On Oct 11th, I had the opportunity to visit my daughter in her new downtown apartment in Portland. We arrived after dark to discover that Portland street signs, building numbers and names are not well lit after dark.
The following day after her father headed north with our car, Jen, her husband Scott and I set off to explore the Saturday Market.(yes, I know it is Sunday, but they still call it the Sat. Market) followed by a jaunt thru Powell’s Book city. As we walked, rode the bus, walked , rode the streetcar then walked some more; I was filled with a sense of Portland being a city on its feet, a city where everyone walks —just about everywhere.
It seems to be a bustling hive of active, healthy individuals. The folks you see on the streets, busses, streetcars and trains are an eclectic mix of ages, religious and ethnic groups, and social and cultural life styles. Portland seems to embrace all types—from the ultra conservative to the wacked out weird. No matter your interest or bend – in Portland you are bound to find someone who shares it.
I was able to stay and visit for 5 days and each day we explored a different venue at lunch. (Fortunately, I walked too, so the meals didn’t settle on me.) We had an outdoor meal at the Market, Burgers at a Basement Pub, Pizza at “old Town”, crepes at La Jolly’s and even a lunch at home