I’m at PDX taking advantage of yet more free wifi in the City of Roses. I’ve got about 20-minutes before boarding my
red-eye flight back to the East Coast. Because of my late departure, I took it easy today, hanging around the hostel
this morning chatting with other guests (from Ireland, Australia and Canada) until checkout. A little after noon I
walked north on Hawthorne with another local friend here in town who joined me for lunch at the Bagdad Pub, owned and
operated by McMenamins, who also run the famous Bagdad
Theater next door. We were in the mood for burgers, but, this being overly organic Portland, they only carried Boca
and gardenburgers on the menu! I went with the hot roast beef sandwich and my first Portland brew of the weekend — a
half pint of Ruby, a lighter ale with a hint of rasberry. Portland is known for its beer-making and microbrews, and
although I didn’t get to sample any others, I did happen upon the Holiday Ale
Festival when I wandered back downtown after lunch. I went to
Pioneer Square hoping to hook up with a
Portland Walking Tour, only to learn that they do not
operate from December to March (except if specially arranged for a group of eight or more.) So I did my own impromptu
walk instead, checking out the ale fest and then heading down towards the Willamette River to explore a little bit of
the Portland Saturday Market, which is open on Sundays too, despite its
official name. It was beginning to get very cold and grey again so I didn’t wander long, and eventually headed back
over the river to meet friends for dinner. We returned to the neighborhood where I had my first Portland meal on Friday
morning. Down the street from Gravy is the
Mississippi Pizza Pub, where I feasted on one final meal before heading
to the airport. I didn’t get to see lots of attractions or spend time outdoors, but I did discover the cool vibe of
this urban gem of the Pacific Northwest that everyone talks about. And I had my share of good eats around town. Next
time I’ll try more brew pubs and coffee shops, and make sure I get outside in warmer weather to do some hiking
too.