Glorious Green Goo... Moss

Portland in the winter. Basically, it's gray. Dark gray and wet. Now, the awesome thing is that a) green looks really good when it's gray out and the whole place is covered in green. b) you can get on your galoshes and remember reading the stories of Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins and their rainy day Portland adventures and make your own footprints in the mud.
Which is exactly what we did when we went down to St. John's on a very muddy day and checked out Cathedral Bridge and the ducks and seagulls that were hanging out in large numbers.
Interestingly, unlike Iowa where ducks reign supreme, geese are the most prevalent. Sooo, it was nice to see some ducks while visiting, what some call, the "mid western" area of Portland (aka St. John's).
Have a great day!

lily

Portland can be a bit wacky...

So, here are some places you can go that are Lily and Kevin certified.

Want to hear some music in a place that looks like a David Lynch movie?
The Doug Fir Lounge is the place for you. They have the best sound system in town and a swanky Twin Peaks attitude. Home of the thickest "Agent Cooper -style" coffee poured in Portland. Also, right next door to the Jupiter Hotel.

Looking for some good eats?
Portland has ten billion places to get food. The following are a few places that lily and I go often. If you have any special needs or just a particular craving drop us a line and will give you the low down.
Paradox Cafe is a little diner on S.E. Belmont that has mint vinyl booths, janky art, and serves great veg food. "Baracuda" is always on when you walk in the door... seriously.
Tao of Tea is right across the street on Belmont. They have a truly awesome selection of teas from all over the world and a chill place to take them in. They serve finger foods like edamame, samosas, and sweets. They have fresh local made kombucha that gets Lily drunk and two kinds of yerba mate. Our newest discovery: the amazing pear lasse.
Veganopolis is a great place to have lunch downtown. As the name implies, all the food is veganized and so tasty. They have good art on the walls and on occasion, a serenading musician. Lily just reminded me about their breakfast buffet... wow.
Voodoo Doughnuts is the place to go if you find yourself downtown at 3 A.M. with a mohawk and strange desire to get married. A crustier hole you will not find. Oh yeah, they even have vegan donuts.
If your in the N.E. we recommend the Vita Cafe on Alberta. Part diner, part coffee shop, part bar this place houses an eclectic set of situations. Try their totally-worth-it vegan desserts.
The Nutshell is a good place to go if you want to have dinner on the fancy-side. Their menu is not your standard fare... they serve oils and salts from all over the world. They are located in the recently transformed Mississippi neighborhood.

Want to find Kevin?
First, pinch yourself and make sure you really want to go down this path. Second, strap on your unicorn horn and go to Ground Kontrol. Spy Hunter, TRON, or Missle Command will wash over you like a mothers bedtime song. 21 and over after 7PM. Drinks and junk food flow like paste from a tube. They even have a super old skool b/w photo booth.

Want to see a $3 movie?
The Laurelhurst Theater on Burnside is our favorite. They have a good selection of beers and some seriously skanky(in a good way) pizza.

Are you going to show up on Thursday?
Make sure you go see the hippest art scene in town. The Alberta neighborhood hosts a low brow art walk on the last Thursday of every month. Folks pack the street buying and selling their homemade creations. Expect wack-a-maximus.

Want to see a blue heron and then go to a carnival?
Oaks Bottom is Lily's favorite outdoor scene. A long winding walking path that criss-crosses a beautiful marsh. Wildlife galore. Near the Brooklyn neighborhood in the SE, Oaks bottom is easy to access with public tranport and even easier on bicycle(see scenic route to Leech by bike) . If you go far enough down the path mother nature opens up and give birth to a honest carnival. This is not a mirage. Cotton candy, Whack-a-mole, a Farris Wheel, the Octopus, Bumper Cars, even a small roller coaster... you know the drill. Mission: can you find the screech owls that live in the merry-go-round?

Can you imagine a vegan mini-mall?
Food Fight has created quite a stir on 12th and SE Stark. A grocery, bakery/coffee shop, clothing store, and a tattoo parlor... all owned and operated by vegans. Pick up some fake shrimp, a head band, and get a tattoo all on your way home from work.

Do you like to read?
You Must go to Powell's City of Books!!! It started here.

The Japanese Garden will be in bloom.

The Japanese Garden is so cool and easily accessible with public transportation. What a great way to spend an afternoon.

Wanna hang out in a national park?

Visit the Columbia Gorge.























Check out Crown Point.

Hang out with the Savage Bastard... of Love

He is a Mexi-CAN not a Mexi-CAN'T

Wanna see Stonehenge?

We've got one.

A hop and a skip from Portland proper.

We also have haunted tunnels.
check it.

Maybe you'll see a UFO?
track it.

Symbols of Our Love--Beware the Easily Queasy

Ah yes...our love. It is a profound and mysterious force. So profound that we have had to come up with some new lingo--'love' while acceptable on most occasions, just is not adequate on others.

Pineapple is the word we chose to represent our love which is too strong for words.

Pinky swear is how we got married the first eighty million times.

And love chunks, ah love chunks, are what we are. Not referring to small representations of farm animals actually. No, love chunks, by our definition are energy balls of radiant love.







Can you deal with it?

Giving Gifts

We love you guys and your support of/presence at our wedding is the greatest gift we could receive.

Of course we love to receive presents, but we really don't need that much. If you feel like giving a gift, consider a donation to Heifer, or to our spiritual teachers.

If you prefer to give a more traditional gift, we have registered at Crate and Barrel, CB2, and Kitchen Kaboodle (a local chain, with some of their inventory on line).

Bicycle Rentals in Portland

Portland is a very bicycle friendly place. I often ride to work at Bullseye Glass with a herd of other bicycle commuters, like gazelle on the Savanna. If you want to experience gazelle-like freedom while you visit, here are a couple of places you can rent bicycles.

Citybike Workers Cooperative
Veloce Bicycles

Places to Stay in Portland

Portland is an awesome city. We think you'll have a blast. Here are some hotel/B&B options for around and under $100.

Portland is very accessible by public transportation. If you are planning on using public transportation when you visit, we think that is great, and totally doable. If you are going public transport during your trip, we recommend you stay somewhere along the Max train lines.

The Doubletree Hotel ($85 on the internet) is the best option we found, especially if you are not interested in renting a car--there is a direct train (MAX) from the airport to the Doubletree, the hotel is about a half mile from our place, many restaurants and shops, and it is considerably cheaper than the other hotels in the area. The hotel is in the Fareless Square--meaning that you can take the train for free to and from downtown Portland. The downside: it is right next to a huge mall. Getting to the Gardens by public transport is not that great. Never fear...we'd be happy to arrange some carpooling.

The Jupiter Hotel ($102) is the coolest place to stay that we know of. It is on East Burnside, surrounded by many shops (selling artist made goods and vintage) and is adjacent to the Doug Fir (Kevin's top pick for Portland Music venues), it is also not far from downtown and China Town.

B & B's
There are a ton of other options if you are more flexible with transportation. A Painted Lady Inn ($100+) is a few blocks from where we live and the Broadway neighborhood--shops and restaurants. The Bluebird Guesthouse ($50-80) looks very cute--stay in rooms named after famous Portlanders, like Beverly Cleary my fav childhood author, and Elliot Smith, one of my favorite musicians. The Bluebird is a couple miles away from us in the Southeast (think hippies, progressives).

Hostels
The Hawthorne Hostel ($17+) is in one of the hippest areas of town (Haight-Ashbury-ish). Public transportation accessible by bus. The HI-Portland Hostel (about $50 for a private room for 2, but they have family and dorm rooms too) is in NW Portland. It is three blocks from the fareless square (free transportation). The NW area is trendy--lots of shopping, galleries and places to eat (this area of town can be a little pricier). Near "the Pearl", "Old Town" and "Nob Hill". Definitely a popular area and definitely accessible for public transport types.