Our Itinerary (August 24 - September 1, 2013)
Saturday, August 24
We got in early, hopped into our rental car, and drove to my favorite B&B of our trip - Foxglove Guesthouse. Situated in the very hip(ster) neighborhood of Capitol Hill, Foxglove is a beautiful Seattle box-style house decorated with a zeal for conversation-starter pieces. If I had to conjure an image of the perfect house in terms of size, comfort, architectural interest, and decor, Foxglove would be it. In addition to that, John, our host, was pretty awesome. He gave us a quick tour, showed us a map with areas of interest and recommended restaurants, and then let us be. I love a host that knows when to leave you alone! Our room was cozy and clean and the continental breakfasts were delicious and filling. I'd definitely stay at Foxglove again.
You could argue that we didn't "do" a lot today but we actually covered a lot of ground, walking all over Capitol Hill.
Our first stop was Smith. As you might imagine, we were pretty hungry because even though it was still breakfast time in Seattle it was well past lunch time back home. Smith gave us our first of several fantastic meals. Evan got the french toast off the brunch menu and I got the eggs benedict. It was truly mouth-watering and worth repeating.
After we fueled up we headed over to Volunteer Park. It was a beautiful sunny day for a walk and a wedding as well. We were lucky enough to see a bride and groom taking their pictures by a lovely flower display.
Here's a picture of a replica of a Ming Dynasty Camel statue in front of the Seattle Asian Art Museum, also in Volunteer Park:
Afterward we stopped for some coffee (for Evan) and a cold soda (for me) and watched the world go by for a while. Capitol Hill has some really vibrant hangout spots but it also has a quieter, suburban side which we enjoyed while cooling down in the shade.
Then we took a bit of a hike to the Japanese Garden, which was lovely and serene. Despite it being such a nice day the Garden wasn't nearly as crowded as you'd think it'd be.
Check out this awesome neighborhood cat we stopped to pet:
Later that evening we walked past Smith to another restaurant that John had recommended, Rione XIII. We had some tasty Italian at one of their outdoor tables and again, we were able to watch the world go by. It seems like everyone in the PNW has a dog so we noticed lots of cute ones walk by. We also encountered some colorful characters. I was happy to note that the PNW is a mecca for pale people. By their standards, I might be considered tan!
We split some fried risotto balls, Evan got some sweet corn ravioli, and I got pasta with cheese and pepper sauce. It was quite good but I'd rank it lower than several of the other meals we had in Seattle.
When we were done with dinner we crossed the street and went into a dvd rental store. It's quite the novelty these days with the rise of netflix, redbox, hulu, etc. I wish I could say we still had a local rental place. Sometimes you get a hankering for an obscure film and you can't get it because netflix and that crew aren't set up for spontaneity. Anyway, it was kind of like taking a trip back to the not-so-distant past.
After traveling on foot all day we took the car for a spin to get our bearings of Downtown, which we hadn't yet seen. We also drove through Upper Queen Anne, which is on a very steep incline on the city's highest hill. It looked like a really cute area so we decided to keep it in mind for later. Then we returned to Foxglove for a full night's rest so we could hit the ground running the following day.
Sunday, August 25
After eating breakfast we took a nice hour-long walk to the famous Pike Place Market. Technically, I've been there before but I was 7 so the only thing I clearly remember is petting a starfish. I didn't see any starfish this time but I did see A LOT of people. Evan and I expected to see guys throwing fish around but we never did. I also didn't realize that it was more than just a fish market. There's all sorts of fresh produce, flowers, wine, crafts, hot food, etc. at every turn.
We were kind of intimidated by the crowds and had worked up quite an appetite after our long walk so we headed over to Steelhead Diner. We had an exemplary brunch of eggs cordova (a smoked salmon, egg, and vegetable hash) and grilled salmon. To top it off, I ordered a goat cheese cheesecake and Evan got a peach cobbler. The best part? Everything we ate was caught, grown, or produced locally. We noticed this in a lot of eating establishments in the PNW, especially Portland. They take a lot of pride in supporting the community.
After lunch we walked over to the Olympic Sculpture Park, which is very close to the Waterfront. It's not the most impressive park but it was nice to walk through and you get a glimpse of the Space Needle.
Speaking of the Space Needle, that was our next stop! Evan wanted to go up (not sure why since he's more afraid of heights than I am) but I wasn't interested. It's a) kind of a rip-off and b) the sky wasn't clear so I'm not sure that the view would've been worth it.
So this is awesome - we stopped a random couple to take our picture in front of the Space Needle and they gave us their stickers, which serve as tickets to the Experience Music Project Museum. That's $40 we saved!
Music is more Evan's thing so I wasn't really interested in the EMP BUT I really enjoyed watching Thriller on a huge theater-size screen. Where else can you do that? It's such an iconic, history-making music video, it seriously gave me chills to watch it with a multi-generational audience.
We waffled over visiting the Chihuly Garden and Glass museum but decided against it because we weren't sure it would be worth the cost and time. We saw some of this artist's work at the Corning Museum of Glass on our Finger Lakes, NY trip.
Here's a quick (and free) peak at some of Chihuly's work in the Garden:
Since we had been walking what seemed like all day, we rode the Monorail from Seattle Center to Westlake Center, which is a shopping mall. It didn't get us as far as we needed to go but it did half the work for us. It's kind of disappointing how limited the Monorail is. You expect something more extensive from a big city.
In between Westlake Center and our final destination for the day - Capitol Hill - we stopped at the Seattle Public Library. You might be wondering why and that's OK. It just so happens that an old college friend of Evan's lives in Tacoma and he recommended we check out the library. Once we got there, we understood why. It's really modern and HUGE and relaxing.
We stopped to rest for about 20 minutes and then made our way to Via Tribunali to meet up with Evan's friend, C, and his wife, K. We had a great time! It was my first time meeting both of them and Evan's first time meeting K. We had so much in common. In some ways, it's like we're living parallel lives. Does that sound weird? Anyway, it's nice to meet people you can relate to and be yourself with. The Neapolitan-style pizza was also quite good, though I've had better.
We ended the evening with a walk "home" and then hopped back in the car to get a night-time view of the Space Needle before turning in.
Monday, August 26
Today was probably my favorite day in Seattle. We started off with a long walk on a very steep descent to the historic district of Pioneer Square.
From there, we took the Underground Tour. It was AWESOME. Really, if you're going to Seattle for even a day, you have to do this. It's silly and fun and the tour guides are stand-up comedians in training. Basically, it's a history of Seattle with some poop jokes thrown in.
Here's a picture of our tour guide and group:
AND, if you keep your arm bracelet/ticket you can get into the Smith Tower for a slight discount. And that's exactly what we did.
You might be wondering why I was willing to go to the top of the Smith Tower but not the Space Needle. It's a 40-story building, which is tall, but it looks/feels so much more substantial than the Space Needle. I've been to the top of the Eiffel Tower so I know what it feels like to be at the top of a tall, thin building. You can feel it swaying with the wind. I.don't.like.that.
So we went to the top of the Smith Tower in an interior elevator - I like not being able to see the outside world get farther away. At the top floor is the China Room, which is beautifully decorated with Chinese-accented wallpaper and a very ornate chair that looks more like a throne. It has a dragon and phoenix engraved on it and when put together they're supposed to portend marriage. Due to this symbolism there's a tradition of unmarried girls sitting in the chair. Speaking of girls, while up there we saw two friends sitting out on the terrace with their lunch and books. What a neat idea!
The view from Smith Tower did not include Mount Rainier. In fact, we didn't see it the entire time we were in Seattle. Boo hoo.
Then we made our way back to Pike Place to grab lunch. This time we opted to eat somewhere we could watch the people go by. We selected Copacabana Cafe, which had balcony seating overlooking the Market. We had a delicious Bolivian lunch of black bean soup (we split), Evan got salmon, and I got a spicy chicken dish.
It was nice to eat while also soaking up the scene.
After lunch we walked along the Waterfront to find the ferry terminal for Bainbridge Island. Everything I read before the trip said that you can't go to Seattle without taking a ferry ride. The ferry ride itself was pretty uneventful except that I kept getting whiplash from my hair. It's windy on those things!
The view from on board:
Once we got to Bainbridge we only had to walk a couple of blocks to reach the cute and quaint Downtown. We got some sweet snacks and then did some window-shopping and then some real shopping - we ended up with some beautiful Native American art.
You know those random animal sculptures you see in cities sometimes? Well, they had a frog exhibit on Bainbridge.
One of my favorites:
We walked to the Waterfront and saw this cool stonework:
We weren't off the mainland for more than a couple of hours before the weather started to deteriorate and we decided we should get back. Bainbridge was definitely worth the trek. I could see going there for a long weekend to unwind if you live in bustling Seattle. It's so charming. I only wish we had been able to stay for dinner because by the time we got back to the ferry terminal, walked home, and then got in the car to make the trek to Upper Queen Anne, the place we had in mind was closed. We ended up resorting to fast food around 9:30 at night. Oops.
I LOVE Seattle. I think it's my city. That's right, MINE. But really, I love everything about it except the all-over-the-place weather. Ha! That's such a huge part of living in Seattle that it'd be a big hurdle to overcome. I was also kind of put off by the vast homeless masses. I have a lot of compassion for people down on their luck but I didn't like seeing a majority of the less fortunate with dogs. I'm sure they love their dogs but I also feel like they use them as props to garner sympathy. All I can think is, if you can't take care of yourself, how are you going to take proper care of that dog? Additionally, there's a percentage of those homeless that are mentally ill and sometimes it can be scary to see someone yelling to themselves or at the people around them. It's the unpredictability of their actions that's alarming. If it wasn't for these two things, Seattle would be perfect.
Tuesday, August 27
Today we departed Seattle for Newport, OR but before we did we made two stops. We were alerted to a scenic viewpoint of the famous Frasier cityscape from Kerry Park so we spent a few serene moments there before some rowdy and obnoxious teenagers arrived.
Then, before we left Washington State completely, we stopped in Tacoma to see Evan's friend, C, again and meet his dog. Who can't make time to befriend a canine? Not me! It also gave us an opportunity to see more of Washington so that was cool, too.
After we spent some time at C's home and met his cute and lovey doggy, we were taken on a mini-driving tour to see a few of Tacoma's highlights. We were taken to Point Defiance Park where we saw a beautiful outdoor garden and then Owen Beach.
For lunch, Evan and I were introduced to teriyaki. I've never been a fan of Japanese food because I tolerate sushi at best and the teriyaki I'd previously had was Americanized and fatty. Well, Happy Teriyaki not only changed our minds about Japanese food but turned us into huge fans! As soon as we left I started to google teriyaki places in our hometown. Unfortunately, as C pointed out, it's really big on the West Coast but not so much on the East Coast. Bummer.
I'm so glad we stepped outside our comfort zone because it was a meal we talked about for days afterward. In fact, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Evan got chicken teriyaki with pot stickers and I got a "special bento", which was a partitioned tray with five different sample-size selections of teriyaki chicken, veggies, tempura, white rice, and in my case, sweet n' sour chicken. Awesome.
After our morning/early afternoon activities the rest of our day was devoted to driving the 4.5+ hours to Newport.
We arrived at The Lightkeeper's Inn B&B close to 7:00pm. On the one hand, the house was immaculately clean and the views of the Bayfront were amazing. The breakfasts were good, if a little too filling, and the afternoon snacks were an unexpected surprise. All that being said, our B&B host was a little kooky. Don't get me wrong, she was very nice but a little intense. And on top of that, I started to wonder if the B&B was a front for a religious cult because almost everywhere I looked there were spiritual or Christian texts and religious artwork. I worried that our afternoon snacks might be spiked so we could be brainwashed and indoctrinated while we slept. I'm kidding, of course. Or am I?
We each had very well-prepared and delicious seafood meals at Georgie's with the rest of the geriatric crew in Newport. Needless to say, we weren't too into the ambiance. We could barely talk because the man behind us was yelling at his table-mates. He might've been hard of hearing but Evan and I were the ones saying "what?" every two minutes because we couldn't understand what the other was saying.
Our night ended with two giant chocolate cupcakes with sparkly purple icing and some wine.
Wednesday, August 28
The weather was kind of abysmal while we were on the Coast. We did, however, get some of the best weather of our coastal visit on this day.
We hopped in the car after breakfast and made for Florence, which is about 75 minutes south of Newport.
Some scenery along the way:
This specific area is Heceta Head:
On our way to Florence we stopped at the Sea Lion Caves. I was really looking forward to seeing a bunch of sea lions but when we went inside to buy tickets - yes, you have to pay to see this natural wonder - we saw on the live cam that the Caves were empty. So, we turned around and left. We knew there were sea lions to be seen right in our town of Newport (we could hear their barking on and off all day and night) so we didn't feel it was such a big loss.
A view of the Heceta Head Lighthouse from near the Sea Lion Caves:
When we arrived in Florence I saw the cute little beach town with quaint shops and restaurants that I was looking for in Newport. When you first drive into Newport, it looks like a modern-age, strip-mall and chain restaurant-infested dump. What you're looking for in terms of charm is on the Bayfront. It's not on the 101 so you can be thrown for a minute.
We stopped for a great lunch at 1285 Restobar in Old Town. Honestly, it's some of the best Italian I've had in a while. Evan got salmon and I got chicken pesto because I had hit my seafood threshold.
After we walked around a little while we decided to head back to our home base. On the way, we stopped to check out some sand dunes. Evan waited in the car while I climbed a huge dune to get a picture of this:
It's a pretty beach but I was hoping for a little more after all that work.
When we got back to Newport we decided to explore the Bayfront's many shops and restaurants. We ended up getting wood-fired pizza, which was decent.
We also sought out those sea lions we could hearing barking almost non-stop. Look at these goofballs:
We ended our evening rather early, after spending a lot of time on the road.
Thursday, August 29
Evan and I have experienced all sorts of inclement weather in our travels. In fact, bad weather seems to be a requirement. Usually, we're pretty good about going with the flow and working around it. But I'd imagine most people would have a low tolerance for crappy weather at the beach. We were more than a little bummed that on our last full day in Newport and the surrounding area we had to contend with wind and then rain coming at us sideways. Before we called it quits we headed north to Lincoln City and Depoe Bay to see what we could accomplish before the weather completely shut us down.
I'd argue that Lincoln City or Depoe Bay would've been better places to stay than Newport. I found them both more appealing and on the surface, it looked like they had better food options.
When the weather got to be too much for us we decided to pack it in and head back to Newport. We had discovered a nice counterpoint to the Bayfront - Nye Beach. It's much smaller but it had personality.
We had a very casual lunch at Cafe Stephanie. Evan got a beef sandwich au jus and I got a tuna melt. Simple but tasty and it felt like an authentic local hangout. After lunch we walked in and out of some stores, the most notable being Books on Beach. I love local bookstores especially in this age of amazon.com and e-books. I think people take for granted the feel and look of a real book! Anyway, what made this bookstore special was that it sold more than books. It sold nostalgia. There were all sorts of things around the store like a replica Wilson volleyball from the movie Castaway, the full dvd-set to Seinfeld, the owner's daughter's ruby red Dorothy slippers that she wore for Halloween, etc. And he had cool, tongue-in-cheek phrases to categorize the books. The proprietor is a really fun guy and we could tell he enjoys talking to his customers maybe more than he does making money.
After perusing some other artsy boutiques we went back to the B&B to relax for the better part of the afternoon. We were cold and wet and just wanted to unwind before we ventured out again for dinner.
We ended up having Thai, which was decent but nothing to write home about. The establishment really needed a Gordon Ramsay makeover. Based on the cleanliness and condition of the seating area, I'd be afraid to see the kitchen!
Needless to say, we were ready to get on the road the following day and leave the area for Portland. In retrospect, we spent 2 days longer on the coast than we needed to. Unless you're going to go to the beach and do beachy things, you only really need a day to drive along the coast to appreciate its beauty. In fact, you don't need to go as far south as we did. You could stick to the north coast and call it a day.
Friday, August 30
We heard rumors that the weather was supposed to clear up but the bad weather/fog hung around the whole time we drove up the coast. There were pockets of sunshine but as soon as we started to enjoy it, the fog would return. Blah!
We didn't want to take too much time driving to Portland so we allowed ourselves only a few stops along the coastline. Our first stop was the Tillamook Cheese Factory. It was a fun and free diversion. It's a completely self-guided tour with placards to read and cheese to sample.
A beautiful scene while the sky was clear:
I was most looking forward to seeing the Haystock Rock in Cannon Beach but as you'll see the fog worked really hard to obscure it.
After having seen Cannon Beach I would've planned our Oregon Coast portion of the trip differently. I would've had us drive to Cannon Beach from Seattle, stay the night, and then go directly to Portland. We didn't see anything south of Newport or in Newport that was so vastly unique that we couldn't have gotten an overall impression of the Oregon Coast by just visiting Cannon Beach. It's also a vastly different town from Newport. There's no modern ugliness or strip malls blighting your view as you drive into town. It's a very straightforward beach town with a long stretch of boutiques, restaurants, and inns. Maybe we'll have a chance to enjoy it one day but it was so inundated with people that we couldn't find a parking spot. Instead of driving around and around we pursued a northerly direction and ate leftovers in the car.
We drove the 101 as far north as Astoria and then took an inland route from there. We arrived in Portland around 3:00pm and the sun was shining down on us. Seriously, we had the best most perfect weather of the trip while in Portland. We experienced consistent sunshine and the temps hovered between the mid and upper 80s. We couldn't have asked for anything better. Your bad luck's got to run out somewhere, am I right?
Staying at our B&B, the Lion and the Rose Victorian B&B Inn, was a novel experience. It's an authentic Victorian house and it has all of the time-appropriate garish decor, colors, and furniture. The B&B hosts, Steve and Dusty, are both lovely people and they provide so much help in terms of getting acquainted with Portland. They've created and photocopied many maps to help guide you through all the different sectors of the city and day-trips outside the city. Another interesting tidbit is that breakfast is optional. In this case, we opted out so that we would have the freedom to get up and out whenever we wanted and discover more food on our own. Additionally, Evan and I are Grimm fans so we were particularly tickled by the fact that a Season One episode was filmed on the property!!!
Those are the good points. The bad points are - it's an old house so you can a) hear everything inside and outside the house and b) everything in the house is old and so, that means old plumbing and a bathroom the size of my coat closet. I also wasn't impressed with the state of cleanliness in our room. It was adequate but it didn't meet my finicky standards.
After we dropped off our bags we decided to get acquainted with our new neighborhood. We stayed in the Irvington Historic District with lots of beautiful houses and nearby restaurants. We were also located about a 7-10 minute walk from the light rail service, MAX.
I made a new feline friend, Elliott, while on our walk:
Check out this beautiful sculpture we stumbled upon:
We planned on going Downtown the following day so we hung close to home and grabbed dinner on Broadway, the main thoroughfare parallel to our street. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from and we thought we chose what looked like a decent neighborhood hangout but we were wrong. Our first meal in Portland was a disappointing one. Unfortunately, we had an equal amount of hits and misses food-wise.
We ended the evening talking to a couple of very nice people who live in the garden-style apartment building next to our B&B. We were "warned" that Portlanders are extremely friendly and this couple was no exception. I say we were warned because sometimes I find that us East Coasters can be suspicious of the kindness of others. After all, we're so used to being mean to each other! Anyway, we enjoyed their company. It's always nice to find kindred spirits. I should also note that a feral cat brought us together. They were trying to coax it toward them and it ran under our parked rental car. Us cat people have to stick together!
Saturday, August 31
Today we were all over Downtown. We got up, walked to the MAX, bought two day passes, and we were off.
What better way to start out the day than with VOODOO DOUGHNUT?!?! We got there just after 9:00am, which was really smart. People line up for those things. It's no joke. And because it was so early, the not-as-long-as-it-could-have-been line went really fast. I think we waited for 20 minutes, tops. While in line we looked at the menu on my iPhone so we'd be ready with our order when it was our turn.
Word to the wise - don't do what we did. We were hungry, it's true, but we went in there thinking that because the doughnuts were so novel we had to get at least a half-dozen to try. We ended up giving 3 out of our 6 doughnuts to a homeless person. We hit our sugar threshold far quicker than we anticipated. If you're getting normal-sized doughnuts then you could probably eat two in a sitting. But some of the speciality doughnuts, like the one I got, are the equivalent of 3 regular doughnuts put together. TOO MUCH.
On a sugar high, we then made our way across the street to the Portland Saturday Market, which is also held on Sundays. Confusing? A little. We didn't buy anything but we certainly enjoyed perusing all the different arts and crafts.
From there we walked to the Lan Su Chinese Garden. Of all the Asian-themed gardens we saw during our trip (we saw the Japanese Garden in Seattle and later the Japanese Garden in Portland) this was my favorite. It really was an oasis in Chinatown.
So gorgeous and the amazing weather only enhanced the experience.
After the Chinese Garden we paid a visit to Powell's Books. It's just a bookstore but it's also more than a bookstore. It takes up an entire city block. It was absolutely packed, too, which kind of took away from the coolness. I like bookstores to be like libraries - quiet! Powell's was buzzing with conversation and frankly, I felt if I turned around too quickly I'd bump into someone.
Portland is a real foodie city and they've got this whole block that's food truck central. Evan and I must have circled that block at least twice before we were able to decide where to eat. Evan ended up with pot stickers and I got a burrito. We walked a small ways and sat down at a park to eat while a hippie girl with a ukulele sang Patsy Cline songs. For some reason, this experience struck me as very "Portland". Kind of a, we're-not-in-Kansas-anymore moment. It was cool.
Then we walked through Pioneer Square, which reminded me very much of Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia. It's a gathering spot. People were hanging out, soaking up the sun and at the same time there was someone on a nearby stage spouting some malarkey about Jesus. We took that as our cue to jump back on the MAX and get the hell out of there. I'm not anti-religion, by the way, I just have a problem with people trying to forcefully convert or influence me.
When we got back to the B&B we hopped into the car and drove to the Rose Test Garden/Japanese Garden in Washington Park. As you might imagine, due to the glorious weather, everyone in Portland was out and about. As an addendum, there was almost no parking to be found. Evan ended up parking where he shouldn't have so when we saw a spot open up, I was instructed to stand in it and save it while he went to retrieve the car. A lot of cars were going by and I felt increasingly uncomfortable holding a spot that was really anyone's for the taking. Finally, I relinquished my hold and a car pulled in. Just then, Evan pulled up and threw his hands in the air like, what happened woman?! The driver of the car said to Evan, oh, was that your spot? Evan didn't really respond but before we knew it the guy apologized, backed out of the spot, and then drove away. Now, is that a Portlander being nice or being a pushover? Haha. Either way, we were happy with the results.
I was mildly disappointed with the Rose Test Garden because a lot of the flowers were droopy or brown. I'm sure it's a sight to see when the flowers are looking their best but I couldn't help but compare them to the in-peak flowers we saw in Tacoma. Still, we did see a few pretty ones and we got our first glimpse of Mount Hood!
The best part was that we got an even better, more elevated view of Mount Hood.
We were tired from a full day of activities, sights, and the sun so we headed back to the B&B to relax for a while. We even swung on the old porch swing, which made me feel like I was in the South and not the PNW.
For dinner we went to Petisco, a neighborhood restaurant very much like a European bistro. We had our best meal in Portland here and certainly, one of the best meals of the trip. There was not one thing I could complain about. The ambiance was intimate, romantic, and cozy. The service was friendly and attentive. The food was perfectly portioned, well-made, and delicious. And to top it off, the prices were extremely reasonable. Evan started with a beef and vegetable soup. For his main course he had the ravioli of the day, which contained Walla Walla onions, pine nuts, and five cheeses and was then topped with a fennel cream sauce. I had bacon-wrapped meat loaf with mashed potatoes. I know it sounds heavy but it was surprisingly light and again, because the portions were small to medium, I didn't feel stuffed afterward. To end our meal we got an apple and blueberry crisp and also, a lemon cake with a saltine cracker crust. It was the lemon cake to end all lemon cakes. If I could order an endless supply of this lemon cake so I could have a piece every day for the rest of my life, I would!
I should mention that we wanted to have dinner at Pok Pok per my brother's recommendation, but there's no way to get in that place without waiting 1.5+ hours. That's just not how I roll. When I'm hungry I want to eat, not wait!
Sunday, September 1
We started our day with a fantastic breakfast at another local hangout, Milo's City Cafe. We split a plate of french toast to satisfy our sugary cravings and then I got eggs benedict Santa Fe style (chorizo sausage instead of Canadian ham). Evan got eggs with Italian sausage. Yum!
Since we had covered the touristic highlights of Portland, we took the advice of the lovely woman we met at the garden apartment next door and hopped in the car for a little road trip on the Historic Columbia River Highway. Our final destination was Hood River and along the way we stopped at some scenic viewpoints and the iconic Multnomah Falls.
I honestly cannot recall in my recent memory observing a more unspoiled, majestic beauty. This drive was absolutely one of the highlights of the PNW trip and it ranks high amongst our other travels, too.
The Multnomah Falls were packed with people. We could barely get a parking spot to get out and take a picture so once we did get a spot, we literally took a picture and then left. It's hard to enjoy a place that should be peaceful and reflective when you're one of a throng. This was part of my problem with the Japanese Garden in Portland, as well. There were too many people and too much noise to reach a place of serenity.
From there we went to Hood River and like everywhere else we had been that day and the day before, the crowds were immense! We probably should've stayed for lunch because there were lots of restaurants and shops but we thought we'd try to get into Pok Pok again.
A recommendation - we took took the Historic Columbia River Highway from Corbett to Dodson but then took the I-5 on the way back. If you take both routes you get an elevated vantage point of the Columbia River and then a side-by-side view.
When we got back to Portland sometime between 2:00 and 3:00pm, I thought we might have some luck getting into Pok Pok because of the odd time. Nope. So, again, we gave up. Unfortunately, we had a very mediocre lunch at another of our neighborhood haunts but we made up for that disappointment with a sweet stop at Salt & Straw. There was a line and it felt slower than the Voodoo Doughnut line, but we probably only waited 20 minutes. They make their own ice cream, all from local ingredients. Evan and I each got a scoop of cinnamon snickerdoodle (awesome) and then he got vanilla and I got chocolate gooey brownie. Neither of us were blown away by the vanilla and chocolate but I found the cinnamon snickerdoodle to be quite exceptional.
In between relaxing and dinner we drove up to Pittock Mansion to see the Portland skyline. It was nice to see but unlike a lot of city skylines there really isn't an icon or landmark you can point to that defines Portland except Mouth Hood, of course.
We spent most of the afternoon relaxing and swinging on the porch swing. We had dinner at another neighborhood place, which was also very average. We were surprised that finding good food in Portland wasn't as easy as just walking into some place. We felt like it was that simple in Seattle. I think we learned that to get good food in Portland you have to make a little more effort and sometimes that means waiting in line.
We took our leftovers figuring that we'd find a homeless person in need. (There's a large homeless presence in Portland just as in Seattle.) We found an elderly gentleman just a few blocks from where we had eaten and saw a woman coming out of a nearby Safeway offer him a banana. Not only did he reject her banana but we saw some kind of exchange where he pulled out a bag filled with red fluid. We asked her about it and she said he didn't seem hungry but that he wanted help with his bag of wine. All I could think was, at least it wasn't a bag of blood!?!
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To our surprise, we got a knock on the door to our bedroom at 10:30pm. One of our B&B hosts was at our door, he said, to pass on a gift. Evan and I looked at each other like - what? A gift? From whom? For a fleeting moment I thought parents had arranged something, but since there wasn't an occasion to celebrate that seemed odd. It turns out, the sweet woman we met at the garden apartment next door had dropped off a parcel for us at breakfast that morning. We weren't there because we opted out of breakfast and I guess the B&B host had forgotten about it up until that moment. Anyway, she bought us a short humorous book on Portland and wrote up a very nice card to go with it. It just goes to show how infrequently we meet friendly people where we live because we were talking about her act of kindness for days afterward. Fortunately, we were able to exchange contact information so we'll stay in touch.
We really enjoyed Portland. It was much bigger than I expected it to be but it's not a big city either. I think the hipster presence is more prevalent in Portland than Seattle or at least, it seems that way. Portland also seems a little more green, a little more focused on local commerce, etc. I probably don't know what I'm talking about but that was my impression. Something that I loved about both places is that people live out loud. Everyone's out in the open about whoever they are - gay, tattooed, pierced, etc. and they're embraced. I almost feel like the weirdo would be the person who judged or questioned someone being different. I'd love to live somewhere all-embracing and accepting like that. Maybe one day.
I had such a wonderful time in the PNW. I can't wait to go back. I'd really like to see more of Washington State and maybe some more of Oregon, too. The Oregon Coast was the most disappointing segment of the trip in terms of weather, location (Newport), and food so I probably wouldn't repeat it. Something we missed this trip that I'd like to do in the future is go to Crater Lake National Park. I'd also like the opportunity to see Mount Rainier from Seattle and also, in person. We were able to see Mount Hood in the distance but with more time I'd like to do the Mount Hood Loop and get right next to it.
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