Vacation wrap-up

I suppose I've been dragging this out too long, but I just didn't want vacation to be over and have to come back to the "real world" so soon. Since I've been home over two weeks I suppose it's time to do the last vacation post.

When Jenny and her family left me in Portland at the La Quinta Inn, it was bittersweet. I was glad to be on my own and explore the city, but sad because I wouldn't be going on the rest of their journey with them. They were headed to the Oregon coast and two nights at Cannon Beach, which were fabulous, they say. After Cannon Beach, they spent one night in Boise, Idaho, one night in Provo, Utah, and two nights at Moab, Utah. While at Moab, they went to Arches National Park and took a ride in a vehicle that went straight up (yes, that's 100% grade) the rocky side of a mountain. The kids loved every minute of it. Their last day was a drive east out of Utah, through Colorado and back home to Oakley. Over four thousand miles and they lived to tell about it. I asked them once they got home what their favorite part of vacation was. They couldn't just pick one because they saw so much.

As for me, I ate a quick lunch that Sunday at Red Robin, which was conveniently located across the street from the La Quinta. I took the Max Light Rail across the Willamette River and got off at Skidmore Fountain where I enjoyed looking around at the art market. Hundreds of vendors set up to sell their wares each weekend. There is live music, lots of food and drink and a little bit of everything you can imagine that's handmade or arty: soaps, duct tape wallets, blown glass, handbags, dog biscuits, wind chimes. I bought a birthday gift for a friend, a couple of photographs I really liked and a blown glass vase that hangs on the wall. It's super-cool. I also saw this guy with his "COPS stole my weed" sign sitting on the actual Skidmore Fountain.

After shopping the art market, I headed to Niketown because no visit to Portland would be complete for me without going there. I bought a pair of my favorite tennies: Air Pegasus. And they were even on sale! I also went to Powell's City of Books book store, which is a book-lover's paradise. I limited myself to four books mainly because my suitcase was full and anything I bought I had to carry on the plane with me. Powell's is great because they have new books on the shelves with used books. So chances are good that if you don't want to pay full price for a selection, you don't have to. You can check out their pretty extensive website and even order books if you desire, by clicking here.

That night I walked six blocks to the nearest movie theater and saw the "Sex and the City" movie. LOVED IT! It was wonderful and I can't believe how much I've missed Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha. I want to go see it again but so far have resisted the urge.

The next morning I got up at a leisurely pace, got ready and then ate breakfast at the Denny's across the street. I took the Light Rail to the airport and it was an uneventful trip home. In the airport in Minneapolis, I had my first experience with the Dyson Airblade, a nifty contraption in the bathroom that zips the water off your hands. You just stick your hands in and, presto, no more water.One of the coolest things for me about this trip was that I made lots of progress on the states I had not yet been to. Before working at the Eagle, I had been to 42 of our 50 states. In addition to the ones I'd been in on vacations as a kid, I got a lot of them because I traveled with my job and got to go to lots of places I'd never dream of being able to go to on vacation. Places like Valdosta, Georgia, and Maui, Hawaii, and St. Johnsbury, Vermont. I even went to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland while on a layover at the city's airport. But that's another story. While at the Eagle I got to add two more states: South Carolina and Oregon. I added four more states to my "done" list on this trip: Montana, Wyoming, Idaho and Washington. North Dakota and Alaska are my last frontiers. Stay tuned, who knows where I'll go next.