Xylophone Recital at the Trailblazer Game

One of the perks of retirement is opening up a map, seeing a destination you’ve never been to and then booking it. I had never been to Portland and was curious if it’s reputation as a city of second chances, a foodie haven, a city planning Mecca or a hiking haven was reality. So with the help of Costco Travel Services, I journeyed to the Pacific Northwest for a fact finding mission. 

After touching down at the Portland Airport, the expected nightmare of big city surface transportation began. Would it be Uber/Lyft at a cost approaching the price of the plane ticket or a New York City Taxi $80-$100 price from JFK/Newark to Manhattan? To my surprise, the trip to the inner city involved use of the ubiquitous light rail (MAX). At $1.25 for a senior citizen and $2.50 for an adult it allowed a stress free ½ hour commute close to the doorstep of our hotel in downtown Portland. The light rail went about to every important destination in the city environs. The Embassy Suites was our destination abode. Formerly, The Multnomah Hotel, it had hosted the iconic Elvis Presley, Charles Lindbergh and all presidents from Teddy Roosevelt to Richard Nixon.

The sign “Keep Portland Weird” was a few blocks from the hotel and it wasn’t long before I encountered support for its message. It was on a subsequent rail experience, an elderly male with a thinning hairline and walker entered our car clutching a flask of vodka. “I honor the Ten Commandments but I can’t love my neighbor more than myself,” he exclaimed as he swigged from his flask. A dark haired man with an earring engaged him in debate of the Ten Commandments, later joined by a guy carting a bicycle on the train who also participated. As the vodka bottle was passed around to the discussants, I realized I was witnessing a Portland exclusive.

The cuisine in downtown Portland was eclectic but stellar. As craft beer had revitalized the brewing industry, Voodoo Donuts had the imprimatur of craft donuts. I went into dessert nirvana with “Old Dirty Bastard,” a donut with fudge and peanut butter capped with an Oreo-cookie dusting. The dumplings at Afuri Ramen and Dumpling, a Tokyo based Ramen restaurant were also divine. The noodle experience was accompanied with a peak into the future because artificial intelligent iPads substituted for waiters. 

To our delight, the Trailblazers were at home hosting the San Antonio Spurs in our second day in Portland. I had always wondered why my Lakers had such a difficult time in Portland, even when they had championship caliber teams. A trip to the Moda Center provided some clues. It was a Thursday night and the place was packed. A portly fan two rows up started a “Let’s Go Blazers” chant well before the singing of the national anthem. The crowd was warmed up with a swarm of 5th graders playing rhythm xylophone followed by the governor of Oregon presenting a certificate of appreciation to the team on its 50th year anniversary. The game was close and the fans were so vocal it felt like game 7 of the NBA Finals. On our light rail trip back to the hotel, a long term fan explained the phenomena in personal terms. “I’m a recovering alcoholic, been sober for 7 years and a ticket holder that long. The basketball team is all we have.” 

As a neophyte Portland tourist, the next stop was a popular destination, the Pittock Mansion. This was an early 20th century home built by Henry Pittock, the successful editor of the Oregonian. Overlooking the Williamette River and surrounded by Oregonian Pines, it was a beacon of 20th century ingenuity and a magnificent home. While I was wandering past the fine silks, wondered how a newspaper editor could amass a fortune. I came across a clue. Henry Winslow Corbett, the senator from Oregon, had provided a cash infusion to the paper in 1872 averting bankruptcy and temporarily taking control of the city newspaper. Corbett made his initial fortune by selling farm equipment and dry goods to the farmers and families newly arrived from the Oregon Trail. When the San Francisco merchants raised their prices during the California Gold Rush, Corbett was able to undercut their prices and achieve market share. You could say he was the Pacific Northwest Walmart of the 19th century! He used the paper’s influence to back  the successful campaign of Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican candidate for President in 1876. With political influence, both Corbett and Pittock went on to amass a fortune in banking and real estate.

The Portland experience was not complete until we took an excursion down the Columbia River Gorge. Multiple waterfalls grace the shoulders of the Columbia River Scenic Highway. We stopped at the 627 foot Multnomah Falls, the largest waterfall in Oregon. It was spotted by Lewis and Clark in 1805 and does not disappoint. Hiking was challenging during the winter due to muddy trails but swathed in a conifer blanket, the ascent was still exhilarating.

If natural beauty, great food, a workable transit system and NBA basketball is your thing, I encourage you to seek out the Portland high.