This is the 8th in a series of posts covering my trip to the US Pacific Northwest in 2022, adapting emails originally sent to friends. I use NOW to refer to any updates since I did the trip.
I actually got 7 hours sleep last night. I got up and ate at the nearby McDonald's (NW Portland Hostel technically has breakfast but a single bagel and coffee or tea). I walked downtown more or less following the Blue/Red MAX path). At Pioneer Square pigeons were using a human drinking fountain, two even sharing the same spout. I visited Mill Ends Park and Salmon Street Springs, then crossed Hawthorne Bridge to the east end and back; bikes go beside pedestrians but can only travel on the same side of the bridge as cars going the same direction. I'm guessing it's to help keep pedestrians and other bikers safe.. I visited Ira Keller Fountain (has concrete layers). I returned to Pioneer Square and got more pigeon drinking photos. Started to have problems shooting video, but video worked later on. I took a Red MAX light rail (all transportation today TriMet unless noted) to Airport Station. I did a brief visit to Portland International Airport. I returned to the same light rail but security shouted at me to enter a different car than the one I was going to. A guy inside that car was showing symptoms of COVID. I took a different car in that light rail to Parker/Sumner Station. After a bit of a wait, a 21 bus took me to the municipality of Wood Village. I walked back a ways so I could also say I've been to Fairview, then returned to Wood Village and walked to Troutdale. I hadn't been to those three communities before. Troutdale has a nice historical downtown area.
I crossed a bridge over the Sandy River. I think I reached Lewis & Clark Park but not 100% sure. I returned to Troutdale and took a 77 bus to 82nd/Lemworth Station in Portland. There I transferred to a Blue Line to Rose Quarter.
[NOW: I didn’t quite make it to Lewis & Clark Park.]
I took a little time to find the stop because north and south are on different streets there, but I soon took a 4 bus north to Rose City Comics (formerly Bridge City Comics). A bus went by as I was entering the store and frequent service has a different meaning on Sundays especially during COVID, so I hiked a ways. A bookstore I hadn't known about, Black Books had a sign saying they were open but the door was locked. I dashed to a 6 bus and my mask fell out of my pants pocket. I decided that the bus was the priority and took it south a ways to near a McDonald's.
[NOW: Actually Rose City occupies the same spot that Bridge City did but is a different store.]
I took another 6 to Hawthorne St, where I waited 15 minutes for a bus before giving up and still actually made the 18 blocks before a bus going my direction turned up. I bought a trade at Excalibur Comics. I hiked/bused (14) a ways north and visited Powell's on Hawthorne. I also visited Hawthorne Game Exchange in the same location as the CD/Game Exchange that used to be there. I saw a bus coming but was overheated and was looking to get photos of the hostel I stayed at in my first trip to Portland and let it go; right after I found the old hostel and saw that it's been fenced off. I bought a Slurpee at a 7-11. I got a penny change and asked for my receipt. The guy briefly got confused and tried to give me another penny instead of the receipt. I didn't mind walking downtown because it reminded me of doing so from that hostel on my first trip.
I crossed Hawthorne Bridge downtown and took a Blue Line MAX light rail from Pioneer Square to Washington Park. I took an elevator up to ground level. I walked around a little and took a free shuttle (run by the park) to the Holocaust War memorial. I walked to Burnside and took a 20 bus part way to Everyday Music on Burnside. I usually spend more time there but the hours are shorter this year so only the one visit. I did get some DVDs including a For Your Consideration (Emmy submission) copy of Fifty Reasons Why.
I visited Powell's, then took a NS Line B Loop version of the Portland Streetcar (similar looking to other light rail but only one car). It was crowded and I only took it one stop but that got me close enough for another visit to Mill Ends Park and Salmon Street Springs. I did some more wandering including inside Pioneer Place and then had dinner at Taco Bell before returning here early to pack for tomorrow. I accidentally recently left my soap in the shower recently. Someone left the soap but stole the container.
[NOW: The Powell’s above is the downtown branch.]
More things about Portland: same kind of scooters around as Seattle, maybe slightly less common than in Seattle. Lots of pro-BLM signage.
No comments:
Post a Comment