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Saturday, February 15, 2025

Portland Coffee Tour 2025 - Part 2

It's February and that means we're talking about some more coffee joints in Portland. As you know, I adore coffee, and since I know a lot of my readers love coffee, I wanted to bring back this series, especially when coffee shops come and go so fast sometimes and the pandemic didn't do any of them any favors. 

This month I brought back a favorite for Black History Month, also, because there are so few Black-owned coffee shops in our city.

This month I brought back a favorite for Black History Month, also, because there are so few Black-owned coffee shops in our city. But I'll also talk about a few other great ones.


Deadstock Coffee Roasters (rewind from a past coffee series post, to applaud a long-standing Black-owned business in Old Town Chinatown, which now has a second location in Beaverton that you know I'll be checking out soon.)
This tiny little coffee joint is like walking into a little bit of an old school hip hop video. They have sneakers and sports memorabilia and a fun piece of art that features a boom box. They have a few stools to sit at, but when I was there they were full, including someone doing homework on a laptop, so they obviously are pretty social in their small space. You won't find food here, or a menu, but they claim they'll make any coffee you want, or you can ask for their specials. They didn't have any when I visited, but I asked them to just make me something cold and the barista suggested the Zero Chill (also seconded and applauded by a customer, or possibly another worker on break).


It is a cold brew coffee mixed with ice tea. Those are my two favorite things to drink! He was nice enough to pour it into an espresso cup first so I could taste it before I committed to a full size, but I was in. It only cost $4, which I thought was a decent deal, considering how good and refreshing it was. I took my drink to go and drank it on my way to my next coffee adventure. There's street parking or you can park in a paid lot across the street. This area of town is unique, but can also be...challenging.


I keep meaning to make it back to Harder Day, because they have a menu full of delicious sounding things that aren't just bagels, like their breakfast burritos. This shop moved in where one of my favorite other shops closed and I felt a bit guilty going there, but I'm not going to not support a local family-owned in-house coffee roaster. That's not entirely unheard of in Portland, but still pretty rare. I always like to try a special, and a lavender latte can either be done really well or really badly. The coffee had a delicate lavender flavor and smell and the brew itself was really smooth. I also grabbed a toasted bagel with cream cheese, which was as expected.


The shop itself is in a very convenient location and is bright and airy. There is okay street parking. You're not going to be pulling into a lot and jumping out. You may have to walk a block or more. The baristas were very friendly, and clearly know how to make a good drink and keep the noise level down for you to sit and relax. I sat in the window, so I could watch people walking by and traffic, and even though the space is large for a lot of coffee shops in town, it still felt warm and cozy.


When you hear that a coffee place (okay, it's technically a bakery) has Japanese souffle pancakes, you make your way over there, stat! What are souffle pancakes? They are tall, jiggly pancakes that can be made several ways. Champagne Poetry has both plain (served with strawberries, honey, boba, Nutella, caramel, or ice cream) and ube. We both got the plain ones. Eric got strawberries and I got Nutella. 


I also ordered the honey cinnamon latte, because that sounded like an awesome combo with my pancakes, and I wasn't disappointed with either choice. On my next visit, I'd like to try the taro latte and one of their crepe cakes. Every baked good in their case looks like a work of art and everything is incredibly colorful, which goes with the uber pink vibes of the bakery itself. They play funky 90s jams, or they did when we visited, and there's outdoor seating when the weather is nice. This place is incredibly popular, which is not surprising, given that everything is delicious and Instagram-worthy, and it's also in a very walkable neighborhood, which makes it a place easy for people who live nearby to just pop in.

Okay, that's February for you. All the pinks for V-Day and the effortlessly cool Black-owned for Black History Month and just a cute shop in between. I hope you enjoy them and visit at least one while you're out and about or come to visit. 

Tell me your favorite coffee shops from Portland or where you live, or one you'd like me to try for a future review.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Romantic Paris Staycation

This was from my destination date night for Valentine's Day 2024.

Valentine's Day is just a few days away. If you haven't planned anything yet, it's okay, there's still time to get the most coveted reservation, the one at home with your sweetie. If that doesn't sound all that exciting to you, what if I told you that you'd be taking them to Paris (or really any city they've been dreaming of)?

Valentine's Day is just a few days away. If you haven't planned anything yet, it's okay, there's still time to get the most coveted reservation.

In 2022, we took a vacation to Paris, and it was awesome, but not every year can be a Paris year. In fact, I know I'm privileged to have been to Paris even once. So, if Valentine's Day snuck up on you, I'm going to show you how you can pull together a romantic staycation over this week, if you get on it right now. You may need to put it off to Saturday, but you can still do it.



This is one of those times I decided to make all my own food, which is unusual, because I like to get a meal delivered, and you might want to, too, but if you don't, following is the list of foods I made. I wanted as much to be heart-shaped as possible and I wanted to do a tea time spread, as that is one of our favorite things to do:


  • Mini Hasselback potatoes: loaded version
  • Radish tea sandwiches - I cut the bread into hearts and froze and I also added a little radish heart on toothpicks
  • Cucumber flowers with dill butter - I did these as open-face and cut both the bread and the cucumbers into flower shapes
  • Sweet pea and leek tartlets - instead of using big tart pans, I used heart-shaped baking tins from Michael's
  • Salmon petits toasts - I made the filling for this and instead of toasts, I spread it on tortillas, cut them into strips, and then rolled and used toothpicks to shape them into a sort of heart shape
  • Curry chicken tarts - I actually purchased a container of curried chicken from Trader Joe's and put them in phyllo cups I had in the pantry
  • Savory peach tarts - I couldn't find fresh peaches, so I used canned peaches that I dried off between paper towels, and used hot honey instead of cooking the peaches with chili flakes. I also cut my puff pastry into heart shapes


I set my coffee table with a pink sequin tablecloth that was actually a curtain panel, added a heart runner for an interesting look. I also got a 3D travel-themed Valentine's Day card, in place of my usual flower centerpiece. All my tablewear (runner, tiered tray, heart dessert server, heart plates) came from Target. I used red napkins I already had, mismatched teacups from my cabinet, and my bird teapot. We drank a chocolate raspberry tea that I received for my birthday, and I also had a mini bottle of rosé prosecco. They have different stuff this year.  


If you can't find these items at your local Target, don't have a local Target, or don't want to use what you already have, here are some items you can sub in and get before V-day:

As a background, I picked a Parisian river view with the Eiffel Tower behind it. If you've followed my destination date series, then you know I usually do two backdrops, and this time I did, too, but used the second one in a different way. I wrapped our TV stand with a rose garden backdrop, because we watched a few videos of a Seine cruise. 


You can pick up fun things like these ring pops or Valentine head boppers or glasses at your local dollar store. These glasses Eric has on are actually blue, which you can see in other pics, but somehow came out green in the pics where he's wearing them. Mine are pink, but almost disappeared in pictures.


I probably spent the equivalent of a fancy dinner out on this destination date, but I didn't have to hear a bunch of people's conversations, I didn't have to dress up (you can), and I didn't have to drive anywhere and wait for my table to be ready. We had a fun time and it was a nice, relaxing, and romantic evening in. I hope this gives you some good ideas for your own romantic evening in. If you want more tips for things to do outside of your home, here's my post on how to do a romantic staycation on a budget. 


Have a wonderful Valentine's Day, if you celebrate. All of these ideas can also be used for a Galentine's or Palentine's celebration. Cheers!


Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, you will be supporting me and this blog, at no extra cost to you. You don't even need to buy these things. Anything you purchase after clicking through helps. Thank you in advance. 

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Visiting Places Along The Civil Rights Trail

The older I get, the more I realize that our education in Black history (and history in general) was woefully lacking and highly whitewashed. I'm always so upset to learn how cleaned up much of our learning was, when actual history is anything but neat and tidy. It's messy and complicated and though it can be heartbreaking to learn the truth of how people were treated, and are still being treated, knowing history is what helps us move forward and do better. 

Though it can be heartbreaking to learn the truth of how people were treated, and are still being treated, knowing Black history is important.

As you know, I have been trying to do a better job of giving you ideas of what to do and where to go when you travel, so you can learn new things, eat delicious food, connect with amazing people, and come home a more well-rounded person. This starts with me making more posts about the important thing, especially now when our country is trying hard to erase even the few things we did know. 


This is, by all means, not a conclusive list, so check out the Civil Rights Trail website, where you can sort by state or type of landmark. You can view another list of places I suggest traveling, another infographic, and each day this month, I will be posting a story or article about Black creators, pioneers, or history on Facebook. I will also probably post a round-up of those at the end of the month, for those of you who aren't on Facebook or are trying hard to leave it. 

You already know one of my favorite places was the National Museum for African American Music. Some of these landmarks or museums can be easily overlooked, so I encourage you to do a bit of research before you travel anywhere, to learn more about their history regarding marginalized communities. Do you have a favorite place to learn about Black history? Post it in the comments!

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Saving On a Romantic Getaway

As someone who hasn't celebrated Valentine's Day since I was a teenager, and even then didn't love it, I say make the holiday whenever you want and skip the crazy prices on the day/weekend/week itself. Take a getaway later in February or even March. Your money will go a bit further and you won't be fighting with a ton of other couples for overpriced "romance packages". 

Make Valentine's Day whenever you want and skip the crazy prices on the day/weekend/week itself. Your money and time will be put to better use.

Here are ways you can get away for less:

Use Groupon for things to do or places to eat

Groupon is an amazing site that offers deals on a wide assortment of things, not least of which is dining. I always set up notifications for my upcoming destinations and have the app on my phone, so I never have to print out a certificate if I don't have to. Dining certificates can be purchased quite often and many times you can grab a half-off gift certificate to a new local restaurant or one just trying to bring in new customers. 

We've used it for city tours, dinners, escape rooms, and even concerts. Sign up at Groupon for the destination of your next vacation (they cover many international locations as well as the United States and you can change your notifications at any time) and eat and go to attractions for less!


Scour Travelzoo's Top 20

Travelzoo has a Top 20 each week that they put out with their best deals, but you can also search for trips and portions of your trip directly on their site for cheaper activities, tours and more!

Invest in a city attraction card

If you have a list of must-dos on your list, check the ones offered on the city card of that destination to see how many are offered on that card. You can save up to 55% on a list of attractions and activities when you use GoCards or CityPASS. If they aren't available for either of these cards, because you're going out of the country or just because they aren't, just Google "city card [destination city]" and often you'll find something that works.

Get a vacation rental

Hotels can be expensive and don't give you great privacy or make you feel like you're that far away from others, so I usually opt for a vacation rental. You can find something for any budget and for however you like to travel. We almost always go for Airbnb when we aren't staying in a timeshare and are doing a stay of more than a couple nights. We've stayed in everything from a studio up to a three-bedroom, apartments, homes and even an Airstream trailer, from one night to one week and have been happy with our choices and always felt safe and like locals. 

Pick one splurge meal

If you're on a strict budget, pick a splurge meal and go to affordable restaurants the rest of your trip. If you have a bit more leeway in what you're spending, choose one meal to go big on. I do some research before I go and try to make reservations at restaurants I definitely want to eat at and choose the meal that won't totally break our bank. When we were in Palm Springs, I mostly chose breakfast to reserve and then filled in with more affordable options. If you're on a really tight budget, I recommend using the kitchen in your vacation rental.

Rent someone else's car

I try to use my own car when I can, but I am a big car renter. Rentals have almost always been kind of expensive, but since the pandemic and the rental companies sold off most/all their fleets they have been outrageous pretty much at all destinations now. I have been exclusively using Turo for my rental needs for 4 years now. Cars are owned by individuals and you rent from them through the app. I've had cars dropped off for me and also done contactless pick-up. Both have been great and all the cars we've had have been awesome. Think of it like Airbnb, but for cars.

Sign up for Turo for free (they will ask for your driver license info to do a quick background check on your driving record) and get a $25 credit, + refer a friend and you both get a $25 credit once they travel with Turo.

Hopefully, these tips can help you take an alternative Valentine's Day getaway, or even a regular trip another time of the year. What are your favorite romantic destinations?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may be compensated monetarily. Thanks in advance for any purchases you make. It helps me continue to run this blog and bring you my best budget travel tips.

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Travel Apps That Support Black Travel and Travelers

Today marks the first day of Black History Month, and even if our new government doesn't celebrate it and is doing everything they can to stop teaching Black history of any kind, I will always lift up Black travel, travelers, and experiences, because the U.S. was build by Black and brown people, who were native, brought here against their will, or came seeking a better life. 

I don't know about you, but I try to support and learn about local businesses in my home city and wherever I travel. I want small businesses to succeed and in particular Black-, Asian-, and women-owned businesses are at the top of that list. At home, I frequent 2 Asian-owned coffee shops quite a lot, not just because they have stellar coffee, though that doesn't hurt. 

For Black History Month, let's talk about the apps that can help you find Black businesses, learn more about Black History, celebrate Black culture, and support Black creators/technologists:

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

EatOkra

This app features Black-owned restaurants and eateries. It's how we've found amazing places to eat near home and also close to accommodations when we've traveled. It's not exhaustive, but it's pretty good and worth the space it occupies on my phone.


Soko
Farmers' markets are some of my favorite ways to connect with a new community. I always look for markets wherever I travel. It's a wonderful way to talk to locals, learn about their culture, and eat new foods. Soko is your app to find those local markets. It means "market" in Swahili. Unfortunately, it's only available for U.S. farmers markets, but that's okay, because you get to help actual people, not corporations, and that money gets put right back into the community.


Airfordable

No one wants to go into debt to travel, and that's often hard to accomplish, because travel is expensive. Airfordable was created by a Black woman who wanted to help people stay out of debt, but still travel the globe to gain more experiences. For an up-front fee, you can make installment payments for flights you want to book, so you can continue to pay for other necessities along the way.

Babbel

If you're hoping to travel to other countries to learn history and culture, you may want to learn the language spoken there. Limited to some of the most spoken languages in the world, Babbel can help you prepare for your trip. For example, there are lots of countries with large Black communities that speak Portuguese as the official language. Just a few of these are Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde.

Photo by Adam Kring on Unsplash

More Than a Mapp

Wherever you go, you can find points of interest and historical markers for Black history. Set you location in the app and then you can use the interactive map to point you to important places and then learn about what makes them significant through words, links, photos, and videos.

Green Book Global

The first Black travel review app for destinations. If you're a Black traveler and want to go somewhere safe for  you and your companions, this is where you should look. Not only do they look at all the aspects of travel, not just physical safety, but provide you with ways to connect more with the Black community while traveling. 

Black History Quiz

Got some time to spare? Test your knowledge and expand what you've already learned through quizzes. You can't move on until you get the correct answer, so you can easily learn what you don't know. What a great way to "waste" time.

Photo by Roman Kraft on Unsplash

Hayti

Support Black writers by exploring the day's news in all genres, but also listen to podcasts, watch slideshows and more, right from your phone, all by prominent Black journalists that may give you a new perspective of current stories.

Honorable Mentions: National Parks App

While this app doesn't explicitly give you Black and African American historical information, the National Parks have been preserving Black history and stories for visitors. With over 400 parks, each having a rich backstory featuring Black culture and notable points in history, you can get outside and also learn more about this country's past with elevated multi-generational Black stories. Learn more on their website.

The podcast Fanti

Not an app, but part of an app you probably already have on your phone to listen to other podcasts you love. Fanti is a pop-culture podcast run by Black hosts who talk about fandom and other relevant topics that they enjoy, but effect the Black community and fans in an entirely different way than it's white audience (i.e. when you love the art, but the artist is problematic, or vice versa). The episodes are great for downloading and listening on long plane/train/car rides. You might also like Code Switch, The Nod, What a Day, or 1619.

I hope some of these will help you travel more easily, plus educate yourself while having fun traveling. I know that they can really be a great addition to trips and help you fill in time with something educational, important, fun, or tasty.

Share your favorite travel apps with us. Bonus points if they are Black-created or celebrate Black culture.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Your Perfect Pink Destinations

With Valentine's Day coming up, I thought we might look back at some pink destinations, because you don't always have to go to the stereotypical romantic locations to celebrate your love. Yes, I enjoy Paris, but I also love Palm Springs, which is perfectly pink.

With Valentine's Day coming up, let's look at some pink destinations, because you don't have to go to the stereotypical romantic destinations.

Did you know there are so many places you can go that a covered in pink homes, castles, beaches, and even religious sites? This isn't an exhaustive list, but a sprinkling of destinations that can pink up your travels.

Did you know there are so many places you can go that a covered in pink homes, castles, beaches, and even religious sites?

If you're looking for a great destination that can also be budget-friendly and easier to get to and get around in, check out Palm Springs. From free art to rainbows and mid-century architecture everywhere. Nassau in the Bahamas can also put you in the middle of a pastel paradise. The government buildings are all pink, the Atlantis Resort is a sprawling pink hotel and casino, the zoo has a flamboyance of flamingos that are the stars of their own show, and you can take a million pics of yourself among exotic flowers in the botanical gardens. Here's a very old post to help you plan a trip.

Complete your Pink/Barbie trip with some new travel goodies: 

Do you have a favorite pink travel destination? Let us know!


Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links and I maybe receive monetarily compensated if you make a purchase through any of them. This enables me to keep this blog running and bringing you travel tips, so thanks in advance.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Welcome to Meow Wolf's Convergence Station

In 2021, Eric and I took a road trip to Las Vegas to visit with family and experience Omega Mart, an interactive art installation by Meow Wolf that I'd been waiting 3 years to open. There are other massive installations that they've done, but last year we finally had the chance to visit the one in Denver, Convergence Station. 

Last year, Eric and I had a chance to finally visit Meow Wolf's Convergence Station in Denver, Colorado and it was a lot of...everything.

Meow Wolf is an art collective that wanted to do something huge and different that got people interested in art, and what started in a warehouse has turned into a phenomenon that has people traveling the country to get to one of their locations.


Why are they so special? Because it's a ton of different forms of art, very fun and weird, and there's an overarching story and mystery you can solve in each one. Each one has a different story, but also somewhat ties into other locations, which you'll see Easter eggs for while you're exploring. 

Convergence Station tells the story of a transit worker who was on her bus route and drove into a portal that opened up, now that other dimension is slowly taking over and morphing things into weird versions of themselves. People are losing their memories, which are used for currency. Before you lose yours, you can take on the mystery of the Forgotten 4, 4 people who disappeared and nobody appears to remember, except through missing persons posters up all over "town". 


You can choose to buy a Boop Card and try to solve the mystery, or you can just wander around and take in all the amazing, weird, and awesome stuff everywhere. A card is just $5 and you can use it on future visits, in case you don't do everything on one visit, which I completely understand. We arrived right at opening and stayed for 6 hours, and I'm sure we still missed some stuff. 


You take the elevator up to the "street" level, where you'll find stores and businesses and even an art gallery, but nothing is what it seems. Dotted around the street are both public phones and Boop stations for you to learn part of the story of why Convergence Station exists and what became of the Forgotten Four. 


There are secret things everywhere you look, and that's sort of half the reason to visit. Anything can be a door or a secret passageway. Anything can conceal a tiny diorama or game or interactive art. 


This portal is actually a walkway that is as awkward as it looks, but also takes you into a completely different area. Your visit takes you through a bunch of different floors, levels, and environment. You're going to be walking and crouching and sometimes crawling, so wear comfortable clothes and good shoes.


Everything is weird here, but also amazing, and you're going to want to see everything, which can be super overwhelming. You can meet new friends here and you sometimes end up teaming up with strangers to learn how to do certain things or help each other with a challenge. You don't have to, but it's fun experiencing something so interesting and new with new people. 


You can end your story in the security room of Panopticon, where you can both see people in other parts of the building and also call other phones. While we were there, Eric called a phone in Omega Mart and spoke to a visitor there. When we finally figured out the mystery and did everything we were supposed to do to "get credit" for it, the people in the security room were excited to see it and were encouraged to keep going. 


There's something surprising around every corner and behind every door and there are so many places that create stunning and unpredictable photo ops. It's one of those things you can't really explain to someone if they don't know anything about it, but pictures help.


You can't leave and come back, but with your admission, you can stay as long as you want. There's a quick service restaurant in the lobby, which isn't terrific but it's not spendy and it has filing dishes like nachos and rice bowls. That way you can refuel and then continue your exploration of this weird and everchanging landscape. And, if you're lucky, you might even meet the Yawlp. He's awkward and sad, but he's my new favorite cryptid, because who isn't really? 

Have you ever been to a museum that was so amazing that you wanted to tell everyone about it? Tell me about it in the comments!
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