Buttons, books, and food carts! Portland!

Bike rack and art! Replica of one of the
bridges in Portland. 

Ship the dogs, sell the house, we're staying... Ok, not really, but wow, did we ever enjoy downtown Portland today. It's got so many cool things going on, great shopping, really awesome food, affordable, comfortable, easy to get around, and... familiar, somehow. Bikes, outdoor enthusiasts, REI, Keene, NorthFace, DickBlick and the Button Emporium. I could definitely get used to it here. I could also go bankrupt!

We took the "Max" Light Rail train into the city this morning. Easy and cheap! Our first stop was Pioneer Square for some input on where to go. We took a quick tour of the Courthouse, then off to wander around the city. 

So, it's a "big" city and it has that cool, hip, urban feel to it, but it also feels small. You can walk anywhere in a few minutes. Traffic is minimal, at least the car traffic is. Many more bikes, pedestrians, buses and trains than cars. So we had no trouble navigating and winding our way through the city with the kids mostly in tow. 

Waiting for the train.

On the train.

Our first big stop (after coffee) was Powell's Books. This enormous independent bookstore is so fun. It takes up an entire city block and has color-coded rooms to help you find what you're looking for. They have new and used, and you would be hard-pressed to come up with something they didn't have. Amazon has NOTHING on these guys. The girls both bought new Keri Smith books (Wreck This Journal and Guerilla Art Kit) which they have been searching for since Ohio. I got a new art/craft book and we got a few new used books on CD. 

View from the Courthouse cupola.

Pioneer Square

Famous Powell's Books!

So many food courts, so little time.

We had worked up an appetite with all that book shopping, so we headed to ONE of the food truck "pods". OMG! I just cannot express to you how amazing this is. Some of you may know of my abiding love of food truck food. New York, DC food trucks... they got NUTHIN' on Portland. This "pod" was a city block with vendors on all four sides. There must have been 50 or so food trucks, of every type you can imagine. More Thai food than they have in Bangkok. It was overwhelming... too many choices. Everything from the typical Chinese, noodles and hot dogs to gourmet vegan and The Frying Scotsman, selling fish and chips and fried Mars Bars. We all picked something different. Conner went with fish and chips, Jim went Thai, the girls had noodles and pot stickers, and I went with fish tacos. None of us were disappointed. And for a city, the prices were great. Each meal was around $6. Tomorrow, I think I have to go back for Cuban, or maybe Ehiopian or this grilled cheese place with every ingredient imaginable to pair with the cheese and bread. Seriously! I could spend a month here just trying out the food trucks. 

My photography does not do justice to
the food court mecca that is Portland.

So after lunch, and desiring a nap, we went to do more shopping. A cute toy store, a vintage clothing store named Magpie's, and outdoor store, and a few other unique places. Then we found The Button Emporium. WHOA!!! A store devoted to buttons, ribbons, and other bobbles. What fun!!! They had the coolest, most unique buttons and the girls and I had a wonderful time looking at everything and making grand plans of all the projects we could make with them. 

Shortly after buttons, we found Dick Blick, an amazing art supply store. Again, we wondered the aisles oggling all the goodies. 

We found the Keene store and REI, all the while enjoying all the public art throughout the streets we traveled. Lots of characters here too, some entertaining, some just weird. So after walking, shopping, eating, walking some more, and finally, ice cream, we were pooped. We hopped on the streetcar back to the light rail and headed home. 

There is still a lot more of Portland we want to see. The Chinese gardens, Chinatown, the waterfront. MORE FOOD TRUCKS!!! 

Chilln'

A store for Maggie!

Did I mention the buttons?

The Button Emporium

One of many shelves of buttons!

More buttons, and a bear stool.

LOVE these.

I'm going to regret not buyign that one.

Jars of random buttons everywhere!