need break from our routines in Seattle. Myles loved watching the dogs play on the beach and getting to try new foods at the local restaurants. Patrick and I can't get enough of the little town of Cannon Beach, we spent time there as kids and went as a couple two springs ago. We have stayed at The Waves both times and LOVED it. This time we stayed in a beachfront room in their "Flagship" building and it couldn't have been more perfect. We also love The Lazy Susan for breakfast/brunch and The Irish Table for happy hour/dinner.

A Weekend In: Bend, OR

A couple of weeks ago Myles and I joined Patrick on a business trip down to Bend, Oregon. I hadn't been there since I was a kid on vacation with my family. We had a blast checking out a few of the local microbrew pubs, Bend is a sort of mecca for locally made beer and the home of Deschutes Brewery. Our favorite was the relatively new Crux Fermentation Project (brewery), great food and beer (I even got a Porter cheesecake!). It was great to get out of town for a few days and Mylo was very flexible with all of the driving and eating out. Definitely check out the beautiful city of Bend if you get the chance!

A Weekend In: Oregon Wine Country

Top: Dreamgiver's Inn; Bottom: toasting our anniversary, lavender plants, Patrick's happy place sitting on the lawn at Dreamgiver's Inn

Patrick and I spent our anniversary weekend in Oregon's beautiful Willamette Valley, 45 minutes south of Portland. The region is known for it's excellent Pinot Noir wines and is a popular destination for wine enthusiasts. While I'm not sure we are at the "enthusiast" level quite yet, we do enjoy a glass of wine and beautiful views and were happy to soak up a few days of Oregon sunshine. 

We stayed at the picture-postcard B&B, The Dreamgiver's Inn just outside of Newberg, OR. It was a quiet little oasis with views of the local vineyards and Mt. Hood and delicious breakfasts both mornings (including Gluten-Free pancakes for yours truly). Linda was an excellent hostess and provided some great tips on what to see in the area. 

Top: Vidon boutique winery, enjoying the view from our B&B; Bottom: Recipe outdoor seating, Stoller wines. 

We visited several noteworthy wineries over the course of the weekend. We'd recommend Stoller for the killer views and tasty Pinot Noir,  Vidon for a more boutique vibe (feels like your in the family's backyard), Adelsheim for real wine-connoisseurs (this was a little hoity-toity for us),  Colene Clemens  for beautiful views and delicious Rosé of Pinot Noir wine (my favorite!), and  August Cellars to taste from a wide variety of boutique wineries and get a great education on how Pinot Noir is made. 

Top: Red Hills Market cold salami sandwich, Colene Clemens winery; Bottom: August Cellars Winery, my bearded jogging partner for the weekend

And now for the culinary highlights of the weekend: we started things off with dinner at Recipe in Newberg, a quaint little organic restaurant in an old farmhouse serving local specialties like onion-duck soup and buttery sole with fresh beets. On Saturday we grabbed lunch at Red Hills Market in Dundee where Patrick enjoyed "the best cold salami sandwich" he has ever eaten (they also have great GF options). And of course, a visit to Oregon wouldn't be complete without a stop off at one of the famous McMenamins restaurants. We chose to hit McMenamins Old Church and Pub in Wilsonville for some pub food to soak up all the vino. Don't miss their tasty Cajun tater tots, they will bring you back to elementary school (in a good way).  

Top: Colene Clemens Winery, Argyle Tasting Room; Bottom: Tire swing at Stoller Winery, view from Stoller tasting room.

Willamette Valley on Dwellable