32: Old friends, new places

Being able to visit with Stuart and Katherine was such a treat. No one makes me laugh like Stuart Noble-Goodman!

They took us into Portland on Tuesday so we could kick around a bit, and we had fun being tourists in the city.  Although, having been on back roads in small towns for a couple of weeks, I have to admit I felt a bit accosted by the noise, concrete and bustle of the crowds. And it really wasn't even crowded!

Ridiculously good

Carved arches at Deschutes

A burger and a beer were the first order of the day. Deschutes was a fine choice. I am partial to IPAs, and they make a fine one.

We had to hit a bike shop, of course - that's mandatory in every city - and then we headed over to Voodoo Donuts. Well, I was impressed with the hype, and the decor - but the donuts? Not so much. While they are fantastical, they just were too sweet for me. I mean, I do not eat Captain Crunch cereal any more. Why would I want it on a donut? But folks do seem to love them, with a line often out the door.

More to my liking was the book palace - Powell's. I was interested to learn that it is actually a used book store of sorts. While many of the books are new, there are others on the shelves that clearly are not. One clerk told me there are anywhere from 500,000 to 1,000,000 titles in the store at any time.

Voodoo Donuts

And then, for a very special treat, we met Stuart and Katherine for dinner with Kieran and Aidan! We have a very warm spot in our hearts for these two. Their first jobs were picking oranges for us in the orchard. It is hard to believe that they are grown up now!

T shirt in Powell's

At the Crystal Hotel, Zeus Cafe - one of the Mcmenamin's renovations