Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Unexpected Rescue!
Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of my grandparents, Dani and I caught an afternoon Southwest flight out of Oakland to Chicago Midway. We're sitting in our pre-paid hotel in Chicago, and Epic Train Trip is back on schedule. I'm, quite simply, stunned.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
More AmFail
Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, it does! The California Zephyr, which was supposed to be taking us to Chicago a few days late, had now been canceled due to flooding. We've been sent back to Riverside, where we have to wait until 5 July to catch a train back east. At this point, we will not be visiting Chicago, Toronto, or Montreal, and we'll be a day late in to New York. FML
Vancouver
Right now, Dani and I are aboard the Coast Starlight en route to Sacramento, where we'll catch the California Zephyr to Chicago and the Lakeshore Limited to Buffalo, NY (for Niagara Falls).* Due to the AmFail I posted about earlier, we're going straight through with no stopovers in order to keep on schedule. That means we'll have 4 consecutive nights on the train, which should provide ample time for catching up on the blog. (Sorry for not updating, but we have been very busy!) With that, let's take a look at Vancouver!
We got in to Vancouver at nearly 23:00 after leaving Portland, so we didn't have any time for sightseeing that night. We just wanted to get into our hotel room- but our hotelier had other ideas. See, it seems that it's common practice in Vancouver to require a $200 damage deposit in order to rent a room. Since we're rather broke at the moment, this was a problem. (We've pre-paid for all of our accommodations on the trip, and I've never seen a damage deposit more than $30-$50.) We managed to talk him down to C$50, and then had to put down US$55 because of the hotel's exorbitant exchange rate of C$1=US$0.90. (The current official exchange rate is C$1=US$1.01, so we lost ~US$5 on the deal.) After this bit of negotiation, we settled in to our room at the Howard Johnson Plaza. It was obviously smaller, older and less comfortable than the Clarion in Portland- and it cost twice as much- but it was closer to downtown. We tried to get the Internet to work, to no avail, and then went to sleep. (We did actually figure out the Internet the next day- we needed a ticket from the front desk to log in.)
The next morning, we enjoyed the free hotel breakfast again (and their pub's misspelling of the word "burrito"- they left out an R) and set out to explore Vancouver. First on Dani's agenda? The mall. (You can ask her why...) Specifically, the Metropolis at Metrotown, the second-largest mall in Canada and right on the automated SkyTrain rapid transit line. We actually took the bus there, and the sheer volume of transit offerings at the establishment were pretty impressive.
Canadian buses are, of course, stereotypically polite, apologising for not taking on passengers:
Dani took this photo because she believed it would make her sister jealous:
The mall was not really my cup of tea, besides the bus loop and train station. Dani, however, was quite excited by the difference between Canadian and American fashions. I also learned something- well-known clothing company American Apparel is a Canadian concern, which grew out of a small clothing shop in Montreal. They advertise this prominently on their Canadian stores, and seem to downplay it in the states.
After the mall, we headed to Granville Island, a touristy bit of the city with a large indoor farmer's market. (Granville Island sits in False Creek, and interestingly it is not an island, nor does it sit in a creek. The "Island" is actually a peninsula, and the "Creek" is a small inlet off of the ocean.) To get there, we caught the aforementioned SkyTrain, the longest driver-less train system in the world. The low labour costs of this model allow TransLink, the local transit agency, to offer SkyTrains every 6-8 minutes, from 04:00 to 01:00 daily. The train is connected to an extensive network of local buses, and their operation in concert is a wonder to behold.
The Island itself is a bit of a tourist trap, but certainly a scenic one. We had some great views of the cityscape from the surrounding parking lots, and enjoyed wandering around through the various shops. (The Public Market was fantastically huge and delicious-smelling-- torture when you can't afford to eat much more than PB&J sandwiches for the week.) We also watched some of the tiny water taxis that ply their trade on and around False Creek.
There were also seabirds and skyscrapers, both hallmarks of the region.
We sat for a bit and watched a window-washer dangle from one of the many condo buildings that sit on the north side of False Creek.
After False Creek, we decided to head to another prime location for people-watching (especially local-watching): the University of British Columbia. The Point Grey campus is at the far western edge of Vancouver, and is not actually within the city limits. Sitting at the edge of a peninsula jutting out into the Georgia Strait, it is a stunning place to visit. They also have a well-respected Museum of Anthropology and several botanical gardens on site, but those cost money and time, so we didn't visit them. (There's also a well-known nude beach, Wreck Beach, on the site, but we didn't visit that either.) Here's some photos taken from the north end of the campus, in and around the rose garden and Museum of Anthropology.
During my search for a graduate school, I applied to UBC. As evidenced by the fact that I'm still living in Riverside, I didn't get in. If I had, though, my department would have been here, in Buchanan Building, Block C:
We also saw other things around the UBC campus: a nice plaza in the centre of campus, totem poles, and the UBC Amateur Radio Club, VE7UBC. Yes, I tried to go see if I could chat with them, but nobody was operating that day.
We headed back towards the city and Commercial Drive, a counter-culture-ish neighbourhood just outside of downtown. (Any place with a People's Book Co-op can't be bad, right?) We wandered in and out of the various bookstores and shops, and we suffered what Dani called a "moment of weakness" walking past a pizza shop. $5 for a small pizza with up to three toppings. They put yellow cheese on the top in addition to the usual mozzarella, but it was still delicious. (Of course, most things are delicious after a week of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.) We also ran across a shop that had a shop dog. We watched the dog run in and out of the store and the neighbouring coffee shop, until at one point it seemed to enter the store and emerge from the coffee shop. Our first theory was that there was some sort of link between the two shops, but when the second dog emerged to frolic with the first (they looked nearly identical), we were proven wrong.
On the Drive, we also ran in to striking Canada Post workers. (Note that, if you asked for a postcard from Vancouver or Victoria, you'll be getting it sent via Seattle.) Protesting severe cuts in mail delivery, wages and mass layoffs, the workers shut down the entire nation's postal system for nearly two weeks. Delivery service should have resumed today, though workers were forced back to work by legislation, and the union is fighting the new law. (As a union member myself, I support the CUPW strikers, and wonder when the working class in this country will have the cajones to pull something like this.)
As we reached the top end of the Drive, we decided to head to a park on the North Shore called Lynn Canyon Park. It came highly recommended by a local. The bus we ended up taking, however, lumbered down Vancouver's notorious East Hastings St., basically the only skeevy part of town worth mentioning. Needless to say, we stayed on the bus, but some of the area residents joined us. One gentleman butted in to a conversation that Dani and I were having to inquire if I believed in Jesus (after a minute or so of incoherent ramblings, followed by "So what do you think?"). I told him I wasn't sure- and that's true, I'm not entirely sold one way or the other on the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth- and he informed me that I'd better get sure on the subject. Fortunately, he then decided to sing America's "A Horse With No Name"- badly, and despite having forgotten the lyrics- rather than pester me with religion.
We alighted at Vancouver's fantastic Waterfront station, a hub for just about any transportation option you can imagine (besides long-distance rail & bus: those are handled by Pacific Central Station some distance away). They've got three SkyTrain lines, more buses than I can count, the West Coast Express commuter train, and the SeaBus ferry service. It was the last that Dani and I sought. The SeaBus is a frequent, passenger-only ferry service operated by unique double-ended catamaran vessels. It's basically an extension of the SkyTrain across the Burrard Inlet to North Vancouver, and the terminal on the north side is the main bus exchange for the North Shore. We grabbed a #229 bus up to the park and set out on our adventure. (If you ever go, you can take the 228 or 229- the 228 gets you closer but is less frequent.)
The suspension bridge is a trip. As you can see, it's just what you'd expect- an Indiana Jones-style wooden suspension bridge across a deep chasm. There are actually two such bridges in North Vancouver, the other being the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The one in Lynn Canyon, however, is free, and the person who recommended the place said it's almost as good as the other. Capilano charges a whopping C$32.95 for adult passage.
Lynn Canyon Park itself, though, isn't just a suspension bridge. It's a phenomenally lush and beautiful park, with Lynn Creek running through it. Hiking trails mostly follow the creek, but a few branch out into other parts of the park, or even other parks (as in the case of the Baden-Powell Trail). It's a pretty interesting experience- roughly half an hour's journey, by public transit, from the bustling centre of Vancouver, and you're in a quiet, peaceful forest that feels as if it were nowhere near human habitation.
Dani has officially decided that Lynn Canyon Park is her happy place.
We were pretty tired after Lynn Canyon, so we headed back to the hotel, packed up and slept.
The next morning, when pondering what to do until our 3pm departure to Victoria, we realized that we had not visited Vancouver's massive Stanley Park. This huge park sits on a peninsula just north of downtown, and is the largest park in Vancouver's park system. (It is named after the same man, Rt. Hon. Frederick Stanley, Earl of Derby, who gave his name to hockey's Stanley Cup. He was Canada's sixth Governor-General.) The park includes a zoo, a miniature railway, and a seawall ringing the peninsula, which is popular with cyclists and roller skaters. Hoping to save money, we decided to take advantage of Translink's 2-hour transfer policy- a one-way fare gives one two hours of access to the transit system. We picked up a bus at our hotel, paid the $2.50 (although I'd find out later that Dani mistakenly paid $4.50), and made a beeline for the park. Once there, we looked around as long as we could (sadly, not long) until our transfer was about to expire. We had maybe 20 minutes, but we did get some pretty great photos:
With our obligatory (albeit cursory) visit to Stanley Park complete, we used the last few minutes of our bus transfer to take us back to Pacific Central Station, where we awaited our bus to Victoria. We also resolved to find a way to move to Vancouver as soon as possible.
*(Editorial update: The blog-updating time I referred to at the beginning of this post, onboard the Coast Starlight, was mostly taken up by dealing with the latest meltdown of Amtrak's western long-distance trains. Thanks to my grandparents, and no thanks to Amtrak's "customer relations" department, I'm finishing this post in a hotel outside of Chicago. We are back on schedule, and don't anticipate any more delays, but blogging time has suffered. I'm doing my best, and will keep you all updated. -JN 22:01 CDT, 30 June 2011)
We got in to Vancouver at nearly 23:00 after leaving Portland, so we didn't have any time for sightseeing that night. We just wanted to get into our hotel room- but our hotelier had other ideas. See, it seems that it's common practice in Vancouver to require a $200 damage deposit in order to rent a room. Since we're rather broke at the moment, this was a problem. (We've pre-paid for all of our accommodations on the trip, and I've never seen a damage deposit more than $30-$50.) We managed to talk him down to C$50, and then had to put down US$55 because of the hotel's exorbitant exchange rate of C$1=US$0.90. (The current official exchange rate is C$1=US$1.01, so we lost ~US$5 on the deal.) After this bit of negotiation, we settled in to our room at the Howard Johnson Plaza. It was obviously smaller, older and less comfortable than the Clarion in Portland- and it cost twice as much- but it was closer to downtown. We tried to get the Internet to work, to no avail, and then went to sleep. (We did actually figure out the Internet the next day- we needed a ticket from the front desk to log in.)
The next morning, we enjoyed the free hotel breakfast again (and their pub's misspelling of the word "burrito"- they left out an R) and set out to explore Vancouver. First on Dani's agenda? The mall. (You can ask her why...) Specifically, the Metropolis at Metrotown, the second-largest mall in Canada and right on the automated SkyTrain rapid transit line. We actually took the bus there, and the sheer volume of transit offerings at the establishment were pretty impressive.
Canadian buses are, of course, stereotypically polite, apologising for not taking on passengers:
Dani took this photo because she believed it would make her sister jealous:
The mall was not really my cup of tea, besides the bus loop and train station. Dani, however, was quite excited by the difference between Canadian and American fashions. I also learned something- well-known clothing company American Apparel is a Canadian concern, which grew out of a small clothing shop in Montreal. They advertise this prominently on their Canadian stores, and seem to downplay it in the states.
After the mall, we headed to Granville Island, a touristy bit of the city with a large indoor farmer's market. (Granville Island sits in False Creek, and interestingly it is not an island, nor does it sit in a creek. The "Island" is actually a peninsula, and the "Creek" is a small inlet off of the ocean.) To get there, we caught the aforementioned SkyTrain, the longest driver-less train system in the world. The low labour costs of this model allow TransLink, the local transit agency, to offer SkyTrains every 6-8 minutes, from 04:00 to 01:00 daily. The train is connected to an extensive network of local buses, and their operation in concert is a wonder to behold.
The Island itself is a bit of a tourist trap, but certainly a scenic one. We had some great views of the cityscape from the surrounding parking lots, and enjoyed wandering around through the various shops. (The Public Market was fantastically huge and delicious-smelling-- torture when you can't afford to eat much more than PB&J sandwiches for the week.) We also watched some of the tiny water taxis that ply their trade on and around False Creek.
There were also seabirds and skyscrapers, both hallmarks of the region.
We sat for a bit and watched a window-washer dangle from one of the many condo buildings that sit on the north side of False Creek.
After False Creek, we decided to head to another prime location for people-watching (especially local-watching): the University of British Columbia. The Point Grey campus is at the far western edge of Vancouver, and is not actually within the city limits. Sitting at the edge of a peninsula jutting out into the Georgia Strait, it is a stunning place to visit. They also have a well-respected Museum of Anthropology and several botanical gardens on site, but those cost money and time, so we didn't visit them. (There's also a well-known nude beach, Wreck Beach, on the site, but we didn't visit that either.) Here's some photos taken from the north end of the campus, in and around the rose garden and Museum of Anthropology.
During my search for a graduate school, I applied to UBC. As evidenced by the fact that I'm still living in Riverside, I didn't get in. If I had, though, my department would have been here, in Buchanan Building, Block C:
We also saw other things around the UBC campus: a nice plaza in the centre of campus, totem poles, and the UBC Amateur Radio Club, VE7UBC. Yes, I tried to go see if I could chat with them, but nobody was operating that day.
We headed back towards the city and Commercial Drive, a counter-culture-ish neighbourhood just outside of downtown. (Any place with a People's Book Co-op can't be bad, right?) We wandered in and out of the various bookstores and shops, and we suffered what Dani called a "moment of weakness" walking past a pizza shop. $5 for a small pizza with up to three toppings. They put yellow cheese on the top in addition to the usual mozzarella, but it was still delicious. (Of course, most things are delicious after a week of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.) We also ran across a shop that had a shop dog. We watched the dog run in and out of the store and the neighbouring coffee shop, until at one point it seemed to enter the store and emerge from the coffee shop. Our first theory was that there was some sort of link between the two shops, but when the second dog emerged to frolic with the first (they looked nearly identical), we were proven wrong.
On the Drive, we also ran in to striking Canada Post workers. (Note that, if you asked for a postcard from Vancouver or Victoria, you'll be getting it sent via Seattle.) Protesting severe cuts in mail delivery, wages and mass layoffs, the workers shut down the entire nation's postal system for nearly two weeks. Delivery service should have resumed today, though workers were forced back to work by legislation, and the union is fighting the new law. (As a union member myself, I support the CUPW strikers, and wonder when the working class in this country will have the cajones to pull something like this.)
As we reached the top end of the Drive, we decided to head to a park on the North Shore called Lynn Canyon Park. It came highly recommended by a local. The bus we ended up taking, however, lumbered down Vancouver's notorious East Hastings St., basically the only skeevy part of town worth mentioning. Needless to say, we stayed on the bus, but some of the area residents joined us. One gentleman butted in to a conversation that Dani and I were having to inquire if I believed in Jesus (after a minute or so of incoherent ramblings, followed by "So what do you think?"). I told him I wasn't sure- and that's true, I'm not entirely sold one way or the other on the historical existence of Jesus of Nazareth- and he informed me that I'd better get sure on the subject. Fortunately, he then decided to sing America's "A Horse With No Name"- badly, and despite having forgotten the lyrics- rather than pester me with religion.
We alighted at Vancouver's fantastic Waterfront station, a hub for just about any transportation option you can imagine (besides long-distance rail & bus: those are handled by Pacific Central Station some distance away). They've got three SkyTrain lines, more buses than I can count, the West Coast Express commuter train, and the SeaBus ferry service. It was the last that Dani and I sought. The SeaBus is a frequent, passenger-only ferry service operated by unique double-ended catamaran vessels. It's basically an extension of the SkyTrain across the Burrard Inlet to North Vancouver, and the terminal on the north side is the main bus exchange for the North Shore. We grabbed a #229 bus up to the park and set out on our adventure. (If you ever go, you can take the 228 or 229- the 228 gets you closer but is less frequent.)
The suspension bridge is a trip. As you can see, it's just what you'd expect- an Indiana Jones-style wooden suspension bridge across a deep chasm. There are actually two such bridges in North Vancouver, the other being the Capilano Suspension Bridge. The one in Lynn Canyon, however, is free, and the person who recommended the place said it's almost as good as the other. Capilano charges a whopping C$32.95 for adult passage.
Lynn Canyon Park itself, though, isn't just a suspension bridge. It's a phenomenally lush and beautiful park, with Lynn Creek running through it. Hiking trails mostly follow the creek, but a few branch out into other parts of the park, or even other parks (as in the case of the Baden-Powell Trail). It's a pretty interesting experience- roughly half an hour's journey, by public transit, from the bustling centre of Vancouver, and you're in a quiet, peaceful forest that feels as if it were nowhere near human habitation.
Dani has officially decided that Lynn Canyon Park is her happy place.
We were pretty tired after Lynn Canyon, so we headed back to the hotel, packed up and slept.
The next morning, when pondering what to do until our 3pm departure to Victoria, we realized that we had not visited Vancouver's massive Stanley Park. This huge park sits on a peninsula just north of downtown, and is the largest park in Vancouver's park system. (It is named after the same man, Rt. Hon. Frederick Stanley, Earl of Derby, who gave his name to hockey's Stanley Cup. He was Canada's sixth Governor-General.) The park includes a zoo, a miniature railway, and a seawall ringing the peninsula, which is popular with cyclists and roller skaters. Hoping to save money, we decided to take advantage of Translink's 2-hour transfer policy- a one-way fare gives one two hours of access to the transit system. We picked up a bus at our hotel, paid the $2.50 (although I'd find out later that Dani mistakenly paid $4.50), and made a beeline for the park. Once there, we looked around as long as we could (sadly, not long) until our transfer was about to expire. We had maybe 20 minutes, but we did get some pretty great photos:
With our obligatory (albeit cursory) visit to Stanley Park complete, we used the last few minutes of our bus transfer to take us back to Pacific Central Station, where we awaited our bus to Victoria. We also resolved to find a way to move to Vancouver as soon as possible.
*(Editorial update: The blog-updating time I referred to at the beginning of this post, onboard the Coast Starlight, was mostly taken up by dealing with the latest meltdown of Amtrak's western long-distance trains. Thanks to my grandparents, and no thanks to Amtrak's "customer relations" department, I'm finishing this post in a hotel outside of Chicago. We are back on schedule, and don't anticipate any more delays, but blogging time has suffered. I'm doing my best, and will keep you all updated. -JN 22:01 CDT, 30 June 2011)
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Quick bites
We toured the Parliament Building in Victoria, BC today. It's gorgeous, but I feel sorry for the tour guide who has to explain the subtleties of the Westminster parliamentary system to ignorant Americans several times daily.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Quick Bites
On the way out of Vancouver, Dani forgot how much a toonie is worth. I gave her $4.50CDN to pay for bus fare both in Vancouver and Victoria- two toonies and two quarters. ($2.50 per bus, planning to get more quarters on the ferry.) She proceeded to drop all $4.50 into the farebox in Vancouver. We found out when waiting for the bus in Victoria.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Portland, Day 2 & 3
Our second day (and only full day) in Portland began with an early start for me. I wanted to get out on Portland's 4T loop [PDF]- that's Trail, Tram, Trolley and Train. The full loop includes a ride on the MAX light rail, 4.4 miles of hiking through forested hills south of Downtown Portland, a trip on the Portland Aerial Tram (one of only two aerial trams in the US in regular public transit service), and a quick ride on the Portland Streetcar to take you back downtown. I left the hotel around 7:30, before Dani woke up (as she had no interest in hiking), and got out on the trail about an hour later. (The whole train ride there, I tried to deal with Amtrak's customer relations line, but to no avail: I had to re-book several bits of our trip at our own expense.) It was a very nice hike, mostly deserted through temperate rain forest, and it was admittedly pleasant to get out and travel on my own for a bit. Sadly, I have very few pictures- my phone failed to charge the evening before, and Dani's camera ran out of batteries after something like the 4th photo. Suffice to say that, if you're in Portland, I highly recommend the hike. Also, do it counter-clockwise. The tram is $4 uphill and free downhill, and the elevation gain on the hike is less as well.
Of course, the phone being nearly dead was a problem for me arranging to meet up with my darling wife. Just as I was finishing the hike, it shut itself off, leaving me with few remaining options. I had my e-reader with me as well, which can access the Internet via wi-fi... but after a few seconds of being connected, it also died. Lesson learned: be sure your electronics are charged. Fortunately, the 4T loop passes by the Portland Public Library, which is nice enough to offer 1 hour a day of Internet access to visitors. We were able to arrange to meet at the Washington Park MAX, incidentally exactly where I had begun my hike.
We caught a TriMet shuttle around the park, which was driven by an operator who was kind enough to also provide narration and advice to the travelers on board. After winding through some of the residential neighbourhoods around the park, we stopped at the International Rose Test Garden. We picked up our magnet from their gift shop, as well as the postcards some of you will be receiving. The gift shop ladies were also handing out black tea, flavoured with rose petals. Not my thing, but Dani apparently enjoyed it. We were also there just in time for a guided tour of the gardens with a U of Oregon Master Gardener. I now know way more about the proper care of roses than I ever cared to. Here's some pretty flowers:
Speckled rose. Dani loved these.
After touring the gardens, we headed down to Pioneer Courthouse Square, the center of downtown Portland (and the TriMet network). Travel writers (and nobody else) call it "Portland's living room." Interesting factoid- the "pioneer courthouse" is now a branch of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. It certainly is a bustling place, with fountains and steps and, of course, some of Portland's famous food carts. Dani got a "Big Honkin' Burrito"- no kidding, that's what the cart was called- and it lived up to its name. We sat and enjoyed the bustling urban milleu for a while, watching people and buses and trains come and go.
After we'd sat long enough, we decided to ride up to the Portland Aerial Tram again, because I thought it was spectacular enough that Dani should see it (and because she'd brought spare batteries for the camera). Here's the tram itself:
And here's some views from the tram:
We headed back downtown via the Portland Streetcar, which was the beginning of the streetcar revival currently taking place across the United States. It is a nice ride:
(And hey look, a photo of me on the blog!)
Knowing that I couldn't make a visit to the Bicycle Capital of America without getting on a bicycle, Dani indulged me and we hopped off the streetcar near Kerr Bikes. This bike rental kiosk on the waterfront is the fundraising arm of the Albertina Kerr Foundation, a charity that works with the mentally and developmentally disabled in Portland. It also happens to provide bikes at fantastically cheap rates. We rented a tandem for the hour for $15 and proceeded to take a spin around Portland's famous waterfront. I had to get the hang of riding with a coaster brake, and we both had to get used to riding tandem, but by the end of the hour we'd pretty much figured it out. We had a great time!
All the following were taken by Dani from the back of the bike. (While stationary, but she'll get better...)
I had her take that last one because the base of that radio tower is on the 4T loop. I really wished I'd had a decent camera at that point.
After biking about, I had to take a run around in Salmon Street Springs, one of Portland's many public fountains. You're only young once, but you can be immature forever!
We then proceeded to ride over to Powell's City of Books. The name is no exaggeration, and perhaps I'll post a map when I get access to a scanner. They have an iPhone app that will give you turn-by-turn directions to your book, and it's warranted. They also provide helpful suggestions on where to find new authors you might like, and their politics section skews heavily towards my own political persuasions. It is a magical place for any book lover, and if you're in Portland you must visit. Portland happens to be the site of the upcoming Western Political Science Association conference. If I can get a paper accepted for presentation there, I plan on going back with several cardboard boxes, to be filled with books and sent home.
They had four huge rooms, each with dozens of aisles this size. I cannot adequately impress upon you the enormity of this place.
We were pretty worn out after Powell's (I'd hiked 5 miles that day BEFORE sightseeing) so we decided to head back to the hotel. We had a soak in their hot tub and returned to tackle one of the greatest challenges we would face: LAUNDRY. Since we're broke, coin-op machines are just too pricey, so we went for hand-washing our clothing in the bathroom. Here's what it looked like when we were done:
Of course, only half of it had managed to dry by check-out time the next day. Plastic bags to the rescue!
We finished out our time in Portland by heading downtown and riding the streetcar around one last time, just to take in the Portlandishness of it all. (Yes, that's a word now.) We then went to Union Station in order to exchange our tickets for trains that would actually be running and sat down and waited for our next train, the Cascades to Vancouver, BC. Portland's a pretty cool town, and I hope to visit again soon. If you're planning a visit, I encourage you to:
and, once there, to
Vancouver's up next!
Of course, the phone being nearly dead was a problem for me arranging to meet up with my darling wife. Just as I was finishing the hike, it shut itself off, leaving me with few remaining options. I had my e-reader with me as well, which can access the Internet via wi-fi... but after a few seconds of being connected, it also died. Lesson learned: be sure your electronics are charged. Fortunately, the 4T loop passes by the Portland Public Library, which is nice enough to offer 1 hour a day of Internet access to visitors. We were able to arrange to meet at the Washington Park MAX, incidentally exactly where I had begun my hike.
We caught a TriMet shuttle around the park, which was driven by an operator who was kind enough to also provide narration and advice to the travelers on board. After winding through some of the residential neighbourhoods around the park, we stopped at the International Rose Test Garden. We picked up our magnet from their gift shop, as well as the postcards some of you will be receiving. The gift shop ladies were also handing out black tea, flavoured with rose petals. Not my thing, but Dani apparently enjoyed it. We were also there just in time for a guided tour of the gardens with a U of Oregon Master Gardener. I now know way more about the proper care of roses than I ever cared to. Here's some pretty flowers:
Speckled rose. Dani loved these.
After touring the gardens, we headed down to Pioneer Courthouse Square, the center of downtown Portland (and the TriMet network). Travel writers (and nobody else) call it "Portland's living room." Interesting factoid- the "pioneer courthouse" is now a branch of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. It certainly is a bustling place, with fountains and steps and, of course, some of Portland's famous food carts. Dani got a "Big Honkin' Burrito"- no kidding, that's what the cart was called- and it lived up to its name. We sat and enjoyed the bustling urban milleu for a while, watching people and buses and trains come and go.
After we'd sat long enough, we decided to ride up to the Portland Aerial Tram again, because I thought it was spectacular enough that Dani should see it (and because she'd brought spare batteries for the camera). Here's the tram itself:
And here's some views from the tram:
We headed back downtown via the Portland Streetcar, which was the beginning of the streetcar revival currently taking place across the United States. It is a nice ride:
(And hey look, a photo of me on the blog!)
Knowing that I couldn't make a visit to the Bicycle Capital of America without getting on a bicycle, Dani indulged me and we hopped off the streetcar near Kerr Bikes. This bike rental kiosk on the waterfront is the fundraising arm of the Albertina Kerr Foundation, a charity that works with the mentally and developmentally disabled in Portland. It also happens to provide bikes at fantastically cheap rates. We rented a tandem for the hour for $15 and proceeded to take a spin around Portland's famous waterfront. I had to get the hang of riding with a coaster brake, and we both had to get used to riding tandem, but by the end of the hour we'd pretty much figured it out. We had a great time!
All the following were taken by Dani from the back of the bike. (While stationary, but she'll get better...)
I had her take that last one because the base of that radio tower is on the 4T loop. I really wished I'd had a decent camera at that point.
After biking about, I had to take a run around in Salmon Street Springs, one of Portland's many public fountains. You're only young once, but you can be immature forever!
We then proceeded to ride over to Powell's City of Books. The name is no exaggeration, and perhaps I'll post a map when I get access to a scanner. They have an iPhone app that will give you turn-by-turn directions to your book, and it's warranted. They also provide helpful suggestions on where to find new authors you might like, and their politics section skews heavily towards my own political persuasions. It is a magical place for any book lover, and if you're in Portland you must visit. Portland happens to be the site of the upcoming Western Political Science Association conference. If I can get a paper accepted for presentation there, I plan on going back with several cardboard boxes, to be filled with books and sent home.
They had four huge rooms, each with dozens of aisles this size. I cannot adequately impress upon you the enormity of this place.
We were pretty worn out after Powell's (I'd hiked 5 miles that day BEFORE sightseeing) so we decided to head back to the hotel. We had a soak in their hot tub and returned to tackle one of the greatest challenges we would face: LAUNDRY. Since we're broke, coin-op machines are just too pricey, so we went for hand-washing our clothing in the bathroom. Here's what it looked like when we were done:
Of course, only half of it had managed to dry by check-out time the next day. Plastic bags to the rescue!
We finished out our time in Portland by heading downtown and riding the streetcar around one last time, just to take in the Portlandishness of it all. (Yes, that's a word now.) We then went to Union Station in order to exchange our tickets for trains that would actually be running and sat down and waited for our next train, the Cascades to Vancouver, BC. Portland's a pretty cool town, and I hope to visit again soon. If you're planning a visit, I encourage you to:
and, once there, to
Vancouver's up next!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Portland, Day 1
We're sitting in Portland's Union Station, waiting for the Cascades to Vancouver, BC. I figured I should post about what we did here. :)
The Coast Starlight was a lovely ride, but it is certainly taking the scenic route. Outside of major cities, it travels along some pretty lonely stretches of track which have pretty low speed limits. The train ambles leisurely between Santa Barbara and San Jose, and similarly as it travels across the Cascades. The view in both cases, however, is spectacular. The Cascades crossing is particularly spectacular- there is nothing around but the rail line. You're riding through relatively untouched wilderness- and doing so in the Sightseer Lounge car, which has wraparound windows. We have some photos, but they don't do it justice:
We arrived in Portland a few hours late, due to UP signal problems in central Oregon. We spent an hour and a half heading through farmland at 19 miles an hour, stopping at each signal and calling the dispatcher for authority to proceed. We finally arrived and took the MAX light rail to our hotel, the Clarion Portland Airport. It was a nice hotel (and a great deal- thanks Hotwire!), but I wish we'd stayed somewhere closer. The trip between downtown and the hotel involved a long train ride to the airport, then calling the hotel's shuttle to come pick us up at said airport.
After getting checked in, we decided to make the best of our late arrival and take in the city. Because Dani declined a sandwich that afternoon, she was feeling very hungry and very insistent upon Mexican food, so we went in search of an inexpensive burrito. We stopped by Powell's City of Books, the largest book store in the country, but we didn't stay long- just long enough to ask an employee where she'd go to get a burrito. She pointed us to a restaurant that used to be El Grillo, which our guidebook says is the cheapest meal downtown, aside from the food trucks. Sadly, it is no longer El Grillo, but Santeria, who supposedly has "the best mexican food on Earth." We waited an hour and a half for nachos and tacos, and when they arrived they were just okay. (The service was worse than Templo del Sol, and those of you who know Templo will know that's saying something.) By the time we were done, the only things left open downtown were nightlife, which of course is out of our budget, so we headed for the MAX train back to the airport. A quick glance at Google Transit showed, however, that the last train for the airport had already left. We grabbed a bus, which got us within a mile of our hotel, and then hoofed it the rest of the way through a dark, deserted area of business parks. Dani was not happy with me. We resolved to make our next day in Portland an improvement.
The Coast Starlight was a lovely ride, but it is certainly taking the scenic route. Outside of major cities, it travels along some pretty lonely stretches of track which have pretty low speed limits. The train ambles leisurely between Santa Barbara and San Jose, and similarly as it travels across the Cascades. The view in both cases, however, is spectacular. The Cascades crossing is particularly spectacular- there is nothing around but the rail line. You're riding through relatively untouched wilderness- and doing so in the Sightseer Lounge car, which has wraparound windows. We have some photos, but they don't do it justice:
We arrived in Portland a few hours late, due to UP signal problems in central Oregon. We spent an hour and a half heading through farmland at 19 miles an hour, stopping at each signal and calling the dispatcher for authority to proceed. We finally arrived and took the MAX light rail to our hotel, the Clarion Portland Airport. It was a nice hotel (and a great deal- thanks Hotwire!), but I wish we'd stayed somewhere closer. The trip between downtown and the hotel involved a long train ride to the airport, then calling the hotel's shuttle to come pick us up at said airport.
After getting checked in, we decided to make the best of our late arrival and take in the city. Because Dani declined a sandwich that afternoon, she was feeling very hungry and very insistent upon Mexican food, so we went in search of an inexpensive burrito. We stopped by Powell's City of Books, the largest book store in the country, but we didn't stay long- just long enough to ask an employee where she'd go to get a burrito. She pointed us to a restaurant that used to be El Grillo, which our guidebook says is the cheapest meal downtown, aside from the food trucks. Sadly, it is no longer El Grillo, but Santeria, who supposedly has "the best mexican food on Earth." We waited an hour and a half for nachos and tacos, and when they arrived they were just okay. (The service was worse than Templo del Sol, and those of you who know Templo will know that's saying something.) By the time we were done, the only things left open downtown were nightlife, which of course is out of our budget, so we headed for the MAX train back to the airport. A quick glance at Google Transit showed, however, that the last train for the airport had already left. We grabbed a bus, which got us within a mile of our hotel, and then hoofed it the rest of the way through a dark, deserted area of business parks. Dani was not happy with me. We resolved to make our next day in Portland an improvement.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
A month on Amtrak- What could go wrong?
A lot, it turns out.
Due to extreme flooding along the route of the Seattle-Chicago Empire Builder, the train has been cancelled for "at least a month," according to an Amtrak agent I spoke to. That train, of course, was a key part of our itinerary. We've been re-routed, but it's screwing some things up. We won't be staying in Chicago, and we'll be getting in to Toronto a day later than planned. All things considered, not too bad- but we also have to look forward to 5 days straight in coach. We also have nowhere to stay in Seattle, where we now have to overnight. (I'm working on getting compensation from Amtrak.)
I'll let you know how things turn out.
Due to extreme flooding along the route of the Seattle-Chicago Empire Builder, the train has been cancelled for "at least a month," according to an Amtrak agent I spoke to. That train, of course, was a key part of our itinerary. We've been re-routed, but it's screwing some things up. We won't be staying in Chicago, and we'll be getting in to Toronto a day later than planned. All things considered, not too bad- but we also have to look forward to 5 days straight in coach. We also have nowhere to stay in Seattle, where we now have to overnight. (I'm working on getting compensation from Amtrak.)
I'll let you know how things turn out.
Overheard
"At your right is a reservoir, and people have been asking me what it's called. That is the Lookout Point Reservoir, also known as Lake Lottawater."
(It also happens to be gorgeous.)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Overheard on the radio
Engineer: "Conductor, Amtrak 14, we hit a shopping cart. I feel it bouncing around under there, so we're going to stop and check it out."
It has begun!
By the time you read this, Dani and I will be on our way to Portland, OR. A friend mentioned to me that I didn't have a clear list of the places we'll be visiting, so I figure I'll post one up.
On this trip, we'll be stopping in:
We'll arrive in Portland tomorrow afternoon. Thanks for following along!
On this trip, we'll be stopping in:
- Portland, OR
- Vancouver, BC
- Victoria, BC
- Chicago, IL
- Niagara Falls, NY and ON
- Toronto, ON
- Montreal, QC
- New York, NY
- Boston, MA
- Portland, ME
- Lubec, ME (the easternmost point in the continental United States)
- Bar Harbor, ME (Acadia Nat'l Park)
- Washington, DC
- New Orleans, LA
We'll arrive in Portland tomorrow afternoon. Thanks for following along!
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