(Ed. Note- The Christmasbaby Blog is going to be a play by play of our trip to Portland last week. What you'll be reading, matey's, is my observances/experiences of the trip for your amusement. Links to applicable restaurants/sites will be included in case you're planning a trip any time soon. Dates listed are from Saturday, June 12th through Friday the 18th.)
I burbled out of my slumber enough to have some coffee and drive Moda to L and D's then make it back. I feel like I had my route fairly well planned so my initial anxiety was waning. I got back to the hotel, started stretching for another shoulder rehab session/4 miler when the texts started coming- Turns out I needed to belay getting lunch, as there were three similar restaurants in the Portland Metro and the address I had may have been wrong, and to stay tuned.
Right. I was in it now. My contribution and participation into wedding frass was ON!
After a flurry of texts, I hit the gym then the hotel lobby PC's for some quality Google Map time where I printed off copy after copy (Thank you, Sheraton Portland Airport! For having free interweb and printing!) of directions from the hotel to the different locations and then out to the site. The final text was an 80% certainty that they knew the right locale so it was shower up, load the car, and head on out.
2 quick notes. I was wearing a tank top, shorts, and sandals. My finery was still in the drycleaning bag and I didn't want to start sweating 8 hours before the service. (My body was still on overheat mode from the treadmill) Today, was the first marked drop in temperature since we arrived- floating around the mid-50's. While I was comfortably cooling off with the windows down, greater Portland was shuffling about in hoodies, jeans, and gloves. I stopped in a convenience store and the clerk asked if it'd started warming up. Yeah.
2nd? Google maps is about as useful as an a@@hole on my elbow. I ended up running a big, unnecessary and frassy loop around the SE neighborhoods before arriving. Lame sauce.
I arrived at "Whole Bowl" and noticed they were stacking a box for a group which looked like it could be going to a wedding (score!) When I mentioned I was with the wedding they were full of congratulations to me (NO NO NO!!! Not I, friends!) After securing better directions to hwy 84 and buckling in our order, I was at last on my way. (FYI- On Whole Bowl? Okay, how dumb and simple is this idea- They serve one thing and one thing only= basically a rice bowl with accouterments. Right? But it was ridiculously filling, tasty as all get out, and fairly cheap. There was a line when I got there, and I got there when they opened. http://thewholebowl.com/what.html. This is a place that could/should sell at any of our co-ops. In other words, it belongs in Minneapolis.)
After heading out of Dodge, wending my way into Middle Earth, I arrived at the site-
http://bridalveillakes.com/
Idyllic doesn't even describe it. You're in a bowl of heaven. With a little pond to canoe around, filled with salamanders. Trails. Games. Creeks. And one of the most breathtaking (I said it) views of a sunset around.
And it was balls cold. Here's me, the Sasquatch, in my shorts and sandals and people are bundled in blankets- huddling by the fire. There was plenty to do to finish up before we all needed to get our gussy on (namely, try some of the local OR beers they had on tap) and before we knew it it was time to get ready.
The service was lovely. The bride and groom looked wonderful. There was the pre-requisite ring-bearer biff. Moda was great (more than a few folks recommended the clergy as a second profession). And it ended with all of us opening white umbrella's while they marched off from the ceremony. Pip wOOt Hollah for married friends. After dinner, a canoe trip w/Moda, a stellar sunset, cigars, speeches, and much, much wine we headed off. I periodically snoozed in the car and we passed out before our heads hit the pillows.
Final thoughts-
7 months of drizzle with 5 of sunshine. The plant life/foliage/flowers are everywhere and in constant bloom. The place is sick with produce and as I was later informed, everything comes up around there except for veggies that need a lot of hot sun. (Tomatoes, etc.) Honestly, I was loving the climate and as much as my soul loves the desert I could very much get used to being able to sleep with the windows down nightly in the summer.
Congratulations, L and D. We're so proud of you.
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