I have to admit, Portland is pretty cool. Powell’s Books, quirky neighborhoods, Voodoo Doughnuts, hipsters on tall bicycles, Portland has it all and a lot more! But I am a Portland novice, or at least I was until this past weekend, and it turns out that there are plenty of things for you dog to do in (and around) Portland as well.

Friday afternoon, Pickle and I had some time to kill so we ventured out a bit to 1000 Acres Dog Park in Troutdale, just a 15 minutes drive outside of Portland. In a word, this park is stunning! There is a huge space of off leash area that dogs can have free reign of! Pickle and I got out of the car and into the warm sun, and after a small walk beyond the trail head, Pickle found herself in hundreds of acres of open grass to run in. I was simply overtaken by the amount of space she had to run, and with it being a Friday afternoon, we only saw a handful of dogs on the trail so there was plenty of room to rome!

After some walking I was worried we would get lost, but Pickle was bound and determined to keep going, and eventually she found herself along a beach where the dogs have access to the Columbia River. She went crazy! We still don’t know what breed Pickle is, but if tests come back with some kind of fish species, I wouldn’t be surprised!

She splashed and swam and barked and got dirtier then I think I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t drag her but out of the water, not with treats or her favorite squeaky ball. Luckily she partied it up with a pack of dogs that were heading out, so I got to meet a few very nice women (shout out to them for helping me out of the park!) and Pickle made a few new play friends.

As the sun was setting more people began to show up to get a reprieve from the hot sun. The trails lead to the Sandy River Delta, where the Columba and the Sandy River meet in a rainbow of blues, greens and browns.

In all Pickle probably got 3 hours of running, chasing and swimming. I’ve never seen her so tired, and here it is Monday, three days later, and she still doesn’t want to be bothered.

Downtown Portland was a bit more forgiving to her. Pickle and I wandered around a really nice Farmer’s Market, I enjoyed some crazy-delicious fresh made noodles from a food truck (Pickle was sure not to let any I dropped on the ground got to waste), we found a couple nice cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating for dogs and their owners, and even snuck in some shopping at Powell’s Books, all while staying in a nice dog friendly hotel!

(By the way, huge thank you to the staff and patrons of Powell’s. It did not occur to me when I brought in Pickle that you were a service animla only establishment, and yet the entire staff was very warm and friendly with myself and Pickle. I’m just happy she was so tired from the dog park and didn’t cause a ruckus 🙂 )

Now, I’ve visited my fair share of dog friendly establishments in Seattle, from parks to bars, but I’ll admit to being a little jealous of the scene in Portland. After visiting 1000 Acres Park, Seattle should really step up their game (yes, that’s hard to do at this point). Luckily, now I know that taking Pickle on a road trip won’t be a hassle.

Thanks Portland, you’re doing it right!

(Wait, I never got a doughnut from Voodoo. Sounds like we’re going back!)