More rain! And more rainforests!
Knox and I arrive in Portland, and the rainy, chilly fall weather continues. Having Knox with me on this trip creates some parameters regarding my free movement in towns and hotels. He doesn't do well alone in new places, especially hotel rooms, and all the dog friendly hotels we have stayed in have strict rules that dogs are not to be left alone. This means I can't leave him to go to a museum, or a long walk meandering in and out of shops, or pop into a restaurant if we are out for a walk and the rain increases. Knox feels very safe and calm in the car, which is wonderful, so I can grocery shop, grab food, load in and out of a hotel room without worrying about him, he calmly waits for me to return for him. But there are limits to car time as well, and I just don't feel comfortable leaving him alone in the car in a parking garage while I have a 2 hour meal or go a distance away to meet a friend somewhere. All this to say, I knew from the beginning that this trip would be primarily about being together with Knox for our adventures, and limiting my indoor time outside of our camping or hotel room. In the continued environment of a pandemic, and wanting to focus on being outside in nature, this is just fine with me, and I adjust to the challenges in a city accordingly. This means a lot of downtime, which I continue to simultaneously embrace and struggle with.
In Portland, I meet in person with an anesthesiologist named Matt, my peer who spent time last year on several medical missions with Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) aka Doctors Without Borders. Connected by a mutual friend, we spoke a few months ago about what to expect from the application process, and he suggested I reach out when I got to Portland. We meet up for a glass of wine, with outdoor seating for Knox, and end up having tacos in an outdoor covered patio with his neighbor and her cousin. We laugh, connect and have interesting and important conversations. It is the most spontaneous fun I have had in a long time, and testament to the magic that travel and saying "yes" can bring.
Knox and I spend a rainy day hiking in Forest Park, a huge network of trails and land right next to Portland. I become mesmerized by the ferns growing from tree trunks. Enjoy some more nature photos, everyone!
From Portland, we drive to McMinnville, in Willamette Valley, heart of Oregon wine country! I am making my way back to the Oregon coast, but stopping here to connect with Renee, Annie's cousin and see her winery! They have just finished the craziness of wine harvest and processing, and she has me sample a few wines, including their gamay, fresh from an Italian amphora. Renee uses a wine thief (glass suction tube) to take a sample. So fun!
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