Mattie and I agreed that it was good that Portland was our last stop. We hit a wall back in Idaho and found ourselves entirely uninterested in exploring any more places. We stayed in Northern Portland or "NoPo" as locals call it. It's a neat little area and we were able to walk to various restaurants and coffee shops from where we were staying.
While I've yet to go downtown or to the other "hip and happening" areas of Portland, I've found myself quit smitten with the place. It's so lush. A strange word to describe a city but it's the best I could come up with. There are thick woodsy trees mixed with neon roses and lavender bushes. Every house has a garden and wildflowers litter empty lots. The grass is so green and the trees are so tall. It's very exciting. It's very Cardiff. A few time I've caught myself thinking I was back in lovely Wales before realizing I was walking past Whole Foods and Starbucks.
Mattie and I ate waffles and Mexican food. We wandered through artsy freaks and accidentally found ourselves at a very awkward Open Mic Night. Portland is known for it's artsy and environmental goobers. Don Hon would hate all of the sustainable attitudes and compostable shopping bags. While enjoying some food truck grub, Mattie and I overheard a woman asking about the previous lifestyle of the chicken she was debating sprinkling over her salad.
We watched a movie on our last night together and I conked out while Mattie packed her things. We were up at 7:00 and at the airport at 7:30. We did a quick search of the car, making sure that the piles of crap were indeed all of my things and then she disappeared behind a Delta door and I sped off into the city.
What I'm most excited about in Portland is the 100 miles surrounding the city. It looks like Alaska! I'm excited to go exploring and hiking. I've got a rock climbing friend from home who lives out here and has given me a huge list of Must Sees. I just need to find my winter boots...
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