Japanese Garden

Portland's Japanese Garden is perched in the hills just west of town and the garden itself is topographically challenging. I think that sort of adds to its appeal, since it provides hiding places and surprise vistas.

Japanese Gardens appeal to me for the same reasons they do to many - the created landscapes, the structures, the water features, and the pathways. The trees and the flowers are great, but it's really more about story telling.

 

Northwest Portland

Portland, like any city, is more than just a downtown core. And I suspect we're like many tourists in recent years - we've found that the neighborhoods aren't just for locals. The locals, I suppose, see this as a mixed blessing.

I'm sure it's been aided by the spread of great restaurants to less traveled parts of town, the growth of short-term rentals and small boutique hotels, and ultimately, the internet. Which makes finding these places much easier and less uncertain.

This is the second year we've stayed in the northwest part of Portland. It's not that we didn't explore other neighborhoods by car and transit, but it was nice making our base somewhere other than downtown. 23rd is thriving. And the old industrial Slabtown area is sprouting housing and restaurants. We stay right on the street car line, so it's easy to get around, even into downtown if we want.

One of my favorite spots is the Dragonfly Coffee House. Good coffee, great atmosphere, and a sense that I'm visiting someone else's neighborhood, but that they don't seem to mind.

I associate this place with Ursula Le Guin, who had contributed to a neighborhood history that I found on a table here last year -- I guess she was part of this neighborhood. Maybe that's what had prompted me to reread Left Hand of Darkness this past January - which I was just finishing when she died.  I'm not sure if there's a connection or not, but "Dragonfly" is also a reference to a Tale of Earthsea.

Portland

On Monday, we stopped in Cannon Beach again, where we found a really nice piece of glasswork at Dragonfire and I filled up my coffee cup at the Sleepy Monk. Then we did the two hour drive to Portland.

This trip we tried out The Inn at Northrup Station in northwest Portland. It's colorful and whimsical and pretty perfect for us (thought walls are a bit thin). Big bowls of saltwater taffy and Starbursts in the common area. Free street car tickets - the street car goes right past. And free parking - which is a big plus compared with most city center options. It was a short walk up to 23rd and an easy street car into the Pearl District and downtown.

We had dinner one night at Paley's Place (right next door) and the next at Andina (always great, and packed). We had breakfast at Gravy Tuesday morning and at Jam on Hawthorne on Wednesday. We never really needed lunch, though I picked up a couple of donuts at Blue Star on the way out of town.

Between the eating and the coffee, we walked up into the creek above MacLeay Park and then drove up to the Pittock Mansion. Of course, we spent an evening at Powell's. M added to her list of books to check out from the library. I just bought more books. My favorite spot this trip was Dragonfly Coffee, on Thurman, which just felt like the perfect neighborhood coffee house. I was there twice.