Well, there appears to be a concerning wake of destruction that I can only deduce is a result of the earth mourning the Goetz Family’s departures. Riots in England, hurricane in Florida, earthquake in New York – watch out, ye who live in other places we have visited.
Portland from the Aerial tram
And next on this list of soon-to-be-doomed places is Portland, Oregon. Now, if you made a list of must-see cities in the United States, it would probably look something like this: New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and Portland. Well, ok, not everyone would include the Rose City in their to-do list, but I must say, Portland is lovely. And if you’re the kind of person who can’t get enough wheat grass, who recycles the bottle caps, who has the schedule of local farmers markets on your fridge – well you, my friend, would love Portland.
Virtual rafting, with Emma from Bristol
Our primary reason for stopping in Portland a few days was to visit our friends the Hebbrons, who have just moved here from Bristol. Their daughter Emma was in Connie’s class and she also did tap dancing with both Connie and Heidi. So it was very nice to be able to meet up with them here, both families strangers in this foreign place.
When you meet up with friends, you don’t tend to do as many of the touristy sightseeing-type things. And to be fair, Portland doesn’t have as many A-list things to see or do as San Francisco or New York. But we did visit the Forestry Center (featuring a few simulator rides and a chance to sit in some big logging machines), and the Skyline gondola, which takes you from near the river to … a hospital (are they anticipating a disaster?)
Discover Forestry Museum in Portland
The weather in Portland has been great – very sunny and 30° temperatures again, but with a cool breeze. You can see Mount St. Helens (a semi-dormant volcano that blew its top in 1980), Mount Hood, and other more distant peaks from the Cascade Mountains. We were also very impressed with the city’s cleanliness and transportation system – a model for all modern cities we think (including free public transportation within the city centre).
And now on to the final leg of our journey. We’re heading to Seattle and staying just for one night, then catching the morning train to Vancouver.
