USA Road Trip - Week 3: Thursday (Portland)

I had set the alarm for midday, thinking I would sleep all the way through, but instead woke up refreshed, albeit with wacky sinuses, at a tad after nine. Today is checkout and off to San Francisco day.

I packed my bags, making sure I hadn’t left anything behind and cleaned up after myself to ensure there was no rubbish, towels sorted back into the laundry bin, etc. I brought my bags down stairs and sought out the host to let him know I had vacated the room, bags were set aside for me to pick up at around 1pm and paid him the four dollars I owed for using the washing machine and dryer to get a load of laundry done.

Last night’s date had recommended Tasty ‘n Sons as a good breakfast spot, so I headed out to Williams Ave. The Uber driver was a funny guy who responded to my “How’s your morning been?” with a “It was fine until I picked up this kiwi!” to try and get a rise out of me. I laughed and said, “you know you’re pretty rude for a Canadian!” Yeoh… everyone’s a comedian!

Landing at Tasty, I ordered the breakfast board, a Fuego Bloody Mary and a Cold Brew. I took my time and just savoured the chicken liver mousse, the Lebneck, 6 minute egg, smoked jerk and bacon. I wasn’t as enamoured by the pickled beets, and the strawberries were … ok.

Finishing the meal, I headed off down the road. I feel, for those that know the references, that William Ave is the Armadale or Port Melbourne of Portland. It’s filled with the ActiveWear clad, dog-walking, kid-pushing, yoga worshipping and all around nose that is ever so slightly lifted further up than most.

The next cafe I stopped at, Poa, was the epitome of this - serving smoothies that featured superfoods, chia seeds, agave nectar, bee pollen, spirulina and other “amazing” ingredients. There were also a larger selection of in-house brewed kombucha than there were coffees. Still, they had a table with a power adaptor, and free wifi … so I just ordered a cold brew and a mineral water.

It’s 1230 now, so I’ll head back to the Guesthouse, grab my shite and head off to the airport. I guess next time I write I’ll be in San Fran. So until then …

… except that the flight was delayed by over 2 hours. In fact the plane that bothered making my way back around to the upper levels and around to departures to get an Uber, so I grabbed a taxi from the ranks and headed into San Francisco and towards the AirBnB.