Portland, Oregon

I-5 on a Friday. Not a good idea. Traffic, from Seattle to Olympia (about 2 hours worth), and slow going from Olympia to Portland. Annoying, but all told only 4 hours in the car. We’ve had it worse. Cascades were beautiful; signs for Mt. St. Helens pretty cool. For the most part, Dragon Tattoo was good company, except when it started to put us to sleep. We’ve found that books (no matter how compelling) are more likely to have that effect on tired drivers/passengers than is music. Anyway, we made it.

First time to Portland (for me; LVL is an old hand). No real impression yet, beyond the fact that all of LVL’s friends here are incredibly welcoming. The plan is to stay the weekend with Courtney and Scott, while hanging out with Kari, Lisa, and Mac, LVL’s friends from various stages and places.

A few down moments at Courtney and Scott’s house, including some time with our hosts, their daughter Ava (age 3) and her chalk-drawn hopscotch board, baby Ally, and friend Swise.

About 9:00, Kari, Lisa, Laura, and I headed to Pok Pok, Portland’s now-famous Thai eatery. Bracing for at least an hour wait, we walked right in and sat down. The place is purportedly run by a chef who spent several years in Thailand, living in villages teaching himself how to cook the authentic stuff. The look and feel of the place and the types of food listed on the menu certainly make the story seem true.

LVL and I opt for a very fancy coconut milk-and-mango cocktail (served in a very cool looking metal highball glass), which was a strange but oh-so tasty mix of several sweet flavors.

The food order was a bit more complicated. Simply too many things sounded good. After much consternation and a little hand-wringing, we picked out six dishes,* including:

• Papaya salad
• Some really incredible soup
• Curried jumbo prawns
• Boar’s collar
• Hot Twat**
• Sweet sour wings
• Jasmine and sticky rice

I’m not a food writer or a gourmet of any quality, so I won’t try to describe each dish in any detail. Suffice it to say, Pok Pok serves the best Thai food I’ve ever had (with apologies to Exotic Thai in Moline, IL.) Also, probably the tastiest meal of our trip.

The company was top notch as well. Kari and Lisa kept us laughing throughout. Love them.

* All done under the sage guidance of our waiter, a goofy dude who projected a very serious air about his Thai food recommendations, ingredients and their origins, proper pronunciations, etc. He also is a dead ringer for (Nacho Libre era) Jack Black, if JB wore a bald cap, loose-fitting Thai-guy pants and got visibly/audibly excited about properly fried and seasoned catfish.

** Actually, it was something like Hoi Thwat. As you see, close enough so that resisting a dirty joke (esp. given the very mature, serious nature of all dinner guests) was virtually impossible.

Top on the morning’s agenda: USA v. Ghana in the World Cup’s Round of 16. In the car headed to EastBurn to meet some of Courtney’s friends (and we were hoping, eventually Courtney), running a bit late. Traffic from the neighborhood parade didn’t help. After a quick detour (and some searching for a closer alternative, not blocked by traffic), we arrived at the bar.

Packed to the gills, USA soccer fans sitting in a dark bar staring loyally at the game projected on a huge, hanging screen toward the front of the restaurant. Thanks to Courtney’s friends, Christian* and Megan for saving us seats. By the time I walked in, Ghana up 1-0. Not again. Dammit.

The crowd was at once very hip (lots of tats, manicured-to-be-scruffy beards, top of the thrift store rack t-shirts) and totally USA soccer nerdy. One guy had full USA soccer gear, head-to-toe: jersey, shorts, scarf, leggings pulled up over his knees. Very commonly overheard in his midst were things like: “Nice ball!” “Have a touch.” “Shut UP, John Harkes!” “Head up…Carry…Head up.” And so on.

Chants of U-S-A, U-S-A broke out as Landon Donovan lined up the penalty kick, and a wild eruption of cheering and high-fives as the ball hit the post and went in. Great moment. For our part: a few cold beers, two egg sandwiches, lots of groaning/talking at TV (E.g., LVL: “Really, Josie Altador?!?”and “COME ON!”), and tons of clapping, cheering, and root-rooting. An intense hour or so later, the US was out. Disappointed, but over it a few minutes later, if we’re being honest.

Had fun talking with Christian and Megan after the game about beer (he, a beer writer (christiandebenedetti.wordpress.com); she, a beer mag (www.beernw.com) publisher), the Oregon coast, and the plight of U.S. soccer. Cool people.

Back to Courtney and Scott’s for a minute and then a walk. The mile or so to and from the grocery store took us through a neighborhood park alive with all kinds of activity, including a kids’ fountain area, a hipster baseball game,** a sorta-fratty, very boozy co-ed kickball game, and lots of other funny things.

Settled in for a pretty chill afternoon/eve. Courtney cooking, Ally pretty quiet, LVL and I hanging out. Kari arrives about 7, just as we have moved from the kitchen to the back yard. Beers (several from Deschuttes brewery, Bend, OR, others; rosé; chips/guac/salsa/kale and cheddar cheese empanadas.***

Mac arrives around 8:30 and joins the backyard picnic. Great to see LVL with three friends from three different parts of her life (Mac = high school; Courtney = college; Kari = grad school). Totally in her element and having a great time. All four bring totally distinct personalities to the table and seem to genuinely like one another’s company. Tidbits from a hilarious night:

• Self-portraits of the five of us and bird-beak/mushy face pics of LVL and Kari.

• Tales of the wedding, which it seems we never get tired of telling.

• Courtney’s book club and their latest volume, The Radical Homemaker.

• Kari switching mid-eve from self-styled “LPGA wear” to jeans/sweater. “I’m from Portland, yo. I come prepared.”

• Religious sect (The "kissers") from Oregon City, Kari’s hometown. Still with me: Her story about the girl whose parents broke with religious protocol (shunned as a result) by taking their daughter to the hospital to mend her hurt hand/arm. [Ed. note: Kari's description of the "hurt" was much more vivid than that. I still shudder thinking about it and never again want to jump down a set of stairs or at least not stairs above which a random nail is sticking out of a board.]

• Mac says that my mom is stunning. She’s right.

• A very, very dorky high-five between Kari and me over Jan and Michael Stern, the Roadfood savants.

• Several self-taken pictures of the five. Funny faces, all the way around. Also, inexplicitly, several pictures of LVL and Kari making gross (but oh-so-photogenic) faces, including a personal favorite, the Pterodactyl. [Ed. note: That's Baby Pterodactyl, babe.]

Off to bed after a beer with the late-arriving Chris/Megan. LVL and I both a little drunk [Ed. question: A little?] and really happy with the day.

* [Ed. note: Also known, to old friends like Court, as CDB. Or is it CDeB? I just know it's not CtotheB.

** Some in tight shorts, ironic tees, and short-billed caps, others in baseball pants (with batting gloves hanging from both back pockets a la Ricky Henderson) and full cleats. Favorite play: fly ball to left field puts the fielder in motion, but not before he takes a short drag on his cigarette. As the ball drops, hipster pitcher (no real ace, himself), yells incredulously, “Come on, DEFENSE. Look alive!!”

*** Which I thought were quite good. Courtney, on the other hand, felt they, “needed ranch or something.”

We worked for a couple of hours in the am and then walked with Courtney and Ally to ¿Por Que No? for brunch. Another gorgeous, sunny day.* A small, darkish (inside at least), kitschy place on Mississippi Ave, seemingly very popular with the locals, about 6 blocks from their place. After stuffing our faces, we understand why it’s such a hot spot. For me, the chilaquilles; for LVL, veg tamales and eggs; and for Courtney, the juevos. Washed down with very tasty, very cold fruit (guava, blackberry, etc.) juice. Continuing the weekend’s theme of incredible generosity, Courtney pays for the eats. So nice, and on top of all the other things they’ve done for us, greatly appreciated.

After brunch, Courtney took us on a walking tour of the city [Ed. note: I believe she calls it urban hiking.]. Caught a bus to the Rose Garden (my first visit to the west side of town), and from there on foot over the Steel Bridge. The Willamette River, which runs directly through the city, adds a bit of character to things, and makes for an interesting, picturesque view. The old, rusted out train bridge; the huge tanker docked on the east side of the river; and the power boats shooting back and forth under the bridge all make for great pictures.

Spent an hour or so at Portland Saturday Market, a street expo with tons of individual artists showing clothes/painting/photo/candle/etc. in hundreds of stalls spread over several city blocks. Courtney and LVL bought a few things (even more Courtney-based generosity), while I spent the hour or so people watching and snapping pics. Lots and lots of tattoos,** piercings, dreads, kids, dogs, one very bizarre-looking cat, and other really funny viewing. Break dancing dudes were a highlight.

From the Market to Powell’s Books, via train. The city’s public transit system is pretty impressive, and expansive, both relatively unique for a western city. Buses run on time, train is clean and quiet; both well-used by city residents.

Powell’s Books is incredible, and worthy of its place next to Tattered Cover in Denver and Strand in NYC in the pantheon of American book stores. Color-coded rooms, new and used books on every subject imaginable; well organized chaos. We bought an atlas (finally), a history book on Hawaii, and some other goodies. Probably could have spent all day there.

Walked an hour or so back to Courtney and Scott’s house. Portland makes for really easy, enjoyable walking. The city’s residential areas are broken down into very distinct and unique neighborhoods, each with their own particular look, feel, and subculture. Tree-lined streets, and old-style wooden ranch houses and small bungalows, many of which overrun with beautiful flowers and vegetable gardens. Sadly, no Colin Meloy sightings.

It seems like every street has its own bar/restaurant/coffee shop and/or food truck,*** and its own brand of hipster/hippy/tattoo canvas/outdoorsy/down-to-earth people. The city is as friendly and as comfortable as it is aesthetically interesting. No contest between the people here and the assholish Seattlites we encountered last weekend. Mac (I think?) described the city as “livable.” Don’t know about that yet, but the past few days here have felt like a slice of real life.****

Portlanders seem to be mostly a happy bunch, quite comfortable with themselves, an attitude reflected in the city’s look/feel/aesthetic. Houses have a worn, lived-in appeal, almost to the point of feeling shabby or in disrepair. Not sure if this is due to the fact that people don’t worry about outward appearances, or because many of the hipsters don’t seem to work all that much. Either way, I’m starting favor a worn, comfortable lazy-boy (with an ironic mustache) as my preferred metaphor for the city.

After a bit of research at a coffee shop/bar, The Waypost, we picked up pizzas at Pizza A Go Go. Extra large veggie and an extra large half cheese/half Hawaiian and a salad were plenty to feed Courtney, Scott, Swise, Ava, Ally, LVL, me, and friends Dave and Autumn and their baby, Monty. The backyard was once again the chosen spot. A nice luxury to kick it outdoors, especially with such friendly, cool people. Also great to watch the little kids get to know each other, play with new toys (including a stand-up car thing for the babies), and interact with the adults (and vice versa).

Little Ava led LVL and me in a ballet class on the sidewalk in front of the house before we left for Lompoc's 5th Quadrant to do more research for the next leg of our trip. Few things as cute as watching a three-year old do pirouettes, spins, kicks, etc. The ballet shoes and the seriousness/earnestness with which she went about it were so cool to watch. And fun to do with her.

On the way home after Lompoc, LVL tripped on a crack in the sidewalk pavement, falling down and scraping her knees and bruising her ego. “Everything ok here?” asks the passing hipster. Yessir, all except for the evil looking strawberries on her right knee.

* So far, the weather in both NW cities has been incredible. No real rain, one cloudy-ish day, and the rest, bright blue skies. Warm and sunny during the day, cool and clear at night. Little to no humidity. Not at all bad. Very curious to see both Seattle and Portland in the winter.

** I think Portland is slightly more tattooed than Seattle, but I think I’d put them both in the county’s top five, per capita. It seems every person under 45 has at least one; many have full arm sleeves, chest, face, and other very aggressive places covered with all sorts of stuff. Perhaps I’m a bit of a square, but getting a heart or cross or a Chinese character or whatever stamped on your neck seems like a bad idea, no matter how hip you are.

*** The city has a burgeoning food truck scene. In several spots around town, food trucks serving all types of food, from Mexican and hot sandwiches to shaved ice, coffee, and crepes, are clustered. We haven’t yet checked out the food, but I like the communal aspect of it, the cheap authenticity of the food, and the memories they conjure of West Philly food trucks: Lahn’s, Sophies, and the Korean spot on Walnut.

**** Though I’m sure that feeling is as much owed to the hospitality and come-one-come-all openness of Courtney and Scott (and their several friends) as it did with the city itself. But there is a familiar, well-worn feeling about the city that I really like.

Said our goodbyes to Courtney, Scott, Ava, and Ally. So great getting to know them all, and especially seeing LVL among old friends. Ran to Kinkos and the Post Office, and then to meet LVL at Ristretto Roasters for a bit of coffee. Wandered around on Mississippi, stopping to pick up some beer for Courtney/Scott and food truck breakfast burritos for us. Spinach/Egg/Chorizo for me; just the same for LVL, minus the chorizo. Hot, tasty, and served by a charming old Mexican dude.

Finally hit the road for Cannon Beach about 1:30. So long, Portland.