our trip.

the trip was incredible. i can't even describe how much i loved portland. and it was a ton of fun showing colin around seattle. 

in portland, we stayed at the ACE Hotel and now i understand what the hype is all about! the room was a mix between military minimalistic and chic boutique with unique touches like mason jars to house q-tips and cotton balls, cilantro conditioner and mint shampoo, and old silver utility lamps. it is now my hotel of choice! when we got into the city, we were exhausted (we'd driven 12 hours!) so we took a nap, freshened up, and then took the dogs to a park to burn off some energy. after exhausting them as much as possible, we hit the town on our own, getting cocktails and mussels at a restaurant that smelled drool-worthy, burgers and beer at a recommended pub, and then popping into a couple shops. in the morning we wandered next door to kenny & zuke's for corn beef and hash (yum!) and went shopping at powell's books, american apparel (to get the dogs brand new red hoodies!) and a couple of local spots as well. we stopped at voodoo donuts on our way out of the city. 

the half-way point between portland and seattle is olympia, washington. we stopped there to visit with an old friend of mine that i recently reconnected with. we enjoyed seafood chowder and shared a pitcher of beer and winston got into his first dog fight on the street with a fat hippie pug. (don't worry, colin was there to the rescue-no harm, no foul). 

in seattle the highlight was introducing winston to my parents and just relaxing at home. we also went out to anthony's home port and scuttlebutt brewery in everett, washington and  spent a day in seattle, wandering around pike place market (and devouring a cup of jumbo shrimp), eating out at the alibi room, and SEEING ANTHONY BOURDAIN LIVE AT THE PARAMOUNT!! (my valentines day gift to colin). i had no idea what to expect when i bought the tickets, but it was absolutely hilarious. "tony" and his french chef friend "interrogated" each other in the beginning which was both dirty and comical. then, the second half of the show was a discussion about responsible eating. it was really quite fascinating and informative, without being preachy.

we decided that we'll be doing that road trip every time we take the dogs to my parent's house. i loved playing hookie, spending time with the love of my life and being in my home town.

do you like going on road trips? what has been your favorite road trip?

xxoo.