The Big Eastside Trail Loop

By the end of October, the blustery weather gave way to blue skies and temperatures in the high 50s; ideal fall weather. The days were notably getting shorter, but I felt grateful for the clear days with no rain in sight.

 

Happy Halloween!

A new neighborhood find is southeast's Coffee Beer, a light and airy watering hole with an unsuspecting vegan menu.

 

On Saturday, I spent the much-needed day off on two wheels. The Big Eastside Trail Loop is a 50+ mile tour of the eastern Portland metro area. The route highlights the trail system (with just a few stretches of low-traffic streets and bike lanes) and, despite its length, is very flat--even for my single speed!

I left my apartment around 10:30am, jumping onto the Eastbank Esplanade.

The overcast morning began to clear up as I connected to the Springwater Corridor, cycling south to the quaint Sellwood neighborhood, then east to Gresham. From there, I followed the Gresham-Fairview Trail north. The trails were empty of people but full of fallen leaves.

Tracking west, Marine Drive is a scenic but windy path that follows the Columbia River.

I finally reached the lovely neighborhood of St. John's, cycling through the University of Portland, where I was afforded great views of downtown in the fading afternoon light.

Back on the Esplanade heading south, I watched the sunset before returning home around 5:30pm. The outing took longer than expected, but I felt accomplished in cycling further than I ever had before--such a high. I cycle most days, but always just a few miles around town; only recently have I began experimenting with distance riding. With hiking on the back burner for the next few months, I am excited to continue exploring local bike trails to get my outdoor fix. Plus, it supports my triathlon aspiration!

A Taste of Winter

A stretch of rain in mid-October brought out the Portlander expression, "Rain in the valley means snow on the mountain!" In the thick of it, my friend Sarah flew in from Denver for a weekend visit. The weather kept us mostly indoors, so we agreed to eat and drink our way through town. On Friday, we followed the Historic Columbia River Highway--one of my all-time favorite fall drives--to a few of the waterfalls and viewpoints in the gorge.










 

Back in town, Sarah and I stopped in northeast Portland for lunch at The Bye and Bye, then for dessert at Back to Eden. It was fun to uncover and splurge on plant-based cuisine with a fellow vegan. Stomachs full, we stopped home for a power nap. That evening, we visited the vegan strip mall before meeting Tom and Kyle on southeast Hawthorne. We participated in Portland's Nacho Week at Next Level Burger, and got drinks at The Ranger Station and Mcmenamins Bagdad's Back Stage Bar.

Sarah and I spent Saturday on the westside of town. We caught a bus to the Saturday Market and Powell's Books. Our bellies were filled again at Sizzle Pie. The afternoon began to clear up as we walked around northwest Portland. That evening, we met my friend Jess at the Sweet Hereafter.

 

Later that week was my co-worker Brittany's baby shower. I met the ladies after work at Nina's house for a beautiful spread of vegetarian fare, gifts and games. It was great to spend time with the crew outside of the hospital!

Trail Blazers

October 11th was the perfect fall day this year; low 60s, clear and sunny. The crisp air reminded me of Denver weather. The changing leaves also appeared to be approaching their peak (this, of course, is subject to change year to year).

 

 

 

The bike ride into work is getting colder and darker each day, but I still enjoy the fresh-air commute.

Work has been busy lately, but I manage to make time for fun and relaxation. On Thursday, Tom invited me to my first Trail Blazers game at the Moda Center. The Blazers dominated the preseason game against the Israeli Maccabi Haifa Football Club. I learned a lot about the NBA that evening!

 

Tom's friends, Kyle and Dani, joined us on Sunday for apple picking at Sauvie Island's Douglas Farm. As soon as we arrived, I recognized the farm as having visited last fall for U-Pick! Golden Delicious is the last apple variety grown this time of year.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the lovely St. John's neighborhood. A relaxing Sunday close to home.

 

Banks-Vernonia State Trail

I have been rather salty lately about how sweatshirt weather was skipped, throwing us straight into jacket season, but luckily there have been a few nice days mixed in--including last weekend. Kyle and I went for a long bike ride on Saturday. The Banks-Vernonia State Trail is a multi-use paved trail located just 30 minutes west of town. 21 miles of tree-lined, easy-grade pathway run between the two small towns.

We agreed that the trail reminded us vaguely of the rolling farmland of Pennsylvania.






















It took us about two hours to cycle each way, stopping for a break in Vernonia. Note that the wooden bridges along the trail become slick when wet.

On the way home, Kyle and I stopped at McMenamin's Grand Lodge Oktoberfest in Forest Grove.






















On Sunday, I cheered on Tom at the Portland Marathon.

Afterwards, I attended VegFest. This annual event, held in most major cities, is a celebration of all things vegan. The highlight this year was listening to Dr. John McDougall explain the science that links nutrition and health. Few things are more clear and obvious to me than the endless benefits of a whole foods plant-based diet. At the subsequent book signing, Dr. McDougall empowered me to believe that there is a place for me--a pharmacist--in lifestyle medicine after all!