Where are the Werner's?: Portland Pondering

If you go to Portland you must bring a bike. When biking on various streets and through riverside parks Nate and I were amazed at how many people were out running, biking, jogging and walking at 11:30am on a Friday. Do people work in Portland? There are so many alternative modes of getting around and it is so pedestrian friendly. I really enjoyed how flat the city is in comparison to Seattle and surrounding area. That isn’t to say we didn’t bike hills. On Thursday I experienced mountain biking for the first time. I’m told carrying your bike more than you ride it is the true definition of mountain biking. On the Story Burn Trail Nate planned for us to do an 8 mile loop, which would typically take about 45 minutes to an hour. About 2 miles in and 1.25 hours later I requested a defeat and back track. The riverside trail was so muddy that it was quite a workout attempting to hold our footing and pushing our bikes up the mountain side. Gym Nate Extreme kicked my butt.

Not all activity I experienced in Portland took me to my physical limits. I enjoyed Jessi’s dance party on Thursday night. Nate and I got to stumble our way through a few social dancing styles including Fox Trot, Waltz, Swing, Rumba and my personal favorite the Tango. I had so much fun dancing with the pros but nothing can compare to dancing in the arms of my lover and best friend, Nate. Jessi is an amazing dancer and instructor. We also had the pleasure of meeting Jessi’s man Jim who took us to a great pub to sample the local brew. Portland serves local…as the standard.

The next stop on our map was Redmond, OR. We came in on the first Friday of the month and we got to participate in Art Hop. Art and gift shops host free drinks and some food to entice shoppers to come out. We met some great new friends along the way. Our cousins Josh and Jenny and little Emma hosted us for the weekend and we enjoyed our time with them and the whole family. My favorite quote of the weekend: Mommy Jenny said, “Emma, hold your horses.” Emma replied, “I don’t have any horses.” Nate’s Uncle George and Aunt Terri hosted Super Bowl Sunday, which was quite a relaxing afternoon, I felt so at home I took a Sunday afternoon nap. The boys watched the game while Aunt Teri and I reminisced over Sarah’s wedding and then discussed all the beautiful details of Amanda’s wedding. Two weddings in 10 months is no little matter.

Next stop the Oregon coast, everyone pray for mild weather, it’s supposed to rain.