OR 10/10- #pdxcarpet

The carpet at Portland International Airport (PDX) was designed in 1987, to replace the tiles which created a harsh noise as luggage rolled over one tile onto another. It has since become a symbol of home for Portlanders. 

The carpet has a cult following; it has its own instagram tag (#pdxcarpet), along with three twitter accounts.  People even dress as the carpet for Halloween, and some go as far as getting PDX tattoos.  Rogue has created a tasty India Pale Ale 'PDX Carpet' brew.  

Looking forward to the next time we see PDX carpet.

OR 9/10- Portland and more stuff

The morning began at the Portland Saturday Market; we were two out of a million people that annually visit the market.  It is a great place for product and people watching 

Bow ties for cats and dogs.

It is difficult to tell but this Portlander is wearing a knife headband; his booth sells something that everyone needs, headbands that give the illusion of various items going through your head.

Toothbrush holder art.

I was so stoked on this drip coffee because we hadn't had a good cup of coffee the entire time we were in Oregon.  Oregonians like WEAK coffee.  I even upset an Oregonian coffee shop owner who roasted his own beans in house.  We ordered two medium coffees and it was so weak it was not drinkable, so I got the employee (not the owner) to give us a dark roast (quickly before the owner returned) but we all got caught.  In a pissy huff, the owner explained how this is how a medium roast is supposed to be.  We left the store, dark roasts in hand, which tasted equally as poor.  It was so disappointing, it was so undrinkable.  That was our first day in Astoria, before we realized this is just an Oregon thing.  

The White Stag sign is a Portland icon.  The sign has changed hands since the 1940s, it has read 'white satin sugar', 'white stag sportswear', 'made in Oregon' (when it was designated as a historical landmark) and it now reads 'Portland Oregon'.  

Portland is known to be one of the most bike friendly cities in the nation. More than 17,000 Portlanders bike to work, the highest percentage for a large city,  This is astounding considering that it rains in Portland more than 150 days out of the year, leaving the roads slick and covered in algae.  It is amazingly frustrating that more San Diegans don't bike to work, when our roads are as dry as a bone.

Glasses bike rack,

Bridge bike rack.

Car bike rack (so ironic).

Deschutes Brewery is based out of Bend, Oregon, but there is a popular Deschutes Brewery and Public House in Portland.  

They have 19 beers on tap (no, we did not have all of them, just most).

The Public House is famous for its food.  Eric decided to try the fried chicken and sourdough waffle, topped with a sweet kale salad.  

OR 8/10- Portland and stuff

We started the morning at Voodoo Doughnut.  It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is notorious for having a line.  I made a comment about going to get doughnuts the night before, because I couldn't sleep, but I am glad I didn't as it is not in the most savory part of town. The owners (who had never made a doughnut before opening this shop) had strategically chosen its location in the "crotch" of Portland.  

We went saying we weren't going to wait in line, and ended up waiting in line (less than an hour, not bad!).

Portlander women have shaved heads.

Eric went with the classic, the Voodoo Doll, and the Portland Cream.  I got the Loop, and couldn't resist a traditional maple bar.  I had read their doughnuts were good, but are mostly a lot (two words) of hype.  

I disagree, they are totally awesome, and reasonably priced.  

We walked over to Powell's bookstore afterwards, not because we were concerned about burning calories, but because we found a good parking spot and didn't want to give it up.  We didn't have a chance to browse each of the three stories, but were impressed with the selection that we did peruse.

Portlanders write kind notes to strangers.

This fine establishment was located directly in front of our prime parking spot.

Yesterday we had asked the waiter at Double Mountain what his favorite breweries in Portland were, and he suggested Breakside.  

I was craving a grilled cheese and they had the remedy, along with beer (which some would argue is also the remedy).

Eric ordered something he wouldn't typically order, a Cuban, and he never looked back. 

We walked around the neighborhood of our VRBO, and admired the flowers and the seemingly infinite water that is so rare and appreciated in Southern California.  

The day ended at F.O.T.M. (Fire on the Mountain).  It is the brewery that inspired the pizza we had the day before.  We actually ordered the doppelganger in hopes of a miracle, appetizing on garlic knots (so good).

Portlander men are out of their league and don't event know it.

Portlander women wear trucker hats, beanies, and flannels.

The pizza was not AS good as Double Mountain, but was very delicious none the less.

We need Portland quality food and beer in San Diego!  

I am going to start a petition.  

OR 7/10- Eagle Creek Trail and McMenamins Kennedy School

Eagle Creek Trail is the most popular trail in the Columbia Gorge.  We were thankful to hike it on a Thursday since there were fewer people on the trail, and depending on where you are, the path can be narrow and a little frightening to pass.  

From creek level the trail gradually climbs upward, passing many streams that lead into the creek, and areas where the water just spills off the mountain above.  

Volunteers created the trail in 1915 by blasting through the basalt cliffs.

Chocolate lily.

Rockslide Larkspur.

Punch Bowl Falls, a 30 meter waterfall.  

Loowit Falls, a 27 meter waterfall.  

Yellow Glacier Lily.

We hiked to High Bridge (which allows you to walk 46 meters above the creek) and then turned around, totaling 8 spectacular miles.  I wish we could have hiked more, but we had a very limited food supply (only what we took from various hotel's free breakfast buffets).  

Dutchman's Breeches.

We stopped at Thunder Island Brewing Company after the hike, for a very late lunch.  (It really isn't a good idea to promise someone sandwiches on a hike when there are no sandwiches available for purchase.  But we survived to talk about it...)

Thunder Island Brewing Company is located right on the Columbia River, just a mile east of the Bridge of the Gods (which takes you across the river to Washington).  

Our final stop was McMenamins Kennedy School in Portland, Oregon.  Kennedy Elementary School opened its doors in 1915, but by the 1970s was falling apart and cost too much to repair so it was permanently closed down.  

That was until the twenty years ago, when it was purchased by two brothers, the McMenamins, who are known to purchase historic buildings and restore them.  With the help of volunteers from the community, and the McMenamin crew, the Kennedy School is now a hotel, movie theater, brewery and restaurant, forever preserving the history of the school, the employees and students, and the neighborhood.

We spent most our time at the Kennedy School wandering the halls, looking at pictures and reading about the school's history, including stories about wicked principals and naughty school children. 

Eric got in trouble. 

The Boiler Room Bar, not surprisingly in the school's old boiler room.