Summer Road Trip Adventure Part II: Eugene and Portland

A long day of driving brought us to Eugene by dinnertime.  Right after some long overdue hugs with with our friends Matt, Andrea, and Kevin we set off to the neighborhood beer garden to catch up . The last time we saw little Kevin he was a newborn, and it was great to see him fit into our rowdy boy gang from the get go. On the menu were massive sushiritos, which Magnus and Linus devoured to our surprise.

The biggest delight for the boys (both adult and juvenile) was a neighborhood bar arcade.  There was a free, unlimited Street Fighter II Championship Edition (also known as The Video Game of Our Youth)-- it was game on! As you can see, it wasn't just "a game" and everyone took the competition very seriously.

The next day Mattias had to get some work done so I brought the boys outside to the nearby playground, followed by a U-Pick blueberry farm.  The impressive site had the best goat housing I've ever seen, complete with ramps for climbing and pulleys for food.

After some goat feeding we head out to the fields to feast and pick blueberries, but we had to stop for the sprinklers. We got bucket loads of berries and ate enough to skip lunch.

While Kevin went home to nap, we stayed on for ice cream and faux mining. Sadly, we didn't get many pictures of us loafing around their house, watching movies, and strolling around the hood.  It was a brief but spectacular visit with our friends.

We travelled northward again, hitting the Willamette Valley's Stoller Family Estate.  The winery had a beautiful outdoor tasting area with yard games, and a large oak tree with a tire swing.  The kids ran off and were close enough to see but far enough away that we couldn't hear them-- why can't parenting always be this pleasant ? It also happened to be our fourteenth wedding anniversary.

After getting our fill and loading the car with "supplies" (um, wine) we hit the rush hour roads to Portland to visit the Overman family.  We spent much of our time at their house, catching up, getting to know each others kids, and exploring their favorite neighborhood spots.  Again, we don't have many pictures to show for it. This was our first time to Portland as a family, and we had fun hitting up Pip's and Blue Star Donuts.

It was an unseasonably hot weekend, but we found cooler temperatures up in hills of Washington Park.  There we explored the International Rose Test Garden and the Children's Playground.

We worked up an appetite and hit up the Alder Street Food Truck Pod--  where everyone got exactly what they wanted. We seeked further refuge from the heat at Powell's Books and Jamison Square in the Pearl District.

By the weekend's end we were ready to escape the heat and head North.  We said "Goodbye" to Oregon, knowing we'd be back to explore it's wonders after a brief respite in Washington.