When Concordian Eden Dawn and her now-husband Ashod Simonian started dating, they did things a little differently.
“He took me to a picnic on the Washougal river,” says Dawn. “We had such a good time that we decided to do 23 more picnics,” (since 23 happened to be his lucky number and her birthday.) Their unique courtship went viral on Instagram and during one of their last picnics, the two thought about putting all of them into a book.
The experience inspired them both to eventually create The Portland Book of Dates: Adventures, Escapes, and Secret Spots, a guidebook containing over 150 date ideas and outings in and around Portland. The book was published in January 2021, has sold 25,000 copies and is a consistent bestseller at Powells. Last month, the second edition was released.
“We wanted the book to help people with decision fatigue and function like a Rick Steves travel guide but look differently,“ Dawn says. She has a background in journalism and she writes the content. Simonian does the graphics and is also the creative director of the Imaginary Authors perfume line.
In The Portland Book of Dates, the itineraries are organized by neighborhood, which the couple thinks is an important feature for a guidebook. “People want to only have to park once, they want to be able to walk, they want a cozy place where they can talk and have an intimate moment, and they want to have a variety of kinds of things to do.”
And there are other considerations for good dates, too. Dawn says she and Simonian made sure to feature dates at local businesses and businesses inclusive to all kinds of patrons. Portland Dates also includes sections on dates for busy parents, dates that are inexpensive, and dates for groups. The second edition includes content updates due to pandemic closures as well as new sections on over-nighters, in-town dates, and day trips.
Dawn and Simonian personally go on all the dates themselves, so they can vouch for the special food items and experiences they recommend and so that readers can feel like they’re their friends. “When we’re in research-mode, we go on a crazy amount of dates, like 8 in a day,” says Dawn. To date, they’ve created date guidebooks for Seattle, Nashville, and are currently working on a similar guide- book for Los Angeles.
When they’re not out on dates, Dawn and Simonian can be found at their Northwest Concordia home with their two cats, Foxglove and Daphne. You can pick up The Portland Book of Dates at New Seasons and Ecovibe.
Dina Sage is the Managing Editor for CNews and enjoys outdoor activities and engaging in the arts. She lives with her husband, their daughter and two cats.