First time in Portland (actually, Oregon as a whole).
We have some friends East of Portland in Hood River so we made the drive to visit them for a day. The whole Columbia River Gorge area on the drive out was absolutely stunning.
Being our first time in Portland we really weren't sure what to expect. We initially stayed at the Hoxton in Old Town – which was pretty sad, to be honest. Being from the Bay Area we are both very aware of squalor and homelessness, but Portland's Old Town just seemed to be deserted sans mentally ill.
My wife caught a cold during this trip so a few days were just me walking around aimlessly like I do a lot of the time in a new city. I really enjoyed walking up and down the Willamette River at dusk.
We came to Oregon to see friends in both Portland and Hood River, so a lot of time was spent meandering and catching up, which was great. I felt like I got some decent photos with limited time with my camera, but still couldn't make my #1 photo op happen, the St. John's Bridge – but there will always be a next time.
