Allyson was the perfect host, getting in touch with us ahead of time to give us last minute info and details. We also found a personalized welcome with all our names (which my goofy teenager proceeded to invert so that we spent the whole week calling each other with our hilarious new names!). We were lucky to actually meet Allyson and her family and tnat reinforced our initial impression of very kind, friendly and welcoming people.
The apartment was spacious, comfortable, very clean, with a nice kitchen equipped with everything we needed. Wi-fi was a BIG plus for everybody, as was having a washer and dryer, since we went hiking everyday. We never had any problem finding a parking spot right in front of the house.
Thanks to all the local info Allyson left for us, we were able to get acquainted with the charming Alberta district right after our arrival, exploring Alberta St. and its food scene (I left a piece of my heart at Random Order.....all those delicious pies!), shopping at the Co-op, and visiting the Alberta St. fair which coincided with our week in Portland.
Although the apartment is not very close to downtown, it is located very near the interstates, which worked very well for us, as we roamed around the Columbia Gorge and Mt. Hood area, as well the coast and Woodburn Outlets.
My favorite memory of the apartment is definitely the late night board games (which Allyson had cleverly left around, together with some interesting books), that the 5 of us played, amid much laughter, making for some wonderful family time.
Portland is a very unique city, and if we ever come back, we already know where to stay!