I don’t know why it takes me a whole day to recover from these trips. I returned from Portland (with a pause at Sea-Tac to pick up my parents, who had been in Florida) on Monday, and I’m only getting to all the e-mail I’ve missed today (Wednesday). I can only imagine what will happen when I return from Europe in September.
Going around Portland the second time, I explored a lot of the northeast area, which is where my friend is living and graciously offered a spare bed for me. It’s an area I wouldn’t mind living in, as it has a similar vibe to East Vancouver, particularly Commercial Drive. The northeast area also leans heavily toward Barack Obama, as the lawn signs and bumper stickers were plentiful. I even passed a neighbourhood BBQ/Obama supporter gathering while driving around the area the first time. In fact, I think I only saw one sign for John McCain, and that was on rural Sauvie Island.
Sauvie Island is only 30 minutes northwest of central Portland, but it’s as rural as it gets. I, my friend, her boyfriend, and his siblings all drove to Sauvie for some berry-picking and picnicking. It was a mainly cloudy day, so it was amenable for the occasion.
The day before Sauvie, I went to downtown Portland for the Oregon Brewers Festival. Ostensibly, it allows you to sample independent breweries’ products. It was more like a beer garden. I didn’t mind that part; I’ve been in my share of beer gardens, and that was the atmosphere I was experiencing there. And the beers I did try were pretty good.
Overall, I really enjoyed this trip through the Pacific Northwest. From Seattle to the coast to Portland, all of it was great to see. It was what a holiday should be.
One more picture: I dare you not to emulate Homer Simpson when you see this street sign.
