happy Sunday! This week i am back to share my travel adventures in Portland and Cannon Beach, Oregon!
On Thursday September 27th I began my Oregon adventure!
I took the Link line from Captiol Hill station to International District station and walked about a half a mile to enter the Amtrak station.
I bought a $35 train ticket for a 7:35 a.m departure out of Seattle. I had never road the train before so i left home at 6:00 a.m to insure that i’d have enough time. I arrived, checked in and waited to board the Portland train out of terminal 9.
7:15 a.m it was time to board.
I found my window seat and got cozy with my books and journal.
I heard the conductor say “ All aboard !” i started cheesing like a 5 year old.
I had heard the phrase before, but i thought it was a joke. Nah, it was real ass expression for train conductors. lol
I texted my friend Elaine( who invited me to join her on this Oregon adventure) to let her know i was headed her way. (she was already there). Called my mom and then the train took off!
It was a beautiful day and lovely ride to Portland. There was wifi on the train, but it was trash, so I focused on reading the 4 books i had packed. You can never pack enough books. ( NO I AM NOT CONVERTING TO A KINDLE)
It was a 3 hour ride in total, with a few small 5 min stops on the way. I jammed out to Moonchild, read some yoga books and wrote for the 3ish hours. I was the girl on the train. Chillin. Happy. Grateful for the day and this experience.
I throughly enjoyed the train and will look into other places to wander. Check out Amtrak for train routes and tickets! #doitforthestory
I arrived in Portland at 10:55 am. Elaine was there waiting on me! I was soooo excited to see her and have my Austin in Portland!
We grabbed a Lyft to go back to the airbnb so we could begin exploring Portlandia!
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO IN PORTLAND
Go to Powell’s Books store
Powell's Books is a bookstore chain in Portland, Oregon, and its surrounding metropolitan area. Powell's headquarters, dubbed Powell's City of Books, claims to be the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. It is a magical ass, overwhelming, but GREAT place. If you are a book lover, plan to spend some time wandering the multi-level store.
Pack an extra suitcase for all the books lol
Get a t-shirt or a cool mug to take back with you! It’s a readers paradise so you need a soviniver! TREAT YO’self.
2. Eat at Voodoo Donuts
The solgan is accurate, the magic is in the hole. I am not a huge sweets person, but i did it for the story and I’m so glad I did!
Over 50 different doughnuts! They have vegan options and almost any combonation your heart may desire! I had the “homer” and my friend had the “voodoo doll”
It’s cash only! No cards
They have groovy art and merch in there! Go experience the magic!
3. Go Mural Hunting
Portland is filled with bomb ass street art. It’s EVERYWHERE.
I am a mural hunter so i had a few on my agenda to find, but i stumbled upon this beauty. The photo does it no justice. Her melanin was/ is PERFECT. Portland is getting there dose of black girl magic fa sho fa sho honey.
Seeing this beautiful brown girl made my heart smile. WE were represented in this predominantly white city. #ThankYouPortland #thelittlethings
s/o to to Kevin Ledo for all this black girl magic.
4. Go to Church.
This is not your average church lol. This unique bar in Portland draws inspiration from the bible to the aesthetic of the spot.
They walk this fine line in order to make this experience accessible to everybody. “With every detail, the aim is to create an interactive experience born of communion, making Church much more than your local watering hole.” They have great signature cocktails, new American cuisine and a great dj.
Take photos in the Confession room ( the photo booth) The red cross is great for photo ops too
Signature cocktails are bomb!
Don’t get the mac and cheese lol ( if you do, doctor it up with a lot of salt, pepper and seasoning lol)
5. Go eat at il Solito
Italian food is a tradition for Elaine and I. We frequent Italian joints in Austin and whenever we travel together so it was only right that we find a spot in Portland. The atmosphere is super cute! The Malfade Verde( bolengese) is AMAZING!
Ask for the bread. They won’t just bring it you. ( out of respect for the gluten free folks lol #chillPortland
Great customer service and overall experience! I’ll be back FA SHO!
Portland is a groovy, quaint city. It reminded me a lot of Austin. It was hella chill and everyone rocked to the beat of their own drum. My type of scene. I could see myself migrating there in the next 3-5 years with a family and hipster ass husband lol.
Until then I will take frequent trains to Portlandia!
The road to Cannon Beach!
On Friday, September 28th Elaine and I hopped into a suburu and headed for the Orgeon Coast! We had a hearty American breakfast and coffee at Gravy and then hopped on US-26 to OR 6 W.
We jammed out to Kendrick and Old Kanye for the ride.
Sidebar: Kanye was giving us republican hints in the Watch The Throne album y’all. We gotta stay woke. Jay go save him man. lol
Anyway, we knew that our end goal was to get to Cannon Beach, but we didn’t have a set time to arrive.
We left room in the day/ drive to stop and wander, and we did just that!
We pull off on the side of the road and take photos and embrace the PNW views.
I felt so calm and grateful. God created this.
TOP 5 THINGS TO DO WHEN DRIVING THE ORGEON COAST
Go to the Tilamok Creamery
The Tilamok Creamery is a free self-guided tour of the cheese factory!
Sounds cheesy, (pun intended lmao) but it was actually really cool.
This was on Elaine’s list of things to see and i’m so glad it was!
Tips
Hella cheese samples
BOMB ASS ice cream
It’s FREE and great for ALL ages
2. Stop at the vintage shops in Nehalem!
Nehalem is a city in Tillamook County, Oregon. Founded in 1889, the city lies along the Nehalem River and Nehalem Bay near the Pacific Ocean. It is on U.S. Route 101.
Random ass facts: The population was 271 at the 2010 census .
We found some cool music/ records stores and antique shops. Perfect for thrifting and finding treasures.
3. Stop at Rockaway Beach
You are already on the road to Cannon Beach so why not stop at multiple beaches on the way to stretch and get some fresh!
Tips
Beautiful views
Great beach town with cute shops and food spots!
4. Go to Cannon Beach
Cannon Beach is a small coastal city in northwest Oregon. It’s known for its beautiful sandy shore and for Haystack Rock.
Oregon was giving us all the goodness, it was magic!
It was peaceful and the weather was PERFECT.
Tips for Cannon Beach
Park on the highway for a bomb photo op and then drive down and park closer to the beach to actually walk on the sand and get a close shot
Bring an extra jacket or blanket out there, it can get chilly
The water is freezing!
5. Eat lunch at Pelican Brewing
The seasonal menu offers a range of beer cuisine favorites with 20 taps year round including small batch beers you won’t find anywhere else.
Get the fish and chips! I ordered that with the suggested paired beer. It was soooo yummy! Great food, bomb beers and a nice asthetic in the resturant.
Cannon beach is a charming place. I need a beach house there. I am speaking that into existence honey! LOL
It is the perfect place to relax, recharge and rest. The pacific northwest is charming me y’all. The option to drive 30 min- 1 hour out of the city limits and experience the lush forest and beaches makes my soul happy.
Take a break for the city and go wander in nature.
Hop in the car and jus drive.
Explore.
Be free.
Maktub
From Portland i flew to Peoria, IL to surprise one of my besties for her birthday! More adventures to come!
Thanks for reading! Have a good week!
Cheers,
Jasmine Rashae