Loving PDX

The sign at Tasty n Sons, a restaurant in Portland.

Portland is the perfect weekend getaway for us. It's a three-hour drive, which is just enough time to feel as though you've gotten somewhere good without a sore bottom.

Our most recent trip a couple of weeks ago allowed us to check out the famed Portland Farmer's Market; a refurbished (and pretty hip) Marriott; Lodekka, a second-hand shop in a double decker bus and (not our usual sight-seeing fare) the Ultrazone in Milwaukee. Oh, and the girls and I gawked at the long line of people waiting for Voodoo Donuts while Doug changed our flat tire.


We began our first day in town at The Original, a diner Doug found on Yelp. Which we discovered (after walking down the block in the opposite direction) was connected to our hotel. The food was tasty, with healthier twists on regular diner fare. I fell hard for the steel cut oats.

A funky naugahyde wall at The Original diner.

Cool artwork at the diner by 'Panhandle Slim,' featuring quotes from famous folks. 

I particularly loved this one of Cesar Chavez.

Although we are fanatically regular patrons of our beloved Ballard Farmer's Market, we relish opportunities to check out farmer's markets in other cities. I'd heard about PDX's market, but it exceeded all my expectations. First of all, I appreciate that there are no dogs allowed. I love dogs, but not where I'm tasting and buying food. Nor do I enjoy having parrots or ferrets at the market, either, both of which I have seen while perusing the produce.

The range of hot food booths was amazing: burritos, biscuits, vegan pastries, sweet and savory pies. Then from produce to baked goods to tea to pasta salads - it was fantastic. We'll have to go back in the summer when harvests are booming because if this was a sample of their market in the early days of the season, I can't imagine what goodness awaits in the warmer months. We bought kimchi, bread, cheese and jam, all of which made a delicious hotel room snack.

That afternoon was spent at a laser tag party at Ultrazone, which was our primary reason for the visit. Dear friends of ours were having a birthday party for their son there, so Doug and Em got their laser on while Phee and I played arcade games.

Em in front of the Lodekka double decker.

Not yet ready to hunker down in the hotel room, we meandered over to Williams Avenue to check the scene. Lodekka, a dress shop housed in a refurbished double decker bus, brought on the nostalgia with red and black plaid thermoses, retro hats and floral handkerchiefs. Down the street, Tasty n Sons was just opening their doors for dinner, and we were very happy with their small plates, especially the "Pretty Damn Good Chicken Strips" and the Bouillabaisse with mussels, octopus, prawns and rockfish. A pretty well-rounded day, really.

Naturally, any trip to Portland wouldn't be complete for us without a trip to Powell's Books. We read a little, attempt to explore a new room in the gargantuan store, stock up and hit the road back to Washington. It's usually very quiet between Powell's and Vancouver because the girls are digging in to their books.

On our way home we stopped for lunch in Olympia. We usually break in Tacoma, but we were pretty hungry at this point. We found The Bread Peddler on Yelp and Urbanspoon, and we were glad we got to try it! The cafe boasted a number beautiful sweet treats and the sandwiches looked great. Incidentally, I just want to tip my hat to the fair city of Olympia, our state capital. I found it charming and completely delightful. We're already planning to spend more time there on future day trips.