This was my first trip to the West Coast.  Up until this point I’ve only flown over this area, so it was about time I visited a new coast and a new state.  I was getting together with a friend, which is the perfect excuse to explore an unknown destination.

Oregon welcomed me with open arms and I was very excited to see a place that I’ve heard rave reviews about, and experience identical results.  The friendly nature of the locals was apparent upon exiting the airport, when I needed help with the public transportation system, and carried through to when I was on foot and needed street directions to be pointed in the right direction.  Everyone was easy to approach, eager to assist and was comfortable to fall into conversation with.

I had the evening to kill, so after a much-needed nap and well-deserved manicure, downtown Portland was the first destination on my radar.  It was rainy, so I got the authentic experience, mixing in with all the other hooded and umbrella-clad city folk.  It was fun to see Pioneer Square, which is really more of a rectangle that also encompasses the “mall” area and the street of food trucks and stalls which offer everything from Italian to Iranian choices.

I was enticed by exotic menu’s but went to Rock Bottom Brewery instead for a great burger that really hit the spot.  It was a great first day, albeit a little cold.

The next day I rose to find another rainy day, but that didn’t stop everyone from gathering downtown for the usual art fair and farmers market.  Stretched out by the river were tons of venders selling clothing, jewelry, ceramics, glass and wood products.  As we moved in to the park, the bounty changed to greens, vegetables, fruit, nuts and mushrooms.  With a cup of hot cider in our hands, we were well prepared for a leisurely stroll around the stalls.  I got to see the infamous “Voodoo donuts” location, but the line was a mile long, as usual I’m told, so we decided to keep moving instead.

A little later in the day we got to Powell’s, a huge bookstore complete with color coded sections and a coffee shop.  It’s not every day that one gets to roam around an actual book store, so I was pretty excited to spend some time here.  The only problem I ran into was the issue of transporting the books.  Portland is very progressive and very green, and plastic bags are banned.  On one hand, I love this idea very much.  However, when I’m purchasing a stack of books, made of paper, in a city that rains a lot, I’m not going to want a paper bag to hold everything…something water-proof would be nice.  It was a challenge, but we made it work.

Later that evening we went to Ave Gene’s, which is the restaurant where my friend works.  It was nice to be together on the customer’s side of the line, going through the menu.  And what a menu it was!  From the drinks to the salads to the pasta, muscles, pork steak, and desserts, everything was amazing and local.  Not to mention that the entire staff was awesome, the lighting was perfect, and the bar seating on the side of the restaurant faced the open kitchen so customers can see everyone in their dashing white uniforms, preparing all the dishes.  I’m so glad we were able to get a table and have that experience.

Sunday was my last day in town, and I was told that Sunday brunch was “the thing” to do, so it was done!  One of the hot spots was a placed called “Screen Door,” so we went and put down our names, considering it was a huge line.  We killed some time by going to the coffee shop next door.  It was a cute place and I was able to order rice milk with my chai latte…the day already started off on a great note.  When our name was called, we were seated in the enclosed porch and proceeded to drool over the extensive menu.  We decided to sample many items which included crispy chicken and sweet potato waffles, banana’s foster French toast and eggs Sardou.  This was probably the best breakfast I’ve ever had and definitely worth the wait.

During my stay the sun did not come out once, which was sad, but the people and the public transportation allowed us to do and see everything.  I was so glad to sample so much of what Portland had to offer, and to experience first-hand a large area filled with genuinely friendly, socially conscious people.  Perhaps I’ll visit again one day, in the Spring!