Downtown

We had a downtown and very cold family outing today. It was sunny, but in the 30s.

Halen got to ride the train, twice! Downtown Portland has a 300 block zone called the "fareless square." Within this area, you don't have to pay to take any public transit; light rail or bus. It makes jumping on and off the bus and train easy and fun.


I did a little downtown research and had a pre-planned route for us, with a simple little 'Dora-esque' picture map with all the things we were going to visit on it. Halen carried that around in his pocket and would look at it when we would consult our street map. We're still not real familiar with this downtown. I really want to be a bike messenger here for a few months, just so I know my way around like I did in other cities I've lived in. Anyway, this elephant, titled 'Da Tung' or 'Universal Peace', is a replica of an ancient Chinese sculpture. On it's back is a baby elephant (sorry you can't see that well in my pic, I was more concerned with my baby under it's belly), symbolizing safety and prosperity for offspring. Nearby is a nice little playground. It's a great downtown park for kids.


We took a stroll by the Williamette River, the river that bisects Portland. Back in 1974, the governor razed a freeway to build this nice 22 block riverside park! What a guy. The park is now named for him. Thanks Tom McCall.


No trip downtown would be complete without visiting Voodoo Donuts and picking up some sweet and very unhealthy vegan deliciousness. We got lucky too. Sitting on the counter was a beautiful pink box filled with 2 dozen vegan day-olds for $5! We shouldn't have, but we did!


This one is just Halen looking cool, taking a stroll.


We also ate some yummy food at Veganopolis, the hip downtown vegan breakfast and lunch spot. Stephen King's unofficial twin works there.
It was a good day. Liam stayed bundled and wrapped up on me, sleeping or nursing as we walked along. Halen enjoyed the walk and the sites. Dan and I enjoyed the ample sunshine, despite the cold. I look forward to doing it again soon. This summer will really be cool, because there are numerous kid-friendly fountains that Halen can play in. Woohoo.