The Painted Lady takes PDX by storm!

On all my travels, I've either ventured east or south of California. I had never been north until recently when I was sent to an educators convention in Portland, OR. I've heard plenty good things about PDX; particularly its residents, culture and culinary tastes. So during my 3 day stay, I spent the mornings attending conferences and afternoons/evenings were spent touring the city.

The conference was held at the Oregon Convention Center which from afar looks a bit like a church. Inside, it was expansive with various cafés, restaurants and bars. Of course there was also the various rooms where I sat in on several presentations. Inside the exhibit halls there were several publishing companies and universities showcasing their published works and/or programs. I bought a few reference books to use at my campus. There were also several free knickknacks of which I helped myself. Expos are awesome. I'm definitely looking forward to the 2015 conference which will be held in Toronto, Canada.

The Food
I noticed several educators at the conference eating sandwiches from Subway. I can't understand why anyone would travel hundreds if not thousands of miles just to eat from a chain available in their own backyard. I made a conscious effort to eat from places not available back home. Although coming from San Francisco, I don't eat from restaurant chains anyway. I've noticed the food of choice in PDX is panini; at least for lunch.

J Cafe 

Floyd's Coffee Shop

I also noticed Portlanders are quite generous with their portions. During my 3 day stay, I only ate twice per day. Either it was a big breakfast and a late, light lunch or an early, light lunch and a big dinner. I usually prefer the former since I really don't like dinners (which usually includes meat; not good for this ovo vegetarian).

My cheeseless omelette packed with veggies; I only ate a quarter of the hasbrowns

A nickname for PDX is Beervana. Supposedly, Portland has more brewpubs than any city in the U.S. As I walked the neighborhoods (and rode the TRIMET), I noticed quite a few pubs lining the streets. I'm not one to drink beer alone. It's the type of drink to have in a group setting. When I decided on a place for dinner, I opted for a brewpub for its ambiance and cocktails. When I looked at the menu, the types of cocktails were nothing I'd seen before. I chose some sort of pineapple habanero concoction with my vegan platter. The cocktail really was spicy, too.

Dot's Diner and Brewpub

Now for the best part of my culinary experience. I've heard quite a bit about VooDoo Doughnuts. Apparently it was on some sort of TV food show. However, all of my friends who visit Portland swear by this place. In fact, at the convention I attended, many people were carrying around pink boxes with the VooDoo Doughnuts logo. There are two shops in Portland. The original one in Old Town had a line out the door (even in the pouring rain).

The Original

The "Too" sat on a much larger lot that can accommodate a much larger crowd. I visited the "Too" shop. They have an interesting selection of specialty doughnuts. Honestly, I really don't care for doughnuts (in fact, I don't like sweets). I usually opt for a bagel with my coffee, but considering this is a mini vacation (but a maxi business trip), I decided to order the "Old Dirty Bastard". Live a little. It's your basic doughnut topped with a chocolate glaze, crushed Oreo cookies and a drizzle of peanut butter. It was yummy.

The Shopping
Of course I had to fit a bit of vintage shopping my short, busy schedule. I managed to visit three shops and came out with two dresses. (That will be a post for later.) They had some pretty great pieces and I'm sure if I had more time, I would've come back with more. The best part...NO SALES TAX!

The City

Oops. Did I just give PDX my hometown's nickname? It's just used as a general term in this case. Although, it comes pretty close to how the Bay Area looks. If I were to describe and compare it to cities out here, I would say Portland is part Berkeley, part Burlingame, part Rockridge, Oakland, part West Portal, SF. In fact, I almost felt at home. Almost. The presence of Seahawks gear reminded me that I'm not in San Francisco. I would think being a die-hard 49er fan in Seahawk territory wouldn't be easy, and it would just make me homesick. I must say, though, Portlanders are extremely friendly and their kindness is genuine. All the stereotypes are definitely true. Everyone is in a flannel and the men are unshaven. It was definitely a cute quality, though.

However, I think Portland can be one of my usual getaways. I'm already looking forward to the PDX lindy exchange next year. That was one thing I didn't get to do. There were no swing dance events scheduled during my trip. Three days just wasn't enough time especially when the weekend was dominated by work obligations. My next trip back will definitely be one for pleasure and not business. And hopefully the weather will be better. It rained throughout my entire trip, but I guess that's part of the PDX experience.

Home Sweet Home. Looking down at the Golden Gate Bridge.