Hello!! I’m almost a month into my unemployment yet feel busier than ever – which, I’m quickly seeing, is going to be the trap. I have all these plans for things I want to accomplish during my time off but if I fill every time slot with minor errands and tasks, I might not get to the big rocks (as Franklin Covey would say!).
That said, we just returned on Tuesday from a holiday with friends to Portland, Oregon. The destination was the Loons v. Timber soccer match, but we also explored wine country, the coast and the city. Therefore, inspired by that trip, here are 5 noteworthy, Portland-inspired shares:
Probably the most famous of the PDX features on this list, we happened to be staying at a VRBO just a mile or two from the woolen mill store. We passed this giant building almost every time we left our rental, so we made sure to visit on our way out of town to the airport. This almost 1-1/2 century old business is best known for its blankets, but they offer a large selection of home goods, clothing and accessories. We found a nice variety of their products in the showroom including an ample supply of sale items. The Pendleton classic colors and patterns were fun to sort through. I’m especially a big fan of their scarves – both absolutely stunning and soft to the touch. I ended up splurging on a button-down shirt that has the texture of butter as well as a felt hat that will be great for the fall.
If you are in Portland, I recommend a stop.
Because of Made Here and their amazing assortment of locally made products, I discovered Imaginary Authors on this trip. IA is a perfume company based in Portland and they create fragrances based on imaginary books. I love their philosophy about the importance of fragrance in memories and on mood and they’ve created a delicious and colorful world in scents. I had so much fun playing amongst their “texts” in-store and could not leave without The Fox in the Flowerbed. While that was my fave during my visit that day, there are so many other blends and titles to explore.
The concept, the aromas, the artwork: all ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
You can take a scent quiz on their site as well as explore the fragrances through their sample sets, offered in both a short story collection and the complete works. There are also gift sets, artwork and products for home and body also available. I feel like IA may be my next favorite brand. So fun! Thank you, Made Here, for the feature in your store. You do the best job curating must-haves in the area.
(4) Eminent Domaine winery
This winery, much like the Made Here store above, was a second-time visit for me. And I was so pleased when we arrived at the end of our Willamette Wine Tour day that it was just as amazing as I’d remembered from 4 years ago.
Eminent Domaine offers exquisite Pinot Noirs (their rosé is pretty delicious, too). But my favorite part about this place is the view. Located on the Ribbon Ridge, the tasting room overlooks an expansive view and there are gorgeous spaces to hang out and enjoy the overlook with some yummy wine. They also allow picnics (not all that common at the other area vineyards) and their hospitality is top-notch.
If you are planning a wine tour in Willamette, you cannot miss this vineyard. And special props to Drive Me To Drink…Wine, for driving our group of eight around for the day. This company was so great to work with, we provided our customized itinerary and they hosted us based on our whim, were flexible when we needed to be and provided an overall great experience for our one-day tour.
On our second morning in Portland, a few of us headed to the Lake Oswego farmer’s market. Our VRBO happened to be on the other side of the Willamette River where we were staying and we thought it would be fun to peruse the market for food stuff since we had a number of cooks on the trip.
We had a lovely time looking at peaches and mushrooms and all the baked goods. But one of the first vendors to really stop us in our tracks was Urban River Spirits. All hand-poured, they offer a diverse selection of non-alcoholic cocktail mixers. Everything we sampled was delicious but we settled on the Peppered Peach Bliss to bring back to the house. It was both sweet and spicy and perfect for a summer afternoon. I paired mine with an herbal vodka that I purchased from Trisaetum the day before, but these can also be enjoyed without a mixer or paired with a non-alcoholic spirit. And the best part? You can order them online – one of the few vendors at the market that we can continue to patron from back here in MN.
(5) Ma Cacao
Another vendor that I fell in love with at the farmer’s market was Ma Cacao. This locally produced chocolate comes in a variety of swoon-worthy flavors, but the Wild Rose & Sea Salt really spoke to me. I also purchased one of their medicinal mushroom chocolate bars that features chaga, lion’s main, cordyceps and reishi in their 70% dark chocolate bar.
While at his booth, the maker let us try the drinking chocolate which was equally as delicious. And if you are into ceremonial cacao, they offer that, too!
You can also purchase their products online. I’m a big fan.
Bonus add: Salty Raven
Okay – I couldn’t stop at just 5 mentions. In fact, I could probably triple this list but I’d like to actually publish this today – on the actual Friday – so I’ll leave you with Salty Raven, a shop that we happened upon in the township at Cannon Beach on the day we traveled to the coast. The owner is a designer/illustrator who started out screen-printing shirts (I think!) and has since published a children’s book that features a lot of the characters that are printed on the items in the store.
I picked up stickers for myself and friends as well as a cute campfire pottery mug with a Tufted Puffin on it (did you know Cannon Beach is the only location in the US outside of Alaska that gets puffins?). Her artwork is whimsical and fun. And there is literally something for everyone. She features gorgeous glassware, wearables and also curates some smaller gifts and edibles like the Microjoy functional mushroom gummies that I, of course, had to purchase.
And there you go – some of my Portland faves inspired by this latest trip. Let me know if you’d also like me to share our wine country itinerary or VRBO deets. This was a great trip that was well-planned thanks to the group we were with. 🙂
hlockwoo 
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