Natalie Vartanian's Blog

Heeellloooooooo Portland!

It hasn’t even been a full 24 hours that we have been in Portland and I LOVE it already! (I know, I know! This is to all the people that told me for YEARS that I would LOVE it up here.) So green, quaint, peaceful. Granted we have not gone in to downtown Portland yet, but I’m more of a Suburby girl anyway. I realized that growing up in Pasadena, closer to the Altadena and Sierra Madre corner has instilled in me an appreciation for smaller cities – or at least the suburb sections of larger cities. Pasadena was definitely not a tiny town, nor was it a big bustling city, yet it FELT smaller, more community-based.

We got in to Portland last night around 8:30pm. It took us about three days to get up here since we had decided to take our time. I mean, think about it, what’s the rush? The only real time-sensitive event we have is Sally’s friend’s bachelorette this Sunday and the wedding, which is next weekend. I can’t even begin to explain how amazing and freeing it has felt to go where we want, when we want and experience whatever we want! I am well aware that this lifestyle would drive some of the routine addicts CRAZY, yet you can build routine in to anything you do. I mentioned to Sally yesterday during our hike that as crazy as it sounds, I was looking forward to this trip so that I can work out regularly again and eat better. Exactly! I was equating traveling with a healthier lifestyle, when for most it is the death of any kind of diet and exercise routine! This is what I mean though … the traveling is an unstable component, yet making sure to go for a run or walk every day, eat your three to five meals and brushing your teeth and washing your face morning and night become the regiments to add that consistency to your life.

First day on the road (July 5th) we literally drove straight to Sacramento to take care of the auto insurance addition (putting the RV on my account), then headed to Cottonwood where Sally’s friend let us park our RV for the night. Where he lived was a storage space for RVs and trucks etc, so obviously we fit right in! For those of you that are wondering, Sally and I switch off on the driving and that thing is way easier to drive than the both of us envisioned. Yeah, you have to drive a lot slower because trying to bring a 34-foot moving vehicle to a stop is tricky business. Also, going around corners and turning requires some assistance, but one of us usually runs to the back of the bus and directs. We HAVE had some additional “issues” come up, but we’re resourceful girls and have been able to ask for information and/or help when needed.

Second day (July 6th) we decided to explore Northern California a bit. Cottonwood is really close to Redding, so we ventured over to Whiskeytown Lake and parked it until the afternoon! I got a hike in with the puppy (Sally’s Great Dane, Coach), got some work done and even went for a little swim in the main lake. The lake was crystal clear and surrounded by trees. So peaceful and beautiful. Later in the day we made our way over to Lake Shasta, the Dam side anyway, and hung out there for a couple of hours. Apparently the Shasta Dam is the second largest in the nation. I haven’t seen too many other dams, so they definitely got my vote on that little fun fact. The thing was enormous! After laying in the grass, doing some work in the park overlooking the lake and seeing some deer, we filled some gas, checked the oil and got back on the road to find our final stop for the evening. We ended up at a rest stop in Weed, CA. Having bathrooms and a place to refill our water bottles is becoming a welcomed amenity.


Checking the Oil

Yesterday (July 7th), we left Weed around 9:30am and were headed for Portland! We made an early “pit stop” at the Mt. Ashland exit in Oregon. Literally pulled off and parked near the freeway exit. Of course, my sense of adventure had me hike up this small path and it led me to the coolest discovery to date. I hiked up for a couple of minutes and found what looked like an old abandoned little town near the railroad tracks, with a tunnel nearby to boot! I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. Just makes you wonder what it was like back in the day when it was in operation. We got back on the road and decided to make another “pit stop” in Eugene, OR for a late afternoon hike. ANOTHER cool discovery! Sally simply googled hikes in Eugene and what popped up was this 3 mile round-trip hike up to the summit where you have an almost 360 degree view of the area. Breathtaking really. The day just kept getting better and better. Ultimately when we got in to Portland, we filled up the RV with water (since we were on empty), split a bottle of wine (not the best idea in the world if you asked our heads this morning) and hung out with Sally’s friends, one of which has been so generous to let us park in front of her house and plug the RV up to her electricity. I spent the rest of the evening getting to know Sally’s friends, most of which were in a band together in Santa Barbara, and listening to them playing music for a little while (acoustic guitars and vocals – my favorite).


Abandoned Little Town near Mt. Ashland Exit in Oregon


View from Summit - Hike in Eugene, Oregon

Today (July 8th), we went for a run around this super green, tree filled park close to where we are staying and then exercised in the park (push ups, sit ups and dips). We then threw the football around for a while (yup, our RV came fully stocked) and decided to walk down to Alberta Street and browse around. We ate some of the best ice cream ever … Sally had Honey Balsamic Strawberry with Black Pepper and Lemon Basil Sorbet and I had Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache and Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbon. Deeeeelicious!!! Later tonight we head to a show, some other friends of Sally’s are playing in town. They are actually an LA band that played with Sally’s band often. Love the convergences. Of course, the guy working the Ice Cream cart was from the UK, lived in Pasadena for a while (of all places!!), then Dallas and now Portland. Small, small world it is! Amazing journey so far folks … so looking forward to what’s still to come.


Wilshire Park, Portland, Oregon

posted by Natalie Vartanian @ 7:38 PM