My first evening in Portland was quiet nice. I spent easily half an hour desperately trying to photograph the most excited cat I’ve ever come across. Would not stop moving.

Dinner at Lincoln was amazing. Burrata and hazelnut bucatini and I’m definitely spoiled by my friends. Fell asleep as soon as I crawled into bed, cuddling with the cat all night. Want to kidnap so badly.

I got up the next morning, drove downtown and made the requisite visit to Voodoo Doughnut. Someday, I’ll get something besides the bubblegum and grape doughnuts, but not this time.

Gonna lease Portland.

I grabbed some coffee and walked around a little.

I started making my way further west across town, and decided on a detour to Powell’s. Photography book heaven.

I wandered over to the rose garden. I’m not sure if I’d been here before on any of my previous Portland trips, but it’s beautiful. I have a thing for rose gardens.

 

And bees.

And then I crashed a wedding that happened to be going on in one of the gardens.

A friend suggested Salt and Straw for ice cream, and I’m not one to turn down an ice cream recommendation. And they even had French macarons, so I feel like it must’ve been fate. Basil blackberry.

The days are adding up, and I needed a nap with the cat before I could get myself up to go out. The ice cream-suggesting friend had also suggested a soul dance night at the GoodFoot, and it was exactly what I needed. I haven’t been dancing in forever, and it felt nice to sweat and move my muscles without carrying camera gear or paying attention to everything around me. Felt like getting lost.

Today: Driving to Boise. Thinking a lot.

***

Morale: Average

Food Rations: Everything in Portland tastes good

Soundtrack: Robin Thicke, “Blurred Lines” on repeat