By: Zachary Lundgren

This summer, eager for a break from the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, we decided to spend a few days in the neighboring city of Portland, Oregon. This was our first vacation since a camping trip to Yellowstone in 2019, so the art of vacationing was somewhat new to us again. My mother and I are both are fully vaccinated and we would make sure to wear masks both indoors and out. This being our first vacation in two years, we would make sure to stay as safe and healthy as possible while navigating the pandemic-era travel world for the first time.

Wednesday

Around eleven in the morning, we began our three-hour long drive to Portland, Oregon. Before we got on the I-5 south towards Seattle and eventually Portland, we went through a Starbucks drive-through for coffee. This would come to haunt us as for thirty minutes later, we would have to stop to use the bathroom. Over time, we traveled south, passing Tacoma, stopping to use the bathroom, past Olympia with its glistening capitol dome partially hidden behind the trees, stopping once again at a rest stop, stopping once more at at a Safeway for the same purpose as before, and finally crossing into Oregon. For dinner we were going to pick up some poke, but once again the coffee staged an intervention. When we arrived at the restaurant, we saw the all-to-common sign on the window which said “Due to the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, our restrooms are currently unavailable.” We managed to sneak into the office building to use their restrooms and found ourselves in the middle of a brand new OHSU research building. After ordering the poke, we headed across the city to our hotel.

Thursday

For breakfast this morning, we rode the streetcar across the city to a new development of high rise apartments/retail buildings. We ordered some doughnuts from Blue Star Doughnuts and ate them at a park nearby. This morning we had purchased tickets for a Segway tour which started a few blocks away. After managing to chase down a streetcar and get aboard, we took it about 100 meters until we disembarked at our destination. Unable to find the Segway tour office, we called them to ask if they had a bathroom. The lady on the phone didn’t know where there were restrooms. With an hour until the tour, we began to search. To convey a clear picture on the next hour here is a complete transcript:

My mom and I: (Walk towards a Portland State University Building)

Employee near the door: (After we explain our predicament) “I’m sorry but our bathrooms are closed to visitors.”

Us: “Okay, where are the nearest ones, we really have to go.”

Employee: “Check the café next door.”

Café employee: “We don’t have bathrooms.”

Us: (Walks to a Chevron across the street)

The person in Oregon that pumps the gas for you for some random reason: “We don’t have bathrooms.”

Me (really having to go): “Yes you do, the door over there says bathrooms on it.”

The person in Oregon that pumps the gas for you for some random reason: (Confused from the predicament) “Um, ask the manager inside, she makes the decisions.”

Manager: :Our bathrooms our broken.”

Mom: “How do you pee then?”

Manager: “Check the CVS down the street.”

CVS counter: (Abandoned)

Us: “Is anyone here?”

Lady (now at the counter): “How can I help you?”

Us: “Can we use your restrooms.”

Lady at the counter: “I’m sorry but our restrooms are for customers only.”

Mom: (Grabs some water from the cooler next to the counter and places in on the table) “Can we use you restrooms?”

Victorious, we returned to the Segway place with five minutes to spare. Our bladders empty and back at the Segway place, we had triumphed. We had learned that during a pandemic, it is best to use a restroom if you get the opportunity. Including the guide and ourselves, the tour consisted of only five people. On the tour, I finally learned that the smell in cities akin to a skunk isn’t actually the infamous woodland creature but marijuana. I fail as a Seattleite. The guide informed us that most of the public art installations we were going to see later during the trip had to be taken down due to the protests and riots.

I had forgotten how Segways are oddly painful for your feet. I learned this at the end when I stepped off and realized I had locked my knees for the entire two hours. About half way during the tour, we went on the waterfront boardwalk and began traveling full speed, making excellent time. Because of the gyroscope inside the Segway, mine began to lean backwards the faster I went. Unable to slow down, I was about to parody the movie Speed before I managed to get control. We crossed one of the city’s many bridges which continued the boardwalk onto the east side. After fully circling the city, we arrived back at the parking lot two hours. In my opinion, a Segway tour is one of the best ways to see a city quickly and relatively easily.

After the tour we began our search for lunch. We ended up at a Hawaiian food restaurant which had great Hawaiian Chicken. Afterwards, we decided to spend the rest of the day seeing the Portland Art Museum, which had many classics ranging from Monet to Van Gogh and Renoir. After walking through the many galleries for a few hours, we went back to our hotel and ordered pizza, which was delivered an hour later. While eating dinner, we spent our time channel surfing before giving up and switching to just browsing the internet.

I admit that during the first day we went rogue by not paying for the streetcar. Is that a misdemeanor or a felony? We were living above the law. The other days we bought all-day passes in the morning so we could get on and off as we pleased while still being law-abiding citizens.

Some Photos of the Portland Art Museum:

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Friday

We woke up to the potent smell of pot in our room. Thinking it came from the homeless encampment circling our hotel, we looked through the window and saw it was closed. After investigating, we learned the smell came through the connecting door from the adjoining room. We called to report the fumes and decided to jam pillows under the door to keep the smoke out. After doing the best we could to make the room air tight, we set out for the day. Today’s adventures included the Pearl District and Pittock Mansion. The mansion perched on the hills above Portland was built for a retired couple in the late 19th century, but they died only a few years after the mansion was finished. Their adult children then decided to live in it with their families. The home featured the most modern technology of the day and had multiple personal living quarters for the individual families. From an intercom system to a refrigeration room, the mansion was revolutionary 100 years ago. The tour was self-guided and had staggered entry times, for both COVID protocols and to prevent buildups in crowds. The property also had an lavish garden wrapping around it with a grand view of the city and surrounding lands.

Some Photos of the Pittock Mansion:

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Next was the Pearl District. Home of Powell’s Bookstore, we were constantly asked about the subject during the day.

Other Person: “Oh, you’re from Seattle. I’ve heard about that city.”

Us: “Yeah, we live in…”

Other person interrupting: “HAVE YOU BEEN TO POWELL’S YET???”

Us: “No, we are planning to go to other…”

Other person interrupting once again: “HAVE YOU BEEN TO VOODOO DOUGHNUTS??”

Us: “No, we don’t really care for cereal on doughnuts. We did go to Blue Star Doughnuts…”

The other person who won’t stop interrupting: “HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR VOODOO DOUGHNUTS TO POWELL’S??”

In the Pearl District, we walked around for a few hours exploring the public parks and sophisticated architecture. The design featured in the Pearl District is modern, but still retains the industrial ambiance the district once emitted. We decided later to take the streetcar through the city. It took us a few hours to complete the loop which traveled through the Pearl District, over to the east side, and back through the south side of downtown. After some matzo ball soup for lunch, we took the MAX Line north. We decided to get some ice cream at Fifty Licks Ice cream. When we arrived, I ordered two scoops of strawberry cheesecake and green tea. I personally prefer more delicate flavors for ice cream (lavender in one of my favorites). One of the reasons I love subtle flavors is that they give you the ability to appropriately judge how good the ice cream is. A flavor like lavender is not supposed to be cloying, more like a vanilla with a slight herbal aftertaste. A naturally delicate flavor being overly potent is the first sign of mediocre ice cream. The flavors were rich and delicious and the ice cream itself had a perfect texture. On the MAX Line back to the hotel, we were once again were asked about Powell’s Bookstore and Voodoo Doughnuts.

Saturday

This morning, we had plans to meet some friends over at the Portland Japanese Gardens, but first we had to eat breakfast. We picked up some coffee at Peet’s and went over to Nola Doughnuts for breakfast. New Orleans themed, the place was near-empty when we arrived but soon filled with people eager for their signature croissant doughnuts. While waiting for the croissant doughnuts to finish baking, we treated ourselves to two of their classic brioche doughnuts. We shared a brown butter and pecan doughnut and a Madagascar vanilla. I learned that there are different types of vanilla. Just like salts, vanilla varies between locations. Unfortunately we ran out of time and had to leave before the croissant doughnuts were ready. Taking three whole days to make, you can’t rush art.

When we arrived at Washington Park, we were stunned to see how busy it was. We eventually found a spot not to far from the Japanese Gardens and managed to arrive in time. First, we walked up a little trail which took us to a pavilion presenting a modern twist on traditional Japanese architecture. In the pavilion were a series of gift shops and galleries, some mini bonsai trees which were centuries old, and the popular Umami Café, already fully booked for the day. Branching from the pavilion were a series of trails and paths taking us to different features. From a boardwalk over a koi pond to a stone garden, every spot of the Japanese Gardens were landscaped and tended with upmost care. It is a must see for anyone traveling to Portland.

After leaving the gardens, we bought some hotdogs from a food truck in the parking lot for lunch. Limp yet stiff, cold yet warm, and flavorful yet bland, whatever we were served was a truly disturbing attempt at a hot dog. After getting some “food,” we drove back to the hotel. Next on the itinerary was the Portland Historical Society. With our feet somewhat sore, we decided to take the MAX Line to the PSU Campus where the museum was located. The streetcar took us one block, where we then had to walk the remaining six. The museum was very well curated and filled with many interesting pieces of Oregon history. In the lobby was the Portland Penny, the coin which decided the name for the city. When Francis Pettygrove and Asa Lovejoy both wanted to name the city, currently called “The Clearing,” after their hometowns, they decided to flip a coin. Pettygrove won, acquiring the right to name the city after his hometown of Portland, Maine.

Some Photos of the Portland Japanese Garden:

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Sunday

In the morning, before we headed back, we had planed to attend a lecture about forest fires at the Hoyt Arboretum. For breakfast, we decided to stop at Nola Doughnuts once more to take a box back home. There, we managed to acquire two croissant doughnuts. When we reached Washington Park, the GPS started to get confused, randomly spinning the geographical poles and transporting our little car icon on the screen to random locations thousands of miles from the park. With the GPS having a midlife crisis, we decided to turn it off and navigate the old fashion way. We got lost. While paying for our parking spot, we were next to another lady who was very passionate about her predicament.

Us: “Calmly paying for parking.”

Her: “This &^$%(&# thing won’t work, why can’t I just get my ^&%$*@# ticket. Hey, is your &^*($#@ working?”

Us: “Yes.”

Her: “Well $%*& that.”

We had parked at the Vietnam Memorial, which happened to be nowhere near the arboretum’s visitor center. After walking for some time and asking the GPS for directions (it said we were in Ohio), we decided to ask others for help. Everyone else was from out of town, so nobody knew where the visitor center exactly was. When we finally reached our destination, we learned the class had been canceled. Because of this, we boarded the Washington Park Shuttle returning to the car. Instead of driving the half-mile back to the Vietnam Memorial, we took the miles-long loop around the park. Once finished at the park, we began heading back home. We finally arrived in Seattle around 4:30 in the afternoon, glad to be home.

Views on traveling during a pandemic:

This was my first true vacation since the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic 18 months ago, so I was probably more stressed than someone who has adapted more to traveling during the pandemic. I felt that traveling during the pandemic was more stressful than I initially though it would be. We were both fully vaccinated and wore masks both indoors and out, but I still felt a little too stressed to fully enjoy the trip.

One of the aspects of pandemic-era travel we did not prepare for was the bathroom situation. Most office building lobbies were closed, and a majority of stores and restaurants offered bathrooms only to employees. We learned during the trip that if you have access to a restroom, use it, the opportunity may not come again.

I felt that in all, the city of Portland had a hard-to-explain quality to it. We seemed very out of place by just walking around admiring the architecture. It was almost like a small town from western movies, where the cowboy walks through the deserted street, only to find everyone hiding in the canteen. Most people in Portland seemed to be out only for a specific purpose, almost scared of the outdoors, just like the townspeople in western movies who close their shutters when someone new comes to town. This may be based on both the COVID surge and/or the recent riots. Protests have consumed the city for the last year, and I understand the fear. Most businesses were boarded up to prevent looting and many statues were taken down for protection, which adds a depressing feel to the city. For a city which attracts many tourists, the whole vibe felt distant and removed. It is a feeling that is hard to explain but incredibly present. I felt that in all, the vacation went well for a first trip, however I would probably wait out the pandemic before traveling again.