I Left My Heart in Portland

I just finished a much needed, long weekend in Portland, Oregon with my wife. While I've always been a fan of Portland because of its beauty, history, basketball team, and my family connections to the city. Throughout my life I've visited at least ten times, but most of the time spent in the suburbs like Tigard or Beaverton, and always with the purpose of spending time with my grandparents.

In the early fall I made a decision to finally see a Portland TrailBlazers game at the Rose Garden for the first time, and thankfully the NBA schedulers came through for me by arranging competitions between the home team and the despised Lakers and impressive Cavs on the same weekend. It was an obvious no-brainer to snag some tickets and convince my wife that I could be trusted with financial decisions in the future. However, with no family left in the area the weekend was all about the fascinations and whims that we had. Without getting into some of the minutia of the trip, here are some of the things that I really loved about the Rose city.

The Portland MAX is an example of efficient public transportation, one that I wish was duplicated in most cities, but especially Sacramento. We didn't need to use a car once during our 3.5 days in Portland, got on the light rail at the airport, and got off downtown at the city center. It was very reasonable to ride all day, more so if I had realized that riding downtown was free. Whoever planned the MAX had the foresight to think, "These routes should stop by the places where people gather the most." Apparently this is a novel idea on the west coast. So when we travelled to the arena, it was a quick 10 minute ride and we were on the doorstep of the Rose Garden.

The Pearl District seems to be modeled after a hidden corner of my mind, because as I was walking through the neighborhood at night, I felt at home. Not like this would be a cool place to be, but really like this is the kind of neighborhood I aspire to live in. Its close to everything (see above paragraph). From my understanding its the product of an effective remodernization plan (take note Sacramento politicians). Its got walking, parks, and eateries right at your doorsteps. The architecture is well inspired, and everyone we ran into was either courteous or nice. Bravo!

I posted this on Twitter, but I've got to show a little love to three establishments. First, is Powell's Bookstore. Go here -> http://www.powells.com If the Mall of America is for shoppers, then Powell's is for readers. You can spend all day there and still not feel like you had enough time. Second, is the Rogue Public House where the beer and food are both exceptional. The variety of beers available to choose from was uplifting, as I finally got to sample some different flavors that aren't available at the local BevMo. The food was delicious, and made me regret not going back for another meal. The last place of mention was Living Room Theaters. Every city should offer the combination of good food, a full bar, and small, comfortable viewing rooms as a counterpoint to the huge megaplexes in suburbia. This is a must if you're looking to get off your feet for a few hours in the afternoon.

I know I'll be back, but maybe not soon enough. Next time will have to be in the spring or summer so that I can again visit the Japanese Garden. Maybe I'll take the wife to the coast and Astoria along the way. To really cap off the trip, I'm considering spending 3 or 4 days in Seattle. Be forewarned Seattle, your neighbor to the south has raised the bar. In the meantime though, stay classy Portland!