Here we are in Portland, OR!
Saturday – Day One. . . . . .
My husband and I flew from Virginia to Portland, OR on Saturday. I will have a booth at International Quilt Market when it opens on Friday, so we’re having a few days of fun before we get to work. After we arrived around noon on Saturday, we dropped our bags at the hotel and started out to explore the city. My husband had heard that there was this great donut shop (Voodoo Donuts) that is open 24/7 so we headed over and had ourselves a couple of really delicous donuts. Evidently there is always a line outside the building, but the donuts were worth the wait. Here are a few photos:
We ended the day by going to the Saturday Market on the waterfront followed by dinner and an early bed time (it was a long day with a 3-hour time change!).
Sunday, Mother’s Day -Day Two. . . . .
We got up early (mostly because of the 3-hour time change) and headed to the northern coast of Oregon. First stop, Astoria, which is situated near the mouth of the Columbia River. It was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811. Today it is bustling with tourists – there were three cruise ships there on the day we visited. We had a great lunch at Clementes before we headed south to Seaside, OR. There we walked on the beach and put our feet into the Pacific Ocean. Our final stop on our day at the coast was our favorite – Cannon Beach. It was absolutely beautiful. If I ever come back to this part of the country, I would love to spend time exploring the picturesque surroundings.
Pacific Ocean behind the sign in the center of Seaside.
Monday – Day Three. . . . Our day started out by doing a little shopping for the booth at quilt market – candy to keep the customers happy, snacks for the booth to keep us happy and a step stool (cheaper to buy one than to ship the one we usually bring). Then we headed south a short distance to Lake Oswego where we visited what I feel is the best shop I have ever visited – The Pine Needle. It was bright and fresh and full of gorgeous fabrics, many of which I have never seen. There were so many beautifully samples displayed very tastefully among widths of fabrics. The owner, Geri, greeted us as we entered the store and made us feel very welcome. [This is one of the few shops I have visited that carries Marcia Derse fabrics. I’ve recently fallen in love with these fabrics and have used them to make a number of quilts for my new patterns. You can see the fabrics on her website (www.marciaderse.com).] If you ever have the chance to visit The Pine Needle, you won’t be disappointed.
The Pine Needle quilt shop in Lake Oswego
Quilt display showing Marcia Derse fabrics.
View from the front of store.
Next we headed to the Pearl District, an area of Portland formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. We had a delicious lunch at Deschutes Brewery, walked around the neighborhood a bit, then went to a movie when it started to rain. Another early-to-bed night.
Tuesday – Day Four. . . .
Today we went to the Portland Japanese Garden, a traditional Japanese garden occupying 5.5 acres, located within Washington Park in the west hills of Portland. It is one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan. This place is so peaceful. The colors are incredible, the waters are soothing, and Mt. Hood dominates the background! Once we left we headed to Nob Hill for a great lunch at Papa Hayden’s.
The Japanese Garden – Strolling pond garden.
Japanese Garden – bridge in the strolling pond garden.
Well, that is what we did for our first four days in Portland. This was the vacation part of our trip. Tomorrow (Wednesday) we set up our quilt market booth. I’ll post pictures in the next few days and hopefully show you some of what goes on at Market.
Laura
Plum Tree Quilts 