Portland!

Our Cousin, Jessica, and her husband Chris, saved us from having to camp sopping wet. After first trying to claim another bearded hiker as her cousin, Jess found us awaiting her arrival in the warmth of the lobby. Being that we stunk of sweat, BO, and wet dog, and looked the part too, we felt inclined to have dinner at a fine establishment. Chris and Jess treated us to the "endless pasta bowl" at the Olive Garden. Conversation came easy as we had loads to share with them about our adventures and they had plenty to catch us up on about their first year of marriage. They took us back to their apartment where we showered and quickly fell asleep.
Chris, Jess, and Danielle all had to work the following day, so we took the opportunity to explore Portland on our own. We took the Public Street Car through the city. Portland is such a community oriented city. The streets were packed with people. Businesses and stores were all within walking distance. We walked by a lot entirely filled with food trucks. We didn't stop, however. We had a destination in mind and a long-enduring craving to subdue. Chipotle called out for us. We had this need to acquire and consume a burrito as big as our heads. It happened!
We bought new cold-weather outfits from Patagonia before making our way back to the apartment. Danielle told us she would soon pick us up to take us out for a night on the town. Jessica, Chris, and Danielle had invited us out to go bar hopping for their friend's 30th birthday. It was fun to experience Portland as the locals do, especially with our cousins that we seldom get to see.
The next morning, Chris took us out to breakfast, then to Voodoo Donuts. We waited in line outside the donut shop for about a half hour. This seemed utterly ridiculous, but was fun nonetheless. We watched as a huge man in pig tails flew a dollar-sized kite. The donuts were worth the wait. Although they might seem like a novelty meal, they were absolutely delicious! We ate a bacon covered maple bar, an apple fritter, a dirt donut, and an old dirty bastard. Before taking us back to the trail, we were granted the chance to support the team for which we bleed Scarlet and Grey, God's team, our Alma Mater, The Ohio State Buckeyes. O-H!