Over the Thanksgiving break, Tom and I decided to head up to Portland to celebrate the holiday with my best friend Courtney and her boyfriend Dave! They live in Vancouver and a few years back, we decided it’d be a fun tradition to try and celebrate Friendsgiving every year that we could.
Because we wanted to have Bolt with us, we decided to make the 600 mile trek via car. I was a little skeptical because of the weather and the traffic during the holidays and admittedly, I was right. Traffic (and the weather) was GNARLY. Case in point below.
Tom and I left Tuesday night, made a pit-stop at the cutest (dog friendly!) hotel in Redding called the Americana Modern Hotel which was extremely close to a cozy coffee spot that was over at the crack of dawn (7 a.m. in fact) and reminded me of cafes similar in San Francisco!
We left Redding at 7 a.m. and then hit a two hour delay in Redding forcing us to take a detour that took 13 HOURS instead of 6 hours 👀 Needless to say, it was an adventure. The roads were really snowy and not paved, but luckily our Toyota C-HR was extremely safe, had a blind spot monitor that was great in white-out conditions, and Apple CarPlay that kept us incredibly entertained.
We finally hit Portland late Wednesday night and were able to indulge in a little R&R both that evening and Thursday for Thanksgiving.
We also were able to spend the rest of the time exploring the city, discovering new-to-me places and revisiting some old favorites. Since we had our C-HR, we were able to explore so much more of the city and even snag last-minute groceries in prep for Thanksgiving! The trunk is perfect for junk (lol), groceries, and so much more!
So, without further adieu, here’s a list of some of the places we checked out in Portland:
Tusk
If you love Middle Eastern food, Tusk is the place to go. Located on East Burnside Street, this place is sexy and took the millennial pink memo that’s trending as of late. Oh, and it’s seriously delicious. Some highlights include: The Half & Half Hummus, Cheesy Bread, Beet Salad (with squash, urfa pepper, cilantro, pistachios), and Chicken Skewers. Oh, and cocktails! My pick is the Destination Unknown!
Angel Face
This charming bar called Angel Face wins best wallpaper in town with an extensive wine list and a great snack menu (hi oysters!!). We went here to warm our bodies with delicious cocktails and I gotta say – the rounded bar makes all the difference. It definitely takes inspiration from charming saloons of years past and I can’t wait to come back to Portland to sip and savor here again.
Little Beast Brewery
Since we were staying on Southeast Division street, we wandered all over the neighborhood in search for the best food and drink. A few blocks away from where were staying, we found Little Beast Brewery – an extremely lovely brewery that specializes in a diverse variety (and is located in a cute house on Southeast Division!). Highly recommend coming here if you want a low-key beer vibe!
Little T Baker
We came to Little Baker probably every day to stuff our faces with their delicious croissants and cold brew. Their motto is: “flour, science, hands and heart" and I have to say it shows. They feature daily breads and a ridiculously cute place to post up and nosh. Oh, and it was literally right next to our Airbnb! What a win.
Obviously that’s not even scratching the surface of Portland, but since we had limited time with our besties, we wanted to make the most of it. For people who have frequented Portland – if you have any other favorites please let us know! We’re looking to make a trip again in the very near future so we want to see/eat/drink all the things!
This post was in collaboration with Toyota. As always, all opinions and experiences are my own. Thank you for supporting all The Ohio Transplant collaborations!