our last stop on our big post xmas road trip was portland. we had heard lots of good things about this city and had high expectations of falling in love with it. we drove from utah through boise, idaho (which we wish we spent more time in, already planning a RV road trip there this summer) to portland. it was a long stretch, but we had planned to spend 2 full days in portland (the longest stop in our trip). we got there and ended up downtown where all the food carts are...this was a good welcome, after being in the car for so long and hungry.

there is a block that is filled with permanent food carts, with every kind of food imaginable. we checked out every single one and asked the valet guy what he suggested. jarad decided on a vietnamese pork sandwich, and i went for a green thai curry. while the food was really good, jarad ended up getting an allergic reaction to the food being prepared with the same utensils that touched shellfish. after checking into our hotel and resting, we headed back out to the science museum, where they had the "body works" exhibit. it is a fascinating display of the human body plasticized to highlight muscle groups, tissue and diseased organs.
the next day was new years eve, and the whole downtown seemed to be closed. we went to voodoo donuts, which had been featured on the food network channel as having some of the best donuts. we waited in line in the cold to try for ourselves...
we got a large selection of donuts, including bacon maple bar, purple lavender pixie stick, chocolate coconut, and banana chocolate peanut butter. jarad really liked the donuts, but i thought they looked pretty, tasted stale and were overall too sweet.
we went to a few local gift shops and antique stores, and decided that we really only needed one day in portland. we hit the food carts one last time before getting on the road and heading back home through northern california. we both went to the chinese food stand, where the guy made homemade noodles for the choi mein. it was delicious!
i am glad we went to portland, but we were both disappointed from the idea of what we thought it would be. we both expected it to be smaller, cleaner and more hippie that it was.
we started the long trek home and spent our last night (new years) in redding, ca., so that we could have breakfast in chico on new years day, and i could show jarad chico state (my college town). our very last stop was in fresno, so jarad could check out a city park known for its great bike park. we had a great time on our road trip adventure, and even though we didn't spend a long time in any one place, we never felt rushed and did everything at our own pace. whether it's a trip to europe, a camping adventure or a road trip, jarad and i have proved to be great travel companions, and i look forward to planning more vacations! our next one will be next month to visit his family in texas, just in time for rodeo!!!