Portland Randomness
We had a lovely time in Portland last weekend! My step-mom, my sisters, and their families live in Portland, and we haven’t been up to ‘just visit’ in a long time. Actually, it’s been over a decade. We have gone up for weddings and parties and funerals and to scatter my father’s ashes, but a visit with no schedule, no plans? I think our last one was in 2013. (Edited to say, um, the 2013 trip was for my Dad’s 70th birthday, so it’s been even longer since we went up without an occasion than I thought. No wonder Ted’s mom asked, ‘and why are you going up?’)
The last few times we have gone to Portland, we have stayed with a woman who lives down the street from my Dad and step-mom’s house, Marilyn. She lives alone and has plenty of room, and (most importantly) doesn’t have any cats. Alas, she already had visitors when we were going to be there, so we decided to stay in a hotel instead. When we stay in a hotel, we usually stay in the same general neighborhood (about a mile away, with some steep hills close to the house) but this time we decided to see a bit more of Portland, so we stayed downtown.
I didn’t take any pictures of our hotel, but this is Zelda, who guards the front door. The little ‘bubbler’ fountain out front is always going, with fresh water for passing dogs.
Do you use packing cubes? A few years ago when we were in Alaska, we all shared one suitcase and as we were moving from place to place every couple of days, we never unpacked. It drove me crazy looking for socks in the dark while trying not to wake anyone up, in a suitcase full of everyone’s clothes. When we got home, I bought some packing cubes, and I really like them. I like having one type of clothes in a cube, separated from everything else. Like, socks and underwear, blouses, workout clothes, shoes. Maya and I shared a big suitcase, Ted used a smaller one. This is my clothes for the trip.
Our flight was early. We left the house at 6am, flew out at 8:30, and landed just after 10am on Friday. My step-mom, Julie, picked us up at the airport and brought us to our hotel, then left for an appointment. Happily, we were able to check in early. We went to lunch, and then met up with my sister Melissa and her family, and Julie joined us. We walked around Alberta street, which has restaurants and shops and is close to my sister’s house.
In the evening, my other sister, Maya, and her family also joined, and we had take out Thai food in Melissa’s back yard. I intended to do some yoga when we got back to the hotel, but a sinus headache convinced me to take a shower and go to bed instead. Thus ends a 1 1/2 year streak of daily yoga.
Our hotel had a $15 daily food credit if you ate in the hotel, so we had our breakfasts there every morning. Don’t worry, you’re not going to get pictures of all of our meals, but this is our breakfast Saturday morning. I had yogurt and toast, and Ted had a delicious dish called the Broadway Bowl (the hotel is on Broadway Street), which is described as: chickpea fritter, local grains, seasonal vegetables, citrus tahini. The local grain while we were there was quinoa, and he loved this breakfast so much, he had it every day. I tasted it, it was really good. Maybe I should try to figure out how to make chickpea fritters (isn’t that falafel? Maybe not, the spices were different.) I think this would make a delicious dinner some time. I’m not sure what all of the veggies were…it was all cut pretty fine. Definitely carrots and asparagus, maybe leeks or onions.
Maya had a crummy night of sleep on the sofa bed*, so she climbed into our bed and went back to sleep while we had breakfast and went to a nearby Farmer’s Market. Eventually she got up and had breakfast of her own (she had the yogurt too), and once we were all ready, we walked to Powell’s Bookstore and met up with Melissa and Julie.
*The hotel was nice, but there were some common sense/communication issues. We booked a room for 3 adults, and I guess they figure you will all just sleep in the one bed? There were only 2 glasses for water, 2 cups for coffee, 2 bathrobes, 2 bath towels, no extra pillows or blankets. On our way out, I asked if they would make up the sofa bed for us, and deliver a robe/glass/cup/towels. They delivered some bedding, but no sheets or blanket. So we asked for that and they brought it, but they did not make up the sofa bed. We went ahead and did that, and boy, the mattress was horrible. You could feel the springs with your hand. She couldn’t sleep on it, and ended up sleeping on the sofa instead. Saturday morning as we were leaving to go to the Farmers’ Market, I asked about a second room, and told the clerk how uncomfortable the sofa bed was. He said she could have a second room for $200 a night, but they would deliver a mattress topper for free if we asked. So we were supposed to know that I guess. Sigh. I asked that they please deliver one and make up the sofa bed. Aside from this frustration, everything was great. Back to Powell’s.
Powell’s is the largest independent bookstore in the US, and encompasses an entire city block. They carry both new and used books, and have over 1,000,000 books in stock in their main location. I have never spent much time upstairs, mostly I like the Green and Blue Rooms. The Green Room is new titles, and has a nice selection that is fun to browse. Then you get serious and move on.
The Blue Room is fiction, and there are used books in among the new, so if there is a book you want, and you like buying used (less $), check all of the copies, some may be used. I bought a couple of books, took a bunch of pictures of books to check out from the library, and chatted with Melissa. Ted got several music biographies, Maya got a novel – and ducked out to buy some jeans and a blouse at Madewell, which was a block away and having a sale. She brought sundresses and the weather was just a tiny bit too cool for that.
Much like a museum, I get a little overwhelmed after a while. Maybe 2 hours is my limit for such things, I don’t know. After Powell’s, we went for a light lunch, then back to our hotel for a bit to relax. Sadly, both Melissa and Julie saw naked bicyclists on their way home, and we missed it. I guess Saturday was the annual World Naked Bike Ride, and the closest we got to seeing anything ourselves was the homeless man I saw pooping on the sidewalk that morning, which believe me is not the same.
Later we all met up at my sister Maya’s house and had a lovely dinner in her backyard.
We finally got to see the little sun house they put in their back yard a couple of years ago. This picture is from the post where I bragged about how they built it, mostly from upcycled/recycled materials.
Sunday we went our own ways after breakfast. Ted went to have coffee with a Portland friend with whom he used to work in San Francisco, while I took a Lyft to visit my friend Joyce. Joyce was my mom’s friend, and was our housemate in Fairbanks, Alaska, for a couple of years in the early ‘70s. She was hospitalized recently with some kidney issues that may or may not be related to blood thinners she was on. She’s doing better, and is in a rehab type place for a bit until she is strong enough to go home. She lives alone, as her husband died suddenly 2 years ago. She’s trying to figure out what her future looks like, should she sell her house? Where to then? She doesn’t have any kids. She may not be able to look at the camera for a photo, but she gets around pretty well, and we walked a couple of blocks so she could have lunch.
We went to the Bare Bones Cafe, which had some interesting pop culture art for sale on the walls, and a busy mirror in the bathroom. I intended to get a picture of the buff Frog & Toad artwork, but I was busy helping Joyce with her walker, and I forgot.
Our final evening was spent in Julie’s back yard. Picture above, Maya, Me, Ted, and Julie. Julie put together a delicious meal with something for everyone (lots of different dietary needs/likes). There was Marionberry pie! YAY!
Cousins! Left to right, Crow, Chloe, Maya, Jack, Sophie. Crow is going into their senior year of HS, the other three are in college. Finding a weekend when we could all get together and be in the same place at the same time can be a challenge, with travel plans and work schedules and so on, so we were really happy we were able to make this work.
Melissa, Me, Maya. Melissa and Maya are twins, 5 years younger than me. We share the same father (and step-mom), but their mother is still alive and lives in Portland, where they were raised. There are 2 more siblings with their mom and step-dad, and a step-sister. They are blessed to have a lot of family close by.
I blew it and didn’t take many pictures, and somehow didn’t get a picture of Julie’s new(ish) friend, John, so we’ll go with this action shot. Julie and John have been dating for a while now (9 or 10 months? A year?), but we hadn’t met him until this trip. He’s in the background, with the smiley face and white hair and beard. He’s a really interesting guy, we were so glad to meet him. I wish we lived closer and could get to know him more. Short version – born in Africa to missionary parents, retired architect in Southern California, moved to the Portland area to be closer to one of his 2 (3?) daughters after the death of his wife of 46 years, 4 years ago. Mostly it is really great to see Julie so happy.
This is Hazel, Julie’s cat. She was Tom’s cat (Tom was Julie’s partner of about 1.5 years, who died in 2023) and she and Julie don’t really get along. We all feel like Hazel is a LOT and should be rehomed. She is only 4 years old, and Julie deserves to have a cat that will sit and cuddle her without biting and/or scratching. If she were 15 or 16, I would feel differently, but she has a long healthy life ahead of her. I hope Julie decides to rehome her and that she finds a home that makes her less grumpy and hostile. So far Julie is against it, she promised Tom she would take care of Hazel.
Which brings us to Monday, our travel day. I spotted this book at the airport, and had to laugh. Looking at the cat picture above, don’t you think that Hazel does, in fact, say “No”?
Portland has a beautiful airport, nicer than San Francisco* even, and much nicer than Oakland. We got through security quickly, and I did a little shopping. There is a little satellite Powell’s, and I got a t-shirt and a gift card I had intended (and forgotten) to buy on Saturday. Maya got a sweatshirt.
*I forget how nice San Francisco’s airport is. Usually we fly from Oakland, which is closer to us. The last several times we’ve flown from SFO, it has been the International terminal, which is truly nothing special. Even this trip, we left from the International terminal (to Portland? On Frontier? Why?) and I was underwhelmed. But our return trip landed us in Terminal I, and I was impressed with how nice it is. Not as nice as PDX, but still.
I got some local wine, and some Marionberry jam. One of the rivers that goes through Portland is the Willamette (pronounced wuh·la·muht), and the Willamette Valley is well known for their wines. They are mostly known for their Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, but I bought a tasty bottle of Chardonnay.
Back in San Francisco, then to long term parking, then to the drive home, which wasn’t bad. I like this horse made from bronze (but looks like driftwood), the work of artist Deborah Butterfield. She has horse sculptures at the Seattle and Portland airports as well. Welcome home!
Traveling takes a long time, right? Friday was faster I think. We left our house at 6am and checked in to our hotel just before 11am. Monday, we left the airport at 11am and got home at about 6pm.
Have you been to Portland? If so, do you love it as much as we do? We were considering moving there back in 2007, but then we went up for Christmas and could not believe how dark and wet and dreary the world up north is. All of you who do not live in the sun belt, feel free to yell at me.
28 Comments
nance
What a nice trip overall. I know you’re so glad you went.
I haven’t been to Oregon since I was held hostage by my parents for the Big Trip Out West in the back of the family Buick when I was 17 years old and recovering from a bout of both mono AND strep throat. It was tough to appreciate it back then, but I do remember being impressed. We drove along the coast and could see boats and even some seals/sea lions on buoys.
It’s sad about Hazel, who is a beautiful cat. Perhaps she just needs more time. Cats do have their own way of doing things.
J
Oh Hazel…she is a sad story. Yes, she’s beautiful, and things have improved a LOT, which I guess is why Julie keeps her. She was likely in ‘fight or flight’ mode for the beginning of her life, she was the runt and underweight. Then they discovered she had some polyps in her throat (I think?) which meant she was only getting about 40% of the oxygen she needed. Maybe these things have set her personality forever? I hope not. She has plenty to eat, and had the surgery she needed. Sigh. I guess we all feel a little protective of Julie and just want her to have a cat she can love without any danger of being bitten/scratched.
PocoBrat
What a full trip with so many fun things and so much family time. Lovely how everyone seems to have made the get togethers a priority and turned up for it. You’re certainly the VIP guests of honor!
I’ve never been to Portland, and of course Powell’s is on my list for when/if I do. Sorry to hear about your yoga streak coming to an end, J. It’s just one day though… isn’t that just a hiccup? Does it have to be a reset?
And I’m impressed that you and Maya shared a suitcase. I can’t remember if I’ve shared a suitcase (TBF, it’s usually a backpack) with anyone at all, actually.
J
Maya, it wasn’t 1 day off. I figured what the hell and took the entire 4 days off! Slippery slope, right? I also didn’t do any weights, though there was a gym in the hotel and I could have. 2 things I noticed. Without doing weights 5 days a week, I wasn’t as sore as I generally am. Without doing daily yoga, I was more stiff than I usually am. Interesting, I had pain, but it was DIFFERENT pain. Don’t worry though, I’m home and back in the saddle.
Julie commented that she hasn’t had that much time with everyone in years, so yes, it was really nice how everyone was able to come together for our trip. We got lucky, they are a busy bunch, that we were able to throw this trip together so quickly.
Py Korry
It was a really good trip! Even barring the hotel customer service snags, I liked our room and being in the downtown area.
And Powell’s never disappoints. It is such a well curated bookstore. I was truly impressed by the number of music-related books that I had no idea existed. Case in point: the Kate Bush biography. The one I bought was updated in 2024…but was originally published in 2010. What kind of Kate Bush fan am I if I didn’t know about this until 15 years later? ?
J
LOL about the Kate Bush book. It snuck in under your radar!
Kat
When you said you were able to check in early, I was really impressed bc my experience at hotels lately has been that I can’t even check in at the normal time! But it sounds like there were some other downsides to your stay, unfortunately. Lately I’ve started to dread staying at hotels after previously enjoying them, due to a lot of disappointing experiences, i.e., basic comfort, cleanliness, and customer service lacking (I’ve worked in CS so I’m sensitive to how difficult it is, but also aware of when it’s genuinely deficient…). And I swear I’m not even that picky, ha. The best experience I’ve had semi-recently was at a mid-range chain hotel in suburban West Virginia tbh!
I’ve never been to Portland but hope to visit one day! I don’t think I would mind the weather too much even in winter, as I’m used to quite a bit of rain/gloom here on the east coast. Anything looks great compared to 110 heat indexes for me, ha. All of the pics are wonderful, especially the ones with you and your family. It’s so nice you all enjoyed some time together!
J
My college job was in hotels, and if they are busy it can be tricky. If they are slow they are more likely to have your room ready at the right time (or early). I have a friend who still works in hotels and she said it has gotten worse with Expedia and things like that, people book and request really late check outs, and other people book and request early check ins, and the system just takes it or whatever, so it’s hard for housekeeping to get in there and turn the room over in a timely manner. Or if a ton of people check out in one day and a ton more check in, housekeeping is just overwhelmed. Likely our room was empty the night before, which is why no one thought to put extra cups/glasses/etc in the room. But I do think they could have made the bed up for us rather than just dropping off the bedding, and they could have offered us the topper. Sigh.
Lisa's Yarns
I love how big Ted is smiling in the photos! He has such a great smile. He’s like the antithesis of my husband who is terrible at smiling for photographs… My dad is the same way. If he tries to smile for a photo, it ends up looking a bit forced. But Ted just looks joyously happy!
How fun to travel w/ Maya, too!!
J
Ted does have a great smile, doesn’t he? It’s one of the first things I noticed about him.
Margaret
I haven’t been to Portland for quite a while but do love it! The food scene is incredible. My older daughter and family were there the same weekend visiting her friend who lives in Portland. Love the photos and the story of Julie finding a nice partner. That’s difficult to do at our ages. It would be hard to get rid of Hazel but she doesn’t seem like a good fit for Julie. Marionberry jam, YUM!
J
Thanks Margaret! I am glad that Julie is strong and has found a new partner too, especially one as nice as John.
Birchie
What a great trip, apart from the hotel issues. Your trip to Powell’s reminds me of when I went to the Book Loft in Columbus. I love books, but there is a time limit. If my family had been with me, I think they would have spent all day in the bookstore.
I haven’t been to Portland, but it high on my list!
J
I think you will love Portland when you get there!
Nicole MacPherson
What a lovely weekend! I have never been to Portland, although I have driven through Oregon.
I do use packing cubes! I love them for organization and also for compressing things.
How great to spend so much time with family (although that sounds like a very frustrating situation with the hotel!)
J
Thanks Nicole, I really enjoyed our trip, and will admit that I really like the packing cubes. We ran out, so Ted didn’t get to try them. Clearly I need to get some more!
Elisabeth
I just love that Ted hopped into the comment section to weigh in.
It always amazes me how quickly cousins can catch up where they left off. We rarely see extended family but, when we do, it’s like not time at all has passed.
This looks like an absolutely lovely family adventure!
That horse immediately made me think of Lexington from Geraldine Brooks’ novel, Horse. I feel like you read that? Anyhoo. As soon as I saw the sculpture, it made me think of that!
J
Oh, Lexington! Yes, I read and loved Horse!
Maya’s Oregon cousins all live in Portland, so they are being raised together, whereas Maya is 7 years older than the oldest, and we live far away. She adores them, but it’s a different relationship for sure.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
I drove through Portland. It sounds liek a really interesting town and I think I would like it. Maybe one day.
Your trip sounds like you had a wonderful time with family. And you all look so happy in each photo.
J
Portland is pretty cool, I hope you make it some day! And yes, spending time with family is the best.
Stephany
Another way Maya and I are similar: I am also 7 years older than my oldest cousins! There’s my brother and me, and then we had cousins born in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, and 2001 – they are all VERY close and I have a much different relationship with all of them. I totally get it!
This looks like a very great trip with lots of good family time. That’s sad about Hazel. She’s a beautiful cat! I hope things start to improve – some cats just need a LOT of time and patience to feel comfortable.
J
I think Julie is a lot more patient than the rest of us, she is giving Hazel a chance to come around. She’s clearly an aggressive cat in some ways, she swiped at Ted twice when he went inside to use the bathroom. He didn’t try to pet her or anything (he’s allergic), so she came to him to do it. Poor thing.
StephLove
I haven’t been to Portland for approximatley 30 years, but I remember it was a fun city to visit. I loved Powell’s books and I think I remember a big rose garden there.
J
Yes, they have a beautiful rose garden! Also a really beautiful Japanese garden.
Gina
The PNW is the one region that we have never traveled to in the United States, despite it being fairly geographically close. I have zero idea why, I know it is amazing.
You are all looking so gorgeous, it is so good to see you all! And your sister’s home is so lovely and blue amidst all of that green! I am jealous of those who live amongst such greenery.
I am sad for Julie that the beautiful Maine Coon wants nothing to do with her. 🙁 I know a promise is a promise, but it sounds like they are both kind of miserable. I am sure her partner would want both of them to be happy.
So glad you got to see family again and have such a wonderful time!
J
Portland always feels so lush and green compared to California. I love that about it.
If Julie decides to keep Hazel, I hope they are able to learn to love each other better.
Rachel
Aww what an amazing trip! I went to college in Portland from 2002 to 2006 and then lived there with my husbadn from 2014-2015 and we had a great time there. It’s such a fun city and I would love to go back, although I think it’s more fun to visit than to live there.
This line brought back basically all the portland memories for me:
“I guess Saturday was the annual World Naked Bike Ride, and the closest we got to seeing anything ourselves was the homeless man I saw pooping on the sidewalk that morning, which believe me is not the same.”
We saw the naked bike ride one year as it went one street over from our house. It took over 40 minutes for all the naked cyclists to go by! Two things I remember most
1 – Naked cyclist shouting at me “take off your clothes and stop staring at us you pervert” which I thought was funny
2 – Naked person changing a tyre on his bike. It’s not something I can unsee.
Hotels for more than 2 adults are tricky! I find this with Airbnb’s as well – sometimes it seems they expect everyone to bedshare?
J
LOL on the naked bike ride memories, that’s hilarious.
I’ve never lived in Portland, did you go to Lewis and Clark? Or Portland State?
Yeah, I feel like the hotel thought we were all going to sleep in the same bed. Which I guess we could have, it was a big king, but still. Strange.