Weekend Getaway to Portland

My husband and I don't have any big vacations planned for this summer, but we definitely feel the need to get away sometimes, so we've planned a few little weekend trips to Portland, Oregon.  We stayed overnight there a couple of weekends ago and the weather was absolutely gorgeous!  We had a great time with the munchkin, eating at delicious dining spots and exploring all the splendor that the area has to offer. 

We love taking trips to the Portland area because it's only a two and a half hour drive away and we've found a lot of family friendly activities to do there.  And who can pass up the tax-free shopping?  It's like there's a sale everywhere you go!  We always do some advance planning for certain stores that we want to hit up while we're down there.  Though we did buy a few things during this trip, the main events were a trip to the Oregon Zoo and berry picking at a local farm.


Chris had a great time looking at the animals:



Checking out the sea turtles



Making friends with a goat

And, he even got to take a little train ride (he loves trains)!  We came across this as we were getting ready to leave the zoo and decided that even though he was starting to get tired, this would be a great experience for him.  It was a quick 30 minute tour around some of the scenic areas of the zoo and it was a nice way to relax after all the walking.  He had a great time - sitting in a seat by himself like a big boy.

Having fun on the train

The next day we went to Kruger's Farm on Sauvie Island and had a grand time picking our own blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries.  We went there in the morning but by the time we got started it was already in the 70's.  With no shade and only the occasional light breeze, it felt more like 80 degrees.  We ended up with a lot of berries but I think we could have picked more if Chris and I weren't burning up so much.  The Mr. was a little more accustomed to the heat, being a California boy before migrating to Washington.  He said that I wasn't built for hard labor and I would have to agree!



Most of the blueberries weren't ripe but they still look pretty



All of this cost us a little over $8!  Totally worth all the effort.

After all the berry picking, we bought some yummy sausages that were being grilled at the farm. We enjoyed a nice lunch under the shade after all our hard work.  Once lunch was finished, it was time for the munchkin to take his afternoon nap, so we decided to start the long drive home.  I couldn't have asked for a better weekend!

Hope you've got some summer fun planned!

Michelle