Blind Traveler: More of Portland.

After some record high temperatures (104-106 degrees) here in Portland, it was time to explore more of the city. This takes our travelers to Sauvie Island, 20 minutes outside of Portland proper. Sauvie Island is an agricultural treasure chest of fresh organic produce and is highly recommended for any visitors. We picked about 10 pounds of blueberries and 7 pounds of raspberries and marion berries (blackberry / raspberry hybrid). After Sweltering in the heat, we headed to the beach to cool off in the water. After a few hours of lounging we headed home to make some fantastic cobbler with our freshly picked berries as well as some marion berry mojitos to wash it all down.

A pleasant surprise, we found out that we had another SCAD friend in Portland, it's Porter! Not only was he in Portland, he lived in the adjacent neighborhood to where we were staying with Anna. We met up for a glass of wine in his neighborhood to catch up that night. Thursday was designated as girls' day meaning Katie and Anna spent the day taking the dogs for a hike in the gorge, getting a much needed hair cut and wedding dress shopping. Before the girls left the boy, we all met up for breakfast at Voodoo Donuts where you can get everything from a normal glazed donut to one that is shaped like a doll with needles in it. What did Dan do all day? Well, first he spent some time on the internet sending more resumes out at the library, laundry, and finally meeting up with Porter for a drink at Amnesia Brewery in the Mississippi District. Dan and Porter followed up the beers with a mid afternoon snack at a local oyster bar, EaT. That night everyone met up again for Alberta Street's Last Thursday which is an event where artists, musicians, and food vendors set up on the street extending several blocks for an evening of festivities. We all had a late dinner at Mississippi Pizza Pub and listened to a bluegrass band perform.

Friday we grabbed some Dutch Tacos at the delicious Flavour Spot. We then walked to the Rebuilding Center, where we could have wondered for hours looking at all the old windows, doors, beams, hardware, fixtures and more that had been salvaged from area homes.

On Sunday we all decided to head to the coast to try our luck at clamming. Waking up at 6:30-ish we drove to the coast with much enthusiasm. The first spot we arrived to was in Netarts Bay. After digging for a good hour and no luck we decide to head further south to Pacific City. After grabbing some lunch at a little beach shack of a restaurant called Fat Freddy's. We took the dogs out onto the beach where they were allowed to be off leash and let them have at. With a serious case of food coma, we decided to go sit on the beach and watch the surfing competition which evidently led to all of us passing out on the beach. Waking up with one thing on our mind we headed to another clamming spot just north of Pacific City. This time, we had a new weapon...a clamming gun. To say the least, we hit the jackpot; collecting 8-10 pounds of varnish clams, cockles, and gaper clams. That night Katie started the long process of cleaning the gaper clams as Anna and Dan prepared the varnish clams. Dinner was varnish clams poached in a garlic butter white wine sauce with a loaf of sourdough to scoop it all up with. Absolutely exhausted we all collapsed after dinner for a much needed sleep. The following day Katie (with some help from Dan) continued to clean the rest of the gaper clams for clam chowder, made blueberry pie with Anna's delicious homemade pie crust, and had some much needed beer. Sadly, by the time it was all done, we were just so clammed out that we had ramen instead....and of course, the pie was delicious, a la mode. Chowder for lunch the next day though!