stumptown

just got back from my first trip to portland OR and it was a really great time. i don't know if i could live there but i would visit again in a heart beat. we ate fresh alaskan salmon and marionberry pie at a barbecue our first day. holy shit that was some good food! we played "washers" which is just like horseshoes and i chased the yellow lab around the yard and made some farting noises for the kids. that night we went to another less civilized barbecue and put on a bunch of temporary tattoos and listened to missy elliot around the fire drinking cheap wine. then we went to a basement metal show at some random warehouse and finished the fun at the belgian fry cart-i had mine smothered in gravy and topped with cheese curds-poutine they call it. good stuff.
the next day we headed to the coast-we hiked from cannon beach where they filmed part of the goonies to indian beach on the other side through a magical forest. i was in my element and happier than a pig in shit. every sense of mine was kicked back to life. it was cool and crisp, big and gentle and smelled like home. it was amazing and beautiful. we played at the beach when we got there and poked at sea anenomies and star fish and crabs. quite possibly the best hike ever!
i didn't get to do all the things on my little list like visit the art museum and the rose garden, and thanks to dad who lived there as a runaway in the '60s didn't "get micky-ed and kidnapped in the shanghai tunnels". i did enjoy being lost in powell's and eating a vegan doughnut topped with tang. falling asleep to e.t. in the "luxury" hotel bed and splurging on a piece of jewelry for myself. i was slightly dissapointed with my coffee experience but fresh herbs and juice that went into my booze made me forget.
thanks portland, sorry i didn't get to visit one of your 150 strip clubs but i'm pretty sure i'll be back.