It's funny how you can stay somewhere long enough that it begins to feel like a second home, even when you haven't really been there that long. Things just become familiar and safe and you have a hard time leaving a place like that for something unknown. After spending nearly a week in Portland when we had only spent three nights at most in other places, this strange little corner of northern Oregon had become very familiar indeed. However, that didn't mean that there wasn't anything new to explore in the city.
Our morning was spent with Geries calling mechanics about the car while I took my bike into a shop to fix a couple of issues that Bob and I couldn't handle on our own. Before long Geries decided that the car would make it, and that we wouldn't bother getting it taken care of in Portland. I guess we'll see how it plays out. Seattle is only about a four hour drive, so it's as good a test as any to see if the car can handle the rest of the trip without risking getting stranded in the middle of nowhere.
After spending the rest of the morning into late afternoon lazing around, we decided to go back into the city one last time. Geries dropped me off near Forest Park where I caught a very nice little trail that led up the hill to Pittock Mansion, a famous house and one of the first in Portland which was previously owned by the founder of the popular newspaper the Oregonian. A winding beaten dirt path carried me through the thick forest just on the edge of the city proper and eventually spat me out at the top of a tall hill where the formidable Pittock Mansion stood. I walked around to the back of the house and was greeted with a spectacular view of Portland with the incredible Mount Hood looming in the background.. It was a fun space to kill a few minutes in, just looking down on the city and finding the places I had visited earlier.
While at the viewpoint from Pittock Mansion I noticed from my phone that Andy, a recently graduated friend from Tech, lives in Portland. I wish I had known earlier so we could have connected sooner, but in any case we got in touch and I headed back down the trail to my bike. I rode into the city and met Andy for a great dinner at Blue Moon. The hamburger I ordered was top notch and I had a great time catching up with Andy. This reminds me to be more thorough in checking through my friends to see if any live in the areas we're visiting. I would hate to miss a chance to hang out and catch up even if for just a little while.
Dusk was gathering as we parted ways, and I rode my bike over to a MAX station to head to the house. Before long I was back, and had the good fortune to catch Bob before he made it to bed. I couldn't have asked for better hosts, and it was good to say thank you and goodbye before he left for San Francisco in the morning (much earlier than we planned on getting up to head to Seattle). Portland was a fantastic experience, but soon we'll finally be on the road again to begin the second half of our trip as we make our way toward Seattle.
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