Vance and I are just four days from our Portland "Braincation" (a term I'm hoping will catch on) so there isn't much time left to finish out our wish list of things we want to do while we're there. I caved and got the Fodor's InFocus Portland guide (Moleskine, when will you come out with a Portland travel journal? Hmm). Here's what we've added since the last installment of Our Portland Vacation: An idea(log):
11. Enjoy music, wine and art at the First Thursday Gallery Walk. We are lucky enough to be traveling to Portland during the first week of June, so we'll have the chance to view the work of local artists during the First Thursday event. The only thing left to decide is whether we want to visit the downtown or Pearl District galleries.
12. Walk or bike along the waterfront. According to the Fodor's guide, the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade is "one of the best ways to experience the Willamette River and Portland's bridges close-up." We'll spend time walking the three mile loop, or if we're feeling ambitious we may even rent bikes for the adventure. We'd like to visit more than one of Portland's parks; Forest Park in the Northwest district is another option.
13. Eat a meal at Pok Pok & Whiskey Soda Lounge. A magazine article about this place caught Vance's eye recently and it popped up in the Fodor's guide as well. The chef is known for creating authentic Thai dishes that work with locally available ingredients.
14. Have lunch at Vita Cafe. From the sound of it, this place is full of vegetarian, vegan, and organic comfort food. I could order a meat dish if I wanted to here, but vegan macaroni and cheese and vegetarian biscuits and gravy might be too good to pass up.
15. Enjoy local craft beer and a movie at one of several Brew/Pub/Movie Theaters. Whether we visit McMenamin's Mission Theater during First Thursday or want a place to relax on another night, a visit to one of Portland's Brew Theaters is definitely in the works.
16. Pick up groceries at a local food cooperative. Food Front is a local grocer that is owned by nearly 4000 people. Since we have a vacation rental rather than a hotel, we plan on cooking some meals at the apartment during our stay.
17. Explore the Oregon Zoo, rose test garden, and Japanese garden. Now through September 20, the Oregon Zoo has a chimpanzee challenge maze that just sounds too good to miss. And although I enjoyed my walk through the Rose Gardens and the Japanese garden with Nik and Jasmine (two strangers from Shanghai who decided to follow me around the first time I visited the city), I'd love to go back during peak flowering season with Vance.
18. Walk through the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden and Reed College. It's peak season for rhododendron blossoms, and we'd love to talk a walk through the campus made famous by the confessional booth portion of Blue Like Jazz. Luckily the two are right across the street from one another.
19. Nosh on some crepes at Le Happy. Right off the streetcar line in Portland's Pearl District, there's a little creperie that doesn't take itself too seriously. I might sample something unusual, but I plan on steering clear of Le Trash Blanc (a bacon and cheese crepe with a Pabst on the side.)
20. Allow our minds to be blown at the 3D Center of Art and Photography. Vance put a star next to this one in the Fodor's guide (otherwise I might have skipped over it). The 3D Center is the first of its kind in the United States, dedicated to showing and educating the public about this unique art form.
