Portland (part two)

The view of downtown Portland from atop Mount Tabor.

• On Wednesday morning, we decided to hit Mount Tabor, an extinct volcano located just north of our accommodations. We walked from the house just a short distance to Mount Tabor Park. It was a steep climb up, but it was very beautiful. The historical trees and beauty of Portland is apparent all over the city, but especially at Mount Tabor.
• We didn't make it too far up Mount Tabor because we decided that we were going to save our legs from too much walking because we decided we were going to scout around the city by foot and public transportation. We did make it far enough up the volcano to see two big reservoirs and a pretty view of downtown Portland.

Video from Mount Tabor:

• After Mount Tabor, we decided to fuel up before our journeys throughout the town. Along our route to get on the Max, we had to try one of Portland's own: Pizzacato. This pizza-by-the-slice contemporary café offered many varieties of pie and other Italian faves.
  
• We walked a couple miles down Division, a street we got to know very well, to get to the Division Max depot. We would've ridden a bus line down, but we didn't have a ticket and we weren't quite sure if we could buy a day pass that was good for both the bus and the train once we boarded a bus. It was good to walk, though, and see the different businesses and neighborhoods along the way.

Riding the Max into downtown Portland on Wednesday.

• Once aboard the Max, we were on the green line headed to the union station stop in downtown Portland. At our stop, we journeyed through downtown into the various districts. I was a little weak from being sick, and we both needed a pick-me-up, so we found a Starbucks; Rachel got a mocha frap, and I got a tall Pike Place.
  
• We, next, made our way through downtown some more. In Portland, it's easy to see that many businesses are local — not apart of a large national corporation. It's not just a few locally-owned shops here and there — it's just about every place you see in Portland; it would take you years to visit every business that looked interesting.
• One local business we happened upon was Cupcake Jones. They had a huge variety of cupakes on display, and they all looked quite scrumptious. Of course, I indulged my sweet tooth with a chocolate cupcake. It was excellent — and very messy.

Relishing a little Cupcake Jones.

• We decided it was time to find Powell's Books, one of largest used bookstore in the nation. This was a book lover's heaven. We stayed only a few hours, but I think even I, the non-reader that I am, could've stayed an hour or two more browsing. If we lived in Portland, there's no way I would want to go to a Barnes and Noble with Powell's so close.

• After much of the afternoon downtown, we caught the green line back to our Division stop. We then caught a bus back toward the house. We departed the bus prematurely because Rachel was attempting to locate where she would be attending her religious meeting on Wednesday night. We took a nice walk through the Mount Tabor neighborhood and saw plenty of cool homes. The houses throughout the entire region were very quaint and full of charm. Too everyone's yards were so well kept and were so full of vibrant flowers and bushes.
• We returned to the house shortly and Rachel began cooking one of her Indian specialities, a chicken rice pilaf. Emily said she enjoyed spicy food, so Rachel decided to make sure it was extra spicy. I think she made the best pot of Indian chicken rice pilaf ever. The Indian bread was delish, too.
• I retired to the couch with my good friends, Claire and Atal, who didn't realize they weren't lapdog-sized. Occassionally, Nelle and Thomas, were brave enough to get by their canine sibilings to get a little attention from their Missouri guests.

Nelle

Thomas and Nelle together

Claire. Poor Atal didn't make one photo on our trip. Poor boy.