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!
