A day seldom goes by in our little family of three when we don’t feel the rush of our modern lifestyle. With a full-time working husband finishing up his MBA in the evenings, a writer wife who’s enjoying a successful freelance career while working on a book proposal, and a dynamic toddler exploring every nook and cranny in the house, that’s just part of the reality. It can be pretty exhilarating at times. But sometimes we just need to get away, even if just for a weekend. On a recent Friday afternoon, I packed up the toddler while my husband and his friends strapped their motorcycles in the trailer and we headed down to Portland.
The impetus for the men was The One Motorcycle Show, and as they watched the weather reports and worked out transportation logistics, I researched coffee shops and mapped them out in relation to Powell’s City of Books.
Our room was no longer available at River’s Edge Hotel & Spa in the South Waterfront District when we arrived, so they immediately upgraded us to a river-view suite. As I inserted the key card and opened the door, a light-rimmed room with warm modern Northwest-inspired decor greeted me, and my son and I set out to explore the suite and settle in. Arriving late in the evening, we ordered room service instead of going out to eat. I had little expectation, but simply wanted something substantial to eat and a glass of wine to drink after a long ride down. What arrived was actually quite delicious. With touches such as roasted tomatoes rather than raw, and an aioli-like spread instead of mayonnaise, the half pound of Highland Oak meat was layered with paper-thin slices of red onion, lettuce, and a little cheese on a brioche bun. I made notes in my food journal, and will be roasting my own tomatoes the next time I make burgers.
The next day, before my husband joined up with his friends for the motorcycle show, we headed over to the Alphabet District to check out Sterling Coffee Roasters. Having heard about how these guys are keeping Stumptown on its toes and reading about the charming new location in northwest Portland, this topped my list of cafes to visit while in town. The verdict? Excellent. Had I been able, I would have stayed at our little table–wrapped in a white tablecloth–in the back for an hour or two, soaking in the scene as the friendly baristas interacted with the customers and pulled shot after perfect shot. As a writer, I’m always looking for inspiring places to sit and let the words flow from head to paper, and if I lived in Portland this one would do the trick.
On the way out, we stopped at Smokehouse 21 next door to order macaroni and cheese topped with pulled pork to bring back to our hotel, and after lunch I settled in to our suite to relax for a few hours while my son napped and my husband went off to the motorcycle show. The thing about having a small child who naps for a solid chunk of time most days is that we’re forced to slow down and enjoy a few quiet hours each day. While my son napped in the bedroom, I lounged on the fireside sofa, gazing out at the river, and relaxed. Though I had hoped to have time to visit some other coffee shops that afternoon–including Coava and Heart–the peaceful afternoon was just what I needed.
A trip to Portland is never complete without a few hours at Powell’s City of Books, so we ended the evening there, getting a toddler-friendly meal in the cafe (note to self: son will eat green vegetables if spinach is baked in a gruyere and egg pie) and pulling book after book off the shelves to bring home.
A wise friend once told me that parents traveling with small children should lower their expectations, and that is certainly true. While I went into the weekend hoping to visit coffee shop after coffee shop, possibly check out the Japanese Gardens, and dine at some great restaurants including Pok Pok, I managed to visit one cafe, stroll through Powell’s twice, eat three meals in our hotel room and two at Powell’s, and spend a lot of time relaxing and reconnecting with my family. Even if that last item on the list were all we had managed, the trip still would have been a success.