Last Days in Portland

Even though we were staying 30 miles south of Portland, we ventured back into Portland over the weekend. We decided that we couldn’t leave the city without visiting the Saturday Market again.  This time we came prepared with a cooler and we bought some wonderfully fresh, organic produce.

At the Market, we also ran into a fellow artist, Joy, whom I knew from Virginia.  We had taken art classes together at John Tyler Community College.  Joy and her husband, John, had moved to Portland a few years ago.  When Ashley moved to the west coast, she became friends with them. Anyway, they happened to be going to the Market and we were able to catch up with them.  It’s a small, interconnected world!

After a wonderful lunch at a restaurant called the Picnic Lunch, we went to the Oregon History Museum.  It was a hot day so it was a nice reprieve from the afternoon heat.   The Museum had a number of enticing exhibits but we were only able to see two: one on the History of Oregon and one on the life and presidency of John F. Kennedy.  Both were very interesting.

The following day, we went to worship at Imago Dei, our daughter’s church.  The members were collecting donations from the Hurricane Harvey victims.  They had already loaded a truck with dehumidifiers and other items and were driving them to Houston after the services that day.  Also, they had a team of people flying to Houston to help a large sister church in the downtown area that was providing relief to the survivors.  It is wonderful to see how generous our country is in times of crisis.

After church, we had lunch at a small Cuban restaurant called el Cubo de Cuba.  Originally, it had been a food truck but now the owners have opened a restaurant.  The food was delicious and very authentic.

No visit to Portland would be complete without a stop at the Salt and Straw ice cream shop.  There are several locations in city and they are known for their unique flavors.  The flavors change periodically and some of the more unique ones on the menu this time were Bone Marrow and Cherries, Arbequina Olive Oil, and Reverend Nat’s Hopricot Cider.  Since we were so full after our delicious Cuban meal, we bought two pints of ice cream to enjoy later.  We passed on the Bone Marrow and Cherries and settled on Lavender and Honey and Freckled Woodblock Chocolate.  Both were outstanding.  Salt and Straw is a “must try” when you visit Portland.

Here are a few more fun facts about Portland:

1. Portland is one of two U.S. cities that has a dormant volcano – Mount Tabor – within its city limits.
2. There’s a $500 fine if you pump your own gas in Portland.
3. Famous for the Simpsons, Matt Groening is a Portlandian. A lot of the Simpsons characters are named after streets and spots in Portland.
4. Portland has 56 breweries currently in the city and 76 in the Portland metro area. That’s more than anywhere else in the world.
5. The Oregon Brewers Festival is the largest craft beer fest in North America.

We have had a great time exploring the greater Portland area (Thank you Ashley!).  Although we have been here for two weeks, there are still many more exciting things to see and to do. We would highly recommend a visit to the “City of Roses.”