Portland

Every road trip must have a sound track....

Portland was a wonderful city—green, open, warm, eclectic, friendly, with a great deal of creative energy. It had the vibe of San Francisco without the edge and tenseness. There is no sales tax and prices so when you get your bill there is no mark up in taxes as you expect in California. It is a quiet city of humble and magnificent homes delineated with green spaces throughout. It is a foodie city as well. We were told that Portlanders are not afraid of fat and bacon because they exercise and ride their bike everywhere. I could live there.

When we arrived, we went to the McMinamin's Kennedy School, a former elementary school that was converted to a restaurant, bars (Portland is the land of microbrews), a theater and a hotel. Amazing how tastefully it was preserved and converted.

the Cypress Room, decorated with a variety of light shades, was a former classroom

funky, creative Alberta Street

At the Japanese garden

Multnomah Falls, 30 minutes east of Portland along the Columbia River 

View of the Columbia from Vista Point

 Downtown Portland:

At the Ace Hotel

Beef Tartare at Tasty and Alder.

bacon maple bar--yummy

I had to try a Voodoo doughnut

Swedish pancakes on our last day in Portland on Clinton Street