Did you know that pioneer wagons traveling to Portland, Oregon, in the early 1800s did not use the trail blazed by Lewis and Clark? It was considered too treacherous. Instead, an explorer who followed Lewis & Clark, Robert Stuart, discovered by accident a much easier way to get there. The history of Portland, Oregon, is fascinating.
My husband and I decided to take a mini break (no cellphones, no screaming cats, no email dinging) and grab Southwest's unbelievable roundtrip fares for a quick getaway. I've never been to Portland. And I've been curious to see it as city leaders in Sacramento often point to Portland as an example to follow. It's a progressive city. Public transportation is phenomenal. Street cars and light rail everywhere.
There is a free zone encompassing part of downtown Portland and its historic Pearl District where one can hop on the street car without paying a fare. I see lots of sensible shoes on the feet of women in the tourist areas. It's overcast. Alternating between chilly and warm.
Lots of dogs, too. A great dane greeted us on the light rail from the airport to downtown. I don't think he was supposed to be on the light rail. I saw an advertisement overhead that emphasized transporting your pet in a carrier. But the great dane owner's let me pet the dog, so I wasn't about to squeal.
On our way to the French restaurant Fenouil at Jamison Square last night, I spotted another dog with its owner on the street car. The dog sniffed my hand. Wagged its tail at me, and I was just about to pet her when this guy in the wheelchair, a guy with Gulf War Veteran stamped on his baseball cap, snarled at me, "service dog." he spit out the words. Then he repeated himself in the event I didn't know how to speak English.
Yeah, he was rude, but I can see where this sort of behavior would wear thin. Sometimes when agents call me about my short sale listings, I don't spend a lot of time on the pleasantries of conversation and instead say, "22 offers, highest sent to bank." As few words as possible.
Dogs seem very welcome in Portland. As we gorged on seared fois gras, scallops and halibut at Fenouil, listening to some French guy over in the square playing Bob Marley, I noticed an inconspicuous bowl on the sidewalk, next to my table. It was a water bowl for a dog. Tucked under tables, near bushes, I spotted more dog water bowls. I like this city.
Here are more photos from Portland, Oregon:
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout Sacramento. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available through bookstores everywhere and at Amazon.com.
Sacramento Short Sale Agent, Elizabeth Weintraub, has the answers to your Sacramento short sale questions.
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My Sacramento Real Estate Listings
Elizabeth Weintraub is an author, home buying columnist for The New York Times-owned About.com, a Land Park resident, and a Land Park real estate agent who specializes in older, classic homes in Land Park, Curtis Park, Midtown and East Sacramento. Weintraub is also a Sacramento Short Sale agent who lists and successfully sells short sales throughout the four-county Sacramento area. Call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759. Put 35 years of real estate experience to work for you. Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate. DRE License # 00697006.
The Short Sale Savior, by Elizabeth Weintraub, available at Amazon.com.
Lyon Real Estate is not associated with the government, and our service is not approved by the government or your lender. Even if you accept this offer and use our service, your lender may not agree to change your loan.
Photo: Unless otherwise noted in this blog, the photo is copyrighted by Big Stock Photo and used with permission.
The views expressed herein are Weintraub's personal views and do not reflect the views of Lyon Real Estate.
Disclaimer: If this post contains a listing, information is deemed reliable as of the date it was written. After that date, the listing may be sold, listed by another brokerage, canceled, pending or taken temporarily off the market, and the price could change without notice. It could blow up, explode or vanish. To find out the present status of any listing, please go to elizabethweintraub.com.
Elizabeth: Looks like a beautiful place. Never would have figured it to be as you describe.
Elizabeth, Portland looks very clean and I like that it is pet friendly. The food picture made me hungry for seafood!
Hi Elizabeth... Portland is a city about which people always seem to rave and if it is dog friendly, I am sure that I would love it! I am hoping to visit there someday!
Elizabeth
Cool City; I saw a television show that said "Voodoo Donuts" in Portland are some of the country's best.
I love dog friendly places. I won't travel without my dog so I rarely go to conventions. Portland looks nice.
Very nice pictures Elizabeth! In addition to Portland, Baker is another town in Oregon, which is steeped in history. In Baker, there is an Oregon Trail Interpretive Center I found quite amazing. I hope you are enjoying your journey!
Oregon is simply God's Country....a pretty irreligious place (lowest church affiliation in the nation) but God's Country nevertheless.
Glad you enjoyed Portland. Try the Oregon coast sometime. Or the High Desert in Bend.
In my own (Lane) county we go from Sea to Ski.
There is Shakespeare (oldest festival in US) in Ashland in the south and the kite-boarding capital of the world in Hood River's Columbia River Gorge at the border we share with Washington.
Crater Lake is our national park. Silver Falls state park wast of Salem should be one, too.
Baker is truly historic and the Willamette Valley wineries are slowly besting California.
California has some beautiful places. Sacramento is fine. But Oregon is where really smart Californians go to retire.
Hi Jim: Oregon is also where TV soap characters go when they leave New York.
Now I must have scallops for dinner, oh heavens that looked SO good.