Side trip on our way to Seatle, another great time at 3 Doors Down and surrounds. Funky, very cool part of town, we felt safe.

Our two daughters live in the Hawthorne neighborhood in Portland, OR. Nice, quaint, 'artsy' area. No cookie-cutter tract homes here! Although there are many bungalos and/or variations of that theme, they have their own distinct character. Lush green vegetation offers beauty, privacy, and shielding from the busy traffic noises from Hawthorne Blvd. just a couple of blocks away. Several nice food courts in the area, with lots of food pods offering many different ethnic cuisines. A branch store of Powell's Books is in the area as well. Many, many restaurants and various shops offer much variety and local color. If you like to people-watch, this is the place to be. But don't gawk. On the minus side are the strung-out druggies and vagrants, who generally will leave you alone. But hey, it's Portland, Oregon, after all, with its own overall flavor and character.

We ate dinner here at a very good Thai restaurant (Mee Gin Thai Soul Restaurant- see my review) and then wandered around the neighborhood. It was amid of eclectic shops selling books, vintage and new clothing, records, gifts, artwork, etc. Some of the shops were out of the ordinary and some run of the mill. If you come here to eatlweave an hour to walk and see the shops, even better walk on the side streets and take a look at the beautiful craftsman style homes and their gardens, they are lovely and some are quite whimsical in their decorations.

We walked around Hawthorne for an hour. Some interesting shops - like a lower, touristy type of merchandise - for stuff to take home. It satisfied our needs but i would not call it a destination.

Hawthorn is the kind of area that is be rife with shops and people that make Portlandia a case study of Portland neighborhoods. Aggressively “with it”. Hippy chic. An eclectic walk. A stroll down the street is part protest march.