My First 24 Hours In Portland (Part I)

A couple of months ago, I posted about my first experience using AirBnB for lodging, which happened to coincide with my arrival in Portland, Oregon.

As a refresher, AirBnB is like a hybrid between Hotels.com and Craigslist, where you can find a room or entire home / condo / apartment / yurt to rent from a property owner in countless cities across the world.

I finalized my first AirBnB stay just before getting into town, en route from Hood River, OR. Touching down in the Rose City just after dark, the street I was staying on was almost desolate, with very few houselights to guide my way — but the city’s peacefulness created a warm welcome in itself.

My being her first official Bread & Breakfast tenant, my host really wanted to make a good impression, but what I found upon entering was above and beyond what I had expected. Her home was not only presentable; it was incredible – like a cabin in the woods, transplanted to a suburban neighborhood.

I was immediately offered a mini-meal and a beer, which I enjoyed on the back deck, where I spotted an outdoor hot tub. “You can use the hot tub or sauna ANY time,” she assured me. I hadn’t spotted the sauna yet, but this was good to know!

My new friend and I took a dip in the tub and exchanged life stories, or at least, enough information to take us into the early hours of the morning, when I exhaustedly called it a night.

That next morning, we ate a hearty breakfast at Tasty n Sons, a North Portland mainstay, and my afternoon consisted of getting to know the city by foot. That “new city smell” is an understatement – especially in the Pacific Northwest! I already knew that this part of the world was above-average in environmental consciousness, but I would come to realize that because of its climate and avid annual rainfall, is also green in a whole other sense: gardens! I would estimate that over two-thirds of all yards I have seen are participating in some sort of horticulture, and the concept of food being plucked from a backyard and onto a plate was a beautiful new reality for me.

Little did I know what the next half of my first 24-hours-in-Portland would consist of — I’ll be back next week with the conclusion!