Yesterday Devin, Erin, Amber, Julie and I spent the day eating and wandering our way through the Portland area. We started out with lunch at the lovely and whimsical McMenamin’s Rock Creek Tavern. The building and the grounds make it feel like you have stepped into a fairytale land, and you almost expect to be greeted by woodland creatures as you venture through the doors. The inside is just as inviting with a cozy wood-fed fireplace and the kind of decor that McMenamin’s is famous for. This place is quite literally in the middle of nowhere, but absolutely worth the drive.

McMenamin’s Rock Creek Tavern

Our next stop was the Holcomb Creek Railroad Trestle. I’ve always had a fascination for trains and trestles, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that we grew up literally 200 feet from the railroad tracks that ran through my hometown. I recently heard about this railroad trestle from a blog I follow called That Oregon Life, and knew I had to check it out. From this blog and other research I have done on this trestle, it is said to be the longest, tallest railroad trestle still in operation in the U.S. Depending on what you are reading, there are also claims that the trestle is haunted by spirits of those, who back in the day, would climb to the top of the trestle, tie a rope around their neck and hang themselves. More accounts of people’s experiences can be found by clicking on the the blog link to That Oregon Life.

Holcomb Creek Railroad Trestle

Our third stop was to the Freaky But True Portland Peculiarium. I had been before, but by siblings and Julie had never been. I feel like it is just one of those things you have to do when you visit Portland. That, and there’s a giant Bigfoot there, perfect for a photo opp 🙂

There’s a $5.00 admission charge to wander through the Peculiarium. It was a little different since I had last been, which I thought was pretty cool. Besides the life-size Bigfoot, some other highlights are the alien abduction table, the creepiest doll house I have ever seen, the world’s smallest theater, and other things you will just have to visit to find out.

The Freaky But True Portland Peculiarium

The last stop on our adventure was to Collins Beach on Sauvie Island. Since we were so close, and Julie had never been, we all agreed it was a must do. Julie recently moved to the PNW from California, so we are making it our duty to show her our favorite things and places about living in the PNW, as well as discovering new things and places.

Sauvie Island & The Collins Beach UFO