Anniversary Day of Adventures -- A Love Letter to Portland

Yesterday was our 33rd anniversary, so my husband and I dedicated the day to beautiful downtown Portland. I'd already scored a pair of free Portland Art Museum Discovery Pass tickets from the library's website, although it turned out to be a free day for everyone! Founded in 1892, The Portland Art Museum is the oldest museum on the west coast.

Sadly the David Hockney exhibit closed a few weeks ago, but there's always plenty of artwork to enjoy.

l'm always drawn to Mary Dill Henry's art, especially her early work. I feel like I discover something new in this lithograph with every visit.

The museum had one of the the Wildwood crows that were placed around the city a few days ago. They're publicity for Laika Studio's Wildwood movie that comes out in late October. I'm very excited to actually see it in a theater, as it's being called a "Love letter to Portland."

We then walked across the street to the Oregon Historical Society museum, which is always free for Multnomah County residents. I mostly wanted to show my husband the 10,000 year old sandals in their collection.

The design and skill in these sandals just blows me away!

Our next stop was Huber's Café, which is "Portland's oldest bar and restaurant." They have a reasonably priced happy hour that runs from 4-6 P.M., even on the weekend.

What I like most about Huber's is their stained glass ceiling, designed by Portland's Povey Brothers, who were known as the "Tiffany of the Northwest."

It's hard to get a good photo as it's obviously backlit, but here's what you get to sit under while dining. I love going to businesses that let me feel like I'm a time traveler.

My husband got an old fashioned, which I held for a photo op!

I grew up with a Povey Brothers stained glass window in my home, which is why their designs are near and dear to my heart.

My parents paid $20,000 for this house!

Our last stop in downtown Portland was to the Clyde Hotel, as I'd read they had an old school black and white photo booth. Sure, it was $12 for two strips instead of 75¢ for one, but well worth the money!

I grew up hitting countless photo booths with family, friends and even a certain boyfriend.

Here we are in 1989 or so.

Our last stop was to Lloyd Center Mall, who marked their last day of operation with a free for all extravaganza after 66 years in business. (I kid you not about the "free for all," as people were helping themselves to all the potted plants!) Lloyd Center is walking distance from my childhood home and I briefly worked there in 1984 selling jewelry and piercing ears.

It's where my mother would take us for a Newberry's snack bar hotdog and my sister and I would hound Hickory Farms for free samples. It didn't used to be covered, which meant you'd get rained on between the stores.

My father took my sister and I to get our ears pierced at Meier & Frank, and knowing him, he likely detoured to hit up their deli, which was the only place in Portland for the style of cold cuts he grew up with in Pittsburgh.

Occasionally our mother would splurge and treat my sister and I to the Meier & Frank's Aladdin restaurant that overlooked the ice skaters. It was so fancy!

This rare urban mall is being razed to create a "mixed use neighborhood" that will erase the last ice rink in the entire city.

I photographed a hidden spot with the old logo that I grew up with.

As evidenced by my sister's "skate school" pin, circa 1973.

I always loved this enormous Flight of Birds sculpture, which used to hang over the skating rink. I hope the "mixed use" development that's razing Lloyd Center will find a place to display it.

I'm not the only Northeast Portland resident who was experiencing Big Feelings yesterday, as there were thousands of us making one last pilgrimage to Lloyd Center.

I only wish I'd brought a pen. And a time machine.

Katy Wolk-Stanley 

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

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