Portand, OR

So I wanted to do something to celebrate A's graduation, and incorporate that with us getting out of Vegas, so where better to go than where our romance began. Portland, Oregon. We had talked about going there for a long weekend forever and this was the perfect opportunity for us to get away. Thanks to A's boss for allowing me to book her time off, I managed to keep this a secret until the week beforehand (had to let her know so she could organize her week at work).

We left on an early Southwest flight, which went off without incident until our thudding landing in Portland. A quick cab ride downtown and we were able to check in at 12pm at The Benson, an historic hotel that A has been talking about forever and a day. This beautiful hotel was built in 1912 and has kept a lot of its original interior design. Located in the heart of downtown, our huge room was the start to a wonderful weekend.

First stop was lunch, so we headed up Burnside to Henry's Tavern for a quick bite. After lunch and a beer we walked up to NW Couch & 17th to A's old apartment. She was in heaven, picking out some old regular haunts and surprised by the many changes in the 9 years since she'd last been there. We continued our walk in the Northwest neighborhood up to 21st and 23rd Streets, where boutique stores and small cafes and brew pubs lined the sidewalks. We probably spent 5 hours all up just taking in the city - and I know there is so much more to explore over the next few days.

That evening we went to Bluehour for dinner. An upscale American restaurant in the Pearl District that a couple of people had recommended to A. Walking to the restaurant I felt pretty overdressed compared to others in the city. That is until we were inside. It must be the only sports jacket wearing restaurant in town. Food , service and atmosphere was pretty spot on. The Pearl District used to be known as an arty area, but it has now been gentrified into restaurants and lofts as well as the occasional gallery. We took some time wandering around this area after dinner, stopping for a drink at the Paragon. A great area very close to downtown. This is where we'd live (hint, hint, A) if we were to move to Portland. We ended up back at the hotel not long after 11pm, exhausted after half a day exploring Portland on foot. Much more to come over the next few days.