PORTLAND

I can hardly believe my highly anticipated summer vacation to Portland has come and gone already.  Alas, it was a fun time indeed...even though I was deathly ill the entire time.  (Side note: That was a tad dramatic, but, seriously, I only get sick about twice a year and never handle it well.  Of course I get sick the day before my escape.)  And of course my right ear would flood with air thanks to the "pressurizing of the airplane cabin" and altitude and remain clogged the entire trip.  It just wouldn't be a relaxing break from daily routine without a monstrous head cold and a throbbing ear.

Anyway, enough of the bad.  I'll quit whining and give you a rundown of the trip.

Day 1:
- Met up with Jessica, Kelley and Greg at PDX
- Kelley dropped Jessica and I off at our hotel - The Jupiter, a renovated 1960s motor inn turned boutique hotel.
- Jess and I ate lunch at the restaurant across from our hotel, the Doug Fir, where I ordered and devoured a delicious fried oyster po-boy.
- Greg, Kelley and her friend Veronica joined us for happy hour at the Doug Fir
- We ventured over to downtown Portland to check out the epic monstrosity that is Powell's Books, a city-block sized multiple-story bookstore.  We spent most of our time on the Music/Photography/Film floor where I discovered and purchased The Punk Rock Book of Lists, a book I believe to be personally written for me.
- After two hours at Powell's, we went to the famous VooDoo Doughnuts.  I tried a raspberry jelly-filled voodoo doll (complete with a pretzel stake through the heart) and a bacon maple bar (the most delicious treat I've ever tasted).
- Explored central downtown and the southeast quadrant of the city which is a lot like east Austin.
- Went to Good Foot Pub where we played pool and drank some beers.
- Went to Beulahland for more drinks.
- Ended the night with Sizzle Pie, a superb pizza joint.

Day 2:
- Brunch at J&M Cafe.  I got the belgian cornmeal waffle with pure maple syrup and a Mexican coke.
- Explored the Rose Garden/Japanese Garden/Washington Park in west Portland.
- Did a little shopping in the NW quadrant or Alphabet District.
- Ate lunch at Elephants Delicatessen.  I ordered a tuna melt with avocado and a craft-brewed vanilla cream soda.
- Did some literary Mad Libs at McMenamins Ram's Head Pub in the northwest.  I tried some of the McMenamins beers - a Ruby Ale and a wheat beer - both delicious.
- Walked over to the Pearl District and checked out one of the galleries at the Pacific Northwest College of Art.
- Took a tour of the weird, unusual and crazy side of Portland - Beyond Bizarre Walking Tour.  The best part - exploring the dark, haunted basement of Old Town Pizza in downtown with EMF detectors!!  Pretty official, dude.
- Went to Ground Kontrol, a bar + an arcade with wall-to-wall 25-cent arcade games.
- Went to a super chill, rad bar on the east side called Rontoms that was just down the street from our hotel.
- Ended the night once again with Sizzle Pie. (Open until 4am)

Day 3:
- Brunch at the ever-popular Screen Door.  I got the Shrimp & Cheddar Grits special with two eggs over easy.
- Went to the Portland Saturday Market downtown, strolled past all the vendor tables and along the waterfront.
- Perused some vintage shops on Hawthorne in the southeast quadrant, made some more purchases in the Powell's of the southeast.
- Went to Kelley's friend's house for a BBQ/mini house party.
- Went to Boogie's Burgers for dinner, and I called it a night early so I could pack and get some sleep before my flight the next morning.

Notes:
1. The high temperature each day was only about 75 degrees...in JULY.
2. Everything is WAY cheaper there, except gasoline.
3. There is no sales tax.