Portland's a Weird Brew: Rain, Ramen, and Rambles
okay, so i’m pretty sure i’m running on caffeine and the sheer disbelief that i actually made it here. 5282835 and 1840004772… honestly, those numbers just felt like a challenge, right? like, ‘let’s see how far we can get before we completely lose it.’ the temp is 4.11, feels like 1.69 - which, you know, is basically arctic. temp_min is 3.27, temp_max is 4.85. pressure’s 1012, humidity’s 76, sea level’s 1012, ground level’s 991. it’s… damp. perpetually damp. like a sponge that’s been left out in the rain for a week.
Portland. it’s… a lot. i’m not gonna lie. i landed at PDX and immediately felt like i’d stepped into a Wes Anderson film, but with more rain and less pastel. the airport itself is kinda cool, all exposed brick and weird art. i grabbed a coffee - a really strong coffee - and immediately started wandering.
first thing i did was stumble upon this tiny ramen shop called "Noodle Ninja." someone told me that the tonkotsu broth is legendary, and honestly? they weren’t wrong. it was like a warm hug in a bowl. i’m talking serious soul-soothing. i’m pretty sure i spent a good twenty minutes just staring into the broth, contemplating my life choices.
wandering around, i kept hearing snippets of conversations. like, ‘dude, you have to check out Powell’s City of Books,’ or ‘the food carts on Alder Street are insane.’ i checked out Yelp and TripAdvisor - Powell’s is massive, obviously. and the food carts? yeah, they’re a thing. a glorious, chaotic thing. i ended up getting a kimchi taco from one of them. it was… an experience.
seriously, the rain. it’s relentless. it’s like the city’s perpetually weeping. but you know what? it adds to the vibe. it makes everything feel a little bit… moody. i saw a guy wearing a bright yellow raincoat and a cowboy hat. just… existing. it was beautiful. i overheard a group of college students talking about a secret speakeasy downtown - “I heard that it’s only open on Tuesdays and requires a password,” one of them said. password? seriously?
i spent the afternoon exploring the *Rose Garden, which is actually pretty amazing, considering it’s in the middle of a city. and then i got hopelessly lost in the Pearl District, which is basically a collection of trendy boutiques and art galleries. i bought a ridiculously oversized scarf - because, Portland.
my hotel is… charming. let’s just say it’s got character. and by character, i mean it smells faintly of mothballs and regret. but the bed is comfy, and the shower works, so i’m not complaining too much. if you get bored, Seattle is just a short drive away. i’m thinking of heading over there tomorrow.
overall, portland is weird. it’s messy. it’s rainy. and it’s kind of amazing. i’m gonna keep exploring, keep eating ramen, and keep trying to figure out how to avoid getting soaked.
check out this local board for events: https://www.eventbrite.com/d/or--portland/events/
and for more travel inspo: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g33659-Portland_Oregon_USA.html
and if you're looking for more coffee shops: https://www.yelp.com/directory/coffee-shops/portland
Pro-Tip:* Bring a waterproof bag. Seriously. You’ll thank me later.
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