Three Months in Portland Oregon

It's summer in Portland, which means the more sunshine the natives can soak up the better. After September the rain returns, first in fits and starts then in steady and predictable day-after-day patterns.

Living in a high rise apartment building -- Harrison Towers -- just a couple blocks from the waterfront and Riverplace. Street car stops right out front and we gave it a go last Saturday. It;s very user-friendly and compared to larger cities one of the simplest mass transit vehicles I've ever used. Fare for a day is $1.75, but that's only if you travel outside the "Fare-free Zone," a large chunk of the downtown route you can ride for free.

Every Saturday morning we walk norht on Harrison a few blocks to the Portand Farmers Market. It's better to go early, less congested.

We've checked out the Pearl District and Alphabet District around 21st and 23rd streets-- also quite boutiquey with plenty of restaurants, pubs and coffeeshops. On teh EAst Side we've trekked up and down Hawthorne and introduced ourselves to the Alberta 'hood, a Bohemian hold-out and a refreshing breath of air after a Saturday afternoon along the busy strip of Hawthorne.

I think the best coffee I've had in Portland, this visit or the last visit, was Stumptown Coffee. Per cup the spend is a bit more, but this local roaster boasts some of the finest beans collected from all over the world. At the Farmers Market you can grab a cup, french press or special drip roasts.

Willamette Week, a free newsprint publication, puts out an annual city guide--the Willamette Week Finder is a must-have and is available in many retail places. We've used it to find new restaurants as well as explore neighborhoods.

This coming weekend we'll head to the coast, Newport or Seaside. We've been to Cannon Beach a couple of times when we were here two years ago. Time to try a couple new beach spots.