AALLSpectrum_Apr2008:AALLSpectrum_Nov 3/17/08 11:20 AM Page 26 portla few very lucky AALL members (and their families) will arrive in A st Portland before the 101 AALL Annual Meeting programs begin and stay afterward to explore the city. For the rest, this visit to Portland will zoom by like a thrilling, and fatiguing, long weekend, with too much to see and too little time to see it all. You can, however, still savor the best of Portland’s local treats with an hour here, a couple hours there, or that rare free evening (in July, spicy but not heat-hot) or morning (cool and sweet), even if you’re a short-term, fly-in and fly-out visitor. It is for you, the quick- trippers, for whom I write about Portland “in small bites.” Here you don’t need a 12-course, six-hour meal to dine upon the city’s warm and nourishing fare. 1 AALLSpectrum_Apr2008:AALLSpectrum_Nov 3/17/08 11:20 AM Page 27 rtland in small bites by Laura J. Orr Quick tips to see the best of Portland in your rare free time during the AALL Annual Meeting Starters contests, reading circles, and writer critique Awaken your taste buds with these 3 groups, who season each other’s creations delectable Portland umami tidbits and and graze upon local delicacies. Beverly hors d’oeuvres. Cleary, Ursula LeGuin, Philip Margolin, The bright, colorful Portland Airport Chuck “Fight Club” Palahniuk, and Gus will whet and please your appetite. If your Van Sant, are only a few of the tangy or friends and flights are delayed, do not salty wordsmiths who have graced this city despair. Visit Powell’s airport bookstore and of bridges. Portland also has beer historians other enticing shops outside and inside the (e.g., Paul Pintarich, author of History by the security gates. The airport is fun, clean, and Glass), zillions of zinesters (see The Zinester’s has lots of good food and drink. It also has Guide to Portland), and everything in free wireless. between. Dine with gusto—and with Stone Soup, a syndicated comic-strip whose creator, Jan Eliot, lives in Eugene (home of the University of Oregon). Portland is, or was, home to many talented folks, including Bobby Fischer, Allen Ginsburg, Woody Guthrie, Linus Pauling, Pink Martini enlightened progressive founders China Forbes and Thomas thought...that... Lauderdale, radio host Thom Hartmann, Portland was known and renaissance men Matt “The Simpsons” throughout the country as Groening and wiki founder Ward a Mecca of vice and sin.” Cunningham (who lives in Beaverton, Or, read Michael Munk’s, to be precise—almost Portland). Portland Red Guide. Stew on this: Portland has a long menu Nourish your mind: of nicknames, including City of Bridges, Portland only appears to Rip City, Rivercity, Rose City, Stumptown, be a city full of wispy, or simply PDX, Portland Airport’s call fuzzy hippies and letters. buff, sweaty runners, Taste new sounds for familiar words. bicyclists, hikers, Couch (Street) is pronounced KOOCH hunters, and and Glisan (Street) is pronounced GLEE- campers. The truth is son. Willamette, as in Willamette River and readers and writers Willamette Valley, is pronounced wil-LAM- rule in Rivercity ette (rhymes with damn-it). 2 (though admittedly Sneak a taste of Portland’s city-wide a lot of them write free wireless. Granted, service can be about running, erratic, and lots of people complain about bicycling, and it, but it’s free! hiking). Sample these books for Sniff the bouquet of a place (Multnomah some unusual flavors and Portland voices: County, which includes Portland) where City of Readers: The Book Lover’s Guide to there are more dogs than children (really!). Relish the absence of sales tax Portland, by Gabriel H. Boehmer, and Dip your nose into the froth of a city in Oregon. Reading Portland: The City in Prose, edited known as the epicenter of America’s craft Feast on Portland’s wickedly, spicy by John Trombold and Peter Donahue. brewing renaissance and the home of the past. Phil Stanford says in his book, Portland’s literary buffet is a Oregon Brewers Festival, the largest Portland Confidential: Sex, Crime, and smorgasbord of poets, novelists, screen gathering of independent brewers in North Corruption in the Rose City, “[It] may come writers, cartoonists, bloggers, animators, and America. Portland has the highest number as a shock, especially for anyone who has illustrators, all of whom contribute to a rich in the world of microbreweries within city come to regard Portland as a haven for broth of zines, graphic novels, blogs, writing limits—cheers! © 2008 Laura J. Orr AALL Spectrum April 2008 27 AALLSpectrum_Apr2008:AALLSpectrum_Nov 3/17/08 11:20 AM Page 28 Partake of the fact that Portland, innocence, its sometimes childlike or Oregon, came within a (literal) coin’s adolescent and self-conscious weirdness, toss of being named, Boston, Oregon. you need to visit its neighborhoods (95 Portland is a walker’s city, with feet- of them, as of today). There you will find friendly, half-size city blocks. Graze at the hundreds of small, sometimes experimental, numerous downtown street vendor carts restaurants and cozy cafes; small businesses; and window shop. unusual museums and art studios; Satiate yourself with Portland’s excellent tiny libraries; and stores galore. The food, wine, and coffee selections, purchased neighborhoods: Alberta, Albina, Belmont, from locally-owned businesses, which buy Fremont, Hawthorne, Irvington, their own ingredients locally when possible. Laurelhurst, Lloyd, Montevilla, Multnomah You’ve heard of carnivores, vegetarians, Village, The Pearl, Sellwood, St. Johns, vegans, herbivores, and omnivores. Now and dozens more. there are locavores. In Portland you can buy vegan dental floss at the local grocery store, First Course nosh on excellent gluten-free fish and chips, All of the following will appear on visit a vegan strip club, and find a tattooist downtown Portland maps and are fast- who uses non-animal-based inks. Wowsers! acting remedies for cabin (or conference Last, before putting aside your forks room) fever. and mugs, to see and breathe Portland, Pioneer Courthouse Square, also to taste its grit, its sexiness and sleaziness, known as “Portland’s Living Room.” It its curiosities, its vamp and camp, its provides people-watching of the highest order. As a bonus, it’s surrounded by excellent stores, which will take much more time to savor. The Square is also where you 4 will find POVA, the Portland Oregon Visitors Association, with its buffet of guides—both human and paper—to all the Oregon sites you might want to see. Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe is located in Pioneer Place, a downtown shopping 28 AALL Spectrum April 2008 AALLSpectrum_Apr2008:AALLSpectrum_Nov 3/17/08 11:20 AM Page 29 mall. The mocha is bliss in a cup. Multnomah County Library: the 5 At 452 square inches (24” diameter), central library is a lovely place to explore. Mill Ends Park is the smallest city park Visit the Children’s and Rare Book Rooms in the world and just a quick walk toward and the Collins Gallery, where exhibits the waterfront. never fail to charm. The Multnomah The bridges over the Willamette River County Library is the oldest public library are a fabulous destination for those in west of the Mississippi, but have no fear, the need of fresh air and lovely views. And central library was recently renovated and the Hawthorne Bridge sings! earthquake proofed. Tom McCall Waterfront Park can be Classical Chinese Garden is about a a quick jog or a long stroll. It’s a place to 10-minute walk from central downtown walk, people-watch, and see the Portland (and about five minutes from Powell’s). Spirit, which docks here. The Chinese Garden should be on your Portlandia is the second-largest must-see list. You can spend 30 minutes hammered-copper statue in the world here, or three hours. (the Statue of Liberty is the first), atop Eastbank Esplanade (officially Vera the Portland Building, a block away from Katz Eastbank Esplanade, after a Portland 6 City Hall. mayor): Lovely views of the Willamette Second Course River and the city from the east bank of the river. These sites are fast and easy to sample, but you Tom McCall Waterfront Park. More may want more time to indulge and imbibe. lovely views of the Willamette, from the Powell’s City of Books is the one thing west bank of the river. you must see, even if you do or see nothing Park Blocks, along which you will else in Portland. If you can, allow yourself find the Portland Art Museum and a lot of time for this experience, but it will return 10-fold whatever time you have to Oregon Historical Society (and their give. Powell’s has a coffee shop, restrooms, respective museum shops and libraries). and books, lovely books, miles and miles Pearl District—restaurants, galleries, of books. And they offer tours! Powell’s is Art Institute, and Museum of the world’s largest independent bookstore. Contemporary Craft. The Portland graphic The flagship store is downtown, at Burnside and fine arts community is large, varied, and NW 10th, but Powell’s has many and supports hundreds of small galleries, satellite stores around the Portland metro art supply stores, and art classes. area: Powell’s Technical Books, the Airport Saturday Market (and Sunday too!) is 7 Powell’s, Powell’s Books for Cooks and the largest continuously-operating open- Gardeners, and additional neighborhood air crafts market in the United States. stores. Portlanders love Powell’s so much This market may be in a new location by that they put their names on a list to be July—the AALL hospitality team will know.