What I did on my Summer Non-Vacation, Trip #2: Portland, Oregon.

For just about forever, I've wanted to go to Portland, Oregon.  I've heard such fantastic things about it-- that it was fun, funky, and full of wonderful people.  In more recent years, I've heard the food is to die for.  

I can 100% attest that the rumors are not only true, but greatly understated.

Last year I went to a conference in Buffalo for work.  The trip was less than stellar.  One night to get dinner at a restaurant literally one block away, I was propositioned five times (once by two undercover cops), saw an on-duty hooker, and watched a drug deal go down.  When you're used to being able to run around your metro area with no one even acknowledging your existence (to a fault, even-- can I tell you how many times people walk into me on a daily basis?), it's pretty uncomfortable.  When I heard the conference would be in Portland this year, I put on a pretty big campaign to go.  And fortunately, it worked out.  

This is the farthest I'd ever been from Alice and The Human Male.  I was fine with it until my second flight took off from Midway Airport in Chicago.  I came very close to crying and felt so trapped on the plane, like I was running in the wrong direction and couldn't stop.  While I live far from them, my immediate family and closest friends are all in the same time zone.  I just felt like I was getting so incredibly and needlessly far from all of them.  I had to reassure myself that it was not forever, just for a few days (and admit I will likely never be a West Coaster).


Portland has a lot to offer, so I was able to distract myself by sightseeing, eating (if you ever go, DEFINITELY hit Mama Mia's Trattoria, Eleni's Philoxenia, and Oba.  I had the best meal of my life at Oba.  Honestly, had I died on my way home, I would've been fine with it), and taking pictures of my "Flat Alice" at Portland locales.


First, here she is at Dulles Airport:

  
And in Portland:

This is in front of the cool Made in Oregon sign:

I can't remember the name of this fountain, but it's along the waterfront:

At Frontier Plaza:

Portland has a great light-rail system:

There are A TON of food carts in Portland.  I liked the name on this one:

And this place's name made my inner English Literature major crack up:

There's street art EVERYWHERE in Portland.  I liked these fountains in particular:

No visit to Portland is complete until you visit Voodoo Doughnut.  I don't even like doughnuts and I waited in line for about 20 minutes.

I loved the name of this restaurant at PDX:

And for all my Chicago friends, this Bud (at Midway)'s for you:

I got home a few days later and was so happy to see Alice and The Human Male.  Growing up I always wanted to travel a lot, but Dorothy had it right: there's really no place like home.