Oregon Day 5, Travel Day back to Portland, Stop in McMinnville

August 20th

And just like that, our trip was sadly coming to an end. Our flight wasn’t until later in the day, so we had some time to kill before heading to the airport. Our large group left at various times because we were all on different flights: a crew left early in the morning, one group extended their stay and migrated to their next spot after checkout, and my car slowly made its way back to Portland for our late flight. I got up early to pack and also went downstairs to help clean up the kitchen and get in a good breakfast.

On my to-do list was one last trip to the ocean, to take a few photos of the beach with my camera and to get a sweatshirt from the surf shop. Rena wanted one too, so she joined me. That surf shop was so cool and honestly proof that surfing might be the coolest thing you could ever be or do. It was such a vibe and once again made me question whether I should dive into the surfer life. I feel like it would pair well with my other hobbies. I’ll work on my craft, and hopefully one day I’ll be tearing up the waves.

My car let me pick the plan for the day, that is, how we would fill our time before heading to the airport. I chose for us to stop in McMinnville based on a recommendation from a work colleague. Once the Airbnb was fully cleaned up, we hit the road and made our way to town for our final Oregon adventure.

McMinnville was a bit sleepy on this Wednesday afternoon, but I was more shocked by how high-end it felt. Almost every restaurant was top dollar, and the shops were clearly set up for tourists. That said, it was still fun walking down the main street and browsing on a sunny yet softly cooled day before saying our final farewell.

We ended up going to the same restaurant we ate at the day before, McMenamins, just at their McMinnville location. It was on the rooftop of Hotel Oregon, which required climbing the stairs of this historic (and potentially rumored-to-be-haunted?) hotel to reach the dining area. I ordered the same burger with Cajun tots. It was warm in the sun, but the view was lovely, and it was nice to experience one last place in Oregon.

Afterward, we did a bit more shopping. I didn’t get anything, but a few others picked up souvenirs. Then we hopped back in the car and set off for the airport. Traffic picked up near the city, so I was thankful we left when we did, we avoided the stress of potentially missing our flight.

We arrived at the airport around 4 p.m., dropped off the car, breezed through security, and still had plenty of time before boarding. I sat for a while but started feeling sluggish from my questionable eating habits (daily PB&Js) and lack of structured exercise, though hopefully all the other activities helped balance that out. I decided to walk around the airport a bit but was tempted by one last vacation splurge and ended up getting a very yummy-looking vegan pizza for a pre-flight dinner. I made my way back to the gate, and we all chatted before boarding and eventually going our separate ways.

Reflecting on this trip, it was such a fun experience, and I’m really happy I went. I almost didn’t because I wasn’t sure I had the PTO (shocker), but I was able to make arrangements with my team and work extra upon returning to make it feasible. I treasure every trip I get to take with this friend group because, like the surf shop employee mentioned, I’m also in awe of the size and closeness of this group. I truly think people like this are hard to find- everyone is so kind, welcoming, and fun, and they value the right things in life. Plus, I finally got to see the PNW, checking a new region and state off my list! But it’s not over yet, just one week at home, and then it’s back to the PNW for Part 2.