Portland

We’d been on the road since Tuesday (the day the government shut down), and on Friday morning we left the coast and drove to Portland.

Side note: Have you seen Portlandia? It’s not a show for everyone. In fact, the first time I watched it, I didn’t laugh but instead sat with my mouth gaping open in confusion. What is this? By the second episode I was chuckling. By the third episode I’d put the show on a season pass. It’s funny, quirky, different. It’s a sketch comedy starring Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen. They love Portland, so they make fun of it.

My favorite is the “Put a bird on it” sketch. Sure enough, in Portland, birds are on everything.

Anyway, our stay in Portland was short because we only put it on the itinerary for two reasons – to visit Powell’s Books and have dinner with our friends, Ashley and Andrew.

As a surprise bonus, our hotel room had the most perfect view of Mt. Hood.

Sunrise! 

A couple of things about Portland:

The hotel staff could not have been kinder. (I knew it would be a good stay when I noticed a canvas photograph of an Underwood typewriter hanging in the lobby. Good taste, Marriott!) Their kindness was overwhelmingly confirmed when Chuck made a casual remark to the buffet cook, Cynthia, about how good their hazelnut butter tasted. He asked her if it was available somewhere in town for purchase. She told him it was made for commercial use but that she’d be happy to give us a jar. Delighted by the gesture, we assumed she’d probably get busy and forget.

She didn’t. A little gift bag arrived at our room just as we were about to leave. Inside were two bottles of Voss water, a sweet note, and a delicious jar of fresh hazelnut butter.

With hazelnut butter in hand, Powell’s Books was our final stop in Portland. If Hug Point is the backyard of heaven, then Powell’s Books is its library. The bookstore covers an entire city block and is home to nearly 70,000 square feet of new, used, and rare books. I wandered around in a time warp until I realized we needed to head to Seattle. If you have the chance to go, then go. (The rare books room is my favorite.)