Tomlinson Plant Design: Beer & Coffee

Green wall!

There are few things that I love more in life than plants, but a good beer and amazing coffee definitely rank up there. After busy month of wedding prep, job changes, new relationships, and crazy heat, I was more than ready to disappear for a couple days and hide out in wonderful beer and coffee Mecca of the PNW: Portland. It. Was. Wonderful. But it was 35 degrees while I was there, so it wasn't so much of a reprieve as an intensification of the conditions back home in Vancouver. Oregon has long been one of my favorite places to venture off to when I only have a short window of leisure time, though generally I find myself in tents along the coast, trying to avoid as many fellow tourists as possible. I've passed through Portland a couple of times, but have never spent more than an hour or two on the outskirts of town, in Powell's. This time I wanted to enjoy the city and spend some time there. The hotel was booked, Hotel Modera right downtown (randomly it had terrariums--with sad fake plants--in the lobby and a lovely exterior green wall to welcome me), and all other plans put aside. Vacation!

Me, playing with the lovely foliage

It was lovely. I went with one other person, and we pretty much just ate and sauntered around the downtown core, and of course did some tax free shopping. There was even a showing of "Grease," the sing-along version, in Pioneer Square the night we were there, so of course we sat down and enjoyed the show. And sang. I don't sing well, so perhaps be thankful you weren't there. By sheer chance, the Redhead Event was happening in Pioneer Square on our second day. My people were calling me. For those of you who may not know me personally I am a Ginger, born and raised, so of course I had to go check it out. The Redhead Event was a mass gathering of fellow natural Ginger's in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for number of natural redheads gathered in one place at the same time. The number to beat was 1255, and from what I last heard the unofficial count was between 1300 and 1600 Gingers. Unfortunately I was unable to be counted officially because I did not have a photograph of myself as a redheaded wee child, but nonetheless it was neat to see so many of my kind together.

The remnants of a stop by Stumptown

But here's the thing: I spent too much time wandering Powell's, eating at food carts, drinking coffee, frolicking through flea and farmer's markets, ogling the vegetation (seriously, always a major distraction, as anyone who travels with me knows oh-so-well), and sipping on tasty wines...that I had not one delicious drop of beer. Not. One. And I am a Deschutes girl, so please understand that my heart broke a fair bit over my absentmindedness. Oh well, guess I'll just have to go back. Shoot darn! Next time, Hawthorne.