Portland, Oregon

It worked out perfectly to hitch a ride with Julie and Travis Russell when they returned to Portland. They had been at the Russell family annual salmon fishing outing in Forks the first weekend of August. They stopped at Sam and Kat's place and Ed rode with them to their apartment in Beaverton, Oregon.

On Thursday morning, dressed in a sports jacket and slacks for his last public appearance as a PcVue employee, Ed joined Travis for the morning commute by train into the city. The train stop is a short walk from their apartment. Despite being a 40 minute ride, the fare is one $2.50 or for Travis, who's company subsidizes his pass, $10/month.

Ed was speaking on a panel at the IEEE Power and Energy Society General Meeting. It was held this year at the Oregon Convention Center.

Oregon Convention Center Peace Bell

After the conference there was an afternoon to revisit some favorite haunts in the days when Ed was a salesman making the rounds of the Pacific Northwest. The Hammersly inlet oyster was out of this world.

Inside Dan and Louise Oyster house showing the good old days of fishing in Puget Sound.

Portland wears it's "weird" title proudly. The Voodoo Donut House in the old city is a good example.

As is this coffee bar in the pet store.

McMenamin's is known for their restored historical building restaurants.

Portland duplex

Lewis and Clark monument in Washington Park. It was a short walk but I forgot Portland is on hills. It was a nice warm hike up.

The experimental rose garden in Washington Park.

Pimento burger at a McMenimin's in Beaverton. Another great meal.

Really nice way to end the evening.

Friday I took the train back to Seattle. It boarded on time, but we waited for a train coming from Spokane and was 1/2 hour late in leaving. This messed up the schedule so we were delayed several more times on the trip up. The first time we sat on the Columbia River bridge to wait for river traffic under the drawbridge.

Then later on the way back we sat for a long time just before the Tacoma Narrows bridge. They told us it was because of freight traffic but just at that time, a mechanic stole a Dash 80 from Horizon Airlines and was joyriding across Puget Sound. He crashed into Ketron Island which was very near to wear we had stopped.