Turkey Day!
Turkey Day is here, Charlie Brown, and your old pal (me) is here in not-so-sunny Portland, OR, at the house of my buddy, Phat Munkay and her husband, Papi, and their dog Pico (named for the text editor - yes it's a house of nerds). The smooth jazz is playing, the post-turkey nap has been taken, and lots of pie was consumed. It has been a successful day by all measures. I haven't ever been to Portland before and I haven't been disappointed in what I've seen so far (or rather what I could see what with all the fog and drizzle).
It's been cold and despite my attempts at organization I managed to leave my warm clothes at home, arriving here with one sweater and one long sleeved shirt and a mess of t-shirts and shorts. I had checked the weather online before packing but for some reason had only been concerned with whether or not it was going to rain. It slipped my mind to check the temperatures at all, and so I was a bit surprised to see my breath when I was waiting to be picked up on the curb at PDX. Not a smart move.
The time has been good so far though, with much laughter and eating and even a short, wet walk around the neighborhood. Oregon has some interesting local flora, some of which I had never seen before. It took me a while to acclimate myself to the fact that there was no pervasive smell of urine everywhere. Today was mostly a home day though, and I expect to get out and about tomorrow for some real exploring.
Comments
If you are missing the smell of urine, you can look under the bridge near the Saturday Market. You can probably find it there. There are a few other places in Portland where the homeless tend to congregate that might give you your fix. Portland does have some worthwhile sites, but you have to be willing to endure the rain. On the positive side, it keeps things green.
Posted by: Houchens | November 28, 2008 10:45 AM
I think I can stand it a little longer, till I get back home :) Anything else I should see in Portland?
Posted by: lo fat mo | November 28, 2008 10:49 AM
I have one place for you to go: Powell's Books. Fabulous selection, amazing prices and lovely Oregon has no sales tax!
I hope you enjoy yourself. It's one of the few West coast cities that the Burgs have entertained the thought of living in.
Posted by: Karen | November 28, 2008 12:15 PM
I went today, it was overwhelming. It's like a candy store on steroids. How am I supposed to even know where to start when I am in insulin shock? I am going again tomorrow with a list....
Posted by: lo fat mo | November 28, 2008 9:55 PM
If the weather is OK, Washington Park is nice. It has the Oregon Zoo, Japanese Garden, International Rose Garden, Portland Children's Museum, Hoyt Arboretum, and the Forestry Discover Center. It also has Holocaust and Vietnam memorials. I was a little disappointed in the forestry center.
Posted by: Houchens | November 29, 2008 3:03 AM
Only you would actually go TO the forestry center - what could they possibly have there? My guess is just a redwood slice so you can see how many rings it's got and see the usual: "Birth of Christ", "Charlemagne Crowned", "Peanuts first run in a periodical". I wish there was more time here, I feel like there's a lot to do beyond eating turkey and walking around.
Posted by: lo fat mo | November 29, 2008 8:38 AM
My favorite thing about Portland is not Portland at all, but that it is a jumping point for so many other amazing towns. Vancouver, Astoria, Cannon Beach, Seaside, Manzanita, Kelso, Corvalis... as I think I shared last week, the area around Portland is where I would choose to have a second home if someone said they'd give me one anywhere in the world. Just lovely.
Posted by: Hamp | November 29, 2008 12:28 PM
Well Iain it's certainly a nice town on it's own too ... I wanted to go to Astoria too and see if I could take the Goonies Tour, but there wasn't enough time. Oh well, next time, right?
Posted by: lo fat mo | November 29, 2008 5:37 PM