The close proximity from concrete city streets to the lush green natural environment is one the reasons why Portland was so wonderfully fascinating for me. The scenic Historic Columbia River Highway is a quick escape from all the pavement and gleaming office towers. On the drive, Mount Hood commands attention in front of you while the Columbia River to your left shows you why this is one of the most beautiful corners of the country. The entire drive along the scenic route is about a couple hours with plenty of opportunities to stop along the way to bask in the natural wonders. Most folks come here to chase waterfalls, specifically Multnomah Falls. It’s not the largest of falls, but it is quite magical to watch the rush of water coming down alongside the mountain. The hiking trail brings you pretty close without getting wet.

[Historic Columbia River Highway]
[Multnomah Falls]

By far, the cheapest and most convenient way in and out of the Portland airport is taking the red line on the MAX light rail. A dirt cheap 30minute $2 ride, wisked us from the convention center to the door of the airport. The train cars even have a decent amount of space designated for luggage and even bicycles. Obviously, the train won’t get you to the door of your hotel like a taxi will, but for $2 as opposed to around $40, I’ll gladly walk the couple of extra blocks.

[TriMet: MAX Light Rail]

I took an online quiz last month to see which cities I should park myself. Seattle, Portland, and Honolulu came in top 3. Strangely enough, New York City didn’t even crack my top 50. Now that I’ve dropped in on both Seattle and Portland, I can’t agree more. Seattle was fun, but I’m in love with Portland. Tony Bennett crooned about leaving his heart in San Francisco, but I’ll be blogging about leaving mine behind in Portland, Oregon.

Portland isn’t one of those velvet ropes and limos type of places. It’s a pretty sleepy, laid back town. With the exception of the gardens, there are absolutely no sights of interest within city limits. There are pockets of gems all over town and you will just have to go and find them. There wasn’t that feeling of local versus out of towner. The general feeling I got in the half a week here is to come as you are. That’s not to say that there aren’t total douchebags lurking around town and I’m pretty sure there are a few hardcore residents who are against the gentrification and overall hipster-ization of Portland. The atmosphere is similar to mid-90s Williamsburg before the influx of trust fund babies, and the ungentrified parts of 5th Avenue in Park Slope towards Sunset Park. Small shops lined the post-industrial streets. Tattooed kids on bikes share the coffee shop with older residents. Folks drink and be merry while chowing down a burger at the local McMenamins joint. The Manolo Blahniks and designer handbags set are probably somewhere around town, but they’re probably just visiting from out of town anyway.

When Gridskipper posted about the Rem Koolhaas designed central library, I immediately added it to my list of Seattle must-sees. I must say, I wasn’t disappointed one bit. The exterior was quite impressive, and I’m totally in love with the metal shelves and railings. There are even art installations around the space including a video projection on one of the neon colored escalators. The neon green elevators are also worth a ride, even if it’s only for being in a tight space that is slime green. I want so much to have a reason to drop in every now and then and be part of one of the most read cities in America, that I was considering signing up for a library card.

I admit it. I made my way downtown, walked down Pine Street to seek out that Public Market market sign. Not for nothing, it’s a great piece of typography. Having snapped the requisite photo, I went inside to have a look-see. The place is nothing more than a tourist stop as there were more tsotchkes shops selling tourist junk than grocery stands. Was there anyone there actually buying fish for dinner? We made our way out and went to seek out the first Starbucks across the way. I don’t hate Starbucks, but it was pretty interesting to see the place where their world domination started. The queue was outrageous so I skipped out on trying the Pike Place blend. Taking Lonely Planet up on a recommendation, we hit Pirotsky & Pirotsky to for a yummy mozzarella and broccoli pastry. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t filling either. In search of more food, we hit the corner cheese joint Beechers Cheese for their $5.75 flagship jack cheese sandwich made of jack cheese, tomatos, and Beecher’s spread. It was extra small, but the flavor was ginormous, and the best tasting grilled cheese I’ve ever had.

[Beechers' Handmade Cheese, 1600 Pike Place, Seattle]

Oh Seattle, it’s one aching week away. The trip next week will overtake the jaunt to St. John as the easiest trip we would’ve have taken. There won’t be a language problem, prices are pretty decent, and transportation is pretty straightforward. I think they take New York dollars there too. The adventures, at least during the Seattle portion, will definitely involve looking for coffee, though from what I hear we’re guaranteed to have a decent cup no matter where we wind up. From perusing Gridskipper during precious work hours, I found two joints that are must visits: People’s Republic of Koffee where I can get caffeinated and inked up, and Cowgirl Espresso where my coffee is served stacked.

[photo by: donotgiveup.net]