Portland

When it comes to the Pacific Northwest, I’ve always been a Seattle girl. I have visited Victoria, Vancouver, Tacoma, Portland, and the Olympic Peninsula, but none could steal my heart away from Seattle. I’ve met my Portland counterparts, but could never be convinced of its allure. I’d spent the night in Portland once visiting some friends. It just seemed like a smaller Seattle with better public transportation.

The first stop on our tour was Portland, actually at my suggestion. I figured I could give it another try, see what others saw. Paul tried to secure a show, but it just didn’t happen so we were going just as tourists.

On the initial drive down I-5 then off the exit to our host’s house, my impressions didn’t change. Nice city with some Pacific Northwest feel, but nothing distinguishing. Then we found our destination. A quaint craftsman house in the Hawthorne district. Our host, Junko, was outside, watering her plants in her sundress and sandals. She greeted us with a warm smile as her cat walked across the lawn and greeted us with a warm meow. “You must be Sara’s friends. They aren’t here yet, but come in.”

Once inside her house, we were greeted with the scent of essential oils and simple, but welcoming décor. Her colorful art graced the walls, her easle featured prominently in the living room. Junko is an old friend of Sara’s and had graciously offered to let all five of us stay for the night. She lived in the house with three cats and her dog.

Tommy, Sara, and Janice showed up at the house within minutes and we all headed out for Thai food on Hawthorne, the main drag through the neighborhood about two blocks from Junko’s house. After dinner we went back to the house, hung out for a bit and then staked out our sleeping spots: Paul and I in the living room, Tommy, Sara, and Janice up in the guest room.

The next morning I woke up early, 7AM, and decided to go for a walk so I put on my sneakers, grabbed my iPod and headed down the street. Lots of bicycles and skateboards in Portland. Lots of plants and gardens in the yards of the beautiful old homes.

I walked down Hawthorne for about 45 minutes, past interesting bars, restaurants, cafes, vintage shops, and other businesses, each with their own unique flavor. Not that Seattle is an oasis of big chain stores, but Portland seemed to be even less so. On first glance at least, the restaurants and shops seemed to have a more home grown sense.

Tommy’s crew took off for San Francisco around noon, but Paul and I stayed in Portland for a few more hours. We were headed to Bend next, so we had a shorter drive. Paul lived in Portland for a month last year, so he drove me through the different neighborhoods showing off his old haunts. He pointed out the Chaos café, where he played his first show in Portland. We drove past the Pub at the End of the Universe, where he had played several shows. Unfortunately, it didn’t open until later in the evening so I couldn’t try their chocolate raspberry stout Paul recommended. We drove through trendy Pearl district, Brooklyn, where Paul had stayed, then up to Alberta street, with its own restaurants, bars, cafes, and vintage shops. We got out of the car for a stroll through Mt Tabor park. Thanks to its elevation, we saw great views of the Cascades and downtown Portland. Quite a pleasant afternoon.

Not sure where we will be after graduation, but Portland is now on the list.

States visited: 2
Dogs met: 2
Cats met: 3
Necessary urinations in unauthorized locations: 0