To PDX and Back: A Hip Hip Tale (Guest Blogger: Jeff Hallenbeck)

Over the July 4th weekend, May and I were lucky enough to have my brother Jeff come up to Portland and visit. It was super fun having him up here and his beard was well received! These are his recollections from that week.

Portland, where the young go to retire, where the weird go to be free, and where the hipsters go to slack line. For me, Portland was a destination to unwind, visit with my big bro, and surround myself with this Beautiful town and the Pacific Northwest. It turned into an adventure and a truly unique and weird experience.

To start it off we spent a night with the clown prince of Weird: Patton Oswalt.

We drank, We laughed, We stumbled, we ate poutin, and we caused Ruckus at the food cart with Poppers. Todd’s Mischievous smile sums up our night nicely.

Then off to the organic beer festival to treat our palettes with some inventive ales. There was some grooving to live music, and along with a little getting lost on the way. Only to wrap up the night with some skateboarding and the best chicken in town.

I got some days to myself to encounter the weird on my own. With two wheels underneath me and a camera around my neck I took to the streets. I got to see the local attractions like Gigantic Bookstores and Immense and Tranquil Japanese Gardens, as well as the local breweries in the southeast Portland. Go Sour or Go Home!

Then off to Seattle for some walking around time, we even managed to stop by a zoo. And the fireworks. Oh how magnificent they were when viewed from Chris’ Lakefront property. Largest in North America, believe that.

To end the week we spent the last couple of days relaxing out on the Olympic Peninsula in forest (camp sites) that evoke memories of Ferngully and Tarzan with gargantuan Firs moss covered logs laying across the forest floor. Green as far as the eye can see.

Until we got to the beach (A 15 min walk) where we sat around a bonfire and discussed things like Politics, Ambitions, Alberto, and Forks.

And then I got on a plane and flew back to LA with Portland becoming a distant memory in the oblong mirror and a single thought in my head… when am I going to come back to this weird place?