As many of you know I just returned from Oregon. It was so amazing, there are so many things I was able to pack into 4 days. With my faithful friend Tiffany as my tour guide, we traveled from Portland, to Eugene, Florence, Yachats, Newport, and back again. We had so many adventures and I took a lot of pictures. I think the best way to present all of my travels would be one day at a time. So I will start with day one...
I woke up pretty early, around 5:50 a.m. so I could catch my flight. I had never been on a plane before, well my dad claims I have, on a small two man plane, but I don't remember, and I had never flown out of an airport. I was really more scared of security than anything, and getting lost and missing my flight. Of course, I worried too much because it took me 5 minutes to get through security, and then I spent the next hour and 45 min. waiting to board my plane. Flying was a lot different than I thought it would be. I hated the feeling of my stomach being suspended in my belly, but I loved the views above the clouds, and being able to see everything from so far away. I was so engrossed with the view, it seemed like the plane landed in no time.
Tiffany was there to pick me up at PDX. She made a sign for me that said "SHORT" so I could feel like a rockstar with a limo. Of course, there was no actual limo, but I would have to admit, she probably did feel like a chauffeur most of the trip. We ended up taking the train into downtown Portland, and spent some time shopping. It is really cool because the train goes directly to the airport, which seems awfully convenient. We went to a mall, and went into a real "Tiffany and Co." we then decided to find a doughnut shop Tiffany had heard of called Voodoo Doughnuts. I didn't know it at the time, but it is actually really well-known. They use the motto, "The Magic is in the Hole." They have been featured on the Food Network, and you can also be married there if you need to. This seems a little odd to me, because it was so small. It was in a shady part of town, but people were lined up out the door to get their doughnuts. They had a huge variety of doughnuts to choose from for example a Bacon Doughnut, and a Fruit Loop Doughnut, but Tiffany and I decided to stick with the classic Voodoo Doughnut. Mine had a pretzel through it's heart, and Tiffany's had one through it's eye. About half way through we also got a little surprise, red jelly to symbolize blood. I can tell you as gruesome as it sounds, it was delicious, there is nothing better than walking through portland, eating a doughnut shaped like a witchcraft doll oozing blood.
After, we found this little shop called Buffalo Exchange. Apparently these are a chain of stores, but they don't exist in Utah. The most comparable I have found here is Pib's Exchange. Everything is used, and really priced well. I did buy a really good pair of slacks, and they were only $15.
Next Tiffany took me to Powell's City of Books. This place was unreal. There were so many rooms, I kept getting lost, and Tiff had to assure me that she knew the way out. The best part was that you could purchase new or used books. I am such a sucker for used books. I bought some really good classics I have never had the chance to read, which I will probably end up blogging about eventually but to give you a glimpse: 1984, Lord of the Flies, Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Virgin Suicides. I could probably spend a lot more time and money in that place than I should, but eventually we left to make our way to Eugene.
We hurried to Eugene, because Tiffany wanted to show me a few places before dinner. We went on a walk through her campus. It was amazing how green everything was. Also, fun little fact, but the creator of Simpson also went to University of Oregon, so there are a lot of things in the cartoon that are inspired by Eugene. We also went to a little bar, I think it was called Rennies (sorry if I butchered that). It was a really interesting place to me, because it was right across from the college. I had never seen anything like that n Utah, it was full of just college kids, and the weather was so nice, everyone was outside on the deck. It was such a chill hangout, I can see why Tiff meets her friends there on Fridays,. We didn't get to stay long, because we had to make it to dinner, but it was the kind of place I think would be so enjoyable to hang at.
Dinner was an adventure in itself. Tiffany's friend, Mary, had invited us to her place for homemade pizza. The pizza was delicious, but I couldn't get over Mary's house, the Co-op. I had never heard of one of these. Basically it is like a fraternity or sorority, but not...if that makes any sense at all. Both guys and girls live there. It is a huge house, and it has three fridges. It was just really interesting to see the differences in colleges and their living arrangements outside of Utah.
After the Co-op, we went to a little bakery called Sweet Life. don't know what it is about Orgonians, but they love to line up to get sweets. After waiting in line, and finally entering the building, we saw amazing pastries. I couldn't believe it really, everything looked so amazing. I wanted to take pictures, but I didn't want to look like a criminal or a tourist. I had Tiramisu, and it was amazing, we sat outside and enjoyed our sweets, and just talked. Then, we traveled home. I was so exhausted, and I knew I would need rest for the upcoming weekend, after all my adventure had only just begun....
