Had an awesome day in Portland! Remember those running shoes I mentioned from an earlier post? (Thanks again, Sarah!) Well, I finally had an opportunity to use them this morning with very little lined up for my activities. Turns out that going for a run dictated the rest of my day for me.
I must have ran a few miles before I saw a crowd on bikes milling to one area. I decided to stop and see what exactly was going on. What was everyone clamoring about? The Oregon Garden Brewfest. It’s a bright celebration of beer that gives thanks for an emergence from winter. And boy, is it cool!
There was a bicycle show happening in front of the grounds. Again, the bicycle culture in Portland is unparalleled. It was a community of different people bantering about bikes, complimenting others and showing off their bizarre talents. They had these Frankenstein-esque made bicycles, parts that had no business attached to specific frames, and it made for a pretty silly time.
I quenched my thirst from the run with another the Black Cat Porter, absolutely amazing. I honestly have to say, sharing another craft beer in a crowd full of welcoming strangers on another beautiful day, this is the Portland I’ll remember after this trip is over. Everyone I talked to today was so encouraging and interested in my travel plans, wishing me luck along the way. It never once felt like I was far away from home during my stay out here.
There was some isolated rain toward the tail end of my visit to Brewfest, ironically the first time I encountered any on the trip. What happened to this foreboding gloom I heard so much about? I’ll just take this as a sign the city will miss me when I’m gone.
