We traveled to the Pacific Northwest at the end of last week and weekend. Portland was our main destination, with a quick day trip to Seattle. It was a trip to experience something new, take in a different environment, enjoy the local scene and cuisine, and have some fun. Below are a lot of photos and notes from the trip!
Downtown Portland reminded me of parts of LA and SF, except with more trees. Lots of tress! I loved all of the trees, public transportation, wide streets and sidewalks, and how easily walkable it was. We walked everywhere and we liked it.
The Ace Hotel was our home away from home. The hip vibe and casual decoration were so Portland. Rooms were cozy and decor clean. It's central location helped since we walked around a lot. I totally want to visit other Ace Hotel locations.
The Willamette River separates the East and West sides of Portland. There are many bridges connecting the two sides and we crossed them a lot! We took a walk by the waterfront to get a different view of the bridges. My favorite was definitely Burnside Bridge. It's one of the main ones, takes you right into Old Town Portland, and houses the Burnside skate park.
There were different art pieces, murals, and sculptures around the city. Pabst billboards were the most prevalent. Portland is weird and I like it.
Buildings around downtown. 
Two favorite stores were Lark Press and Tender Loving Empire. Lark was full of awesome prints, letterpress, and stationery. I loved browsing through the shelves and bins and seeing all of the wonderful local Portland designers' work. Tender Loving Empire housed a variety of awesome things: dolls, shirts, jewelry, and local music. Again, it was full of local independent Portland designers. Hooray for the creative community!
We drove up to Seattle and it was a beautiful drive. Oregon and Washington drivers are so courteous, drive under the speed limit, and seem so laid back. It was such a different experience than driving in LA. And the scenes were awesome. So many trees and blue skies! 
A first trip to Seattle means a touristy stop at the Space Needle. We walked around the top about 3 times enjoying the amazing view. The Puget Sound is so beautiful. I wish it was clearer so we had better views of the mountains, but I kinda liked the clouds.
Seattle was full of art and sculpture. These pieces and colorful Experience Music Project building were neighboring the Space Needle. 
Another mandatory tourist stop was the Public Market. We saw the famous flying fish and enjoyed fresh crab. 
The day cleared up for our walk to the Puget Sound. I hope to ride a ferry on our next trip.Overall, the vacation was too amazing and too short. I loved learning new things, exploring new places, and having new memories with the hubs. I am excited for our next visit!
PS- more trip recaps to come, including a food post!
