A Visitor from Colorado

To borrow a quote from the rom-com Miss Congeniality, April 28th is my idea of the perfect date: "not too hot, not too cold, all you need is a light jacket." This particular day in Portland showcased spring in all its glory. It was one of those delightful afternoons in the mid 60s where nobody was inside, everyone was outside, and all of the sunny patches in shaded Laurelhurst Park were taken. I had been watching the gradual blossoming of trees for the past month, but it still felt as if the trees had suddenly filled in overnight. Of course, next year could bring drastically different weather, but April 28th was the day this year.



 
 



   



The last weekend in April, my Coloradan friend, Bri, flew into town for a visit. We spent Friday in the Columbia River Gorge, starting off with an 8-mile hike along Hardy Ridge. This was my second go at the lovely loop hike in Beacon Rock State Park. Excellent weather!



  



Afterwards, I introduced Bri to the stunning 620' tall Multnomah Falls. We refueled at my favorite Mediterranean spot, Nicholas Restaurant, before meeting Kyle and Erik for drinks at McMenamins Kennedy School.

 

Bri and I spent Saturday afternoon at Cannon Beach. It was windy and chilly, but we still enjoyed strolling through town and popping in various shops; coffee at Sleepy Monk Coffee, grub at Bill's Tavern and Brew House (#16), and vegan seafoam at Bruce's Candy Kitchen. Exhausted from running around, we curled up on the couch that evening with a bottle of wine.







Tom joined Bri and I on Sunday morning for round #2 at the Woodburn Tulip Festival. Unlike my first visit to the farm with Rita at the end of March, the colorful rows of tulips were in their prime. Another beautiful day!

 

  

 

We stopped in Canby for lunch on the way back to town; ice cream at Fifty Licks. It was great to spend time with Bri and show her around!