Portland - Day 2
Got up to a cloudy and windy morning.
The little cafe at the street corner opened early and at 6:30 there were people having breakfast, business dressed men and women.
Our hotel is an old medium height building located in the downtown area. Imagine a 100 year old building modified for today's accommodation... But the Mark Spencer Hotel has more to offer besides the mini-kitchen in each suite and the pop-corn ceiling. It was clean and comfortable, convenient to walk everywhere or take transit. It retains many of the past features, like the red brick walls and ginger color exteriors.
This is the Armory building, now a theater.
I passed this beautiful church built in the late 1800s. This is the First Presbyterian Church.
Downtown commercial area of Portland, red brick streets lined with street car and light rail tracks.
OMSI is a must-go for kids. We found it more suitable for younger kids, not early teens.
Of course shopping was a big part of the trip since there is no sales tax in Oregon. The Pioneer Place has many up-scale shops, but not many deals. What surprised me was that although there were so many fashion stores and the price was so reasonable, Portlanders did not seem to take advantage of it. I didn't see many stylish people, while in Vancouver during lunch hours, you would see people of fashion marching down the street. I remember reading something about Portland's fashion that it still lingers in the 80s or 90s. After watching a man in long hair and beard, pretty much the 70s style, I couldn't agree more with that observation.
If you google Portland, you will find its name linked to "Eco-friendly" or "green city". I think it has done a great job maintaining and using the old buildings. It has kept the facade of the old times, and endowed modern contents within. Past and present, are all displayed here.
The end of the day, we tried the food carts. Not too bad and it hit the spot.
The little cafe at the street corner opened early and at 6:30 there were people having breakfast, business dressed men and women.
Our hotel is an old medium height building located in the downtown area. Imagine a 100 year old building modified for today's accommodation... But the Mark Spencer Hotel has more to offer besides the mini-kitchen in each suite and the pop-corn ceiling. It was clean and comfortable, convenient to walk everywhere or take transit. It retains many of the past features, like the red brick walls and ginger color exteriors.
This is the Armory building, now a theater.
I passed this beautiful church built in the late 1800s. This is the First Presbyterian Church.
OMSI is a must-go for kids. We found it more suitable for younger kids, not early teens.
Of course shopping was a big part of the trip since there is no sales tax in Oregon. The Pioneer Place has many up-scale shops, but not many deals. What surprised me was that although there were so many fashion stores and the price was so reasonable, Portlanders did not seem to take advantage of it. I didn't see many stylish people, while in Vancouver during lunch hours, you would see people of fashion marching down the street. I remember reading something about Portland's fashion that it still lingers in the 80s or 90s. After watching a man in long hair and beard, pretty much the 70s style, I couldn't agree more with that observation.
If you google Portland, you will find its name linked to "Eco-friendly" or "green city". I think it has done a great job maintaining and using the old buildings. It has kept the facade of the old times, and endowed modern contents within. Past and present, are all displayed here.
The end of the day, we tried the food carts. Not too bad and it hit the spot.
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