Day out in Portland

So, yesterday, we decided to explore Portland, but separately, which was good. It was nice to have some "me" time and do what I wanted to do without much worry. I decided to get some lunch, but I did so in two parts. I first decided to try some Portland pizza, since I read it was good. It was, but it still has nothing on NY/NJ pizza. I only had one slice ($3, overpriced) because I wanted to go check out the plethora of food carts downtown. Wow, there were a ton, and I didn't know which one to go to, so after seeing almost every possible style of food (there was even a Polish stand), I decided on getting a lamb gyro ($5). It was scrumptious. The pieces of lamb weren't regular gyro strips, they were actual chunks of ground lamb. It was a treat. I then meandered my way downtown in the heat (it was over 100º but low humidity) to the Willamette River. Really nice down there, and saw a few draw bridges up. I then walked back up, and saw a few instrument stores, and stopped in to the drum shop. Talked with the dude, who was really nice, and saw some really cool vintage sets. Then walked and found my way to a record shop (2nd Avenue Records) that had an amazing vinyl collection. They also had a very good CD collection, and had some stuff I could never find (most of the remastered Funkadelic collection and actually albums by The Meters). I came out of there with 4 CDs: Funkadelic's Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow; The Meter's Fire on the Bayou; Herbie Hancock's Crossings; Booker T. and MG's Definitive Soul Collection (2 CDs). I then walked around town some more and meandered. I saw a lot of homeless people (there's just a ton in the city) and a pair of sick street drummers, and then found myself at Pioneer Square. Took some pictures, and then walked back toward the hotel. I stopped at another music store that we saw several times, and was taken aback. The store, Everday Music, had the biggest collection of CDs I have ever seen. I could have spent $300 in there easily. The staff was really cool, they had listening stations, and they had things that I haven't seen anywhere else, even 2nd Ave. Their vinyl collection was really good too, but I didn't spend much time looking there, because there was just an amazing amount of CDs to sort through. I came out of there with 4 CDs as well: Big Star's Columbia: Live at Missouri University; Jason Falkner's I'm OK, You're OK; Robert Randolph and the Family Band's We Walk This Road; Medeski, Martin & Wood's Zaebos - Book of Angels Vol. 11. I got back to the hotel, and just chilled and watched LeBron James announce he was going to the Miami Heat. Then got in contact with Jackie, and we later met for dinner at another brewpub (Bridgeport) that was just ok. The beer wasn't great, the service was crap, but the food was good (at least my burger was delicious). Came back (it was about 10:15), and watched some tube and went to bed. This morning we're heading to Voodoo Doughnuts and then off to Crater Lake National Park. I don't know if I'll have internet there, so this may be the last time I blog before I get to San Francisco. Til then...