Day Trippin': Down South

Our recent situation change has given us the freedom to do day trips with much more ease than we've been accustomed to. And after living in Portland for nearly five years we realized that we haven't gotten "out" very much, a realization that came with some regret that there are probably plenty of great places and things we haven't seen. So a couple weekends ago we set our sights on Silver Falls State Park as our first "empty nest" day/half-day trip.

Before we hit the road we picked up supplies for a simple picnic lunch, then off we went, on the approximately 75 minute drive from our inner SE Portland abode. We opted to take 205 to 213/214 (I-5 is another option) to Sublimity, OR, just a bit south and east of Silverton. The park was surprisingly busy for the last weekend in March and the weather a bit cool but we found a picnic table in the sun and ate while we figured out which path to set out on.

Neither of us being hikers and not in the mood for anything with much difficulty we chose a route that took us past a few falls along a two mile or so course. The number of people, especially the couple with a stroller and mom with a bum arm, was more challenging to deal with that the terrain, although there were a few steep areas but it was a relatively easy walk that went behind the two falls. Pretty cool.

Back at the car, with the nature/park/hiking itch scratched we started to feel the beer itch. Being a stone's throw (ok, probably only if you were a giant) from Silverton we decided to pop into the taproom at Seven Brides Brewing. This is a place we'd visited the last couple of years on our way to the Oregon Garden Brewfest and found the same friendly woman behind the bar. As we enjoyed our pints we plotted the rest of the day and decided to make our way back towards Portland with a stop in Oregon City.

You may have heard some beer news out of Oregon City lately, that Coin Toss Brewing is opening up there, but our destination was Oregon City Brewing Co. I'm not sure what I expected but I know I didn't expect a good-sized, dedicated parking lot, nice patio set up and 40+ tap lines. That day the list included six of their own beers, a great selection of other craft beers plus three ciders and four wines. If you aren't able to find something to drink from their menu then you should probably just go to the grocery store and pick up a sixer of some crap macro.

The inside and outside were about as busy as one would suspect for a sunny Sunday mid-afternoon with a record player behind the bar sending out some old school tunes. The staff was inviting and friendly, pouring mostly pints but filling growlers as well. Perhaps the best overheard conversation was a patron with two growlers that asked the beertender how many growlers he could have filled at one time. The beertender's answer: How much money do you have?

All of the house beers we had were solid and without going into detail, suffice it to say that it's worth the drive to Oregon City to visit OCB. If you're looking to make more of a day of it or want some "nature time" as well, include Silver Falls State Park in your day trip plans with a stop at Seven Brides.