So Long, Portland!

What a wonderful week it's been here in Portland!

Thursday we had a low key day...did some laundry, hair cut and errands early morning then had lunch with our dear neighbor from AG, Katie Wiley.  She and her husband Chris moved to Portland 6 years ago. She picked us up, toured our new home and then we headed to 23rd Street for a lovely lunch and lots of time to talk. The neighborhood there is darling so we walked through a couple of shops before saying good bye. One thing about Portland that we love are all the different small neighborhoods with unique personalities, a little something for everyone.

Friday we woke to sunnier skies which was perfect for our plan to take our bikes into the city to ride along the paved waterfront bike path.  Wonderful to be riding with the city on one side and the wide Willamette River on the other.





The day just got prettier as we rode the loop from one side of the river to the other crossing the river on the Steel Bridge pedestrian walkway. So fun!

The path is also designed with art and sculpture.  We stopped for a photo op with Vera Katz, former Mayor of Portland, since we were riding the Vera Katz Esplanade.



From there along the east side of the river we joined the Springwater Corridor, again a paved level bike path which follows the river for an additional 40 mi loop.

 We only rode a small part of it before crossing back to the Portland side of the river.  Such a wonderful 3 hour bike ride.

Once the bikes were back on the car we drove to Chinatown to see the Lan Su Chinese Gardens; stunning traditional buildings and gardens! The Gardens opened in 2000 but you get the feeling that they have been there so much longer. Artisans in Suszhou, China, built the wooden buildings and decorative windows that were shipped to Portland along with 500 tons of rock. More than 65 Chinese workers (and two Chinese cooks) arrived in the fall of 1999 to construct the garden's buildings and pathways. What a beautiful addition to the city.

About that time we started texting with my brother Charlie to try to meet up with them for dinner as they headed south after taking Thomas to Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA. What fun to have dinner, laughs and brews together!

Rain woke us early Saturday morning so we had a true feeling of Portland weather most of the day...drizzle with light showers. Cool but easy to still get out for the Saturday Market along the river and then a visit to the Portland Museum of Contemporary Craft. Beautiful exhibit by Nikki McClure who does amazing cut paper art. Using the transit system makes getting round the city so easy and less stressful, love it!

Sought out the Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe for an afternoon mocha, yum! Im having the hardest time getting my bearings for the city, so we ended up walking in circles looking for this tiny little shop, but worth it.

Saturday evening we took the car into the city to have a light dinner and listen to a jazz trio at Wilfi's Restaurant near Union Station

such a nice evening...4 hours of classic jazz tunes and tasty food. One song they did was Let's Get Away From it All, lyrics perfect for our new life:

They say there's no place quite like home
A charming thought and pure
But until the world we roam, how can we be sure.
Let's take a trip in a trailer
No need to come back at all
Let's leave our hut dear, get out of the rut dear,
Let's get away from it all.

Love all the arts and music of city life, Love Portland, Love our traveling life!