Another escape, this time to Portland.  We are feeling the need for a change of scenery.  Plans are to visit cousins Kenny, Deborah and Dot their furry kid…sorry Deborah but cats only count as houseguests for me…too much attitude and independence.  Our RV is finally mold free and ready to be pieced back together.  They say it will be ready the end of this week.   Nope, just don’t’ see that happening

Arrived in Portland for our stay at another La Quinta.  A bit off the beaten path, in fact, a scary kind of area.  Totally surrounded by industrial businesses and several large fuel storage tanks about a half block away.   Newly remodeled so the inside halls and rooms were nice and it looked safe enough once inside the building.   The first room smelled so strong of chemical cover-up scents that my immediate headache forced us to request another room.  As they just happened to have another pet friendly room on the second floor, we moved and settled in.  It was quiet and just across the hall from the morning breakfast room so coffee was immediate upon waking.

We drove to my cousin’s place of work and, wouldn’t you know it, he works at a bike shop!  The perfect new bike for John was sure to be inside.  His old bike did not fit his new way of life so Kenny helped him find a bike that was less road, more general transportation.  John took it for a spin and came back all smiles.  He finally had his new bike.  After adding a few “toys“ and a few safety items to the base bike, we left to explore Portland.

A visit to a small dog park, a few driving circles around areas of interest, a casual walk through the Saturday Market with KatieBug, Gyro and hummus lunch for all,  then a stop to pick up a Biria bike for me.  It’s a little strange looking but it doesn’t bother my back when I step over it to get on and it rides great.  By the time we loaded the bike on, night had snuck up on us and it was time for dinner.   We met up with our cousins, minus Dot and cats, for dinner at a great little wood fired pizza place and some much needed social interaction with family before heading back to the Inn.

Morning came and we met our cousins for breakfast at a great local hole-in-the-wall made famous by Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Arleta Library Bakery & Café.  Lots of homemade bakery goodies and some great omelet offerings and we all chose something different.  Four thumps up.  Walking to the local dog park from Kenny and Deborah’s place with Dot and KatieBug allowed us all a bit more family time and the pups loved running all over visiting and socializing with other pups.

After the dog park, John and I drove to the Japanese Gardens in Washington Park.  What a fantastic park with oodles to do!  Among other things, a rose garden, golf course, bow and arrow practice area, several soccer fields, tennis courts, large arboretum, a Zoo, World Forestry Center and the Japanese Gardens.  We were amazed at how much ground this park covered.  Definitely will add Washington Park to our “to do” list for our next visit to Portland.

Our last morning was spent packing up for our trip home and then stopping at the bike shop to pick up the final products, our bikes and the little extras that make bike riding fun and safe.  Hugs to the family before we headed home.

A quick stop at Marathon RV’s built on Prevost, just to look, and then to our RV to pick up a few things, then home, dinner and sleep.

Early morning rise to check out the RV, still in pieces but moving along, then laundry and real life stuff before renting a movie and vegetating the rest of the evening.  KatieBug is enjoying her new Top Dog position and is now allowed to sit on the couch with us.  She is being a very good pup and is minding well.

Back at our unintentional home and rested, when morning came we decided to drive to Corvallis, an hour from Eugene, and spend the day walking around the downtown and waterway area enjoying the sunshine and beautiful weather.  An organic produce market was open along the waterway with many fresh veggie offerings and several folk and easy listening guitar players entertained the crowd.

Fantastic metal art sculptures on every corner…along with homeless on every corner begging with home made signs.  We passed one, most likely homeless, filthy woman sitting on a beautiful wood bench surrounded by landscaped blooms complaining about rich bitches everywhere not giving her a dime…cussing them all the while as they passed her by. Spewing foul language while sitting next to another lost soul, neither listening to one another, continuing their rant even after we walked to the end of the street and passed by again on the other side.

Unique small boutiques lined the streets of this wonderful old town and John bought another unnecessary covering for his head.  This one read “Raven Lunatic” with a picture of a huge raven.

Oregon is a strange state.  I am sure I could never live here.  The tip toe around attitude they have for the homeless and constantly trying to change laws to provide additional entitlements to these people anger me.  I see them smoking…really, you have money for smokes but not for food?  They stand at almost every corner holding signs and I know there are dozens of places for them to sleep and eat if they chose to follow the rules.  Most have ill trained dogs of a vicious nature, lots of pits, allowed to roam free, some unleashed even while they sleep in the parks and alleys.  I am not heartless.  I just don’t believe that public parks should be used as flop houses for the homeless while tax paying citizens who contribute to society are kept from enjoying them for safety reasons.  Eugene is going for a new ordinance to allow homeless to set up their tents in public parks for an unlimited amount of time.  Wow…is that nuts or what? What the Hell happened to the tax paying citizen’s rights!  I will now descend from my soap box…