A Hidden Gem

Jon Dean and I spent five days up in Portland, Oregon on a late summer vacation. We had a fantastic time! I would have never expected Portland to be a great tourist destination, but it proved to be a hidden gem. On Saturday we attended a wedding for one of Jon Dean's former co-workers. This was the reason for our trip and then built a vacation around it on the Labor Day weekend.

For me, the goal was to recharge my spirit and energy. It was a tough summer, and year so far, and I needed a real vacation. No tv, no email, no computers and no cell phone. No kids to feed and get up at my leisure. I felt so much better upon my return.

Portland can best be defined as "San Francisco Lite." It has great deal to offer without the high expense, filth and crime rate. Even the panhandlers are polite and skip the sarcasm in their pitch. The downtown area had a nice shopping district and the area was vibrant beyond the business day. Portland does an excellent job with maintaining a vital downtown. The native Portlanders (if that is the term) seemed a relaxed and friendly lot.

We stayed downtown at the Marriott and had a great corner room at a very reasonable rate. This hotel was superbly run in the manner of the best hotels. Attentive, courteous staff and an understated elegance to the hotel itself. It was definitely old-world service. I felt pampered during this time. All this for $134 a night.

All of our meals in the local restaurants were very satisfying and reasonably priced. One of the great joys of a vacation is sampling the restaurants in a new place. Downtown Portland has its share of upscale restaurants which are moderately priced. Two people can have a fine dinner for under $40 in this city.

Relaxation was the theme. We spent a lot of time reading in our room. This sounds like a strange thing to do but it was better than a massage.

We did some book shopping at Powell's, the well-known local bookstore. I refer to it as the Smithsonian of bookstores. It takes up a whole city block on four floors. Do not try to take it in all at one time. We went back a second time in order to see all the rooms. If in Portland, Powell's is definitely a "must see."