Last weekend, my parents came to visit us in Portland. They’ve been here twice before, but in typical rainy conditions, so we were thrilled that they experienced some rare Oregon sunshine.

When they arrived on Thursday evening, Kari Ann had a delicious four-course meal ready for them. With all the cooking that we’ve been doing lately, we hoped to impress them. Fresh baguette and borata; salad with prosciutto, pine nuts, and pears; fresh sauteed shrimp with garlic and truffle salt; and homemade ravioli with mushrooms, panchetta, and a pesto cream sauce. It was a hit! And we emptied two bottles of Oregon wine as well.

On Friday, we spend the morning visiting our friend Ben Friezen at his winery in the Willamette Valley, called Appolloni Vineyards. He was kind enough to show us around, explain the winemaking process and let us sample many wines — some even straight from the barrel. We walked around the beautiful vineyard and learned a great deal from our friend.

Later that evening, we all attended Kari Ann’s graduation ceremony, where she officially became a masters of Post-secondary, Adult and Continuing Education. We’re all very proud of her hard work and celebrated with a fantastic meal at Castagna — our senses were confused, delighted and shocked by this mad scientist chef that studied at Noma.

On Saturday morning, we hopped on a train to Seattle. It was a stunning four hour journey through Washington, winding through evergreen forests and beside crystal lakes.  Once we arrived, we went straight to Pike’s market for lunch and gobbled up as much fresh crab and clam chowder that we could stand. The afternoon was spent strolling around the market and up to Capitol Hill. We ate dinner at Oddfellow’s Cafe, which has become a go-to place for Kari Ann and me. We’re no experts on Seattle, but it’s nice to have a reliably good restaurant close at hand.

That night, we laid our heads at the Inn At The Market, a beautiful hotel in the heart of Pikes Market.

On Sunday, we spent much of the day on foot, wandering around pretty aimlessly observing the city. We saw the Space Needle (from below), a sculpture garden, more beautiful coastline and generally enjoyed some great weather. It was sad — as always — to part company with my parents, but we were so happy to spend time with them in a new city and enjoy a new experience together. Kari Ann and I are both truly blessed with amazing parents and parents-in-law.