Planet of the Apes

Portland definitely has character. Lots of it. How many other places do you know where you'd see a man in a 'Planet of the Apes' themed van, playing 'Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds' with a dancing monkey hanging out the window all while sitting outside of a Starbucks on a Friday afternoon. I love Portland, all of her quirks and all.

On Thursday we left Portland behind for a little while and drove to Seattle. The day was mostly cloudy so any views from the space needle were pretty much completely obstructed. No worries though, we still made the most out of our day. We ate lunch at Salumi's, Mario Batalli's (the Italian chef with the orange crocks) father's deli. They house cure all their own meats and such. Good stuff. Good sandwiches. There is almost always a line so we were glad to be able to get in and get a seat. We walked through Pike Place Market. Lots of fresh veggies, local artisans and all around general touristy stuff. Very fun. One of the most unique things we had a chance to do was sample a Chinese tea tasting. We were able to sample a variety of teas from oolong to black tea.

Friday was spent back in Oregon. We drove the Columbia River Gorge Highway. Absolutely breathtaking. The highway was the first paved road in Oregon. It is a stretch of about 15 miles where visitors can see scenic overlooks of the Columbia River capped by views of rolling hills and, on a clear day, Mt Hood. Mt Hood has still not revealed herself while we've been here. I'm beginning to think it's all just a myth locals make up at the expense of tourists. Along the way we were able to get out and do some hiking. Lots of easy to moderate trails with spectacular views of waterfalls. We hiked to the top of one of the more famous falls called Multnomah Falls. The hike was a mile to the top. Straight up. With a total of 11 switchbacks. The view was impressive, I suppose, just as long as you aren't hanging on to the edge of the railing like I was. Definitely not the ideal location for those scared of heights like myself.

Last night we went to a local comedy show at the Baghdad Theatre run by a local kitschy chain called McMenimans. The theatre is an old hollywood style movie theatre. They serve you food and beer while you watch the show. How can you go wrong? The same chain owns another location called Kennedy School which is a former high school that has been converted into a movie theatre and hotel rooms. You can actually stay in an old classroom. Just another example of Portland's character.

Today we went wine tasting in the Willamette Valley. We started out not really having a game plan. The first location we went to was a co-op, housing several different wineries. The folks there were super helpful and we were able to offer some suggestions for some really stellar vineyards. I was afraid that some of the tasting rooms would be a little stuffy. Not the case at all. Every location was a sort of 'mom and pop' operation. One of the standouts was Arbor Brook. The owner was super genuine. I suppose we were a little partial to this location because the owner's daughter walked in wearing a North Carolina shirt. We knew they had to be good people. We had great conversation and great wine all day.

Tomorrow we start our trip back to San Fransisco and begin our journey home. I am definitely sad to leave Portland behind. I will miss all of her little quirks.

For a more detailed breakdown of our time in Portland, click here.