FOUR DAYS IN PORTLANDIA
Our first stop in Portland was @ 10 Barrel Brewing (downtown in the Pearl District) where we sat at the bar and enjoyed dinner and a beer before exploring this upscale neighborhood of shops and loft apartments. We happened upon a bocce tournament in the local park and made note of a jazz club to visit before we left town.
The old and the new happily coexist in this rapidly expanding city.
And yes, there is a Chinatown.
Jimmy Mak's in the Pearl District showcases live jazz every night. We stopped by to checkout The Dan Balmer Trio.
Portland is the Rose City and has an extensive public rose garden to prove it.
We really enjoyed the Japanese garden too. The textures and shades of green combined with stone and bamboo details to create a totally zen experience.
While this boat is floating on grass, water plays a big role in this city. The northern border is the Columbia River and the Willamette River separates east and west Portland. One afternoon we enjoyed a stroll along its banks.
This is one of twelve bridges that gets you across the Willamette River. One evening we visited Owen and Vickie Kane who live in the northeast section. Owen grilled a huge and delicious piece of salmon and Vickie wowed us with her potato salad. We had fun catching up with Owen who we hadn't seen in several years- so much fun that we forgot to take photos of them to share on the blog!!
We made a couple of pilgrimages to Powell books where the selection is both eclectic and expansive. We even had time to sample a dance performance/installation @ the Portland Museum of Contemporary Art.
