With our desert sunburns not yet faded, we greeted the cool, lush greenery of the Northwest like an exotic wonderland. As we rolled into Portland on a drizzly afternoon, we saw flocks of cheerful locals out jogging and biking through the park like it was the first day of spring. When the sun finally did burst through for an hour or so, the city basked in its full glory, like a paradise constructed by hipster wood nymphs.

Every block of Portland was crowded with cleverly themed restaurants and improbably eclectic boutiques. Within a quarter-mile radius, one could easily satisfy their needs for Georgian dumplings, designer cat toys, artisanal cutting boards, and CBD-infused kombucha. Or, you know, mermaids.

We stayed with Chase, an old friend of Sean’s from Texas, who was generous enough to show us around town — or, at least, to a well-curated handful of what appeared to be endless points of interest. We stopped by a community print shop, where the staff graciously let us ogle their machinery and loiter in the zine library.

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We also passed a very lively evening at a tiki-themed karaoke bar called the Alibi, where Sean once again floored the crowds with his rendition of “Flagpole Sitta.”

Back in Chico, my grandma had very sweetly surprised us with a gift card to McMenamin’s, which is a chain of strange and fascinating establishments strewn across the Northwest. Most of them are located in old renovated buildings, such as the Old St. Francis School in Portland, where the former boiler room now holds a two-story restaurant.

We ate there with Chase twice, and I passed a rainy afternoon writing in their courtyard with a brownie sundae for company. Finally, on our last day in Portland — after the exhausting work of eating Georgian dumplings, reading zines, ogling mermaids, and belting out 90’s hits — Sean and I decided to try out their heated pool.

From here we’ll continue wandering North, dipping into some Washington cities before hopping the ferry to Vancouver Island. Until then, hipster wood nymphs, be well.