We took a trip to Portland and Kalama by train to celebrate Tom’s birthday. We visited quite a few McMenamins properties, getting our passports stamped. This post is about the trip. Warning: there are lots of photos.

I finished a sock for Tom on the train. I did not start the second one because I was worried this one was too big. But it fit great. BTW the white yarn glows in the dark and the blue yarn is from recycled jeans.

We arrived in Portland and found our room at the Crystal Hotel.

We then explored the hotel.

We then walked to the Mission Theater to get our stamps. It used to be a Swedish Evangelical church.

We then walked to the Rams Head pub.

There we met our bartender Neil who made me an amazing burnt cinnamon Old Fashioned.

We then walked to the Blue Moon Tavern and then the Tavern & Pool.

Next we headed to the 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop. I was impressed by the variety of bitters. And they had curling on the television.

Then we traveled to the Blue Diamond to see one of our favorite Portland musicians, Ben Rice.

Saturday morning was Tom’s birthday. We started the day with soaking in the saltwater pool while sipping coffee at the hotel.

Then we walked to the Market Street pub for lunch. I read the Willamette Weekly there.

We then took a tour of the Crystal Hotel brewery, Lola’s Room, the Crystal Ballroom and Ringlers Pub.

Next we headed to Hawthorne to Greater Trumps and had a Kentucky Mule and cider.

We then headed to the Baghdad Theater. Unfortunately the photos inside did not turn out as it was amazing in there.

Next was the Baghdad Pub where we had Scooby snacks and Pear Sidecars.

Then was the Back Stage Bar where there was a 19 foot screen to watch the Buffalo-Houston game.

After the game we went to the Portland Cider taste room.

We went back to the Crystal Hotel and the Zeus Cafe for dinner.

After dinner we headed back to the Ringlers Pub to watch the Patriots lose. We had an amazing server there.

After the game we went to the Barley Mill Pub.

Sunday morning we took another soak in the pool, breakfast at the Zeus Cafe and then a train trip to Kalama.

We went to the Kalama Harbor Lodge. Our room wasn’t ready so we watched the first half of the Seahawks game and had lunch in their Lounge.

We checked into our room at halftime and watched the win over the Eagles there.

Then we explored the lodge

and walked to Ahles Point Cabin.

We walked back to the lodge and had an amazing dinner in their pub.

We explored the lodge further and headed to the Cloud Bar.

At the Cloud Bar I had Old Fashioneds and bread pudding. Tom had a brownie, cider and a Hurricane. The decor, the record player and our bartender were amazing.

This morning it was dumping rain.

We made it to the Kelso train station with plenty of time.

Here are photos from the train trip home.