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Stumptown Coffee on Division & 45th taken in 2005 during my Portland pilgrimage. Best americano of my life experienced here.

Same Stumptown. Love how the tree to the right has grown so much fuller.

Our drinks of choice. Cole is crazy for their cold brewed coffee. I like my Mount St. Helens (espresso over sparkling water).

Cribbage and coffee. Bratcher staples.

We mostly ate our way around Portland. Of note was Pok Pok and their legendary drinking vinegar.

We took a day trip to Newport, Oregon, to enjoy two of our passionate interests: beer and marine biology. Part of our honeymoon was spent at an aquarium and a Rogue Brewery outpost, so we figured it’d be nice to continue the tradition.

The trip started off with a stop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. A little-known fact about me is that I deeply desired to be a marine biologist between the ages of 10-12—which is pretty remarkable considering I grew up in the deserts of Arizona. It was my aim to study sharks, so I began an obsessive study. Long story short, I decided I wanted to be a ballerina instead, and now have to watch Jaws with my feet tucked into the couch lest the carpet sharks chew my legs off. I still love all things of the sea, but even more so when they’re behind thick glass. But I digress.

The aquarium was fun, lots of creatures to see and touch in the exhibits and tide pools. We also stopped by the Hatfield Marine Science Center where we saw a huge octopus. There were more science-oriented exhibits here, plus it was a little more quiet, which made for a memorable experience.

We also toured Rogue Brewery, which was definitely a highlight of our trip. Playing cards at Rogue has become a bit of a tradition for us; when we honeymooned in San Francisco, we stopped at the outpost there for a taste of home. We loved hearing their story and heart behind their beer. Rogues in the best and most wonderful sense.

A few sights from preparing meals on vacation. We ate lots of beautiful food.

Cole and I decided to spend a few extra days at the lakehouse to get some much needed rest and relaxation. We spent our days in the lap of luxury. Cole would often get up early to make a fire down in the firepit, where he would read his Bible with a cup of French Press and his pipe. (I may have had a marshmallow for breakfast at some point…) I cooked extravagant meals. We shared an early morning canoe ride on the lake. Most of our time reading and playing games together. Simple expressions of rest.

It was such a gift to be able to have unhindered quality time together.

Special thanks to Toby for our wedding gift of wine. We saved the extra special bottle for this trip to celebrate our first year of marriage.

After a whirlwind of moving all our worldly possessions into our new garage, Cole & I launched our vacation by joining his family for a lakeside and seaside holiday in Lincoln City, Oregon. It was a lovely trip and a perfect opportunity to start practicing with film.

Some highlights:

Waking up to the sound of the ocean.

My first jet skiing experience.

Playing games all night long.

Naps in the sun (which resulted in painful sunburns later).

Getting to catch up and spend time with the Bratchers and Nevins.

My first photo taken on my Minolta X-370S. Shot on expired film, green hues are overcast on this view of 3rd Ave W in Queen Anne. Excited for more film experiments to come!