DAY 9: BEND --> PORTLAND

We didn't go out for brunch. We considered it. Instead, Sunday morning found me sleeping in, just a bit, and then waking up to our original plan of grabbing coffee from the lobby and heading to the hot tub while it was a cool 17 degrees outside. The sun made it feel a little warmer. It was nice to relax and have a slow paced start to the day with Liz.

We ended up repeating our bagel routine in the lobby canteen, but today we were trusted to microwave our own bagels. That paired with cold noodles leftover from last night, and it was the breakfast of champions! I don't know about you, but after all the home cooked meals during quarantine, it is hard to eat restaurant food every day and there are always leftovers. After breakfast, we packed up the room and our cars and were out just after 11am.

The sun was helping to make things feel a bit warmer, and we put Portland into the back of Liz's car and went to the Old Mill District for a little morning shopping at a few stores in the outdoor shopping mall. The best finds were at REI, where they were having one of their Garage Sale events. I can't believe this was my first time attending an REI garage sale; they are exclusive to members and offer returned gear at a deeply discounted price. Liz walked through the shoe department, picking out one of their most expensive boots as her favorite - nearly $200. On the garage sale table I found her a pair of Oboz waterproof hiking boots in her size for $35. They had a bit of dust from the local trails on them, but otherwise seemed to be brand new. For myself, I found a pair of brown leather loafers that are so light and comfortable for $29 that I had to get them. I had considered picking up a new sleeping pad on sale, since they had quite a few, but I would rather do some research and get exactly what I want.

After shopping, we drove downtown and parked at Bend Brewing Company, where we had planned to sit outside with Portland, but ended up sitting inside and letting Portland nap in the car. I think a week of cold weather camping and waking up to ten degree temps in Idaho has helped me acclimate to the cold, but it's pretty chilly for my Oregonian friend. I had a beer called Howl, a Northwest style ESP (Extra Special Bitter), and we split fried cheese curds, buffaloed cauliflower, and a buffalo chicken wrap with sweet potato waffle fries. This seems to be a trend where we order a lot of food and then have enough for both of us to take home.

The meal was good, and afterwards, it was sad to say, "see you later," as we parted ways back at the lot of the Campfire Hotel. It has really been an amazing weekend, but one we'll get to repeat at the end of the week.

Once Liz left, I wasn't ready to hit the road just yet. Portland and I went to Drake Park, right in town and took a short walk there along the water of Mirror Pond. One of my favorite spots right in town each time I visit, today it was cold but there were still a lot of people enjoying their Sunday afternoon outdoors. Walking through the park had a very "normal" feel to it, allowing me to masquerade as a local for just a few moments.

The final stop on my way out of town was to Boneyard Beer, where Sunday afternoon football was on the TV, and I got a Speedy Goseales tequila barrel aged sour and sat down to blog. Again, I had planned to sit outside with Portland, but after our walk, I felt like he would stay warm in the car and that I could work more quickly without distractions. Inside, they were playing old hip hop that took me back to high school years, and "Respiration" by Black Star came on immediately after I sat down. I still remember most of the words to that song, an old favorite.

I was able to work quickly at Boneyard and stay on schedule for my goal departure at 4:30, but I did get another small beer, a newer selection, the Enzymatic IPA. After posting the most recent adventures to the blog, and picking up a six pack of their flagship, Hop Venom, we were out and on our way to Portland.

The drive to Portland was about three hours from Bend, first retracing the steps from yesterday's trip (past the shoe tree!) to Smith Rock, and as I passed by I almost wished I could return now and hike it all again. Through the high desert with mountains starting to come into view on my left and, soon, Mt. Hood starting to gain size on my right and straight ahead.

One of the favorite sights from today's short drive was the farmland where so many horses were out in a large roadside pasture. It must've been dinner time because they were all in a herd making their way along the fence line towards some unseen destination. So many horses in all patterns and colors, moving quickly along with the colors of sunset all around them. How I would have loved to be out with my Nikon for a chance to attempt to capture that beautiful moment.

As Portland (the dog's) namesake city got closer, our perspective narrowed with dense towering pine trees lining either side of the road. We were coming into Mt. Hood National Forest. I have never hiked here, but it was beautiful. To me, this landscape is a signifier of my home away from home, a warm and snuggly welcome. It felt appropriate for the sun to go down at this time, the darkness of the pines taking over.

The drive offered stunning views of Mt. Hood, playing hide and seek above the trees, suddenly large and so close with her grey rock and snowcap. Something about this mountain has felt like Oregon's welcome mat to me for so many years, wishing a warm and cheerful welcome, you're home (away from home). Good vibes. This part of the drive didn't feel like a chore, it was one of the experiences of this trip that I was looking forward to. I spotted so many camping areas along the road, and even the small mountain towns like Government Camp looked inviting with twinkle lights. I should stay here some day. I'm setting a goal for myself to climb Mt. Hood to the summit on my next trip to Portland -- hopefully within the next year.

I arrived at Zack's house around 7:45pm. Zack is an old friend of Liz's that has gone on trips with us through the years. It has probably been four or five years since I've seen him, so it was very kind of him to let Portland and I stay at his new house on and off this week. I got a quick limited tour and brought in a few things, and Zack had a hammock cot that he set up in his office for me to use. It was a low key evening after that, nice to stay in, eat leftover basil pork for dinner, and spend the evening just talking and catching up over a few beers. I don't think Zack and I have ever had such a long one on one conversation together since we were always in a group of friends, but it was really a nice night to catch up and reconnect. I'm looking forward to doing a lot of that throughout the rest of my travels.