Our Oregon trip was bookended by days in Portland. On Sunday morning, we checked out of the Holiday Inn and headed to the Gateway Breakfast House for breakfast. They were busy! After a short 10 minute wait we got two seats at the small counter, our own little nook, and ordered a classic ham and egg scramble with hash browns for Eric, and biscuits and gravy for Leandra. Very tasty, and we were full until dinner.
With a few hours to spare until our first wine tasting reservation we tried out several parks around Portland. First up was Rocky Butte Natural area for views!
Next up was Grant Park for a handful of sculptures based on beloved Beverly Cleary characters.
We also drove by the International Rose Test Gardens, but parking was too difficult on Labor Day weekend, so we decided to try again on Thursday. Thankfully things were much quieter on our second try, as the thousands of roses in these free gardens were beautiful!
For dinner on Thursday we made reservations at Campana, where we sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful evening. Eric ordered the risotto (the menu warns of a 30 minute wait, but it was well worth it) and Leandra the pork ragu cavatelli. Both were delicious. For dessert we shared a wonderfully herbal mint gelato to go with the sunset.
Not quite done, we also had a reservation at Les Clos, a wine bar with outdoor seating. After a quick check of our vaccine cards we found a cozy table and perused their curated wine list. We were both intrigued with the Winemans pick, a mystery pour of red or white, and ended up trying one of each. The white was a very pleasant Turkish blend, and the red was fruity and light. Quite a lovely way to wrap up our anniversary trip!
