Oregon Vacation - Days 7 & 8 - Portland/Home

Dang.  This is our last day of fun as we fly home tomorrow.  As low key as we have kept this, time has still zipped by.  The one thing that ha happened, though, is that I think we both have fallen in love with this area.  We could live here and that's saying a lot because of all the places we have traveled, rarely do we have this desire.

Leaving the car behind, we are public transiting it today.  After catching a bus downtown, we make a return trip to Spella.  Yes, it is that good.  Now for a walk down the street and a quick stop at the Pioneer Mall for facility use before wandering about all day.  Yep, nature does call now and then.



I think that the Pioneer Courthouse Square is just a few blocks away and start in that direction.  Along the sidewalk, there are small fountains on each block and I do a double take at the otter one.  Do you see what has taken place?  The second otter has had wiggle eyes glued on.

Now we can hear the music from the square and it appears a festival of some sort is taking place and we have happened upon it.  A closer look shows that it is an Italian festival complete with food court and entertainment.  It is the lunch hour and the place is rapidly filling with participants.

Climbing to the top of the amphitheater, I capture a quick video of the musicians.

Across the street is the Pioneer Courthouse but with all the scaffolding, it is hard to enjoy it's beauty.

Right beside me is a directional mileage sign.  I love it.  It was placed her by Powell's books and that makes complete sense when you look at some of the places listed on it - Walden Pond and Casablanca, for example.

The backdrop for the amphitheatre are these columns and a clock tower.  That's old and new at it's best.  We start walking and soon come upon a street with several park blocks in a row.  Lownsdale Square, Chapman Square and Terry Shrunk Plaza each contain different memorials and we take a few minutes to check several of the out.

The one in the center can be found in Lownsdale Square and is dedicated to the Dead of the Second Oregon United States Volunteer Infantry and the one on the right is entitled The Promised Land, depicting a pioneer family, including a father, mother and son at the end of their journey.

I love seeing these andis seems obvious that my Mister loves me looking at them since he spends so much time making memories of it.  As we continue our wandering we come to another statue and I can't even begin to explain it.  Creative.

The turn of another corner fills our ears with shouts.  I see people ahead and they are carrying purple balloons and making quite the noise.  As we get closer, it becomes obvious that it is a pro-union rally and a protest against the building behind it all at the same time.

The building has been sold and the new owners opted to go with a non-union staffing company.  That means these people have lost their jobs and are unhappy, to state it mildly.

We are back at the river again and I am still hoping to see a few more bridges up close.  We HAVE managed to cross all of them at one point or another over the past few days.  Thank you GPS.

Taking off across the lawn and dodging the goose droppings, I am hopeful that there is a walkway along the edge.  Please let it happen.

Mister hangs back until he sees me land.  It's not a perfect walkway, but I'll take it.  Oh, and the bridge off to the right is the Marquam Bridge, a double-deck, steel-truss cantilever carrying interstate 5 traffic.  It is the busiest in Oregon.

To the left is the Hawthorne Bridge.  It is a truss bridge with a vertical lift.

As we pass, the angles are too much to keep the camera put away AND since it is walkable . . .  I can also get a peek of the Burnside Bridge and the top of the Steel Bridge, a double-deck vertical-lift.  I am not requiring us to walk that far today.

Mister's zoom back on the Marquam Bridge.

As we come down from the bridge, I have to laugh at this man as he would really like the geese to stay away from him.  There are hundreds of them along the river and I think he's outta luck on his quest.  This doesn't stop him from chasing them though.  It really does make me giggle.

Staying near the water and walking north, we come to the Morrison Bridge, another bascule.  Isn't this one magnificent?  I love the way it has boat shaped ends on the columns to direct the water and watercraft away from a straight on hit.

Our morning has been full and it's definitely lunch time.  Mister had listed a place downtown that is famous for it's Pho and since I love Pho, it makes perfect sense to hunt it down.  We have wandered a bit further away than I thought, but within 15 minutes we are standing with our number and waiting for a table.  And waiting.  And waiting.

Then, as if by some quiet signal, most of the restaurant empties at once and all of us who are waiting are sat.  Yes.  I am absolutely starving.

It IS worth the wait.  This is the best Pho ever.  Well, at least the best I've had.  Absolutely wonderful.  Mister's food is delish too and we are soon ready to go again.

We decide to hop a train to the streetcar track and ride it around the city loop.  It seems like such a simple plan and we do catch the train, get off at the right spot, run to catch the streetcar and follow the path I have taken a picture of.  However, at the point where we are supposed to turn right and begin our loop, the streetcar goes left and we discover that we are not on the loop car.  Okaaay -- we're not taking the loop.  Where does this one take us?

There is a funky place called The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and Museum.  It's only a few blocks from one of the streetcar stops and why not?  We get to explore an area we hadn't planned on and perhaps have a laugh or two as well.

Along the walk, we pass a brewery and check out the hours.  Dang, lucky us.  We'll be back.  Onto the Peculiarium.

Sasquatch greets us as we walk in.  He's a bit large.  Is that an understatement?

There is a fee to see the museum and we happily pay to have a little fun.  As we enter, Krampus greets us.  "Who is Krampus?" you might ask.  Me too.  It turns out that he is a horned, anthropomorphic folklore figure described as "half-goat, half-demon, who, during the Christmas season, punishes children who have misbehaved, in contrast with Saint Nicholas, who rewards the well-behaved with gifts.  Krampus is one of the companions of Saint Nicholas in regions including Austria, Bavaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, and Northern Italy.  The origin of the figure is unclear, so,me folklorists and anthropologists have postulated a pre-Christian origin for the figure, much earlier than the 1700's.  Krampus wields a hand full of birch sticks to whip dis-obedient children, taking the worst back with him to the underworld.  In traditional parades and in such events as the Krampuslauf (English Krampus Run), young men dressed as Krampus participate; such events occur annually in most Alpine towns.  Krampus is featured on holiday greeting cards called Krampuskarten.   FREAKY BUT TRUE

This one cracked us up as anyone who has been in our home knows that we have one.

As a lover of vampire lore, this exhibit caught my eye as well.  Too funny.

Across the aisle from the Vampire Killing Kit is a rather phallic theremin.  Mister and I laugh about the Big Bang Episode where Sheldon is playing one and he gives it a whirl.  I should  have had the video recorder on as he really did a decent job.  Impressive.

The next exhibit that I'm willing to share (ugh there were some truly barbaric ones) is a crazy coffin.  The long handle lifts and one can crawl inside.

 I will always love you, Mister.  RIP.

There are so many truly crazy things in here.  Point of fact.  Odd, for sure.

At one point, I am looking at the items in a safe that supposedly belonged to Al Capone, and I hear this "HELP" being said in a whispery voice.  I turn around and see   ---- well, yes I jumped.

He definitely startled me before the giggles took over.  First, because it is truly ick and secondly because my sweetie is crazy enough to do this stuff.  No one ever believes it unless I grab a quick picture.


All right, that's it with the freaky.  I want beer.  It's only two blocks back to Breakside Brewing.  On your mark, get set, go.

There is a tent outside giving samples of a new release and oh goodness, it is so good.  Now, let's go inside and get a flight.

Breakside Brewing has three locations and this one specializes in IPA's.  No worries there as we both love them.  The tray is fun and we spend some time talking with a nice gentleman who overhears us talking about Yoko's Sushi.

Our flight is long finished before we exit to find a bus to connect with another bus to our home away from home.  We have managed to ride a trifecta today:  bus, train, and streetcar.  Awesome.

Once we get back home, we call it a night as far as going out anymore and settle for our bottle of beer  and bag of pretzels for dinner.  Yep, living the high life.

26th --  We plan on sleeping in, but it just doesn't happen.  It is likely the travel jitters.  You know -- you don't want to forget anything or have anything go wrong.  That wakes you early.  Once we are packed, the car cleaned out, and we check out of our room, a stop at a coffee shop that is merely a block away takes place.  Yep, we saved the closest for last.

It's a quiet little spot with zero atmosphere, perhaps explaining why it is the only empty coffee shop we have been in during our stay here.  The coffee is also a little over roasted - dang.  However, the salted bagel is dang good as is the whipped cream cheese AND they got the mug sizes right.

That's it.  We go to the rental car return and leave the car, take the shuttle to the terminal and are now killing time shopping.  Not buying, mind you.  Shopping.  I do take a picture of a couple items to locate once home, but nothing is purchased here.  However, I will give the Portland Airport a plug here.  They require their vendors to charge the exact same for their products here at the airport as they do their in-town stores.  Nice.

Well, it's time to say good-bye to Portland.  We have had a great time in Oregon and definitely would return to see the lower part of the state.

Until then, our eyes are on Dallas and our hearts are with our friends in Houston who are in the middle of a hurricane as we travel home.  Please be safe ya'll.