Portland: A Great Town

Somehow I’ve always had good luck in Portland. Like a few years ago coming into town cold and ending up at the Stumptown Coffee Roasters, great coffee, wi-fi, hip young people. And then going for a run in the park on Mount Tabor (inside city limits) and discovering it’s a mecca of downhill skateboarding…

I rolled into Portland just after dark last night and punched in “hotels” in my Garmin Nuvi GPS. This miraculous device lists the hotels closest to where your car is positioned (which it knows!). Closest was a Travelodge and upon arriving, it looked dismal. Another nearby hotel was the Avalon Hotel and Spa and I hit the jackpot. Much nicer hotel than I usually stay at, this would be $350 a night in NYC, but was about $110. Everything elegant, well thought out. Plus the spas part was fabulous. Big gym, fully equipped, good-working sauna, great way to start the day.

I’m now at Powell’s bookstore, where I’m going to do a slide show and signing in a half hour. Powelll’s is fantastic, a full block, 3 stories of books-books-books. Just now wandering around the neighborhood looking for a meal I stumbled upon Jake’s Famous Crawfish (Since 1892), a lively, brassy, hustling popular good-vibes restaurant and had an Oregon draft porter and steamed mussels. Music was Al Green, Aretha, the Stones, and as I got ready to leave, Otis…O she may be weary, young girls they do get weary…