Now that fall has settled its grey cloak over us, I have been reminiscing a little about summer. Of hot days, late sunsets, cold white wine and swimming. Our first summer back in the NW did not disappoint. In fact, it was unseasonably warm.  We experienced a series of 100+ degree days which was sweltering in our second floor, circa 1930 apartment.

Luckily, I had an air conditioned office that I could escape to during the day, and this lovely park to look at out my window:

Portland is a great place to be during the summer. A sort of excitement buzzes about the city as people walk to and from work, gather in our many verdant parks, and socialize at outdoor patios. Outdoor dining is something that I missed in Seattle. But in Portland, nearly every restaurant, cafe and bar has some place for people to eat and drink al fresco.

One of the things that I love the  most about summer is swimming. After doing a little research, John and I found a swimming hole about a half hour south of where we live. If you Google “High Rocks Park” you’ll find a series of videos of insane people jumping off the top of a train trestle.  High Rocks Park reminded me a lot of the summers of my youth: river floating, sun, swimming, and a whole lot of rednecks. It became our go-to swimming hole. We regularly went there after work, towels, drinks and snacks in hand. The water was cool, the sun was hot and the people watching was unparalleled.

I also discovered a nearby public pool at Grant Park. Although it’s mostly overrun with masses of children, if you go at the right time and snag a lounge chair, it’s a pretty nice place to read a book and take a dip.

We took a few side trips over the summer, too. Hood River is close enough that we can drive there for dinner. We spent one evening out there admiring the kitesurfers and drinking beer at Full Sail Brewing. We also took advantage of John’s base move and took a little road trip from Medford to Portland by way of Crater Lake.

Be on the lookout for another post all about our “wedding reception” party that we hosted back in August!