I have always enjoyed the 4th of July holiday, especially family, food, and of course, the fireworks. Generally, I don't venture off too far during this time of the year and enjoy the festivities either in my hometown, Sacramento, or in Central California with extended family. This year, however, I took a road trip up to the Pacific Northwest. And, I took the furbabies! It's their first real roadtrip... and I was definitely excited/nervous about bringing them along. Luckily, they were perfect on the trip! Here's how it went...
thursday 07.02 | sacramento to portland (580 miles)
i knew this was going to be a long drive. i've done this drive several times before, though not recently. it's usually a 9-10 hour drive, depending on the route you choose, road conditions and how fast you're going. there are plenty of rest stops along the way, and some nice scenery throughout.
- accomodations: hilton portland and executive towers - arrived in portland shortly after 4 pm. it's a tad later than what i was aiming for, but not by much. after a quick check-in to the hotel, we unloaded and parked the car, and took the dogs for a quick walking tour of the immediate vicinity.
- dinner: pok pok - let me just start off by saying that this is not your ordinary thai restaurant. it's a must go if you love authentic thai food and/or drinks.
friday 07.03 | discover portland
- coffee: stumptown coffee - solid coffee, you can find them at various locations. strong, flavorful
- donuts: blue star donuts - i know most people swear by voodoo, but blue star is another great option. lines do get long, but they have some great flavors. everything made fresh daily
- powells books - a booklover's dream. the never ending bookstore. <3 <3 (get the map, you'll need it)
- deschutes brewery - a great place to stop by for drinks and grab lunch. the place was packed, but service was friendly and prompt. beer was good, but OMG the fries and burgers!
- oregon museum of science and industry (omsi) - i love museums, and this one is a great one with lots of exhibits and hands on activities for the young ones (or the young at heart)
- happy hour: the secret society - right next to toro bravo, a great place to stop by for a drink before (or after dinner). they also have a recording studio and dance lessons for anyone interested.
- dinner: toro bravo - tapas! yum!
- drinks: bailey's taproom - interesting taproom - they have a monitor to show what's on tap and how much beer is left - games and easy chill vibe
saturday 07.04 | portland to seattle (173 miles)
- accomodations: hotel max - cute artsy hotel, great location. and of course, pet friendly - they even gave my little ones free treats! and oh, free beer every day during happy hour in the lobby. say what??
- pike place market - love this place, but given it was 4th of july, there was a lot of touristy folks and it was just super crowded. and.. it was HOT.
- south lake union, fireworks over the lake. tons of people, but everyone was relaxed, hanging out, just having a good time. if you go, make sure you didn't drive ... the scene afterwards was a bit nutty
sunday 07.05 | seattle to vancouver (bc) (142 x 2 miles rt)
- yaletown - cute, funky neighborhood in vc. plenty of food options
- nike underground - nike converted a parking lot into a hip underground soccer playground. no signage, no labels, just have to look for the 2 guys playing soccer out in the street and they point you in the right direction. once inside, you're in this fantastic underground playground! great job nike!
- world cup fan zone - where all the other fans are! go team USA!
monday 07.06 | seattle to sacramento (752 miles)
- quick stop in eugene to look at the autzen stadium. go ducks!
