While I really loved the hike out in Glendalough, it was a bit far outside of town… since I don’t have a car here in Ireland, I’d need to rent something, or get a bus, and… man, it’s just a lot of work. I was missing the park near my apartment back in Wilsonville, and needed a replacement.
Bushy Park was perfect – I can’t quite walk to it, but it was a nice and easy bike ride… which makes it kind of special, you know? It’s got a river running through, some ruins scattered around… and seriously. Just look at the lighting through those trees.
There was even a farmers market! Granted, it didn’t have any veggies or other produce, but… great grilled cheese, and a cool book vendor whose shop I absolutely adores exploring.
Friday, 23-June-2023, through Sunday, 25-June-2023
The Summer Solstice behind me, I drove South.
Green Lakes, and its barrier mountains, receded behind me. Shasta loomed ahead, then passed beside me. Huge spillways loomed around me, and I ate a burrito as I entered Sacramento itself.
The drive was long, but I enjoyed it and appreciated the stillness and solitude. I continued my mental wanderings from my earlier backpacking trip, and took notes (speech to text, of course) as insights popped up.
It was lovely – I’ve learned to appreciate, and even seek out, long drives in the past few years. They’re a form of meditation for me, and they keep my hands busy while allowing my brain to wander… forcing it to wander, in essence, since I don’t have the limitless distractions that I have available at home.
I arrived in the evening, after being gifted a stunning sunset and equally stunning views of Shasta. We caught up, relaxed, and frankly headed to bed earlier than I normally would… but later than Mike and Michelle probably would have liked – impact of having a young one around.
The next morning we hit up an excellent brunch spot that Mike had recommended the last time I was down, and then kicked around town on the bikes – all four of us, excitingly, as this was James’ first chance to ride in his baby carrier, attached to Michelle’s bike!
We rode, checked on the setup frequently, and played around. We relaxed, flew the drone a bit, and enjoyed the sun and surprisingly moderate weather. In short – it was chill, and I adored it.
Sunday was my driving day… but not before another bike ride to breakfast where I was introduced to Acai bowls – for the first time, if you can believe it! I don’t know how I’ve lived in Portland so long and not tried them before… but damn if they weren’t amazing! Crunchy, fruity… all the good things!
Then the sadness of departure, and another gloriously long and meditative drive home – with my traditional stop at In n’ Out for dinner, of course. A drone flight or two, a leg stretch, and I was home before I knew it.
Saturday, Sunday, and Monday – 25-May-2023, 26-May-2023, and 27-May, 2023
Historically, I used to go on big Memorial Day adventures – trips to Acadia, flights to France, adventures in Joshua Tree, and recently a drive down to Sacramento. This year, though, I kind of needed some rest and relaxation… Life, the Universe, and everything has been a heck of a time, and some downtime was exactly what the doctor was ordering.
Saturday, 25-May-2023 (and a bit on Sunday, I think?)
I’ve also always had a dream of enjoying Portland from a bike… I’d biked around a fair bit while living in North Portland, but the rides were generally few and far between – and almost exclusively solo. I wanted to ride with a friend, enjoy the long warm summer evenings, and just appreciate what Portland has to offer.
Jess and I both have bikes, are both in solid shape… so hey! We got a bike adventure going!
The majority of the adventure took place on Saturday – we did a glorious loop all around Portland, going from her place in Southeast to her new place in Southwest, then into Northwest for some desserts followed by dinner (since you never know how long the world will last… have dessert first), and then a lovely ride back home.
We took the gondola, we appreciated the views, and we ate some absolutely glorious food from Papa Hayden (amazing deserts) and Matador (glorious tacos). We biked ’till we were exhausted… and then biked a bit more. We cruised home riding the high of a perfect day, with perfect weather and perfect sunshine (deflected by perfect sunscreen!).
On Sunday, we relaxed for most of the day, but made a point to head out onto the town in the evening to harvest a bit more of the lovely biking weather. A ride to dinner (German food! I had Schnitzel for the first time!), an attempt at dessert (Pix isn’t open anymore, sadface), and then a successful dessert run (an ice cream shop that also sells Charcuterie plates to go?).
It wasn’t the full-day adventure of Saturday, by any means… but it was still absolutely lovely, and gave us the freedom to have a super lazy day and pretty much binge all of Arcane (a great single-season TV show that I absolutely adore). So… absolutely a win of a day!
