It is early morning and Fred begins to map out our strategy for the day. He locates a couple outlet stores (still searching for cargo pants) and a new food cart pod: Mississippi Marketplace. “The Big Egg” is located there and I have my eye on their Monte Cristo sandwich. Haven’t had a really good one since The Pierpont Inn in Ventura stopped making them. They were absolutely to die for.
However, I am fearful we will miss some of the sights of Portland if we only focus on our stomachs so I map out other sights to see: Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI), Portland Japanese Garden, Forest Park, The Grotto, Ira Keller Fountain, Portland Aerial Tram, and last but certainly not least, the 3D Center of Art & Photography.
First, we head out to do some shopping at the Bridgeport Marketplace, described as a “European” style mall. Evidently this means it is not enclosed and has an eclectic mix of big name department stores and small independently owned shops. We arrive to find it is also beautifully landscaped with flowering pots and greenery.
Our first stop is Bed Bath & Beyond to pick up some coffee for our Keurig coffee maker. We have one in our RV and we love it. Next door we find one of our favorite stores, Crate and Barrel. We see some dishes we just might buy tomorrow (have to think about it a day). But we are getting hungry so we cut short the shopping.
We head to the Mississippi Marketplace food cart pod for lunch. I am dying to try The Big Egg’s Monte Cristo sandwich. Haven’t had a good one since The Pierpont Inn in Ventura stopped making them.
The “Historic Mississippi District” of Portland is what Fred and I would call the “village”. Small craftsman-style houses in an older neighborhood dotted with corner cafes and bakeries.
We find our food carts nestled on a corner lot in this quiet little neighborhood. We have our choice of Mexican food, Big Top Waffles, Korean food, Thai, Italian, and, of course, The Big Egg. I stampede toward The Big Egg and notice instantly that a “Sold Out” sticker is covering the words “Monte Crisco Sandwich”. They tell us it is a popular item and it usually sold out by lunch time. What????
Bummer. We need a Plan B and it is sitting ten feet away from us. It is the “Garden State” cart that their hero meatball sandwich was featured on the Food Network. It’s better than good, it’s mouth-watering - really yum. And the chickpea fries are crunchy and savory. We are happy.
Bummer. We need a Plan B and it is sitting ten feet away from us. It is the “Garden State” cart that their hero meatball sandwich was featured on the Food Network. It’s better than good, it’s mouth-watering - really yum. And the chickpea fries are crunchy and savory. We are happy.
After wiping our lips and rubbing our tummies, we head to the 3D Center of Art and Photography. We learn all about the history of 3D, originally called “Stereoscopic” photography that began in the 1840’s. It is fascinating and beyond what I have time to describe here. But take my word for it, if you are interested at all in photography be sure to visit this museum next time you are in Portland.
For dinner we search out another food cart pod. 670 in the City and we have so far only tried two!
We come upon a huge pod on Alder Street between 9th and 10th. A whole block and a half of unique and independent food carts. We walk around the block and Fred tries BBQ ribs, one at a time, from three different carts. Still they are not exactly to his liking.
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| Alder Street pod |
I want to see the Ira Keller Fountain so we head in that direction. We find it in the middle of Portland and it is a spectacular sight. It reminds us of the downtown fountain we saw in Seattle.
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| Ira Keller Fountain |
For dinner we hunt down the “Brunch Box” food cart in downtown Portland. It, too, was featured on the Food Network. I order their specialty, the “You Can Has It Burger”, a cheeseburger that is surrounded by two grilled cheese sandwiches instead of a bun. Yes, that’s correct, you read that right. I bite into it and am in hog heaven. I thoroughly expected it to be a gimmick, but guess what, it’s honest to gosh the absolute best cheeseburger I have ever eaten in my entire life. Fred absolutely agrees. It is one remarkable cheeseburger.
On the same block is the “La Jarochita” food cart also featured on the Food Network. We buy a chicken tamale to go. We can’t take a chance on missing it.
The day is winding down and we squeeze in a ride on the Portland Aerial Tram. Not as exciting as one would hope – too short a trip. But the views are pretty and we are glad we did it.
Back to the RV and we are pooped. A long day and we are tired.
Lights out around 10:00.
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