Record Road Trip

I spent a Sunday the other weekend at home listening to new, old records, selecting one after another and discovering I had started my new record collection with some great music.  How grateful I am for the generosity of Sue, a local Oregon author I discovered just a year or two ago.  I was still living in Wisconsin when I first read her book, Shoes Full of Sand.  I so loved reading her story of moving from California to Oregon and then following her adventure through her blog, Unleashed in Oregon. The summer before moving to Oregon, a friend and I did a week long road trip down the Oregon coast.  Sue kindly accepted my request to meet for lunch to pick her brain about Oregon and she was just as nice as I expected her to be.  Little did I know that in just one year, I too would be having my own adventure of moving to Oregon.  Today marks the sixth month I've been an Oregonian myself and I could not be happier!

Sue posted on Facebook last month that due to inclement weather during her garage sale, she had some items left over and wanted to give them away to anyone who was interested in putting them to good use.  One item in particular on the list caught my eye, records.  I quickly expressed my interest and we arranged a time for me to stop out to her coastal home the weekend after my trip to Wisconsin to pick them up.

Morgan, Cole and I arrived at Sue's in the early to mid-afternoon and visited for awhile.  It was fun to see, in person, the places she writes about in her blog, meet her dog, Annie, and even her neighbor for a bit.  The neighborhood was just as she describes in her writing, quiet and tucked away, surrounded by tall trees in all directions.  It seems like the perfect place for a writer to work and live.  Once inside, I was delighted to learn there were four boxes of records waiting for me with a selection that varied from Frank Sinatra to Johnny Mathis to Jackie Gleason. It was hard to contain my excitement as I flipped from one record to the next. 

South Beach State Park, Oregon

South Beach State Park, Oregon

After leaving Sue's house, we headed just a little bit down the road to South Beach State Park.  There, Morgan and I let Cole off his leash to romp around in the soft sand.  The sun was slowly beginning to make it's decent toward the edge of the ocean and the light that came down through the mostly clear skies cast a beautiful golden glow upon everything around us.  There is a point where the waves stop rolling in on top of the sand and then retreat back out to the ocean.  We strolled down that point of the beach for some time and reveled in the surprisingly warm, calm, sunny December air.


Once we had our fill of sun and sand, we hoped to check out a bookstore that we heard good things about in Newport.  Unfortunately when we got there we learned it had already closed for the day.  We decided to grab an early dinner instead and chose a dog-friendly seafood place where we devoured tasty scallops, mine grilled and Morgan's fried.  It doesn't get much better than dining on a seaside patio in December on a warm night among good company, with beer in hand and your dog by your side. I suppose a trunk full of records waiting to be played is just icing on the cake.

My new records, day one

To check out photos from the beach, as well as my other nature photography, please visit my Flickr page here.

Going Home

After six months in Portland, it was finally time to go home to Madison, Wisconsin and visit with friends and have an early Christmas celebration with my immediate family.  With Cole safely at a friend's house, my journey home begun at 4 AM on a Thursday morning the first week of December.  After a quick shower, I left my apartment and began my day of travel.  This, of course, is when the problems began.  First, I had to wait for a freight train to pass by before I could get to the Max stop to catch the light rail train to the airport.  Figuring I had plenty of opportunities to grab a bite to eat at one of the four airports I would be visiting that day, I decided to skip breakfast in Portland.  Unfortunately both the flight from Portland to Los Angeles and the flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City were running late so my layovers were minutes long and left no time for grabbing a bite to eat so I sustained myself on airplane pretzels and cookies until I arrived in the cold, 27 degrees of Madison, Wisconsin at 6 PM. 

Sa Bai Thong - Best Thai food in Madison

After picking up the rental car, which I begrudgingly agreed to a free upgrade from a fuel efficient compact to an SUV, seeing as it was the only option, and running a quick errand, I met some friends at my favorite Thai restaurant, Sa Bai Thong.  After catching up while enjoying delicious food and wine, a couple of us headed over to the Vintage for $3 beers.  Another friend surprised me and met up with us there and then we headed over to Mid Town Pub whose specialty was "porn corn" which I hope got it's name for it's desirable taste and not for the many other less appealing ways in which it could have come about.  After saying goodnight to one of my friends, we headed over to the Free House in Middleton where we were delighted with the fine sounds of 90's hip hop.  Wanting a change in soundtrack, we headed over to the Hody which is always a fun, guilty pleasure spot to people watch.  Once it was time to call it a night, I headed over to my friend's place to crash and apparently slip into a coma.

My dad's famous Old Fashioned

I awoke the next morning a little past noon.  Apparently my day of travel and night of hitting the town had taken it's toll on me.  I got ready and headed out as quickly as possible and after a quick bite to eat, attempted to do my one-stop Christmas shopping in 20 minutes where I was surprised to come across a man that I swear could be my dad in another 15 years.  I managed to find everything I was looking for and wrapped it all on the tailgate of the SUV in the parking lot outside the store.  Once finished, I hurried off to Topp's Hideaway in Windsor to meet my sister so we could make the hour drive east together to our parents house in Delafield for our Christmas celebration complete with Old Fashioneds and homemade lasagna.  The night ran late, as usual, but it was good to spend time with my parents and sister.  I believe it may have been the first time in a very long time that it was just us four and there was something kind of comforting about that. 

Me, my Mom, Dad and Sister

After a rough night of sleep on my parent's couch, which I remember to be so much more comfortable than it was that night, I showed my parents some of my photos of my adventures in the Pacific Northwest over breakfast of left over deviled eggs.  Once through those, my sister and I said goodbye to our parents and then were off, headed back to Madison.  After dropping off my sister, I met up with a group of friends for a sushi lunch at Takara, home of the best California Roll ever.  It was fun catching up with everyone but slowly, one by one, people had to head out to continue on with their weekend plans.  I had hoped to catch the movie Wild but unfortunately it was not in theaters yet in Madison so a couple friends and I ran some errands together so we could keep the conversation going.  Once those were done, we met up at Louisianne's in Middleton to listen to Johnny Chimes play piano while we sipped cocktails in the warm dark glow of the lounge.  Hilary's Annual Tacky Gift Exchange Party had been postponed so once the music ended, instead of heading to her place, we went to Le Tigre Lounge.  If the name doesn't give it away, it is a lounge covered from ceiling to floor with tiger themed decor.  We stayed until close and then one friend and I, being the last two still going, had a late night/early morning greasy breakfast at the local Denny's restaurant. 

Sushi lunch at Takara with friends

Not getting to bed until about 4:30 in the morning, I decided to cancel the plans for brunch at noon at the Green Owl and just hang out with a friend and her daughter at their place until it was time to head to the airport.  Once the time came, I said goodbye and headed to the airport to return the rental car, do a little white elephant party gift shopping in the airport and then caught my first of two flights back to Portland.  My flight got in to Portland later than expected from Salt Lake City but my friend picked me up from the airport with Cole in tow, a wonderful homecoming! 

All of us with Johnny Chimes after his performance at Louisianne's

All in all it was a great trip to Wisconsin.  It was wonderful to see and catch up with friends in person after six months away.  It was equally good to come home though to the mild 50 degree temperatures of Portland.  Although it felt as nothing had changed the minute I started driving around in Madison, I know for certain that Portland is home and where I am meant to be.  I love it here!

The Adventure Continues

The company I work for recently opened a Seattle office and I was eagerly looking forward to traveling from Portland to Seattle the week of Halloween to help get things setup with supplies, furniture and such.  I was all set to leave Thursday morning for the overnight trip and make the three hour drive to Seattle.  I figured it would be a good opportunity to squeeze in some time to explore the city Thursday night when I was done at the office.  Unfortunately, I woke up Monday that week with round two of an awful cold.  My fun work trip just turned into a not-so-anticipated obligation.

I left the house Thursday morning and picked up the rental car.  At my first stop for fuel, I noticed that in my foggy, virus-infused haze, I had put on my sweater backwards.  After resolving that issue, I continued north through the rain which varied from light to heavy all the way to Seattle.  I arrived in one piece, although my head felt somewhere else and after greeting the staff and a quick bite to eat, proceeded to get organized with my plan for helping the office come together.  When I was done with the planning phase at the office, I had just three blocks to drive to get to the hotel.  Unfortunately, the rush hour traffic inadvertently diverted me onto the interstate and my easy drive to rest and comfort turned into an hour long affair.

Once checked into my room, I mustered up the energy to grab some sushi nearby which lucky for me was having a happy hour in the lounge so all the food was far reduced in price.  Once back to the hotel, I loaded up on the NyQuil and dozed in and out of sleep all night.

The next morning, I was surprised with a fever which made my navigating the city and running errands all day oh-so-much fun! This is where I learned that all day, not just rush hour, the traffic in Seattle, no matter where you go, is atrocious.  My last stop at Home Depot ran way longer than it should and after a series of comical customer service experiences (which warranted a lengthy letter once I was feeling better), I high tailed it for Portland.  The delay in getting out of town left me stuck in stop-and-go traffic pretty much the entire way back to Portland.  The trip was less than fun but it did feel good to do the work that needed to be done without postponing the trip.  The next time I go to Seattle though, I will be sure to take the train which I'm told is a beautiful ride, sans stop and go traffic.

View from my new home

November 10th was my eagerly anticipated moving day.  I cut out of work early to pay my deposit, pick up the keys and see my apartment for the very first time.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that in addition to the courtyard view I was promised, I also had a nice view of downtown Portland.  After completing my move-in condition check list, I picked up the U-Haul I reserved.  Once back on the east side, I started to load up the truck.  Luckily my roommate was home and helped with a few of the bigger furniture items.   By the time Morgan arrived, there were only a handful of things left.  With Cole on Morgan's lap, I drove off to my new home, my first apartment rental in Oregon!!!  The combination of security door and elevator to the 5th floor proved a slow unloading for the two of us but we pushed through and dropped the truck off a little after 9pm that night.  We grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading back to the apartment to fall fast asleep.  With all of my furniture and boxes still in Wisconsin, my apartment is a bit bare but I do have the essentials I need to get by for now.  I am officially home!

Hilary, Me and Morgan exploring Portland's night life

A week after moving into my new place, I had a friend from Wisconsin in town and she stayed with me for the weekend.  That Friday night, Morgan and I took her out to a few of the fun places to eat and drink around town including Departure, Jackknife, Gruner, Vault, Driftwood and Muu Muu's. The next morning, although unusually cold for Portland, we grabbed some coffee and hit the Saturday Market.  While at the Market, we did some shopping and ate yummy food-cart food and then went over to Tugboat Brewing for a low-key evening of board games and beer.  We walked over to Sizzle Pie for some pizza and then to Pints for a quick beer before heading home to get comfy and watch a movie before calling it a night.  Sunday morning Morgan had to go to work but Hilary and I went out for brunch at the Daily Cafe (which was delicious).  All too soon it was time for Hilary to head back home to Wisconsin but it was great to be able to host a friend from back home and show off some of the awesomeness that is Portland.

Cookie decorating on Thanksgiving

Having no family in Oregon, I was thankful to be invited to a friends family Thanksgiving dinner with her husband, daughter and daughter's boyfriend.  With Morgan, Cole and the pumpkin pie I baked the night before in tow, we headed out to enjoy a lovely afternoon with delicious food and fun conversation with Genie and her family.  It was a great opportunity for Cole to get familiar with their home too since just the next week, he would be staying there for four days while I traveled back to Wisconsin for an early Christmas celebration with my family and friends.   The two cats seemed to be relatively OK with Cole's presence so I felt good about leaving him there, especially since Genie and Ed are some of the nicest people you will ever meet.

All in all, my ever-evolving transition from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest is coming together splendidly!!

To see my PNW adventure through nature photography, please visit my Flickr page here.  

Mountains Galore!

A good friend from Wisconsin was in the Seattle area for work recently so of course I wanted to make the short three hour drive up to see her.  Even more predictable, I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to sneak in some "naturey" things along the way.

Mount Saint Helens

Located about an hour North of Portland in Washington, my first stop was at the visitors center. While eagerly awaiting the informative film to start, I read through the timeline that covered the walls which detailed the events leading up the the eruption in 1980.  The film gave lots of good additional information and included commentary from people who were there when it happened.  It also commemorated a few that did not survive.  After the movie, I headed east on Highway 504 toward Mount Saint Helens, stopping at each viewpoint to take photos and enjoy the scenery.  I didn't have enough time to go all the way to the mountain but what I did have time to take in was pretty spectacular, especially after knowing more about what happened there.

Mount Rainier National Park

I'm fairly certain this may be the most beautiful place I've explored yet!  The area is full of waterfalls, creeks, trees as far as you can see and snow-topped mountain peaks in every direction.  Although rainy most of the day, it was still a beautiful experience, one that was unexpectedly emotional.  I am still struggling to find the right words to communicate the visit.  The John Muir quote in the picture above speaks volumes about this place.  I'm in the process of doing some more reading of Muir's reflections in hopes of finding inspiration to help describe my own feelings about these magnificent places in the Pacific Northwest.  If you are ever in this area, I would definitely add this park to your "must do" list. There are many trails that I did not have time to explore so I will be going back when I have more than a half-day of time so I can wander the mountaintops and truly breathe in the experience.

Oregon Wild Fundraiser

After spending a couple of days enjoying some of the most beautiful places here, it felt good to volunteer at Oregon Wild's Call of the Wild fundraiser helping with the silent auction tables.  Oregon Wild is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of Oregon's wildlands, wildlife and waters.  At this fun event, a brand new, one-of-a-kind beer from Migration Brewing Company called "The Wilderness" was unveiled.  There was also a silent auction featuring all kinds of outdoor gear, rafting adventures, date packages and so much more - it was a nature junkie's paradise!  There was a live blues performance by Joe McMurrian, a trail mix bar, food from local caterers and a special video presentation highlighting the importance of preserving Oregon's wild places.  My favorite part of the night though was the announcement of the photo contest winners whose framed prints were available for bidding on in the silent auction.


The rainy season is beginning to get underway here in Portland and unlike most of the natives here, I am excited to say goodbye to the hot sunny days and welcome the cooler, wet weather.  That may all change after the sixth month of rain but only time will tell.  The fall colors are not as abundant as they are in Wisconsin but that's a small price to pay for all the lush greenery which smells heavenly here.  The rains were particularly heavy at times the past couple of days and there was even a little bit of thunder, a rarity I'm told here.  Also rare are tornadoes but Longview, Washington had one of those today too.  Ever since I arrived in June, the weather has been unusual and crazy. Rumor has it that they are predicting a warmer and dryer winter in the Pacific Northwest this year but even if it turns out to be a normal Pacific Northwest winter, it will still be warmer than all of the Wisconsin winters I've struggled through in the past and definitely will be less snowy.  That is something to look forward to!

To see more of my nature photos, please visit my Flickr page by clicking here.  

Bigfoot, Waterfalls and Psychonaut Art, Oh My!

You know you're in the Pacific Northwest when you find yourself at a Salmon, Mushroom & Bigfoot Festival.  In it's 21st year, this annual event held on October 4th & 5th this year, featured a Native American Salmon Bake, Scarecrow Contest, Scarecrow Fashion Show, Sasquatch Talks and Native American Flute Concert.  There were also local artists and crafters onsite selling crafts, snacks, lotions but to my knowledge, no Bigfoot.  It was on the small side for a festival but a beautiful drive on Highway 26, near the historic Village of Brightwood, Oregon.

Salmon, Mushroom & Bigfoot Festival

After grabbing a bite to eat and perusing the craft tables, we stopped nearby for a quick and short hike to Little Zig Zag Falls.  Considerably cooler, the fresh mountain air was a welcomed respite from the unusually warm weather we've been having.  The forest was filled with the usual green I know and love in this area.  The smell of the forest is my new favorite thing.

Little Zig Zag Falls

A little sooner than anticipated, I found my own apartment here in Portland.  I am excited to move in on November 10th although due to costs, my household items won't be making their way from Wisconsin for several more months.  The location is great, right by the Willamette River, near the Pearl District and Saturday Market and only a short 6 minute train ride to work.  The area is also great for walking Cole because a three mile looped trail runs along the Willamette between the complex and my work.  Also noteworthy are the community rooms and rooftop terraces free for  tenants to reserve for private events.

View from Courtyard at The Yards at Union Station

I finally made a trip to the Saturday Market.  Besides shopping and food, the market is known for street performers and musicians.  Much to my surprise and delight, I was met with a performance of an amped didgeridoo and drum machine which produced a sort of hypnotic, techno vibe. After a quick round of all the food options, I decided to go with the food of my people and stopped at the Polish food cart (which was delicious!).  After a bite to eat, I did a little shopping.  With my limited budget, I wasn't able to buy much but there were so many great photographs, art and blown glass items to choose from.  Three notable artists that I want to mention are:  Tobin Floom Fine Art Photography, Whatif Creations and J. Slattum, Pscychonaut Artist.  Check out their sites to see what I mean.  Portland has some seriously talented artists here!

Saturday Market (Skidmore Fountain section)

To view more of my nature photography, please click here.  

So Much To Do, So Little Time

There are so many great things to do in Oregon that it's easy to get caught up in the "doing" and get behind on the "sharing".  Here's a quick update on what nature-y adventures I've been on lately.

Latourell Falls

Located in the Columbia River Gorge, within the Guy W. Talbot State Park, Latourell Falls is a 249 foot waterfall.  It's a short 40 minute drive east of Portland and well worth the stop.  There's nothing quite like the feeling of standing at the base of something so big to make you feel so small.  Also a notable stop in the area is Crown Point.   This spot will give you an amazing view of the Columbia River Valley.   We were lucky enough that day to meet a sweet, older artist painting a picture of the view. 

Sauvie Island

This beautiful island is located in Northwest Portland on the Columbia River and packed full of farmers growing all sorts of good things to eat.  I had the pleasure of hanging out on the beach for a bit where I met a praying mantis, some cute dogs and Cole got to romp around a bit in the water and tear up the sand all while under Van Gogh-esque clouds.

 

Mosier Creek

The morning before my company picnic on Labor Day weekend, a couple of my coworkers and one of my friends gathered for a short hike on a trail near Mosier Creek.  The views were stunning and the company good.  The light rain that fell at times was the perfect relief from the warm sun. 

 

Company Picnic

One of the owners of the company where I work graciously opened up his home in Mosier to host all the staff and their family and guests on Labor Day weekend.   We hung out by  the creek that runs through his property, while the dogs and kids swam, met some very cute goats and had a make your own pizza cook-off in an outdoor wood-burning oven.  We wrapped up the night with songs performed on a variety of instruments.  It was a pretty special night that felt more like family than work. 

Hug Point

Also on Labor Day weekend, I spent a day on the coast.  Originally destined for a hike at Oswald West State Park, but due to a lack of parking and no trail maps, ended up at Hug Point instead where I explored familiar territory.  One of the cooler spots on the coast, Hug Point is full of great rock formations and small caves to explore and even a little waterfall.   After a few hours there, I headed south to Manhattan Beach for a bit and then to Netarts Bay for dinner and a spectacular sunset. 

Tamanawas Falls

On Labor Day, I headed to Mount Hood for a hike to Tamanawas Falls. This was my first hiking adventure in the mountains and it was spectacular.  Most of the hike was on a trail that ran along Cold Spring Creek.  Upon reaching the falls, I was met by rolling mist from the waterfall.  Afterward, a stop at Timberline Lodge for some beer and food.  Those of you who have seen The Shining, you know exactly what this place looks like for it is where they filmed the outside scenes of the movie.  The lodge is located just shy of the Peak of Mount Hood.  The views from the top are indescribable.  Somethings I think are just better off experienced for yourself.  This is one of them.  I will say that the food at the lodge is amazing.  Go hungry because you are going to want to eat a little bit of everything. 

Radical Reels Tour 

This weekend I was delighted to attend another viewing of some of the most spectacular adventure sport films around at the Clinton Street Theater in Portland.  The Banff Mountain Film Festival is running their Radical Reels Tour and these short films cover everything from white water kayaking, rock climbing, fly-suit jumping, mountain biking and more.  The cinematography is beautiful and the stories are inspiring.  Check out the schedule and plan on attending if either tour is coming through your city. 

Jones Creek

Also this weekend, I visited Jones Creek, located about an hour west of Portland in the Tillamook State Forrest.  After grabbing a bite with a friend at a cute old country cafe, we hung out by the creek and walked around a bit in the empty campground areas.  This spot is great for swimming, if you can handle the cold water, and a pretty place to have a picnic and watch all the people enjoy the clear water on a hot day.   

Photo Contest 

Oregon Coast Digest is running a photo contest and for the first time ever, I decided to submit a photograph.  The theme is "Day at the Beach" and it was difficult to pick just one photo.  After much thought (and a little help from my Facebook friends) I selected a photo and submitted it just hours before the deadline.  If you are so inclined, help me out and "like" the photo on their Facebook page.  1 like = 1 vote. 

I'm a little behind with posting photos on Flickr, but you can check out more of my nature photography here. 

A New Kind of Coastal Adventure

Hiking down to Crescent Beach in Ecola State Park

As things heated up in Portland this weekend, I managed to escape to the coast for a day trip to relax on the beach.  Cole and I hit the road with a new friend Saturday morning and we arrived on the coast around noon.  Our first stop was at Ecola State Park where we were just one of many cars in a long line waiting to get in.  Since the parking lot at Indian Beach was full, we parked at the scenic overlook and decided to hike down to Indian Beach.  We must have taken a wrong turn and ended up going down a steep cliff to Crescent Beach instead.  My hiking sandals were not ideal for this type of hiking on a loose gravel trail but I managed to navigate my way down without too much slipping and sliding and only a couple of butt slides down.   Once down on the beach, we walked around in the cool water while Cole ran around and made friends with the other dogs on the beach.  After we had our fill of lounging around, we decided to head back up which meant a steep climb up the cliff side. Cole made it look easy and was up in no time and patiently watched and waited for us to join him at the top.  Throughout the process of climbing, I managed to get nice and muddy and eventually had to climb barefoot in order to avoid sliding out of my hiking sandals.  I learned that barefoot hiking (on appropriate surfaces) can be really great.  It felt good to physically connect more with nature by feeling the dirt between my toes.  Who knew?

My muddy leg after climbing back up

Next we attempted to head in to Cannon Beach for some food but decided we weren't up for battling the crowds so we headed south on highway 101 to Manzanita instead.  There we found a mexican restaurant with outdoor seating to accomodate all of us, including Cole.  Cole, as usual, made lots of friends and once we were done stuffing ourselves with delicious beer, enchiladas, beans, rice and burritos, we headed to a nearby shop to pickup some salt water taffy and fudge to take with us as we continued our trip to Rockaway Beach.

Twin Rocks at Rockaway Beach

 Once in Rockaway, we stopped to pick up some cool beverages and then found the perfect spot on the beach as much out of the wind blown sand as possible.  All three of us laid around in the sand, talked and basked in the contrasting coolness of the sea air and sun.  It was a wonderful moment to share in this particular spot with this new friend who may be an important part of my future.  Rockaway Beach was the first place I spent a coastal sunset three years ago, albeit the sun was hidden behind fog and drizzle, but it was during the time of the sun setting nonetheless.  This same place is also the subject of a song that is partially tattooed on my arm, Twin Rocks, Oregon by Shawn Mullins.  It will always hold a special place in my heart. 

 

Twin Rocks Oregon performed by Shawn Mullins

 



On the drive back to Portland, we were delighted to have a nice view of the beginnings of the super moon (officially happening tonight) over the rolling green hills that line highway 26 while listening to some good and loud music.   Once home, sleep came quick as it often does after a fun adventure on the coast.  All in all, it was a wonderful trip to the coast and just one of many more beautiful Oregon adventures to come!!

Rockaway Beach

To see more of my nature photography, visit

my Flickr page here. 

One Month An Oregonian

I have officially been an Oregonian for one month now and it has been amazing.  I love Portland so much more than I thought I would.  It has been wonderful to explore and discover all the cool things that make this city special.  So far I've only ventured out a bit in my own neighborhood, North Tabor, downtown, the Pearl District and a little bit of the Hollywood District.  There are many more neighborhoods on my list though and in time, I will get to them all.  Here are a few things I've discovered so far. 

There is no self serve gas in Oregon.  Since I don't drive much here, I mostly think this is a cool thing.  If you ask some other folks, you might get a different opinion.  Some say the service is too slow. Others might warn you that having someone else pump your gas may lead to easier drive offs with the nozzle still attached to your car.  When I asked around as to why this rule existed, I discovered it was initiated to create jobs but also cited was for safety and a host of other possible reasons.  There is a $500 fine for pumping your own gas so I guess it is best to let the professionals do it. 

Plastic bags have been banned in the city of Portland.  Due to their lightweight consistency, they can act like balloons blowing out of garbage trucks and landfills. These flyaway bags litter parks and trees, enter storm drains and might eventually end up in rivers and oceans where they break into small, toxic pieces.  Plastics are one of the most common types of litter found in Portland’s rivers and on Oregon’s beaches. Sea animals often mistake plastic particles for food, causing harm to the animals. 

One of my first "that's cool" observations about Portland were the composting containers provided to everyone in the city. Portland is ranked as one of the most green cities in the U.S. 

It ain't called "City of Roses" for nothing.  A quick Google Image search will show you what I mean.  You can find these beautiful flowers growing everywhere. 

Public transportation will get you just about anywhere in the city.  Buses, light rail, commuter rail and street cars connect the metro area while also easing traffic congestion and reducing air pollution.  In addition to the TriMet system, there are also community car programs such as ZipCar and Car2Go.  Portland was also rated one of the most bike friendly cities in the U.S.  And of course you can also safely walk just about anywhere here too. 

Portland is very dog friendly with lots of dog parks, dog friendly restaurants and pubs like the Tin Shed and Lucky Lab.  Also, many retail shops allow you to bring your dogs in with you.  Sometimes you can only do that if you carry them at all times but nonetheless, it's a step up from what I'm used to in Wisconsin.   

Parks, park and more parks!  Portland has parks everywhere.  There are at least 279 parks (that's over 10,000 acres) throughout the city of Portland.  At 5,157 acres, Portland's Forest Park is the largest urban forest in the United States. With more than 80 miles of trails, fire lanes and forest roads, Forest Park stretches for more than seven miles along the eastern slope of the Tualatin Mountains, overlooking Northwest Portland and the convergence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers.

"Keep Portland Weird" is the motto here.  It is common to see some strange things everywhere and it definitely keeps things interesting.  I think this description I found online sums it up pretty well:

"Portland is like that kid you know, the one that most people don’t get, and therefor probably gets made fun of a lot. It’s that kid with the goofy rolling laugh who is probably wearing floral pajamas and hospital slippers in public. This kid is the absolute best, because no matter what, he is not trying to be anyone else but him (or her), and you gotta love that. Portland is that kid. Portland is genuine. And we’ve all got a little Portland inside, embrace the weird." - Samuel McLaughlin

I saw my first art car while walking downtown on my lunch break the other week.  It was similar to this bus pictured above.  It was most unexpected and passed by as quickly as it came.  It was just one more of the oddities in this city. 

There is so much to do both in (and just outside) of Portland.  Head 90 minutes west and you will hit the coast.  Head east and within an hour or two you will hit the Columbia River Gorge and Mt Hood.  A few hours north and you're in Seattle.  Within the city, there are a plethora of festivals, breweries, parks, shops, theaters and so, so, so much more.  Check out Visit Portland to see what I'm talking about. 

Apparently my Wisconsin accent is strong because several people have pointed it out to me here.  It might be argued that Oregonians do not have an accent but I would like to note that they definitely have some strange pronunciations.  Case in point, Couch Street is pronounced "cooch" and the Willamette River is pronounced "will-am-it".  Freeway signs direct to this place call The Dalles (which is a city in case you were wondering) and it's pronounced "dales".  Aloha is another city here and it's pronounced "ah-lo-ah".  And of course, Oregon is pronounced "Or-a-gen" not "Or-a-gon". 

Portland loves pugs!  This is becoming more and more apparent as I venture out into the city with my pug, Cole.  My first inkling to this fact was at the Tin Shed the other weekend while waiting for a table.  Several dozen people walked by at one point or the other and I would say at least half of them stopped to gush about how much they loved pugs while they showered Cole with attention.  This weekend, in the Pearl District, it was almost comical how many people not only stopped to gush over him but also from a distance, you could feel the love as people smiled, pointed and watched intently as we made our way from shop to shop.  

The majority of the year, Portland has very moderate temperatures (and yes, lots of rain and gray skies) but in the summer, the faucet in the sky turns off and the sun comes out.  High temperatures average in the low 80's so not a lot of people have air conditioning in their homes.  Supposedly, Portland only gets a handful of 90+ degree weather, usually in August but so far, since I've been here, there have been weeks of high 80s+ weather.  The high temps peak between 3 and 7 pm so needless to say, it's a little uncomfortable feeling at times.  I know I shouldn't complain and perhaps after I get through my first rainy winter, I'll truly appreciate the summer here. 

So the saying here goes that "only tourists use umbrellas". God forbid I be considered a "tourist" but you know what?  When it's pouring rain, I'm going to opt for an umbrella. I can handle some drizzle and if I have nowhere to be, the soaked rat look is probably fine but that's not the look I'm going for at work or at a nice restaurant. 

I'm discovering that Portland is pretty lax on rules.  For instance, they throw a huge sign up at the Saturday market that says "no dogs allowed" but clearly, there are lots of people walking around with dogs.  The TriMet website states that pets (other than guide dogs) must be in a fully enclosed carrier while on the train or bus but regularly, you will see people bringing their dogs on the train.  It's a little strange to navigate but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon. 

Portland has some fairly unique establishments and activities throughout the city,  For instance, Velo Cult is part bike shop/part bar.  There is an annual adult soap box derby coming up where 5,000 - 8,000 people will gather at Mt Tabor to watch teams coast down the course.  Winners receive awards for speed, engineering, art, crowd pleasure and several other categories. There's also the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, World Naked Bike Ride, the Zombie Walk and more. 

I did not know that one could actually live on a freeway on-ramp until I moved to Portland.  If you can get past the noise, it's rather convenient to get to just about anywhere in the city especially since the 60th Avenue Max station is just one block away from me. 

The breaking news text alerts are certainly more interesting here in Portland:

• June 30th:  A Vancouver police officer has been shot near 162nd Ave/NE 34th St.  1 detained, 2nd suspect still at large. 
• July 3rd:  Washington County sheriff's deputies responding to helicopter down near Hagg Lake.
• July 7th:  SWAT situation, evacuations after shots fired in a home near Webster Rd & Springhill  Place in Gladstone
• July 8th:  Bomb threat sends Salem Hospital into lockdown
• July 8th:  I-84 closed at 125th Avenue after a truck pulled down utility lines across all lanes of the freeway
• July 17th:  Sheriff's Office issues Level 3 evacuation notice for Marks Creek area near Waterman Complex fire. Evacuate immediately to SW.  
• July 18th:  Clark County deputies:  White supremacist who shot Vancouver cop dies one day after jail cell suicide attempt

Portland has 8 markets to choose from around the city that provide such an amazing assortment of fresh produce, flowers, bakery and so, so much more!  So far, I have only visited he Hollywood Market but I can say with great confidence that no one should be buying produce anywhere in the city but from one of these markets.  You can check out the vendors here. 

Portland has a proliferation of Food Carts and they seem to be growing in numbers and locations. Also known as lunch wagons, taco trucks or even snack shacks, they are truly a phenomenon in Portland. They set up in parking lots, sidewalks, and even parks.  Some in large groups and some solo.  In one day you could enjoy a bowl of traditional goulash, have a coffee and pastry for a snack, and then take home a giant Indian combo box for dinner.

Oregon does not have a sales tax and just over the Columbia River, Washington does not have an income tax so those who live just over the border enjoy the best of both worlds quite easily.  Well, not so easy since the interstate system that connects the two is known to be quite congested. 

Portland has an amazing number of breweries, distilleries and wineries to choose from.  For those who can handle all that goodness, it's a paradise!  For those that can't, there are over 500 AA meetings each week to choose from. 

Portland is the 5th most tattooed city in America and it is apparent everywhere you go.  In just about every part of town you will see folks with not just one, but usually upwards of several tattoos.  It's good for my tattoo-sporting skin to blend in so well with this city. 

The photos in this post are all borrowed, to see my original photos, please visit my Flickr page here.