Ponderings on Portland and Beyond

I wrote this while in California…just too busy to finish and post it then. Keep reading for one of many Life Lessons from the Road…

I’m here in Sonoma and the last thing I want to do is hang out in this hotel suite/ studio apartment, no matter HOW amazing it is with it’s Jacuzzi tub, two televisions, kitchenette (no microwave??) livingroom with fireplace and balcony. Can you feel the refreshing breeze from the open door?

But I wanted to get some thoughts down. This vacation has gone WAY too quickly and this time in Sonoma is where I get to slow down for a day or two before I’m off again!

On to Portland. A beautiful, eclectic town full of real, sometimes strange people…okay more than sometimes. Heck, they’ll even tell you they want to “Keep Portland Weird!” Though I didn’t witness the nude bike-a-thon through the park (thank goodness,) I did witness a guy in a kilt at an organic beer festival lifting up his leg so a girl could take a photo…um, TMI, I know!

There was also Pedal Palooza where the riders felt free to pee in the corner of the yard with the NO TRESPASSING sign right across from the coffee house. And I’d be negligent if I didn’t mention the creepy bathroom at Rimsky Kaffacoffe House. I would have messed myself if I wasn’t forewarned.

Yes, Portland can be weird, but it’s also wonderful and magical and nice.

Growing up on Long Island, NY, I noticed immediately how NICE Oregonians are. Even their bums are nice. Homeless…I mean homeless! And Portland has their fair share of the homeless, but they don’t assault you with dirty rags and spray bottles insisting on cleaning your windshield like the ones in NYC. They just push their carts, minding their own business or stand on the street corner chatting with another homeless friend. And people just hand them coffees, especially outside of Powell’s book store.

I don’t know if it’s the beauty of the mountains or the mystery of the ocean or the tranquility of the gorge, but homeless or housed, the people in Portland are genuinely nice.

Cars hit the brakes for pedestrians at cross walks before they’re actually IN the crosswalks…disregarding the the flow of traffic, I might add. Nice AND psychic! Who knew?

I’m used to waiting for traffic to clear or walking like a New Yorker where you step into the crosswalk and dodge traffic like a pinball, but NO Oregonians just hit on the breaks and let you pass.

I love that Portland is a walking, biking, hiking city, though the hills are killer. Yet, it would be nice to know that when my friend tells me we’re going to see the Pittock Mansion, she meant we’re going to climb the hour and a half trail to the top only to realize it had closed a half an hour earlier and there’s not short cut down the trail. I’m just saying! I expected to drive right up to the place.

All kidding aside, there feels like there’s no pretenses here. You can be yourself. Dress up or down and you’re accepted! So different from NY where I grew up. In fact, you can say that NY is the antithesis of Portland and the funny thing is I like them both in all their uniqueness.