I was thrilled to find that my favorite Portland band, The Dimes would be playing in Bridgeport Village's Summer Concert Series on July 31st. The weather turned out to be perfect for an outdoor concert that day, so I rallied some friends and off we went. Concerts are held in Bridgeport's Center Court, right next to the play structure. We settled in the wine garden, where our very own Oak Knoll Winery was pouring their delicious wines. We were happy to sip cool Pinot Gris while listening to The Dimes.

The Dimes have been described as, "Reminiscent of groups like Death Cab for Cute..." I just describe them as amazing, and I think you'll agree. The guys are fun to watch and it's clear that they love what they're doing. I was excited to see them play my favorite songs Catch Me Jumping and Stacked Brown Boxes.  

For more information on The Dimes, visit their website. And, more more fun summer events, visit the WCVA's Event Calendar.

In order to show off the county that I live and work in to someone who would really appreciate it, I invite my Mom to join me on my "perfect" Washington County weekend.

We start our day with coffee at Ava Roastaria in Beaverton, like any God-fearing Oregonian would do. After our caffeine fix we are ready to shop.

We'll head to Bridgeport Village to hit our favorite stores: Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Oblation before breaking for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen.

After lunch, we stock up on goodies from the Sweet Factory and head out towards Sherwood so my Mom can indulge her favorite pastime, Christmas shopping, at Sleighbells of Sherwood.

We then decide to head over to Washington Square Mall to do some damage at our mutual favorite, Nordstrom. On our way out of Beaverton, we stop at Portland Running Co. to get fitted for some new shoes so we can take a nice long run once we get back to McMenamins Grand Lodge, where we will be spending the evening.

After our run through the picturesque campus of Pacific University and the charming town of Forest Grove, we head back to the Grand Lodge to get cleaned up for our spa treatments at Ruby's Spa. My Mom hardly takes time to relax, so my "evil plan" for the weekend includes lots of extra pampering for her.

While she finishes up her extra long treatment, I scout out the movies playing at the Lodge. When she's done, we head to the theatre to watch "Horton Hears a Who," our favorite Dr. Seuss tale, before heading to our room to rest up for the next day of adventure in Washington County. 

Day 2

Our second day begins with exercise. With those new running shoes we bought yesterday, we head drive over to Tualatin Hills Nature Park to take a run on the miles of trails found there.

Since it is an unusually sunny day for Oregon, we decide to spend most of it outdoors, and after our run, head to Beaverton Farmer's Market to check out the produce and indulge in some locally-grown treats. After chatting with some of the vendors, the Gardener in my Mother gets inspired and she decides we simply must head to Al's Garden Center so she can find something to spruce up her yard.

After the Garden excursion, we head over to Old Town Sherwood to fuel up on caffeine at a local coffee shop. Not being one to skip over the history, my Mom insists that we explore. We walk around the Old Town district, discovering all of the antique stores, galleries and gift shops a girl could ever dream of.

After all this walking and exploring, I am in need of some major sustenance, so we head over to my favorite Chinese Restaurant, P.F. Changs, in Hillsboro for dinner.

To round out our Washington County weekend, we decide to take in some local theatre at Hillsboro's Hart Theatre, where they are currently showing Oklahoma, one of our very favorite Roger and Hammerstein's productions.  My Mom says she can't wait for another chance to explore the rest of Washington County!

Note: To celebrate our new blog, our writers will be sharing what a perfect weekend in Washington County would look like for them. Stay tuned! There will be a chance for you to tell us yours, and maybe even win something in the process.

For me, the perfect Washington County weekend would involve shopping....lots of it. A day of marathon shopping requires a caffeine-load, so the first stop would be at Bridgeport Village to partake in a little nosh before my credit card gets a workout.

After gaining sustenance, the diversity of shops and the endless hours of browsing - not to mention the countless trips to the car to drop-off my bounty - will no doubt leave my tootsies aching. So, a trip to Coldwater Creek The Spa will help regain the needed rest to continue marching on.

With my wallet slightly lighter, and my mind and body refreshed, I head on over to Sherwood for a very lady-like brunch at the Lavender Tea House. Over a platter of delicious tea sandwiches and scones and a pot of tea, I reminisce over the day's riches, trying to decide which outfit to wear out on the town tonight.

After brunch, I pop into the antique shops that surround Sherwood's "Old Town," including the Railroad Street Antique Mall. The oodles of antiques and collectibles are a bit overwhelming, but it doesn't stop my pursuit of things past.

Newly acquired treasures in hand, I decide to head over to my new home-away-from-home, Rose Cottage Bed and Breakfast, to relax a bit, check my e-mail and admire my new stuff - all tax-free, of course.

As the evening hours approach, I head on over to one of the newest restaurants in Beaverton, Decarli, to have a gourmet-style meal made with the freshest, local ingredients, and a glass of Oregon wine from the impressive wine list.

Next to shopping, live entertainment is one of my favorite things to experience while on vacation, and comedy clubs rank high on that list, so I head over to The Jester to catch one of the nationally touring comedians on the evening's roster. 

A couple of hours later, my muscles aching and my voice completely gone from the non-stop laughing, I head back to the B&B where sweet dreams of another fabulous Washington County weekend await.