Portland, Oregon

A nice relaxing long weekend in Portland. It was the first time it actually rained while we were there...not that it was unexpected as it always rains there but the last few times we were there it never rained! Flew in on Thursday, stopped by Excalibur Comics (on Hawthorne...have to spread the comic book money around the globe!), then on to Hotel Lucia. A boutique hotel that has tiny but spacious red painted wall rooms. They have a good bed with a feather comfortable. It is a relaxing place to spend your nights. Jaunted off immediately to Powell's, the world's greatest bookstore, and spent about an hour exploring the stacks. I have found it best to do Powell's in small doses otherwise it just become overwhelming. If you are looking for a book this place is it. After being amazed and wishing I was a speed reader we journeyed to Deschutes Brewery. A new place with a great atmosphere and some awesome brews. Living in Denver you are certainly spoiled by the great beer here but had to admit Portland has a whole lot better beer. Fell in love with the Arctic Blastonator Weizen Bock. Went back two separate times to enjoy that beer. And in a rare instance the brewery's food was on par with its beer!

In an effort to follow Adam and the Man vs Food crowd we hit the Stepping Stone Cafe where we shared a "mancake" HUGE. Next morning we did Voodoo Doughnuts. We had to wait! After the mancake we did a wine tour visiting Aramenta, Erath, and Argyle. Nothing against the good people of the Willamette Valley but honestly the almighty grape truly just fell into their lap. I mean 20 years ago this same land was just harvesting fruit and nuts barely squeaking by and now even the most basic winery is able to charge $20 for just ho-hum wine. To be at the right place and time...Just so you know the 2006 pinot noir was a whole lot better than the 2007 version. After tasting wines all day we definitely needed some more beer so off to the Bridgeport Brewery. Their IPA was my favorite until Dogfish 90 minute came along. Even so having it fresh is well worth it.

On Saturday, as mentioned, we had Voodoo Doughnuts then did some walking around the City. Stopped at the PDX Contemporary Art museum. There were two small exhibits featuring:

John Mann (maps and stuff)

Megan Murphy (glass, mirror photos?)

Later that evening saw Up in the Air. A real depressing movie. Last year in Portland we saw Slumdog Millionaire which was depressing except it ended with hope...Up in the Air...not so much. Really no redeeming factor other than be thankful you have a job. Clooney did a wonderful job...I bet he will win Best Actor this year. On our last day it rained most of the day. We relaxed did some window shopping and relaxed. Also did some soul searching and came home ready to hit it again. One can never say too much about the importance of a good Vacation!