Trip to Portland, Day Five

It was time to venture out so we drove at a snail's pace to downtown Portland. We took in the vibrant life of an active city - light rail, shops, the homeless, someone deciding to ski down the sidewalk. Powell's is a large independent bookstore with lots of character. We wandered around and got a cup of coffee/hot chocolate.

There's a farmer's market every Saturday, but the last week before Christmas, it's the Festival of the Last Minute (a perfect description of Miriam).

We drove all the way to The Grotto to see the Festival of Lights, but when we got there, it was closed. Ah, well, the story of our time in Portland. Since Oregon is known for its microbreweries, we had brews and food at the Bridgeport Brewpub in the Hawthorne area. Afterwards we went to the Bagdad Theatre, a popular pub and movie theatre, built in the 1920s. We ordered a pitcher of beer and watched, "Burn after Reading," a Coen brothers film.

Miriam went back to her apartment and we called it a night.