Ejdo wants you all to know this will be verbose.

So we're off to Portland to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. This is the first time we've gone on vacation by ourselves since our honeymoon, which is a little strange to think about. However, that also means this is the first trip since our honeymoon we have to pay for by ourselves. That part is a bummer.

When we landed in Portland, and went to collect our rental car, we were told we had a brand new Camry. Well thats cool and all, but we were looking for something a little better than that. So we upgraded. To a Mustang convertable. Its sweet. The weather is great, the wind is in our hair, and we're in a red Mustang. What could be better?

We're staying at one of the top rated bed and breakfasts in Portland, the Morrill Mansion. We're staying in the Burnham room, which is the largest room not considered a suite I think I've ever been in.



After we landed and picked up the car we went basically straight to Wolfe's Neck State Park. I enjoy checking out the parks in other states, to see how they're run and what they're like. It was a beautiful park. Right on the water between the Casco Bay and the Harrassaket River. It was awesome. The views were fantastic, there were osprey, and the sun was shining. We had a great hike.





Once back in Portland we had some downtime in the B&B and made some reservations for dinner. We ate at Five Fifty-Five in Portland. I have to say it was the first time I ever ate a meal and felt like I could have been in an episode of Top Chef. The head chef at the restaurant has been featured in Food and Wine magazine, and you can tell why. We started with drinks. Ejdo got a Pilsner Urquell on tap, and it was great. Probably the best we've had in the US. I had a 555 cherry royale. Its like a kir royale, only with cherry liquor instead of blackberry and with a sugared rim. Good stuff.

This was the first time I was ever given the option of a 5 course tasting meal. It was tempting to try, but we decided to get bits and pieces instead. We split a cheese plate featuring an idiazbal cheese. Its a spanish sheeps milk that was awesome. The plate came with croquets, strawberry compote, and toasted mixed nuts. Very yummy.

I had a mixed greens salad and Ejdo had a grilled chicken caesar salad. Both were fantastic. Then our entrees arrived. I ordered the smokey rabbit-spring chicken risotto. It had baby peas and green garbanzo beans, with an egg on top. Freaking awesome. Ejdo had the Fisherman's Stew, which was in the best red sauce I think I've ever had. Mussels, squid, cockles, and chorizo. What man wouldn't love that?



No room for dessert, even though they all looked fantastic. I actually felt bad leaving food on my plate.

On the walk home we went past a bar/restaurant called Local 188 . We always talk about being more spontaneous, so in we went to have a drink. I got a caprihina and Ejdo got a Moscow Mule. Both were STRONG!!! The Moscow Mule has ginger root soda and vodka. It was spicy! My caprihina was just flat out strong. Handfulls of limes and many ounces of rum. The bartender was a nice guy and amused us for the hour or so we were there.



After a walk home, its time to watch a movie and call it a night. Have a good one everyone!