Cooper | Our Oregon Trail

Cancer.

October 4, 2012 by kristikrass

Maybe you saw something about it on Facebook, or maybe you’ve heard Jeff or me mention it lately…Cooper has been favoring his back right leg lately, walking with a slight limp. After a couple months of vet appointments, meds and monitoring his behavior, today we finally got the diagnosis. If you know Cooper, you know he’s happiest when he’s jumping like a madman after a Frisbee, jogging around town, swimming like a fish or leaping into the back of the […]

Categories: Our Oregon Trail • Tags: Cooper

The Trip Not Meant to Be

May 28, 2012 by kristikrass

Jeff and I had big plans for Memorial Day weekend. He, Cooper and I were going to cross the Canadian border to Vancouver, British Columbia. One of the cities at the top of our “must-see” list, and a mere 5 1/2 hours north of Portland. But…Thursday night, after booking hotels in Vancouver and neighboring Whistler, we made a disappointing discovery: Jeff’s passport expired last month. Total bummer. Lucky for us, we were already planning a Friday night stop in Seattle, […]

Categories: Our Oregon Trail • Tags: Cooper, holidays, market, mountains, parks, restaurants, seattle, vacation, washington

One Week and Counting…

May 13, 2012 by kristikrass

That’s right, folks, Portland is in an epic run of sun. More than one week of blue skies and sunny days, with more on the way. We might even hit 90 degrees tomorrow! It feels like summer’s arrived. It’s also one week until my sister Shelly and I will be hoofing it 13.1 miles in the Qualifier half-marathon back in Bay City, Michigan. Sunday is my long run day: I hit 10 miles last Sunday, logged six miles today, and […]

Categories: Our Oregon Trail • Tags: beach, Cooper, manzanita, parks, restaurants, seaside

Walk in the Clouds

December 10, 2011 by kristikrass

Winter’s arrival, with gray days, 30- to 40-degree weather and 4:30 p.m. sunsets, is no match for most Portlanders. Cyclists, runners and hikers constantly swarm the streets and trails with little regard for the elements. Jeff and I – well, we’re not quite in that boat, but we do enjoy a brisk walk with Cooper. With the amazing hills right at the city’s edge, we figured we’d conquer a hike last Saturday morning. After poring through online lists of hikes […]

Categories: Our Oregon Trail • Tags: Cooper, hikes, holidays, parks

The four of us at Bend Brewing Company (the BBC)

Around the Bend

July 24, 2011 by kristikrass

When the clock struck noon on Friday, Jeff and I bolted Nike for a short roadtrip. Destination: Bend, Oregon. Located three hours from Portland, nestled next to the Cascade Mountains, 3,625 feet above sea level in the high desert area of Central Oregon. Our neighbors went to college and fell in love there, so they came, too, to give us the “locals only” tour. Bend feels worlds away from Portland. That’s one of the things I love about Oregon. You […]

Categories: Our Oregon Trail • Tags: bend, breweries, Cooper, mountains, restaurants, vacation

Impromptu Oceanview

July 3, 2011 by kristikrass

America’s birthday came up a little quickly this year. Technically, it’s a 3.5-day weekend for Jeff and me, so we knew we had to make something of it, but we just didn’t have the energy to plan anything. Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes planning fun activities seems like a royal pain in the rump. So at the eleventh hour we picked a random coast city (Newport, Oregon), booked a dog-friendly hotel, and planned to hit the road the next […]

Categories: Our Oregon Trail • Tags: beach, breweries, coast, Cooper, lighthouse, restaurants

My Italian Stallion

June 28, 2011 by kristikrass

Overall, this past weekend was really chill by design. I had a big test on Sunday that had been looming for >1 year. The last step in my Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) through the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). And good news: I passed! Thank heavens. It’s like a big gorilla has gotten pulled off my back. But Jeff and I did notch up some fun times. We paid our second visit to Forest Park, which is a hiker’s […]

Categories: Our Oregon Trail • Tags: cooking, Cooper, parks, test

A Birthday Fit for a Gemini

June 18, 2011 by kristikrass

I hit the big 3-1 yesterday. I’m a big fan of birthdays (or any holidays for that matter), but I’ve definitely hit the age when they’re a little funky feeling. I’m in my thirties, seriously? Feels too odd to me. Although I must say, I am extremely happy about my place in the world at 31. 🙂 For my special day, Jeff and I landed on a very interesting, mishmash of an agenda. Perfect for the “myriad of interests” Geminis […]

Categories: Our Oregon Trail • Tags: breweries, Cooper, Mount St. Helens, tennis, tours

Bonus photo: Look at this sunset over the Willamette River!

Gorge-eous

May 29, 2011 by kristikrass

I made a bold proclamation today: Oregon is the prettiest state I’ve seen. I’m sure there are others in contention (including Michigan!) but Oregon has been a beautiful surprise to me. For the holiday weekend, we decided to do a bit of a “staycation,” especially since we’ll be heading back to Michigan in less than two weeks. We have a huge mental list of places we want to see around here, so it is easy to stay busy. On Sunday […]

Categories: Our Oregon Trail • Tags: breweries, Cooper, falls, hikes, vacation

Our Oregon Trail

Portland through the eyes of a festival-loving, dessert-feasting, travel-addicted Midwesterner.

Tag: Cooper