Travels of THB: Day 4: Seattle to Portland

Day 4: Seattle to Portland

Giving the twins a run for their money in the cuteness category

Quote of the Day: The dog's name is Shin-aid? Is that like some progressive Portlandia non-profit?

The most recent "monthly pic in a chair" ...and the cuteness winner(s) are?????

Weather: Pleasant in Seattle (meaning cool, low 60s at 6:15am), roasting in Portland

We decided to take the Amtrak train from Seattle. Cheaper than renting a one-way drop off car, a bit slower and more scenic than driving highway 5, and the Portland Amtrak station is just a few blocks from SA&DA’s edge-of-the-Pearl condo. Bonus: you can blog on the train.

It takes a few minutes to get oriented as there is a huge line almost to the door and we have no idea where to go. Hey, it turns out the line is for Canadians heading home, many of them still in their Blue Jay hats. Our line only has 7 people in it, and nobody in the business class line (which makes sense, there’s nobody staffing the biz class line).

Leaving the country with 3 wins in 4 games

Part of the line to Canada

6 people in the line to Portland

The front of the train....off in the distance, the other front of the train where THB and DB are sitting

We enjoy our pastries and café au laits (DB got the coffees from an espresso truck just outside the station) in the waiting area, finish the baguette and butter on the train. All excellent; Dahlia’s one-day old items top Macrina’s fresh-that-day. OUCH!

As you’d expect, business cars are at the front of the train. Awesome, dude! Ooooops, the real front of the train is a ¼ mile down the track. The car is very nice, 17 in our car (full), quiet, and just like many an airplane journey that leaves the gate at 7:30: most people take naps as soon as the train departs.

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The other Vancouver is a stop

Several short stops along the way where the traffic narrows down to one lane due to railway repairs. Even the railroad abides by the truism: there are two seasons, winter and road repair. Then there’s the delay in Vancouver while boats are coming down the Columbia river and the bridge is up.

One nice feature: the bathroom is huge, no struggling in a cramped airplane toilet. Another nice feature: the conductor does not announce that we are on track for an early arrival even before the train leaves the station in Seattle. Another announcement as we sit in the stop before Portland: several people have asked about the bus connection to Woodburn and normally they will hold the bus for another 15 minutes or so if the train is running late (THB translation: the train runs late often, maybe every day often). They have talked to the bus station and if we lose no more time you might make your connection…they won’t hold the bus past 11:30 (THB can calculate: they are going to miss their connection or have heart attacks jumping off the train and running to catch the bus).

DA & SA's building

A building soon to be torn down (if approvals granted) for condo development; across the park around the other side of SA & DA's building

We arrive around ½ hour late, total time for train was nearing 4 hours. Arrived right downtown. THB thinks the tix to Portland were around $75 for biz class, coach probably $45pp. DB loved it. Avoiding driving ourselves or a short plane ride well worth the experience.

We walk less than ½ mile to SA & DA’s condo on the 19^th floor of a building we could see as train came arrived at the station. And we took the long way, the short way is along the river; we couldn’t see how to get to the river easily through construction and overpasses near the station. Fortunately for us it is only in the mid 70s, getting to low 90s by 6pm.

Also here to greet us: their new something-doodle (9 weeks old?) and their youngest (of 5) grandchild (4? sooooooooo cute, she would be right in there in the cuteness contest) who had been at swim lessons and they were on pick-up detail since parents were at work.

Nice lunch in the condo. We’ve been here before, the views are spectacular and the air is reasonably clear. Hang out catching up in the afternoon and taking Sinead (the dog!) for a number of short walks.

That's our table

No takers on the Bar Spritzvah

Dinner at Shalom Y’All for Israeli street food. It’s right downtown, an easy drive. Very small, we’re dining outside on the sidewalk. We over-order; no problema, everything is terrific, and not just "Mid-Eastern mezze style" above average, more like this meal competes with pretty much all upscale dining places.

Carlsberg

Breakside IPA

THB waited to long too get shot of Hummus Abu Hassan: excellent version

MEC Lamb chops (THB got to finish the bones on 3 of them; SA also an expert)

Roasted pistachios: shalom spice, fried garlic, Calabrian chilies

Baharat Chicken Kebab: rice, lentils, fried onion, tahina, parsley

Nazareth Kebabs: beef and lamb kebab mix on burnt cinnamon sticks (already removed), freekeh salad, tahina, fried sumar onions

With two draft brewskies, a home-made lemonade, and two glasses of wine, dinner for four with tip comes to $173. And the tipping is unique! How, might you loyal followers ask: because there are two tip lines, one regular “Tip” line and a new one on THB: Kitchen Tip. Even comes with instructions:

THB doesn't follow instructions (of course) and splits the tip 50-50...kitchen staff above and beyond.

We take a side-trip to the Portland burbs (it’s a small city, it’s like 10 minutes of driving) to see the offsprings' houses: one family is in the process of moving as they just bought a real fixer-upper near their house (so “in the process” will be measured in half-years…”oh, maybe we'll be in the new house in another six months”) while the other is fine-tuning with no plans to relo.

Back to condo to hit the sack.

Shots from here, there, and anywhere