Portlandia

With relatively little planning, as per usual, we decided to go to Portland for Memorial Day weekend.

I've been due for a new phone (I'm completely convinced that they're designed to crap out immediately after the 2-year contract is up) & coveting an iPad. Seattle makes up for an absurd sales tax with no WA state income tax, while Oregon takes the opposite tack. It seemed to me that if we were going to engage in an orgy of consumerism, we might as well align it with a weekend away.

Since we plan most of our travels at the last possible moment, everything but the Friday morning trains were sold out, so I was forced (...) to take an extra day off of work on the long holiday weekend. As always, the ride was lovely. Along the water, through the trees, & past the parts of towns that one wouldn't otherwise see. I may be in love with Amtrak & the Coast Starlight route.

I picked a funky boutique hotel downtown. Submitting a reservation with less than 24 hours notice actually paid off. They'd run out of the low-rent rooms, so we ended up with a free upgrade to a plush King suite. Eric was somewhat unconvinced of the clashing decor, but I dug it. Coffee & latte bar in the morning, then an evening wine hour in a fabulous lobby? Sold.

It'd been many years since I'd spend any time in Portland & Eric had never been, so it was basically all brand new. The train station is beautiful, the light rail is far more advanced than our weak single-lined system, & the architecture is well preserved. We were pleasantly surprised to discover first hand that 175 miles provides just enough difference in climate to allow for thunderstorms.

The City of Roses seems much smaller than Seattle, largely due to perspective; city ordinance dictates a maximum building size of 200' by 200' in order to preserve views of Mount Hood. The result is a Big Town feel. What struck us as really odd was the relative lack of activity downtown. Where the urban center of the Emerald City is consistently busy - more than enough human & automobile traffic at all hours - downtown Portland & the surrounding neighborhoods were pretty subdued. The exception was Saturday Market, which was crowded elbow-to-elbow in the narrow, winding aisles.

We thoroughly enjoyed the local food offerings. Blueplate (featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives) has amazing sammiches & soda fountain inspired beverages. Their meatloaf & mashed potatoes were nothing short of bliss. Cafe Bijou was fantastic & their mushroom omelet was heavenly. Louis & Dan's Oyster Bar, the oldest family-owned business in Portland, has a modest menu, but they knocked every single offering out of the park. I'm sad to say that we did not visit Voodoo Donuts. Next time!

The PacNW vibe persisted in our southerly sister city, though with stronger hippie flavor. The mix of people was similar, but the prevalence of good manners appeared to be marginally improved. Curiously, the Civil War mustache trend seems to have gained a lot more ground in Oregon. The widespread affection for books & coffee is identical; Powell's City of Books is my version of heaven.

There was a noticeable lack of live shows, likely due to the competition from Sasquatch this weekend. No matter, since we didn't take much of a departure from our usual, ingrained sleep schedule. Despite not taking in any culture beyond food & the mall, we still had a fun & relaxing weekend. I really enjoy traveling with my man, even if it is only a few hours away.