Silence is Golden: Pictoral representation of Portland

Yay for Part 2-PORTLAND!!!

So originally we had wanted to take a train all the way from MN to OR. Turns out, that is a little costly. The next best (and cost efficient) option was to fly to Seattle (significantly cheaper than flying into Portland), and taking a train 4 hours to Portland. So we got a trip to two fun cities AND a train ride...which was juuuust long enough =)

Here we are in Seattle about to board the Cascades train.

Beautiful scenery out the windows...

TRAIN SELFIE!

There was such a variety of landscape. Forests, meadows, farmland, water, gardens, towns...really fun to watch.

And finally we arrived in Portland.

So one of the reasons we picked the hotel we did was because it came with free bikes to use. They were cute cruisers and we had so much fun biking Portland.

It is an incredibly bike-friendly place. With very specific instructions on where to go, when to go etc... That does mean, however, that there is a very educated biking populous...and i'm pretty sure they knew we were newbies. We were being passed, and I think there were a few dirty looks as well...

Biking Selfie (not as easy as it looks...)

Gorgeous day.

I loved that we could be so near the water.

First stop was Voodoo Doughnuts. There was a line, so that was a good sign. (Ben and I tried only to go places with lots of people or a line.) Definitely an interesting place.

I got the urge to say a prayer as I entered...there were a LOT of creepy things in there, and plenty of voodoo dolls.

The outside walls were covered in glitter. so that was cool.

And the doughnuts were super yummy. They had a lot of strange ones, and most of them didn't sound really great. So we settled for a delicious classic Apple Fritter and a unique and delectable Maple Bacon Bar.

Mmmm so good.

We stopped by a fountain to eat our doughnuts. And I played in the water...which Ben decided to catch on camera.

It reminds me of one of those "Celebrities are just like you! They play in water!" pictures.

That pink box of yummy goodness went with us the whole way and we would stop and take nibbles here and there.

beautiful views.

This was one of our favorite stops. It was a little park amid a lot of obviously high-end housing (that is a condo building looming). And before long, some adorable little kids came and played in the water. We sat in the shade, rested, munched doughnuts, watched kids play and enjoyed the peacefulness of the scene.

My view most of the day ;)

More water pictures.

That evening we met up with my cousin Paula (bride who's wedding we were in Portland to attend), and her parents (Uncle Tom and Aunt Heidi), her sister Theresa and T's Fiance Jose, Jose's cousin and a friend of Theresa.... it was a fun evening! Paula picked out a super yummy hole-in-the-wall Mexican food place for dinner. I'm talking super yummy. And then we went to a Portland favorite: Salt and Straw. Unique ice creams like you never dreamed.

We got a flight cuz it was hard to choose just one. And I'm not an ice cream extraordinare so I like little bites of many flavors.

Pictured closest to furthest:

Strawberry, Balsamic and Black Pepper (Superb combination)

Salted Caramel (Actually super salty, but tasty)

Stumptown coffee and bourbon (the winner of the evening)

Gooey Chocolate Brownie (Ben was delighted for that one).

Other flavors tried but vetoed:

Bone Marrow and Black Cherry (had an aftertaste like Liver...not my fave)

Honey Lavender (too much of both honey and lavender...but unique taste!)

Green Fennel and Maple (also interesting, but not enough to get a serving)

In all, I would recommend this to anyone going to Portland. They give you as many free samples as you want (super helpful and fun!) and it is just a great experience.

The main attraction for this trip was my cousin Paula's wedding. Growing up, I always looked up to Paula and wanted to be like her in so many ways. She was a gymnast and a runner. She was athletic, funny, seemingly fearless and she had so many friends. I remember only wanting to go to high school because Paula's experience at Maranatha seemed so great! And I was blessed enough to be able to go to that very high school my senior year...and being her cousin gave me a definite "in" with many of the teachers/staff.

Anyway, I remember going into her room when I would be at their house and looking at all her metals and pictures of her running or doing gymnastics and thinking she was the coolest. And then the days I got big bags of clothes from her?! It was like Christmas.

It is crazy to think that we are all grown up now. She is still athletic, funny and fearless. She has traveled around the country to further her education and has become a Doctor of Psychology.

It was a joy to attend her wedding.

To top it off, her husband David is a pretty swell guy. =)

Waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Family walking down "the aisle"

Flower girls beginning their walk.

The best shot I could get from where I was sitting.

It was such a sweet ceremony...and many an eye were not dry. Both David and Paula were intentional and heartfelt and the entire thing was God-centered and just overall wonderful.

Story behind this photo: they had a bingo game for the reception and one of the squares was "see someone taking a selfie." So we took one so our cousin could check that off her list.

This is my super wonderful Aunt Heidi, Uncle Tom, Uncle Dave and Aunt Kathy playing badmitton.

The whole reception was laid back, and there were lots of fun lawn games. Everyone was chatting, playing and having fun.

The bride and groom with almost all of Grammy's children and their spouses (My dad's mom and his siblings). (Aunt Marybeth had to leave early that morning as her first grandbaby was on the way! Glad she got to go, sad she couldn't stay longer.)