Spring/Summer Travels 2017

Here's the thing about travel posts: I like to write them but they're probably pretty boring to read. And unlike solicited travel advice that you MIGHT take into account, I understand that my unsolicited travel recs are even less likely to be of interest to the average reader.

Also, this post is now incredibly untimely since it's already November.

But sorry. This is basically the only way I remember where I went and what I ate and drank there, so this post is happening.

Let's do this.

Spring/Summer Travels 2017:

Las Vegas, NV
Occasion: Dance team ish
Travel Partners: Doug & Anna (& the dance team)
HHH Approved:
- Happy hour at Bardot Brasserie in the Aria (everyday from 5:30-7pm)
- Boozy milkshakes at Milk Bar in the Cosmo
- In-n-Out (delicious and can't beat those prices on The Strip)

Oakland, CA
Occasion: To visit Lauren
Travel Partners: Lauren & Nicole
HHH Approved: 
- Pale ales & ping pong at Lost & Found Beer Garden

Nashville, TN
Occasion: Work conference
Travel Partners: My mom
HHH Approved: 
- Mushroom tacos and margs at Bar Taco 
- For other recs, check out this post cuz we went to all the same places

San Diego, CA
Occasion: Doug's 30th Birthday
Travel Partners: Doug, Sarah & Chris
HHH Approved: 
- Tiki drinks at False Idol (opened by a former member of the Hale Pele team)
- The beers at North Park Beer Co. were decent but we were really all about Mastiff's sausages.
- Modern Times is always a must (except we're mad at them cuz they're taking over The Commons)

Portland, ME
Occasion: Annual Boston girls reunion
Travel Partners: Shannon, Anna & Erica
HHH Approved: 
- Scandinavian snacks & craft cocktails at Portland Hunt & Alpine Club
- I like donuts and I like potatoes so I was very into The Holy Donut's potato donuts
- Blyth & Burrows has a back bar behind a swinging bookcase, so obvs into that too

San Francisco, CA
Occasion: Work event
Travel Partners: Kel
HHH Approved: 
- We loved the laidback vibe, tiki drinks, and delicious Thai dishes at Hawker Fare
- The gin tonics are as big as your head at Bellota - and there are 3 different versions to try!
- The Saloon claims to be SF's oldest bar and it's a great option for Sunday night dance parties

Minneapolis, MN
Occasion: Summer trip
Travel Partners: Doug
HHH Approved: 
- All about the wood-fired eats (and free kitchen entertainment) at Young Joni
- Surley Brewing Co. might be the only MN brewery that makes a decent IPA; great beer garden too
-  It's hard to find, but we loved the speakeasy vibe of Volstad's Emporium
-  Fun, creative flavors at Milk Jam Creamery and can't beat soft serve + cookie dough at MN Nice Cream

Bend, OR
Occasion: Visit Parentals
Travel Partners: Doug
HHH Approved: 
- Bend is a beer town, but Barrel Thief does cocktails right
- Chow is always packed for a reason. Go on a weekday right when it opens if possible.
- It wouldn't be a trip to Bend without an ocean roll at Sparrow Bakery
- Barrio is our go-to special occasion spot in Bend

Olympia, WA
Occasion: Girls Weekend
Travel Partners: Kel, Jenna & Shelby
HHH Approved: 
- Most of the cute places on our list were closed for Labor Day, but not Olympia Oyster Bar!

Okay, now I miss summer. Bye!

Weekend Getaway: Willamette Valley Overnight with the Girls

Things have been a little crazy in happy hour honeys land lately, so I decided that my 31^st bday would be an excellent excuse to get away for a night.

I’ve had my eye on The Vintages for a while, so when Kel, Dana, and Amanda said they were all in for a celebratory wine country sleepover, I booked the second cutest-looking trailer (the cutest was already taken) and went into planning mode.

The Vintages is a “trailer resort” located in Dayton, about 10 minutes southwest of Dundee. “Resort” might be taking it a little too far though. The Vintages is actually a collection of about 20 restored trailers of different makes and models attached to your run-of-the-mill RV park. The “county store” is stocked with more gourmet items than you might expect and the cruiser bikes and striped umbrellas that come with each rental are cute, but no matter what the rental price might suggest, this really is just a trailer park in the middle of wine country, not any sort of “resort”.

That said, our quick trip was definitely one for the books. Here’s our itinerary from the weekend: 

Lunch at Ruddick/Wood in Newburg

Wood/Ruddick is cute little hipster spot about 50 minutes outside of Portland. Our 12:30 lunch reservations seemed unnecessary when we arrived, but the place filled up more as we ate.

In order to prep for our day of drinking, we all ordered hearty sandwiches with fries plus a bottle of champagne to get the party started.

Meet up with Trish of No Whining Wine Tours

For me, the trickiest part of wine tasting is the driving aspect. Uber and Lyft have pretty much eliminated the need for a DD on a night out in Portland, but ride shares aren’t as readily available in wine country. Kel’s brilliant solution: hire a driver!

Trish was recommended by one of Kel’s mom’s friends and we got an insider deal. Aside from the perk of having a driver, using Trish meant that we had access to reduced tasting fees at the wineries that Trish recommended AND a personal photographer for the day. Trish also introduced us to a new winery that all of us loved and probably wouldn’t have found on our own. Basically, you should hire Trish.

Winery #1 – L’Angolo Estate in Dundee

Chase, Kelly’s third cousin (sister grandmas, sister grandmas!), opened the tasting room at L’Angolo last year and we like to go there to use Kelly’s membership to get a free tasting and to feel very fancy that we know the winemaker.

Winery #2- Lenne Estate in Yamhill

This stop was Trish’s idea and we loved the great view (which would have been even better without all the smokiness).

Winery #3- Fairsing Vinyard in Yamhill

Trish also introduced us to this spot, which I think all of us plan to visit again soon. The tasting room is built so that when you look out from the front lawn (which houses a labyrinth and lots of Adirondack chairs), there’s a visual affect akin to an infinity pool. I was getting some serious Lord of the Rings vibes, especially since Fairsing has Gaelic touches throughout the winery.

We barely made it to Fairsing before closing time at 5pm, but at that point we were ready for some food anyhow.

Supply Stop at Red Hills Market in Dundee

We had packed a snacky dinner to enjoy on our trailer “patio” back at The Vintages, but we decided to stock up on more wine at Red Hills just in case. Picking up a pizza here would also have been a good dinner option.

Dinner + Fun & Games at The Vintages

Trish dropped us back at The Vintages and we got a peek at our trailer, the Boles Aero, for the first time. The Vintages website labeled our trailer as appropriate for 2 adults and one kid, but with the double twin beds and the couch/futon, the four of us fit just fine. The trailer was outfitted with a few special touches like a cute couch, robes with slippers, and updated curtains, bedding, and light fixtures … but once again, a trailer is trailer – so don’t expect anything too luxe.

Following our dinner, we hopped on our bikes and cruised around the park for a bit before setting up Amanda’s ring and flamingo game. I also had a surprise for the girls: matching RV & flamingo pjs that I found at Target.

We spent the rest of the night chatting with our rowdy, Duck-loving neighbors, making s’mores on the BBQ, and hanging out in the trailer before hitting the hay.

Breakfast at Block House Cafe in Dayton

Before heading back to Portland, we stopped for breakfast at Block House Cafe in tiny downtown Dayton. You know you’re in wine country when you get offered a wine list at 9 am!

After our breakfast of cinnamon roll pancakes (Block House’s specialty), huge breakfast burritos, and eggs benedict, we hopped in the car and high-tailed it back to Portland.

Such a fun birthday trip!

Portland Happy Hour: Kachka

What: Kachka
Where: 720 SE Grand Ave
When: Happy Hour is daily 4-6pm and 10pm-midnight
Honeys Heart: Dumplings & Moscow Mules

It's crazy that we haven't written about Kachka yet since it's possibly number one on Katie's list of "Favorite Portland Restaurants", but we finally have pictures and recently had a pretty great happy hour.

This June, I was recruited to run the Helvetia Half Marathon with Doug with the primary goal of beating Katie's best half marathon time (just some friendly competition between husband and wife). I will say we did pretty well, and earned ourselves a whole day of bar crawling... and as supportive spouse and primary drinking partner to us both, Katie obviously partook in this reward.

After beers at The Commons, a gin and beer tasting at Loyal Legion, and a quick beer at Bithouse Saloon, we went to Kachka just minutes after they opened for happy hour at 4pm and luckily got one of the last tables in the lounge.

Despite having been on a beer kick, Katie and I started our happy hour with a Moscow Mule ($5) and Doug went big with a Yorsh ($7), i.e. a pint of beer with a rotating vodka. I will say the vodka was perfectly chilled and Katie might have downed the last half of it before we left.

For food, we got an array of items because our friend Alex, who also ran the race, was there and had never been to Kachka. Plus, his fiance is a vegetarian so he has to take advantage of a meal with meat eaters!

Because we had worked hard and needed to replenish with some carbs and fat, we ordered the Bread and Whipped Salo ($2) which is just what it sounds like - cured fatback mixed with garlic and coriander and bread. A sprinkle of salt and this is uber satisfying.

For another shared dish, we got the Sprat Snack ($5) with tiny hot smoked fish, parsley mayo, and rye bread. These little cured fish aren't my favorite to look at, but they're salty and definitely satisfying with the mule or a beer. 

Alex, on a meat kick, ordered the Golubtsi ($8), which is a pork and beef-stuffed cabbage roll. I wouldn't say this was the easiest for sharing but the combination of the roll in the sauce and cream definitely was a comfort food dish.

So far, I haven't had something I didn't like at Kachka, but I crave the Siberian Pelmeni ($9), dumplings filled with beef, pork, veal, and onion. 

Even though the happy hour is a good deal, the dinner menu apps aren't a bad price and a favorite lives on that menu. The Herring "under a fur coat" ($9) is "a seven layer dip. but Russian. and actually a salad" aka it's layered herring, potatoes, onions, carrots, beets, mayo, and eggs.

Katie and I often stray from our happy hour roots these days due to schedules and thinking we have more money now (our bank accounts post home-buying would say differently), but this was a definite reminder that there are excellent happy hours in this city and it's a shame not to take advantage of them.

Buzzed with the Happy Hour Honeys: Wedding Special

In this Wedding Special, we discuss all things bridal! Take a listen for our bachelorette and wedding dos and don'ts plus two of the best wedding stories of all time (sorry again, Jessica).

NSFW cuz wine makes us swear. Enjoy!



A Visual Guide to the Wedding Special:

Bachelorette Party Destinations

Leslie's Vegas Bachelorette by Day

Leslie's Vegas Bachelorette by Night

Kel's NYC Bachelorette

Katie's Austin Bachelorette

Bachelorette Party Activities

Coin game = getting tricked by your friends into thinking these guys had a "drug dog"

It might appear we're drinking in this floor dancing class... but trust us, we were not drinking enough.

To Match or Not To Match?

Sparkle Dresses for Katie's Bach

Vying for a place on the pole. Move boring girls in black.

We are Narcissists (Who Throw Damn Good Weddings)

Dance Party at Kel's Wedding

Por Que No? Taco Bar at Katie's Wedding

Teeny Tiny Baby Bouquets

Boys, stop drinking water and make sure the father-of-the-bride gets home safe!

The Gang Goes to a Wedding

Photo from the room... see wedding party blur on the lawn.

Oh, hi Katie.

Vodka in the presents...

Vodka in the bathroom!

Yeah, we had a bit to drink... and also just love each other a lot.

How Carol Got Her Groove Back

A Lovely Couple

Peach Orchard Engagement Photoshoot

Tractor

Oh, were you trying to take romantic sunset pics? Us too!

Bartender's Choice: Misc. Wedding Things

 A Toast by Kel/A Public Shaming of Doug

Leslie's Reception. That's right, they gave us a mic.

 Pro tip: do not chug champagne on a bus coming home from your rehearsal dinner.

SUPER BONUS: Our Real First Bachelorette Ever

Somehow we neglected this story in this episode, but our first bachelorette party ever was when we were in college. Katie made a veil, we bought a $6 ring at Fred Meyer, and we went to Greek Cuisina in downtown Portland. Best way to get free drinks, but also real awkward when you run into a "coworker" from where you're interning.

P.S. The veil was worn at all of our bachelorette parties and Les wore the ring in Vegas. The most common reaction to that canary yellow cubic zirconia monstrosity: "Wow, your fiance must be so rich!"

Breaking plates and getting ouzo poured in my mouth (16 seconds!) at the now-closed Greek Cuisina.

That's right, I got a shirt.