Today we woke up at our Airbnb and walked up to the nearby Insomnia Coffee Company and had a nice breakfast.
We headed toward Hermiston, OR, but stopped in Portland on the way. We were able to visit a couple of yarn stores (Knitting Bee and Knit Purl), but my favorite destination was Powell's Books, the world's largest independent bookstore. We saw lots of books and may have bought a few as well :).
After Powell's, we took Katy to Starlight Knitting Society, where she was able to meet one of her favorite knit designers, Mara Catherine "Orange Knits." She was very excited and got to talk with her for a bit. When Katy was done at the yarn shop, we had a delicious lunch at one of the food trucks in downtown Portland, Grilled Cheese Grill.
When we were done with our Portland adventure, we headed east toward Hood River, where we gassed up and got some Starbucks. Here we got off the main road and took the Fruit Loop Road where there were lots of fruit stands, shops, and excellent scenic vistas. We stopped a few times along the way, notably at Foothills Yarn and Fiber, where we petted some Alpacas, and Lavender Valley, where there was a giant field of lavender with a background of Mount Hood. The weather was a bit warm, but otherwise perfect and made for some great views.
Our last stop of the day was the Comfort Inn and Suites Hermiston, OR and we had built up enough hotel points to get a free night!
What We Learned: Today we learned all about lavender. The flowering plant is mostly grown for its oils, which have a recognizable smell that is pleasant to most. The flower is marketed for a variety of uses and is even used frequently in cooking.
For the day we traveled 249.5 miles and saw license plates from 21 states and British Columbia.
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