Portland is a simply laid out city with a prodigious Vegan community.  Large amounts of bikers battle for riding space on the streets among the cars. Despite the fact that there are so many bikers, only a small portion of downtown (from what we saw) offered an actual bike lane. The city is currently experimenting traffic flow with bike lanes.

We spent one night in Portland and went to the all Vegan Pub, Bye & Bye for some local beer and Vegan meatball subs before crashing for the night. In the morning we headed to the Columbia Gorge where large narrow waterfalls are prominent.

Afterwards we headed to downtown to Powells Bookstore “the worlds largest independent bookstore” where we browsed the used and new sections across multiple floors. We walked casually around downtown, pausing for a Gelato for Jack and stopping to take pictures of Portlandia, The Goddess of Commerce statue emerging from the Michael Graves’ building.

In the late afternoon we headed to Montinore Vinyards…one of my favorite wineries. They are a small family operated biodynamic and organic vineyard located in the heart of the Willamette Valley. Their flights are only five dollars and we were given generous amounts of wine for the selections we picked. After sampling some very tasty wines (the region is known for their Pinot Noirs, which Jack sampled) we sat on the balcony over looking the vineyard, each with our respective glasses and the picnic we brought consisting of, pepper crackers, olives, and local organic sheeps milk cheese. While the staff was nice, friendly, and knowledgeable, our favorite staff member was Miss. Kitty – the wineries cat, who sat with us throughout our meal.

That evening we went to Beverly Beach State Park to camp across from the ocean, in a very well kept state campground that had *gasp* showers! We took a walk along the ocean front watching dogs catching frisbees at dusk before calling it a night and heading to Northern California the next day.

Oregon is gorgeous and offers great beaches and camping as well as a low key downtown life in Portland.

After Seattle we headed to Olympic National Park taking the ferry across the Puget Sound. We camped the first night on the rim of the park and headed into town to Port Angeles where we had a beer amongst the locals. It was Twilight week at Port Angeles, and nearby Forks where I stopped in to buy a postcard for my cousin (who is a big fan of the series) and I had to battle a few dozens of tweens in the process. But thankfully I survived!

Heading to the coast we stopped to take some pictures at the visitors center which offers a great view of Mt. Olympus.  At Rialto beach we camped and walked along the shore among the large amounts of drift wood and fallen trees. The coast in this area is dangerous especially at high tide when large logs are lifted and thrown by the rough surf. An eerie fog rolled slowly along the cliff edges and off of the ocean, an area notoriously known by Seamen for ship wrecks.

The next day we headed to Hoh Rain Forest, the worlds’ largest temperate rain forest, where we did a few small hikes throughout the densely foliaged forest. Along one of the paths we came across two small field mice dining on some grass – they didn’t seem to be bothered by us in the slightest.

Our last stop in Washington en route to Oregon was at Mt. Saint Helens as the sun was setting to take some pictures.

Full set of Washington Pictures Here!

As you’ve seen it’s been a while since our last post. The west coast is filled with amazing things to do, whether it be exploring one of its many waterfront cities or getting acquainted with the vast outdoors – there are few limitations, if any.

We were lucky in Seattle to have some clear skies and warm weather so we could take advantage of all that the city has to offer. We started our first morning by going to Pike Place Market to check out the world renowned scene. The market offered fresh seafood, artisan cheese, produce and flowers among other goods such as pastries and gourmet pastas. We were brave enough to try some interesting jams, such as black pepper pomegranate and ginger. We picked up some locally made goods; champagne grapes, a rustic baguette and chevre and walked along the waterfront to the sculpture garden where we ate a deliciously simple lunch in the shadow of the gardens largest sculpture.

Pike Place Market

Lunch after Pike

Afterwards we walked to the Seattle Center which hosts the Space Needle. Hopping on the cities only Monorail we passed through part of the Experience Music Project Museum and ended up near Pioneer Town, the oldest part of the city. Pioneer Town was completely burnt down in an early 1900’s fire but has been rebuilt according to the architecture of the day. We walked through China Town, which was surprisingly very small and almost unnoticeable where we found refuge from the glaring west coast sun in a small asian garden.

Space Needle on a Rarely Clear Day

In the evening we headed to Cafe Flora somewhat on the outskirts of downtown where I was personally very excited to go! Cafe Flora has been mentioned numerous times in my favorite magazine, Vegetarian Times, and has won vast amounts of awards from vegetarians and food critics throughout. The food was nothing short of perfect and we made sure to give the chef our compliments before leaving. We started out the meal with a lentil pate platter which included locally baked croccantini, caper berries, caramelized red onion confit, and assorted olives. Our entrees were as equally creative and tasty. I had the wild mushroom tartlet baked with goat cheese and sweet onions, topped with a green bean salad in a shallot djion dressing and a huckleberry current sauce. It was perfect combination of spicy, sweet, and sour. Jack had the Polenta dish which was served with onions, peas, and cherries in a balsamic port reduction with cambazola cheese. Dessert was also wonderful. I had the vegan chocolate mouse topped with fresh blackberries and Jack had the blackberry ice-cream, which unfortunately was not vegan. Out of all of the many places I have been which offer vegetarian food (and I’ve been to dozens and dozens) I would highly recommend Cafe Flora above all others.

Lentil Pate Platter at Cafe Flora

Our last day in Seattle we went to the Porchlight Cafe while we were getting the car serviced. The cafe was simple and offered good coffees and Mighty O Donuts which are also famous world-wide amongst vegans for their large menu of Vegan and Organic Donuts. They were by far the BEST donuts we have ever had! Fluffly, rich but not too dense and topped with just the right amount of glaze or topping. Thankfully they also sell them at Whole Foods and other local organic eateries. Mighty O and Cafe Flora alone are enough to make me visit Seattle again!

Seattle was a nice town which was vegetarian friendly but it lacked that certain something that would make me move there. I will definitely be back for a visit again, if only for the food.

Jack and I had both heard good things about Vancouver and we were excited to get into the city. Upon checking into the hotel the front desk made an error and we were upgraded to a queen suite room on the 15th floor overlooking downtown, which of course we did not mind at all. We were able to see Cole Bay as well as many of the cities large apartment buildings, parks, and Vancouver Island.

Our first day in the city we took it easy and relaxed a bit before heading to the Kitsilano district, Vancouver’s answer to the Lower East Side, for dinner at The Naam, Vancouver’s oldest vegetarian restaurant. Jack had mixed vegetables with rice in a miso sauce, and is no longer allowed to complain about us eating “something with rice for dinner” since he still orders it when we go out! I decided to part with rice for the evening and had the steak with miso gravy, steamed vegetables, sesame fries and beet salad. Our meals were delicious and to top it off we had coffee and shared a slice of the double fudge cake. The atmosphere was relaxing and we dined on the patio which had ivy covered awnings and comfortable wooden furniture. Every night between 7-10pm there is local music, which we also got to hear in the background. The Naam is also open 24 hours which is perfect for those round the clock veggie cravings.

The next day it down-poured and we attempted to walk across the city and ended up going back to the hotel to get the car instead. We checked out the Chinese Garden where classic Chinese architecture is nestled inside the city center. We learned a bit about the culture and creation of these gardens such as; bats being a symbol of good luck, no window design will be the same, and that koi fish can grow to be  200 years old! In one of the many educational halls at the garden you can sip on some freshly brewed green tea while gazing over watercolors and listening to authentic Chinese music. After the serenity of the garden we had a craving for …. you guessed it Chinese food and headed to Bo Kong Vegetarian Restaurant and shared some wonton soup and pan-fried spinach noodles.

Bo Kong, Veggie Wonton Soup

The rain was bogging us down and it had been a grueling few days so a serious nap was in order. In the evening we took a leisurely stroll across downtown, through the Davies Village and Robson Districts before we stumbled into a small dessert cafe and called it a night.

Vancouver At Night

Our third day in Vancouver we headed up to North Vancouver to Grouse Mountain where we partook in the Grouse Grind, a trail comprised of 2,830 stairs climbing 3,700 feet in just 1.8 miles, at a 56% grade. It was INTENSE. Due to erosion a lot of the stairs are broken or missing and we ended climbing up tree roots and rocks often in an almost completely vertical fashion. Finally getting to the top we both felt extremely accomplished and we laid in the grass overlooking Vancouver in all of its beauty but more importantly stretching out our legs!

We enjoyed Vancouver. It was a clean city, big into farmers markets, organics, and sustainability which offered numerous amounts of hiking and outdoor activities. We would love to come back here some day and visit again.

After our great time in Denali we headed south to Anchorage making a small breakfast stop in Wasilla , where thankfully for both mine and Sarah Palin’s sake we did not run into her. In Anchorage we hit the town getting hot chocolate at Kaladi Brothers coffee and later dined on some fine indian food at Bombay Deluxe. The next day we went to Fish Creek to see silver salmon making their way up stream. Anchorage has a few things to do but unfortunately most of them did not interest us and we decided to move on.

After our stay in Anchorage we decided to check out the southern coast of Alaska by heading to Seward where we went to the SeaLife Center and Exit Glacier. At the SeaLife Center we got to stand not more than a foot away from puffins, see harbor seals feeding, and pet arctic starfish. At Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park we hiked a trail to the foot of the glacier, which has receded significantly in the past several decades due to climate change. We could also feel the cool air coming off of the glacier and see the massive rivers the glacier melting creates. Exit Glacier is but one of forty glaciers that stem from the massive 1,100sq mile, Harding Icefield.

After Stewart we checked out the Alaska State Fair, which offered some interesting sights and people. There was a farm exhibit so we pet some cows, saw owls and of course, prize winning cabbages. We had to try some local flavor so we ate some fresh peach pie, since the vegetarian stand sadly was out of corn dogs. Jack wanted to check out some more exhibits so we saw the pig races and the Equestrian Extravaganza, a bunch of gypsies doing back flips off of horses to choreographed gypsy music. This was Jack’s first State Fair and he was very excited to take it all in.

Heading To Vancouver…

We stayed one night at the Tolsona Wilderness Campground and had a beautiful campsite on the edge of a babbling brook. Sadly though, just after we cleaned up dinner and went into the car to warm up a grizzly bear came out of the meadow directly behind our car knocking over garbage cans. I spotted the bear first and screamed “OH MY GOD IT’S A BEAR!!!! LOCK THE DOORS!!!!”. Naturally, I refused to leave the car for the rest of the evening and  played lookout as Jack grabbed the sleeping bags from the tent. It was not the most comfortable night but we didn’t want to take any chances.

I want to apologize because I accidently lied in our last post about the third of September being our last night in Alaska! We had intended to stay in Stewart, British Columbia but tenting was not allowed due to recent bear activity and so we ended up in the small fishing community of Hyder, AK, “The Friendliest Ghost Town in Alaska” for a night.  Hyder, despite it’s barren streets, lack of pavement and stop signs is home to some 100 people. We think we saw most of them that evening at the Sealaska Inn & Bar where we stayed in a modest “sleeper room” comprised of a small window, wood paneled walls, a shared bathroom, and two twin beds directly above the bar. Down the street on Salmon Glacier road is an observation deck where we were able to watch bears catching salmon. We saw a black bear eating and it was incredible! Their claws are huge and made it me want to invest in an industrial sized can of bear spray, especially after our recent encounter.

Hyder, Alaska on a Foggy Morning

We had to pass through Stewart to get to Hyder so we decided to check out an adorable place, the Bitter Creek Cafe for dinner. We were extremely surprised with both our meal and the decor of the place. Decorated with antiques the cafe sells home made chocolates, artisan teas, and the obligatory canadian maple syrup. Our meal was delicious and it was such a nice change of pace from the lack of inventive meals in the more rural areas.

House Salad at Bitter Creek Cafe

There aren’t many major highways in northern British Columbia so we often have to take back-roads which are narrow and winding, which perfectly describes the Cassiar Highway. Although scenic, the dangerous road offered limited visibility and blind-spots, but we took it slow and safely arrived at the Boya Lake Provincial Campground. Our campsite was amazing, well kept and we a had beautiful view of Boya Lake at sunset and the moon rising over the mountains.

Moon Over Boya Lake

Our last stop was in Hope, British Columbia where we stayed at the Hope Valley Campground, which is my new favorite – exceptionally clean bathrooms and a game room with Ms. Pacman is a rare treat. Jack got really into Jurassic Park Pinball, and we had a fun night playing games after eating our tasty dinner of veggie chicken, mashed potatoes, and carrots.  In the morning we were famished after breaking down our wet tent (which has become a daily activity since we’ve gotten rain the past eleven nights of camping!) and we headed to Rolly’s where we had a savory breakfast. I had the eggs benedict with tomato slices (in place of ham), the hollandaise sauce offered a perfect balance of lemon on top of impeccably poached eggs. On the way to Vancouver we stopped at the Farm House, which specializes in home made cheese (mainly gouda and cheddar) from goatsmilk where we got to go into the barn and meet the baby goats, and they were ADORABLE!

Baby Goat at The Farmhouse

Our drive to and from the Last Frontier of Alaska is officially complete and what an experience it has been!