Tuesday-Wednesday, June 29 and 30, 2004
Avoiding busy Interstate 5, we enjoy a short 50-mile drive from Salem, the state capitol, to Portland, the state’s largest city, following US 99 East through the flat farmlands of the Willamette Valley. Snow-mantled Mt. Hood hovers on the northeastern horizon. Then the highway runs along the Willamette River, past the falls of Oregon City, and into downtown Portland.
We have reservations at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel, but find that their central A/C is set for 74° F., too warm for our comfort level. Since the American Orient Express tour begins Wednesday at the elegant Benson Hotel, we move into the Benson one day early, in spite of the additional $110.00 room rate. Here at one of Portland’s grand and historic hotels, built in 1912, we can turn the A/C down to 65° F. if we choose, but 68° F. is perfect for working at our virtual-office work station. Crystal chandeliers, ornate ceilings, an understated yet expensively tasteful brown and beige color scheme, and – most important – a bowl of expensive, juicy Braeburn New Zealand Apples in the lobby (rather than the Washington Delicious that the average hotel offers) prove that this is a high-end hotel.
Members of tour groups staying at the Benson are invited to a complimentary wine tasting in the wine cellar hidden behind a “secret door” in the London Grill, illuminated by flickering candles. Servers offer Oregon and Washington State vintages, while we chat with members of our American Orient Express (AOE) “Lewis and Clark Epic Journey” group, as well as members of a Globus Tour of the Pacific Northwest.
Sticker Shock! The latest hot-spot dining venue in Portland, El Gaucho, is adjacent to the Benson, but we think $58.95 is spendy for an ala carte steak, with $5.00 extra for a potato, another $5.00 for spinach, $8.00 for salad, and so on. What has happened to Portland’s prices since our last visit? Perhaps the recent addition of nonstop flights from Portland to both Tokyo and Frankfurt have brought in foreign businessmen on expense accounts and driven the prices up. Strolling through the downtown area, we come across the familiar Greek Cusina Restaurant, its awning now festooned with a huge purple cartoon octopus (!) and enjoy an excellent dinner – costing only $21.00 for two.
Wednesday morning, to check our laundry back home, we taxi to Union Station, where we meet an old acquaintance and Lead Amtrak Agent, Scott Hurd. We stroll under the double decked Steel Bridge, rails on the lower level, highway on the upper, then along the Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Governor McCall was instrumental, during his term in the 1970s, in the removal of a riverfront expressway. It was replaced with the beautiful grassy park and promenade which is so popular with Portland residents and visitors.
We purchase tickets to Tri Met in order to explore the Hillsboro Line. Hillsboro, a suburb to the west, is an easy 45-minute ride aboard the Max LRV (Light Rail Vehicle) from downtown. (We’ve driven it before, and the traffic jams we remember from rush-hour are now in evidence at 10 AM.) There are many intermediate stops, each with ample parking for commuters, as well as clusters of new apartments and condos for those who wish to live outside of downtown and commute -- without the hassles of driving a car.
At the-end-of-the-line turnaround loop we disembark to enjoy coffee and pastry at outdoor tables with a view of the Max trains. We return to downtown just in time for a spicy, inexpensive buffet luncheon at the India House restaurant, followed by some essential shopping (Sylvia’s find -- $5.00 sterling-silver hoop earrings -- are essential) at the Council Thrift Shop across the street.
Wednesday evening there is a Welcome Champagne Dinner Party for AOE tour participants in the Benson’s Crystal Ballroom. We meet some fellow travelers and enjoy an excellent introductory presentation by our Tour Leader, followed by some thoughts on Lewis & Clark by our on-board lecturer, Andrew Gulliford.
Thursday morning our tour will begin with a motorcoach trip to the coast -- Astoria and Fort Clatsop -- where the Lewis & Clark expedition spent their cold, wet, and uncomfortable winter of 1805/06.
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