There’s a lot of reasons to own a business, but taking time to be with my family was always a huge one. It’s not easy to plan a trip – and it can be tough when you’re planning it with friends, but I was SO thankful that Mike and Loren included us on their Portland family trip. I’ve always wanted to go to Oregon – my grandfather lived there growing up, my aunt still lives there (and my kids got to meet her), but there’s also just so much to see. We went to markets, the gardens, the zoo, record stores (literally the best record stores ever), visited with Mike’s sister and JJ, saw so many beautiful sunsets, and explored the coast and Columbia River Gorge.
I cannot recommend Portland more if you’re planning a family trip. Chris and I already want to go back. Amy and JJ were great hosts and took us to the most fun places with great food and good times. I’m so thankful for them and their hospitality.
Why’s this relevant to Misty Saves the Day?
Well, I started this business because I wanted more of a life outside of work. I wanted to experience things with my family and friends – I wanted to be able to step away. I want the same for our clients and business owners that we work with. This is the perfect example of why. Taking the kids to another coast, letting them see things they may never have the opportunity to see, and experiencing the world with them is SO special.
The Portland Saturday market was a giant highlight – there were so many great local vendors and small businesses to support. I could’ve eaten anything from the food trucks that were there, but the gyros were AMAZING.
Spending a Day on the Oregon Coast
Not going to lie – beach day was my favorite day. We went to Coastline Surf Shop in Cannon Beach, saw Haystack Rock, went to Hug Point (where I locked my keys in the rental car), Manzanitas, and then went and ate fresh crabs right off the dock. It was an amazing time. I could’ve done a blog just from this day – I took so many photos and everything was so beautiful. Ending with the sunset at Cannon Beach was for sure a highlight of the entire trip.
Shout out to Hertz Rental Car for their quick roadside assistance.
My kids meeting their Aunt Joy for the first time (well, Wren – Piper met her when she was 2) was really special, too. We got to have a breakfast with her and they got to get to know her a little more. After that, we hit up the Oregon Zoo – which was incredible. Arguably the nicest zoo I’ve ever been to. The animals were happy and loved. The carousel was pretty fun, too. It was just a normal carousel, but when was the last time you rode a carousel as an adult?
The Columbia River Gorge day was another HUGE highlight.
We went to so many places going up and down the highway. We saw so much. So many waterfalls, a few great hikes, lunch with a view, flower crows, and views of Mt. Hood were some pretty great moments. This was the other beautiful part of Oregon I wanted to see – mossy trees, beautiful hikes, cascading waterfalls.
What’s a Portland family trip without a Portland, Oregon sunset?
If you know me, you know I love a sunset. We saw a few really great ones while we were in Portland. Beautiful overlooks, family time, just hanging out.
Just so you can see that I was also there… going with your best friend who’s also an amazing photographer and taught you everything you know means that you get great pictures to go along with it. Thanks, Dragon Studio, for capturing me in the memories, too.
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