Monday, August 11, 2014

24 Hours In Bridgetown

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One of the multitude of bridges leading to the heart of Portland
Photo: Chronica Domus


A couple of days into our road trip north, after driving through vast stretches of countryside with views of both low lying fields and mountainous forests, we headed into Portland, the Pacific northwest's third most populous city.  There are so many bridges spanning the city's two rivers that Portland has gained the apt epithet of Bridgetown.  Thank goodness these are all toll-free as anyone visiting Portland will soon discover that bridges act as essential arteries in keeping both sides of the city moving (Portland is also served by excellent forms of public transportation for those without a vehicle).

The city is thriving and vibrant, even on a Sunday afternoon which is when we rolled into town after having briefly visited family members in the Kelso area of Washington. We checked into the fabulous Sentinel Hotel in downtown Portland, and quickly made a bee line to the downstairs bar for refreshments.

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A corner view of the elegant lobby of the Sentinel Hotel
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The Sentinel is the type of hotel you can check into and forget your troubles.   It is housed in two of Portland's most beautiful and historic buildings and has recently received a renovation to satisfy the most discerning modern traveler.  Its charm lies in the fact that it somehow manages to retain the best aspects of its storied past. Attention to the smallest detail is evident throughout, with emphasis on using locally made products whenever possible.

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The chic green door and polished brass knocker of our home away from home 
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The smart and stylish bar just off the hotel's lobby awaits our arrival
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After our deliciously refreshing libations, we took a stroll around the vicinity of our digs during the afternoon heat to discover some of the delights of the historic downtown area.  Surprisingly, for a city situated so far north, the temperature during the afternoon of our visit reached into the mid-90's, a rare occurrence in San Francisco.

If only this wonderful shop had been open, perhaps we could have purchased a hat to keep the sun at bay.

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John Helmer's haberdasher just around the corner from our hotel
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A dapper selection of hats to suit every taste
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It is evident that Portland is a city which takes great pride in its civic planning.  On our walk we saw many older buildings of character (at least by west coast standards), many of them proudly registered on the National Register of Historic Places.  There were leafy parks and monuments for residents and visitors to enjoy, wonderful shops to poke around in, a library, theaters, a concert hall, and museums.  I wanted to visit the current exhibition at the Portland Art Museum, The Art of The Louvre's Tuileries Garden, but we had not allowed ourselves sufficient time to do the exhibit justice.  Instead, we walked within the leafy environs of the nearby park, seen below, and discovered the sandstone fountain with a bronze sculpture of Rebecca at the well.

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We ambled through this shady park which spans twelve city blocks
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Shemanski's Fountain thoughtfully provides a trio of drinking platforms, one especially designed for canine companions
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We wandered by the brick facade of the old Roosevelt hotel building, now converted into private apartments, passed various homes that reminded me of those seen in San Francisco, and stumbled across an imposing stone church boasting an organ built in New York and shipped around the cape in 1840. 

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The smart exterior of the former Roosevelt Hotel in downtown Portland
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The architecture of this building is reminiscent of many seen in San Francisco
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An attractively designed lamp outside the Portland public library
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The steeple of a nearby church a few blocks from our hotel
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After all of that exploring, it was almost time to return to our room and dress for dinner at Jake's Grill. 

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The entrance to Jake's Grill where dinner will soon be served
Photo: Chronica Domus


The interior of Jake's Grill exudes old-world charm with a decidedly Art Deco feel to the decoration.  White starched tablecloths and traditionally attired wait staff set the mood.  So, why in heavens did the management see fit to blast percussion based music more suited to a dance floor than a finely tailored classic room? It did not suit the ambiance of the place one bit.  A thumping disco-remix of Blondie's Heart of Glass almost made us run for the hills. Inevitably, despite the good food and a wonderful dessert of fresh raspberries with mascarpone cheese, pistachios and a basil sauce, the music chased us off entirely too early and we spent the remainder of the evening recuperating and relaxing in our excellent hotel room.

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A view of one of the elegantly appointed dining rooms at Jake's Grill
Photo: Chronica Domus


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The detail of the brass coffered ceiling
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A little gentle jazz (if music need be played at all) would suit the old-school mood far better than a heart pounding disco-remix rendition of Heart of Glass
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At least they got dessert right, delish!
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The problem with staying at the Sentinel Hotel is that one is made to feel so pampered and comfortable, it is difficult to contemplate one's departure.  Guests are thoughtfully provided with an excellent selection of local coffees and teas, which makes one's morning brew a very pleasant affair indeed.  The tea I sampled was so tasty and robust that I did my part in supporting the local Portland economy and ordered two boxes of it to be delivered home upon our return.  I had not previously been aware of the existence of Steven Smith Teamaker, so bringing home a little of the local flavor of Portland would be a very nice souvenir of our trip.

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My morning cuppa waited brewing
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The room-service breakfast was a wonderful indulgence that made us want to extend our stay for another day, but we needed to press on and head back up to Washington for the next leg of our journey.

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Breakfast is served!
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Before departing Portland, however, I fell victim to an item that kept me toasty during my supremely comfortable night of slumber.  The Sentinel, with laudable emphasis on using locally made and sourced quality products, accouter their beds in luxurious woolen Pendleton blankets.  I had to take one home with me to guard against the often chilly San Francisco evening air.  So, off we set on a short drive to find Pendleton's Pearl District outpost in hopes of procuring the same plaid gray example found in our room.  I am happy to report that our mission was a success and that cold shoulders and icy feet will now become a thing of the past.

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Our bed's woolen blanket, locally made and proudly so.
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The Pearl District's outpost for Portland-based Pendleton Woolen Mills
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Not all the fun and games were geared toward the adult travelers on this trip.  No, our junior road tripper had great fun at the place featured in the photograph below.

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What on earth was going on here?
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If local myth was to be believed, this place would provide a unique experience in doughnut eating.  Portlanders, some even accompanied by their dogs, queue patiently in serpentine lines for the privilege of sampling good things in pink boxes. Voodoo Doughnuts, a local institution, must be the nation's most unusual and colorful doughnut shop.  Perhaps you fancy chomping on a Bacon Maple Bar, or would the Arnold Palmer with lemonade frosting be more to your liking?  You could perhaps give the Portland cream doughnut a try, which is covered with chocolate frosting and decorated with two eyeballs representing "the vision of our great city", according to the witty and humorous owners. 

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As the sign rightfully proclaims "Good things come in pink boxes"
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What most doughnut-eating aficionados are eager to bite into is the famous Voodoo Doll doughnut, complete with pretzel stake to pierce your doll and watch as the oozing raspberry jam within is released.

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The Voodoo Doll, McMinnville Cream, and a Raspberry Romeo doughnut await their fate
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I must say that our junior traveler was most delighted with her novelty doughnut and I even got to share in the fun by devouring the Raspberry Romeo.

And with that adventure behind us, we were off.  I was dearly sorry to bid farewell to Portland so soon after having arrived.  This fair city certainly warrants further exploration and offers its fortunate visitors far more to do and see.  I look forward to a return visit in the not-too-distant future.

In my next post, I shall write about a place that is miles away from the hubbub of cities and towns, and an area of great tranquility and outstanding natural beauty.

 Nota bene: I am neither paid nor do I receive recompense in exchange for applauding products or services within my blog.  I do so because I enjoy them.  If you are a kindred spirit, you too enjoy recommending nice things to fellow good eggs.




12 comments:

  1. CD, what a delightful post and it seems you've filled a long weekend of activities into 24 hours. I did a little reading up on The Sentinel per your link and I love those old hotels steeped in history. I had forgotten Pendleton was Portland based and I have long been a fan as their quality is first rate and prices quite reasonable. Such a shame Jake's Grill got everything else right except for piping in that inappropriately loud music...I often find in the smaller cities these fashionable restaurants take on a more nightclubby vibe in the later hours as center stage transitions from the dining room to the bar area with guests arriving for only drinks.

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    1. Yes, it was rather a manic 24 hour dash around downtown on reflection, which is a departure from our usual leisurely pace, as these things go.

      Your astute observation on the trend of night clubby dining rooms actually stretched to breakfast at Jake's Grill, would you believe. We made discrete inquiries with the hostess and she proudly confirmed the music blared all the way through the breakfast crowd. Thank goodness for room-service!

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  2. Hello CD,

    What a whirlwind of a trip to Portland you sound to have had. It does look to be exactly the kind of city which we too would enjoy and a night or two in the Sentinel looks to be our idea of bliss.

    Jake's Grill also looked to be what we would think to be the perfect choice. A great mix of the gentlemen's club with a touch of fine dining. Wonderful. But how awful to be chased away by the dreadful music. These days we are increasingly scared off by large flat screen televisions in bars! Still, the pudding looks to have been and, we are sure tasted, absolutely delicious!

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    1. Jane and Lance, you've touched on yet another pet peeve of ours, televisions blaring in not only bars, but restaurants. Justifiably, they are installed in sports bars for good reason, but in a restaurant, why in heavens there? Perhaps these screens are a contributing factor to the alarming decline of good dinner conversation.

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  3. Portland looks wonderful. The Voodoo doll doughnut is too cute :-)

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    1. Hello Bmore Bungalow,

      Yes, my daughter loved her voodoo doll. I must say, I've never quite seen anything like it. Not easily forgotten.

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  4. The pride of the local inhabitants is evident in every photo here, making Portland such an appealing place to visit. I love the humor of the Voodoo Doughnuts, the complicated tracery of the steel bridge, and that handsome park, which I am sure would become my daily stroll were I in the area.
    --Jim

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  5. Jim, I too would be walking in that Portland park daily. In my humble opinion, every successful city I've ever visited has allowed for open green spaces to be enjoyed by it's residents and visitors. I recall spending three days in Amsterdam, many years ago, and did not encounter a single patch of grass in the form of a park. Perhaps these were hidden at the edge of town, but it was quite unnerving not to have seen a single park during our stay.

    Oh, and Portland has an amazing variety of bridges. I had many failed attempts at trying to photograph them as we whizzed by in the car. My favorite was the one built with turrets along its span, a unique design, I think.

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  6. Looks like a great trip! 10 years ago or so I spent a lot of time in Portland and always loved it. Would love to go back again -thanks for the travelogue!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed reading about my whirlwind trip around town. I too would love to go back, this time in the fall or winter, which I am certain will provide an altogether different experience.

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  7. "accouter their beds..." I'm going to use that one day soon! We use tartan rugs to keep the chill off...in Scotland...not here of course. And I mean the chill in the summer too!

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    1. Ah, I see that the climate is similar to San Francisco, especially if one is going to accouter one's bed in tartan rugs throughout the summer months. As I write this comment, I am gazing upon cloudy skies up above. Another typical day in August, I suppose.

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