Oregon was the second part of our trip to the pacific northwest. This half of the trip was a lot rainier than the first half, but we still loved it despite being wet. There was so much to see, do, eat and drink! Hood River had the most breweries and restaurants to try. I had Curry Chicken Soup twice while in Oregon and couldn’t get enough of it, so I decided to make it at home and share the recipe with you! We definitely loved  Portland and Hood River and hope to go back soon.

Things to do

1. Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon. There was not as much hiking here as there was in Mount Rainier and it was a lot wetter when we were here, but it was still an awesome experience. Mount Hood is a beautiful mountain and on a sunny day any hiking or skiiing around it would be fantastic! 
   • Salmon River Trail. This trail leads you up the river where salmon swim up and spawn. How exciting would it be to camp out there and eat fresh salmon during the season?
   • Lost Lake Loop Trail. I highly recommend this trail. It had beautiful views of Mount Hood over the lake. This is also a great spot for camping in the summer.
   • Mirror Lake Trail. This one would have been fun for us if it wasn’t pouring rain!! Apparently there are views of Mount Hood when you get to the lake, but it was too cloudy for us to see anything.
2. Oregon Zoo, Portland. This is such a cool zoo! They have a new polar bear exhibit (unfortunately it was too new so we couldn’t see it) and they have black bears too. 
3. Roloff Family Farm, Hillsboro. We went during pumpkin season so they had the whole place in full swing! It was neat to see what is on TV in reality. We even saw Amy walking across the kids area!
4. Japanese Garden, Portland. Very relaxing and inspiring environment to stroll through on a beautiful Portland afternoon.
5. Rose Garden, Portland. I found the most beautiful and most amazing smelling flowers in this garden. I could spend hours filling my senses in this place. 
6. Cannon Beach, Oregon. The historic Haystack Rock is on this beach. I cannot explain how much I love the Pacific coast and this beach is exquisite. It did help that there were some happy puppies running up and down the beach to make my experience even better. On a calm day you can have your own bonfire on the beach. 
7. Waterfalls. There are too many waterfalls to count on the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge, but here are some of my favorites:
   • Multnomah Falls. This is the second tallest year round waterfall in the US!
   • Bridal Veil Falls. This falls requires a short hike to get to, and the views are fantastic.
   • Triple Falls. This is on the Oneonta Trail where there are many amazing waterfalls to see. There was a crazy girl doing yoga on a log on top of the waterfall, which freaked me out!!

Food and Drink

There was too much to eat and drink so I will just write what my favorite thing was at each place. 

1. pFriem Brewing, Hood River. BELGIAN STRONG BLONDE
2. Cathedral Ridge Winery, Hood River. PINOT NOIR
3. Thunder Island Brewing Co., Cascade Locks. UNICORN TEARS
4. Big Horse Brewing, Hood River. CHOCO DOG CHOCOLATE BROWN PORTER
5. Full Sail Brew Pub, Hood River. SESSION WHEAT
6. Solera Brewery, Parkdale. OATS GONE WILD
7. Double Mountain Brewery, Hood River. KöLSCH
8. Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Hood River. All Organic!!! SEIZOEN BRETTA
9. Saw Tooth Roadhouse, Hood River THE GOODFELLA
10. Thirsty Lion Pub & Grill, Portland SUSHI, CURRY CHICKEN SOUP, MOSCOW MULES