Day Two of Portland

Friday

Because we knew we would be in and around the city and without much knowledge of the public transportation system, we had decided to rent a car for our duration in the city. While buying the flights from Expedia, it had been offered as an option, so we grabbed it. As we neared departure, we realized the rental agency would be closed by the time we arrived in Portland, so I called ahead about pushing the pick-up date. The lady I spoke to was clearly under pressure when I called, first putting me on hold for an extended time, before quickly coming back on and jotting down my information in a way that didn't imply full focus. But I didn't worry about it at the time.

When we got up, Billie and I ate cold pizza for breakfast and called an Uber to go pick up our rental. I could have walked to the spot, but Billie wanted to go and over a mile seemed like a big ask for her little legs. We took an Uber.

When we got to the downtown agency, the man behind the counter was dealing with another customer and seemed irritated when we stepped in. We sat quietly and waited our turn. Halfway through his customer's reservation, he asked if we had scheduled for a car, because he didn't have any available. "I have a reservation number. I spoke with someone two days ago." He went back to typing. When the customer ahead of us was completed, we stepped up to the counter. The man first tried to convince us there was nothing he could do. He pulled out a drawer and gestured to its emptiness. "No keys, sir." Then he asked if I would take a larger car, which I quickly agreed to. So ten minutes later, Billie and I were in an elevator to the 6th floor to pick up our Jeep Compass. We headed back to the Airbnb with one crisis averted.

We decided that we would visit the Oregon Zoo on our first day. Billie and I had visited the El Paso Zoo last month and she had really enjoyed it (even more than I expected), so going to an even bigger, nicer zoo seemed like a good thing to do. As we drove there, we were blown away at the greenness of everything. Trees tower overhead on every street in the city. It's not like it's forced either. Instead it's a very unique and authentic experience. It FEELS like it belongs. rather than artifice. The city embraces the woods as part of itself and every road carries with it the feeling of the forrest.

That feeling carried into the Oregon Zoo. The paths that lead from animal area to other areas felt like hiking paths (though paved). As we visited at the tail end of the American pandemic, there were still many attractions closed, but for the most part the zoo was operating at a normal rate and speed. Billie was especially enamored with the polar bear. As someone who has seen a thousand sad polar bears in southern zoos, it was especially exciting to watch a bear who seemed comfortable and happy. It was splashing in the water, much to the entertainment of everyone watching.

We had lunch at the zoo and continued to walk through each exhibit. The highlight for Billie was when we located a carousel. We went on the ride twice, once with each parent, and she was incredibly happy. Sometimes it's the simple things in life, at least for a 5 year old. And there were plenty of other kids taking full advantage of the operating ride, all masked up and thrilled to be outside having a semi-normal time. I get it, completely.

By the time we hit the afternoon, Billie had had enough walking and was in the "I'm worn out" phase of the day. One of the aspects of travel that has to be considered is how legs take the pounding. Older people, younger people, sick people, all have different abilities to walk for long distances. Billie was ready to leave the zoo. Once out, we headed to the grocery store to do what we had planned to do the day before, stock the pantry.

On trips, we like to have groceries enough to cover breakfasts at the Airbnb. We also include snacks (especially with Billie in tow) and one to two dinner style meals. It's just an easy way to save some money during the trip. We stopped at a local grocery store and got everything together for the stay. From there we headed back to the apartment. Once we got back Lola and Billie napped.

One of the perks on this particular trip is that I was getting to see an old friend of mine who lives outside of Portland. We had a quick work call to hop on together, so I drove out to Newberg, OR and met with him there. It was a great visit before heading home and crashing for the night.