Portland and nearbys

The search for snow was at the origin of this. Unlike previous years, Big Bear, only a 2 hour drive from home, was/is without snow or any other kind of winter manifestation. It’s like spring there with a bit of cold during night. Enough with meteorology. Portland and its nearbys is where we set to meet the winter, and while the winter awaited us not far from Portland, Portland itself took a break from rain and brought a smile on people's faces. now what is it to say about the city? everything to say was in comparison to Los Angeles, thus everything sounded better. Ama was keep asking what's with the always green around, and I explained the situation with the Pacific Northwest and the rain, the rain raining, the rain chain. I mentioned how Washington state is nicknamed "The Evergreen State". but it seemed that this rain everlasting rain didn't influence the city much, the citizens couldn't care less, they rode bikes and walked the streets in such a way that Missing Persons could never write a song about that like they did with Los Angeles. this was our second time in the city, first had been exactly 4 years prior. like then the vibe was about friendship and being hip, youth that almost made us feel old, and perhaps coffee keeping the youth friendly and hip. no taxes - and nothing else to say about that, the joy of looking at a restaurant bill will tell you everything, and the subsequent should we move here? the normality comes in different shapes and colors. there're parks and trams. crime is low, infrequent, and the feeling is one of "fine, I'll just walk home if no tram or cab comes by". the Ocean and Mt Hood are close enough, equally spaced from Portland, and the ride to them is countryside and green. there's a sense of poverty rising out of the side views, like anywhere farmland, but it doesn't seem that awful. Colombia Gorge is much closer. at the Ocean, Canon Beach is the fancy people's stop, while Seaside is the low income paradise, sort of. we arrived at Astoria in darkness and could only get the vibe the city was decent enough, with a riverfront that invited rather than rejected. the centerpiece, a large bridge, wish it was lit to have at least an idea. at Mt Hood, Timberline Lodge is a perfect example of construction harmoniously integrated in nature, almost an extension to it. it doesn't feel at all offensive toward Mt Hood rising just behind it; it feels more like something kneeled and perpetually thanking to the mountain for making sense of its existence. The Shining only used the facade, but that's enough to make everyone excited.