You really have to check this out!

The home of gigantic doughnuts and so much more! There is the Voodoo wedding chapel where (legal) ceremonies have been performed since 2003. For example, there is the First Friday eating contest, the Tex-Ass Challenge, and the Coffin Full of Doughnuts.  To learn all about it, go to their website at http://voodoodoughnuts.com. Sorry, the link isn't working for some reason within the blog.

Hip hotel

As in many urban down towns, old hotels that had fallen on hard times are being renovated. One of the most interesting is the Ace Hotel in the northwest section of the city (and around the corner from Powell's one and a half million new and used books). The hotel is part of a chain, but the property has several unique features. My favorite is the old-fashioned photo booth in the lobby where you can commemorate your visit with a strip of those always flattering black and white photos. It is described as being a cross between a hip and boutique hotel, featuring rooms decorated with artist murals and a Stumptown coffee roasting shop off the lobby. To find out more, visit acehotel.

Old restaurant

"Unleash your inner foodie in a city that has become a hot culinary destination, and experience an amazingly textured range of global delights created with fresh, locally harvested ingredients". (Fodor, 2008, Portland, 9.)

If coffee is important in Portland, the amazing number of restaurants competing for a diner's loyalty is staggering. While there are always new restaurants to try, there are some old classics still remaining, including the Seafood Grotto in the northwest section of the city. This opened in 1891 as Zack's Oyster House in the Joyce Hotel which now is a hostel.

Coffee is a VERY big deal in Portland. Trailhead Coffee Roasters does all of its deliveries by bicycle. Their beans come from the Cafe Feminino Coop. All of the harvesting is done by women who share in the proceeds. Their website:cafefemenino.com.

You are going to need a big glass for this pour!

This 12 foot bronze replica sculpture of a wine pitcher from the Chinese Shang Dynasty (1200-1100 B.C.) was a gift to Portland in 2002 from Chinese businessman Huo Baozhu, a producer of reproduction antiquities. It is sixteen times the original size. Huo gave the gift as a demonstration of his love of Portland and Chinese history.

This scultpure is located in the Northwest Park Blocks. These blocks were dedicated to the city by Captain John Couch in 1869. The area was residential by the 1880's. The City Park Commission installed the first supervised playground in 1908. (From: Portland Parks and Recreation). More about the art in the park blocks in the future.

Book Heaven

This is the main store of the famous Powells Books, the largest independent bookstore in the country. This store location encompasses a whole city block, and there are five satellite stores specializing in topics such as technology and gardening. For those not lucky enough to live in this home of Powells, the good news is you can shop online and check out lots of cool features at Powells Book Store.

Mystery

I often pass by this abandoned storefront, and I continue to wonder if the store (whatever it was or will be) is coming or going. There are no clues.