22. Oregon

Month: July 2016

Location: Portland

It was the July 4^th weekend and for the 2^nd time in 11 months, I was headed to the Pacific Northwest.  I had loved my visit to Seattle and had heard similar good things about Portland.  I took an afternoon flight and one of the best views is as you approach the city, with the magnificent ‘Mount Hood’ outside the plane window.  The weather was pleasant as I came out of the airport terminal and I got a cab to my hotel, which I soon found out was in the heart of downtown.  Plus, it was an extremely cute “Boutique Hotel” and suited the spirit of this city, which looked as “laid back” as any that I have seen.  As I checked in, I asked the lady for some recommendations and she pointed out a few cocktail places, even saying that she prefers some as an after-shift stop.  Well then, it looked like I had my bearings for this evening.

All roads lead away from Portland?

After dropping off my stuff and with a map in hand, I set off.  Walking down the street, the first thing that one notices is how clean the city appears.  The sidewalks are impeccable and as I walked passed what passed off as the center of downtown – with its fountain, brick lined street etc. – I began to truly like this place.  I found my way to a bar called ‘Jackknife’ for an early evening cocktail.  It is a very comfortable looking place with a nice bar and lounge area – complete with a fireplace – but was also empty.  There were a couple of people there as I had a cocktail and moved to a next place called ‘Shift Drinks’.  While ‘Jackknife’ had a cozy ambiance, this place has a lot of light and feels like a café.  But they do make good drinks and potent ones at that!  After having a cocktail called “Emoji Swagger”, I called an ‘Uber’ for my dinner destination.  Portland is a very “relaxed city” with cool people and nowhere was that more evident than my driver, who was using a navigation system that literally “sang” our directions, even cheering when we arrived.  After a nice dinner at a place called ‘Castagna’, I headed back to hotel.  Before going upstairs I saw that the outdoor bar was in full swing, complete with a fire pit.  I was too tired to visit tonight, but looked like a fun stop.

The long line at the market

The hotel was quite full for the long weekend and to my chagrin one of their 2 elevators wasn’t working, meaning there were long delays.  When I inquired at the front desk, they mentioned that owing to the long weekend the maintenance crew would not be able to fix it anytime soon.  Ooh joy and hello stairwell!  There are few better things to do on a Saturday morning than going to a “farmer’s market”.  There was one happening a few blocks away from my hotel and I walked the clean streets to the small park where a lot of people had gathered.  The shops were indicative of the spirit of this city, with a lot of organic and healthy options.  I walked through the various shops, stopping to sample some amazing products from some friendly people.  I was headed to “Pine Street Biscuits” to get a breakfast sandwich.  Well, several others had a similar idea and it took me a good 30+ minutes before I was able to order and devour an incredible sandwich which seemed to have everything but the kitchen sink!  It was a fun wait though and nice to hear all of the chatter.  Plus, I found a stone bench outside a building which would have been at home in any British University.

On the waterfront

I had scheduled an “Underground Walking Tour” and that was way across town.  However, I had enough time to get there and being a great “walking city”, I did not mind at all.  The meeting location was a bit outside of downtown and the neighborhood was definitely looking older.  I passed by the famous “Voodoo Donuts” place and there was a long line of people waiting for what is reputed to be the best donuts in Portland.  I arrived at the tour place with some time to spare and there were a few other people waiting.  Our tour guide arrived and he was a funny guy who would probably keep us entertained.  Now, I had done an “Underground Tour” in Seattle last year and that took us underneath the city and through tunnels and basements.  I had thought that this would be similar, but the “underground” over here referred to the less than reputable history of the city.  Our tour guide took us through the neighborhood and via the use of anecdotes and photographs, told us stories which were equal parts disturbing and entertaining.  The most poignant story was that of the “Little Japan” which disappeared overnight after “Pearl Harbor” and how all of those unfortunate people were moved to “camps”.  It is one of the most horrific tale of atrocity committed in the US and as a small matter of repentance, there is a park which honors the community that had been displaced from their homes.

People were out enjoying the weather

The park is right next to the waterfront and our guide told us a hilarious tale about smuggling across these waters during the prohibition era.  Apparently, the smugglers took advantage of the jurisdiction issues on either side of the river to avoid cops and some even ran “riverboats” in between, complete with gambling and drinks as the police tried to figure out how to deal with them.  One day they set a trap with cops on either side closing in and trapped the smugglers.  It was a hot day and the crooks claimed that they were on a cruise and had grape juice on board for their customers, which had been fermented due to the heat!  What a great way to talk your way out of a sticky situation.  Right next to the park was some sort of “Street Market” in progress and it was full.  People were enjoying the sun and consistent with the mood of the city, were just “chilling”.  We walked through the market that also had a fountain, which was rumored to have been flowing with beer at some point, and back through the streets.  Our guide continued the stories, even stopping at a nautical themed restaurant, and eventually we ended back in the same office where we had started.  This is when we were handed flashlights and taken down to the basement for some “underground time”, once again with stories of nefarious activities from a century ago.  The tour ended soon thereafter and I was on my way to the next destination.

A stop at 'Cacao'

Nearby was a place that I had heard about, a Chocolate store named ‘Cacao’.  Now, any chocolate store is great, but these guys were especially famed for their “Hot Chocolate” drink.  When I reached the counter, I learnt that there were 3 options to choose from, but fortunately for me, they were offering a sampler of all 3.  I was glad of that because all of them were outstanding and I would have hated to miss out on any one.  Plus it was a charming store to spend time in.  Also nearby was what’s reputed as “The World’s Largest Independent Bookstore” – ‘Powell’s City of Books’.  Now, when they say city, they mean it.  I have been to ‘Strand’ in NYC and an extraordinarily charming store called ‘The Book Loft’ in Columbus.  But this one was the biggest one I have seen and by a country mile.  I couldn’t even see half of it in the time I spent there. 

I wasn't too interested in the tour

I was headed to the ‘Portland Art Museum’, but my phone battery was dying – surprise – and so I stopped at a coffee shop called ‘Case Study Coffee’ for charging.  It turned out to be an excellent decision since not only did they have a “bar style” seating, but also a more interesting sounding drink that I ordered – “Fleur de Carmel Latte”.  I was headed to a guided tour, so couldn’t wait for too long, meaning that my phone was still at risk of running out of power.  I arrived in time for the tour, but for that hour it was of a special exhibit on fashion, something that I wasn’t particularly interested in.  So I explored on my own and it was a decent place to visit.  Eventually my phone did give up on me and I returned back to my room for recharging both, the phone and myself.

A city of books indeed!

In the evening I was headed to the same part of town as the morning for my dinner and walked through the downtown as the previous evening.  I had some time to kill and went to ‘Deschutes Brewery’ for a beer.  They are one of the more well know beer brands and the place was overflowing, with as many people waiting for tables as were inside.  I was fortunate to grab a place at the bar and left after a drink.  I still as early, so went back to the bookstore and tried to cover the sections that I had missed earlier.  Whenever I am at a bookstore, one of my favorite places to visit is the “Children’s” or the “Young Reader’s” section.  I was a voracious reader back in school and I love the nostalgia of seeing some of the books of my own childhood, recollecting some long forgotten memory.  As I perused through a used book that I hadn’t seen in years, I found a “Disney Magic Kingdom Driver’s License” for a little girl.  She was obviously using it as a bookmark and must have left it here.  I wondered how old she was now.  Was this a recent occurrence or from years ago?  To this day I still regret the fact that my parents got rid of my old comic books, for I would have treasured them for eternity.

Donuts at midnight

I finally set off for my dinner destination, which was a place called ‘Nomad’.  Now, one of the more challenging things was actually locating where it was since there were no signs, and neither was there an actual restaurant.  Instead, it is an unfinished storage facility – not unlike ones you find in a strip mall – which has been converted into a “pop-up restaurant” by placing a few dining tables and a kitchen in the corner.  In fact, I learnt that this was a shared space with some other business using it during the day time.  However, I couldn’t complain about the food, though the overall experience was a bit amateurish.  I did have good dining companions though, a couple visiting from Florida, and we had great conversations and even exchanged numbers.  I had a few glasses of wine and was feeling particularly happy as I passed by ‘Voodoo Donuts’ on my way back to the hotel.  The line was even longer than this morning and I thought that it would be a good idea to wait and get a donut for the morning.  After almost 45 minutes of standing amongst people who were clearly smoking the “good stuff”, it was well past midnight when I picked up my donuts and headed back to the hotel, thoroughly exhausted.

I had my donut for breakfast – though didn’t finish it since I had brunch reservations at a quaintly named place called ‘The Veritable Quandary’, which sounds like something you go see at neighborhood theater.  I arrived way ahead of my reservation and they asked me to wait till being called.  After 30 or so minutes later, I went back and asked and was seated in a room which looked like a beautiful setting.  However, my table was placed in an unfortunate location, where I waited for a long time till a server spotted me.  They claimed that they couldn’t see if anyone was at the table, which immediately begs the question as to why the table was there in the first place.  In any case, I ate quickly since I had a packed schedule.

'Pittock Mansion'

I was headed to ‘Pittock Mansion’, which is a 100+ year old estate that belonged to one of the more influential families of Portland.  I ordered an ‘Uber’ and a nice gentleman picked me up in an “Electric Car”.  We had a nice discussion on these vehicles as drove from downtown and up the hill where the mansion is located.  I bought a ticket for the tour and joined a group which was led by a nice gentleman.  While not as elaborate as the mansions of Newport, it was still a pretty distinguished house and with some outstanding views of ‘Mount Hood’ in the distance.  He told us about his climbing adventures on this and the 2 other mountains – ‘Mount St. Helens’ and ‘Mount Rainier’.  He also told us about the last major eruption of ‘Mount St. Helens’ back in the “80s” and the constant threat that looms from all of these volcanic mountains.  After the tour I walked about the splendid gardens and people had come out to take advantage of the weather and some were even painting the house.  But I was more interested in the view looking outward at the city below and the majestic mountain in the distance.

I wasn't getting into a coffin

The next place I was going to was called ‘Freakybuttrue Peculiarium’.  As the name suggests, this is a weird store that describes itself as “An Oddities museum, art gallery, ice cream parlor and a gift shop”.  I was greeted by a creepy wax statue outside the shop and a huge dog – a real one – inside it.  I walked around the museum, which is quite small, but full of the weirdest things one can find and is homage to the horror films of the past.  There were enough things in there to creep out people, including a coffin, where people are invited to climb in and close the lid, while speakers inside give you the impression of dirt being poured on you.  Another was a “dollhouse of horrors” with plenty of gory things inside to give anyone nightmares.  It wasn’t a big place to explore, but I surely had fun and left after petting the dog.

Line again

One of the bigger attractions in Portland is an ice cream shop and fortunately it was a short walk away – wow what a coincidence or did I just plan accordingly?  As I walked over, it was apparent that this was the more “artistic” part of town, with restaurants, art galleries, boutique shops and of course, coffee shops not named ‘Starbucks’.  I had been warned that there would be a wait and sure enough, the line extended all the way around the corner and people were actually sitting down on the sidewalk.  What’s it with this city and lines?  After an hour, I reached the interior of the shop and the menu was a sight to behold, with all sorts of flavors that shouldn’t go together.  One of the ways this place rewards its customers for their patience is by offering unlimited samples as you wait in the line.  I tried about 6 and then picked one called “Portland Creamery Goat Cheese with Marion Berry Habanero Jam”.  Yes, it should be disgusting, but was instead spectacular and definitely worth the wait.

Afternoon at the garden

My plan was to go to the ‘International Rose Garden’ and checking my map, it looked like I could cover the mile or so distance on foot.  Very soon it was apparent that I had been thinking in 2-dimensions when I should been thinking in 3-dimensions instead.  Most of the walk was uphill and quite steep at that; not to mention the heat and the ice cream that I had just consumed.  I arrived at the gardens completely out of breath and first order of business was to find a place which sold water and gulp it down.  As tired as I was the garden was extremely pretty and would have been a very nice way to spend a day.  Lots of families had come out and kids were around, enjoying themselves.  Also nearby was something called ‘Portland Japanese Garden’ and I followed the signs, though I hesitated when one read “Uphill climb ahead”.  Sure enough, there it was and after laboring a bit I arrived over there. After paying a substantial entry fee, I entered the gardens and it was a very tranquil place.  There were well-manicured lawns, rocks which seemed to have been placed precisely and of course running water.  After walking about for a while, I decided to call it a day and came back down to the “Gift Shop” and ordered an ‘Uber’.  After some trouble in finding each other, I was picked up just as my phone was about to die and dropped off at the hotel for a well-earned rest.

The 'Game Room' at my hotel

I went to the hotel bar for a drink and while waiting for my ride, was surprised to discover a huge “Game room” near the lobby, complete with all popular games like “Pool”, “Darts” and “Shuffle Board”, as well as video gaming consoles.  I had dinner reservations, but was early and so stopped at a bar called ‘Sunshine Tavern’ for a drink named “The Bee and the Bonnet”.  That seemed appropriate and more so in this neighborhood, which was quite lively.  This was my 3^rd evening in the city and so far I had seen different neighborhoods, each with its own unique characteristic, but all consistent with the friendly nature of the city.  My dinner was in a restaurant called ‘Roe’, which was nestled at the back of the bar and I half expected to find a poker game in progress when the person opened two sliding doors to reveal the hidden room.  It was a nice way to end the evening and I called it a night, even though the bar in my hotel was looking livelier than before.

A final farewell to Portland

Morning of July 4^th I walked down to a Coffee Shop named ‘Stumptown Coffee Roasters’ who are a Portland institution  As I walked through the streets the city’s homeless population was scattered all over and for the first time, I noticed a slight crack in this model city.  My final stop before heading to the airport was similar to something I had done in several other cities; a visit to the ‘Oregon Museum of Science & Industry’.  It was a bit away from downtown and a bit early in the day.  Along with regular admission, I bought a ticket to see a real life submarine that was parked in the river behind the museum.  A lively tour guide led our group there and we had a family with kids with us.  The tour itself was quite good and the kids had several questions, as did I.  Afterwards I walked about the museum and thought that I was done, before discovering a whole new wing tucked away in the back.  I went back to my hotel to pick up my bag and then headed to the airport.  It had been a wonderful visit to an amazing city.  As I flew away, outside my window the 3 great mountains rose majestic over the clouds, looking serene, while concealing the rage underneath.