Portland, Oregon

Although it might seem I am always in the country, once in awhile I do make it to a real city. I was born in Portland, Oregon, but grew up in the country nearby. I played in its parks as a child, went to college at Portland State, lived in its suburbs a few years, and my children were born in Portland. It's a city I have always enjoyed spending time (as long as it's not too long). I appreciate how it has worked to develop its downtown, keeping itself vital and a place people want to shop, work, and live.

From the Rose Garden to Pioneer Square to Tom McCall Waterfront Park to the Park Blocks, downtown provides places for gatherings as well as enjoying nature. Within walking distance you can get to a nearly wilderness park or walk along the Willamette River. If you don't want to walk, it has a great bus system, trolleys, and light rail.

Portland, at least downtown, is a young city and it seems every time I go there I am more aware of that youthful quality. People on bicycles, walking, enjoy the delis, the museums, art galleries, theaters, interesting grocery stores, apartment buildings overlooking parks, diverse restaurants, businesses, and all that with a vital, active downtown.

Probably there are other cities like it but within five miles you can find everything from multimillionaires, average working people and the homeless all living and functioning close together. Because of that diversity, the grocery stores do have uniformed guards on alert duty which is something I don't see where I shop most of the time.

I have often thought the ideal life would be an apartment or loft in Portland's Pearl District, and then a wilderness cabin in the mountains or over in Eastern Oregon.

Last week I was in Portland for two nights while my husband flew to California on a quick business trip. I mostly walked, visited Powell's Bookstore (three stories and a full block), ate at an Irish pub one night and otherwise at delis, and visited the Portland Art Museum.

I especially enjoyed the hotel where we stayed. At one time it had been a Days Inn and I liked it even then for its location-- walking distance to everything. It was sold awhile back and closed for remodeling. So we kept our eyes open, whenever up there, to see what would be coming next.

It reopened in June happily in time for our stay. Hotel Modera calls itself a boutique hotel which I had never heard of before I began looking for a room up there two weeks ago. Basically they evidently have been popular in Europe and now in various cities. Theoretically, according to my reading up on the subject, Hotel Modera is a bit larger than the usual boutique hotel, but it has the qualities, interesting art, full services, beauty, security, and uniqueness.

From the lobby with its modern art to our own room with a king-sized bed, faux fur comforter, art on the walls, a view of the city, a flatscreen TV, and full wireless, for what more could a gal ask when in a big city?

(Photos are all in Hotel Modera either from the hotel room, its view or the lobby. The manager said all art was by area artists.)