2014 Big Truck across the NW, Day 14

Day 14 started with a windblown trip to the river's edge to play for a bit. 35mph winds quickly turned Jordan into a younger version of this.

A few minutes into the playground session, I discovered this guy.

Then someone else discovered him.

Shortly thereafter, playtime was done.  We then headed into Portland for the day. The city had a pretty interesting vibe, with plenty of character. One thing we discovered throughout the day - the 'Keep Portland Weird' slogans all over. People here are trying so hard to be different that they're pretty much the same. A tattoo parlor that also specializes in mowhawks and sells fixed gear bikes would make millions.

Our first stop - Oregon's own Deschutes Brewery. The main one is in Bend (will be there in a few days), but this one is still pretty cool.

We had a great lunch, then head to our prime destination - OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science & Industry). The best way to get there - Portland Streetcar.

Along this route, we were continually hit over the head with indications that Portland is a bike-friendly city. I'm as pro-bicycle as anyone, but it seems to have taken a near militant stance here. Dre - thanks for the clip, this portrays Portland's bike culture perfectly.

We also saw this guy, desperately hoping to draw attention while pretending not to care.

When we got to OMSI, all bets were off as Jordan went on about a 5 hour binge of full nerd activity. I couldn't have been more proud.

Here we learned the finer points of the functionality and importance of the boom, trolley, and hoist. Or just played with giant Legos.

I felt odd when we had to pry her out of a Museum of Science and Industry, and then I had to comprehend what it is about a donut shop that would prompt people (including us) to wait 45 minutes in line.  Meet Portland's own Voodoo Donuts, a place we had first heard about in NW Washington from some locals. 

I have to admit, it's pretty much all marketing hype, but the donuts were pretty good. Not 45 minutes in line good, but still good.

On the way home, the OMSI had taken its toll. Jordan found a nice comfy position in the Jeep and cashed out.

As we said farewell to the grunge/hipster/whole foods/singlespeed culture of Portland, we arrived back at our Columbia River oasis, just in time for this.

Day 15 (start of our 3rd week, unprecedented for these corporate stiffs) looks like Oregon coast, aquarium, and an asphalt RV campground.