Just Do It!

Portland, OR

What an amazing day! It all started with a late breakfast at Voodoo Donuts. Let me just say that, yes, it is definitely worth waiting in that line! The photo opps alone are worth it! Lucky for me, it was Jelly Thursday, and today’s special was Strawbanero – holy cow! Sweet. Spicy. Pillowy. Perfection. We sat outside the shop and struck up a conversation with a young British woman who is traveling the world by herself (sound familiar, Emma?) – she was lovely, and we traded tips on things to see and do in Portland.

After donuts, we made the short drive out to Beaverton and the Nike World Headquarters. My friend, Brian Parrott, had put me in touch with Mike Nakajima who is the person in charge of Nike Tennis Player Management (and who used to be in charge of all of Nike Tennis). His job is making sure the top players like Rafa, Roger, Serena, and Maria are kept happy. What a gig! Mike met us in front of the Prefontaine Hall (all the buildings are named for Nike athletes) then took us on a one-hour walking tour of the Nike campus. It’s called a campus for good reason – you feel as if you’re walking around the grounds of a cutting-edge university. Anything you could want or need is available if you’re a Nike employee. Restaurants, incredible gyms, tennis courts, basketball courts, a track, a soccer field, childcare center, salon, pharmacy – it’s all on site and open pretty much 24-7. Mike is like a walking Nike Encyclopedia – he told us stories about Phil Knight (the founder), various athletes, and the company’s relationship with the University of Oregon. It was really interesting to hear how much input the sponsored athletes have regarding new products – they even come on site to test them out on the playing field/court! We had a great morning!

The tour left us pretty hungry, so even though Mike invited us to stay for lunch, we decided to head back to Portland to try Pok Pok, a Thai restaurant that had come highly recommended. It did not disappoint! Neither Matthew nor I had ever tasted Thai food like this! It was so fresh and flavorful, and the setting made you feel as though you were eating in a street-side cafe smack dab in the center of Bangkok!

Once we were nice and full, we drove around a bit then visited Powell Books, the biggest book store I’ve ever seen. I mean, this place is ENORMOUS! It’s a good thing Matthew and I each had our phones because we got separated at one point and may never have found each other again in that place!

We went back to our hotel for a little catnap before catching a cab to Beast for dinner. We were meeting long-time friends Randy and Jennifer who we knew from Matthew’s first job as an attorney in LA – it was great to catch up with them! The meal at Beast was very good – a 6-course prix fixe menu with wine pairings – and the chef is a former Top Chef Masters contestant. I’m not sure it was worth the large price tag, but we had a really great time with the Duncans plus we got to see another part of Portland on the drive there. BTW, traffic in Portland is AWFUL!

After dinner, Randy and Jen drove us back to our hotel and joined us for a nightcap in the lobby. It was a late night for us – I think it was close to midnight by the time we made it back up to our room!