Portland Oregon Trip August 2016 - Afterword

And so ends my big trip of the year. Unlike the past several years where I have travelled overseas to spend my vacation, I decided to return to Portland and visit a city I have much loved. I haven't been to Portland since 2012, and although there has been four years that have passed since I last step foot in this city, I didn't really expect too much change. Of course I was wrong. Very wrong. A lot of things have happened in the past several years, and not necessarily for the good. And so here is a bit of a snapshot of what I had noticed.

Housing Cost: Portland has over the past many years lagged behind other cities on the West Coast when comes to the cost of housing. A legacy of the Great Recession, many properties (including one of my friend) remained underwater for many years. Although not good for many, this might a good thing for others as housing affordability remained pretty low and many people (in theory) can still afford to rent or own as long as they had a good job. However on this trip, I noticed housing costs have increased substantially in the last few years as the US economy (as well as the local economy) has finally picked up steam to the point that is has put some pressure on housing supply and demand. Although the internal forces might not be at play as much, it is the external factors that have made housing more expensive. In fact, 11% more expensive year over year between July 2015 and July 2016 [Link]. This trend may not be news to many red hot US and Canadian housing markets, but for a place like Portland, it is huge. The external factors are people moving into the city from Seattle or California in search of new jobs and cheaper housing. A result of this is the local population increasingly unable to afford a home in their home city. Portland is a place where young people go to retire. Wealthy young people.

Homelessness: Portland in the past has seen its fair share of poverty especially in the east end of the city where disjointed communities have almost become a dumping ground for the less fortunate. Despite all that, the city continues to function and people, as poor as they may seem, are still friendly and genuine (I can vouch for this because I stayed in the poor parts of Portland during my stays). Homelessness was either never a big issue, or because they were just hidden. Sadly four years later, the issue is a big political hot potato as these squatter camps are everywhere. They are in parks, vacant lands, ravines, and even in abandoned buildings. These individuals have nowhere to go, and so they create a place for themselves. Most are civil and fairly private as long as you leave them alone, but recently in places such as the Springwater Corridor, they have become more of a nuisance as they have at times compromised the security of users of the park [Link]. Without much solution to the problem, this continues to be a hot button topic.

Division Street redevelopment: Certain communities seems to be more active than others with respect to the infill development and revitalization of communities. Case in point is SE Division Street between SE 20th and SE50th. Although this stretch of street is located in a better part of town, the street itself has always been dotted with under-utilized  commercial buildings, vacant lands, and parking lots. The potential has always been there as the SE Division is surrounded by middle to upper-middle class households. The transformation of the street has been impressive with lots of new mid-rise residential construction and a revitalization of SE Division due to the influx of new independent shops and restaurants. The first Google streetview is taken dated July 2011, and the second was taken dated August 2016. Sure its been five years between photos, but you have to remember this is part of Portland that might have seen little development at this scale ever.

With so much investment in the community, Tri-Met, the region's public transit agency, is calling on residents to assist in developing a rapid bus service. This service will run through the entire stretch of SE Division from the City Center to its terminus in Gresham [Link]. 

So in summary Portland has changed a lot in the past four years since I last visited here. Unfortunately the changes have not always been for the better. I hope one day homelessness will be a thing of the past, and housing cost will not impact those who already cannot afford a place to live. I doubt it, but I know Portland is resilient as it always has been.

Portland Oregon August 18, 2016 - Photos and Diary - Cannon Beach

One place everyone recommends going when in Portland is the Oregon Coast, or simply "the coast". In particular is Cannon Beach, about 1.5 hours from Portland. And what an amazing day it was with the sun shining and the cool Pacific breeze coming from the ocean. The sand was hot from baking in the sun, but the cold ocean waters makes up for the heat.

A very faint mist is visible on the beach as the cold air clashes with the heat of the day.

One of the main draws in Cannon Beach is Haystack Rock and the sea stacks. With the low tide you can walk to the large monolithic rock, which we were fortunate enough to do.  

When the tide is out, tidal pools forms near the rock, revealing lots of marine life like sea anemone, seaweed, and barnacles. 

After a long day frolicking in the beach, it was time to head back to shore and have an early dinner at one of the famous Driftwood Restaurant. When you are on the coast, you HAVE to have clam chowder. Rated as one of the best in Oregon, I can see why. I also had to have salmon as well. Grilled to perfection.

Portland Oregon August 14, 2016 - Photos and Diary - Mt. St. Helens

I was probably too young to even know what it was like on May 18, 1980, when Mt. St. Helens erupted. The only massive eruption to occur in the lower 48 states in recent memory (and nothing this severe since that day), it killed numerous people whom were located too close to the volcano, including the fame geologist David Johnston. 

My friend and I decided to drive up to the Johnston Ridge Observatory in Washington State and do a casual hike and to pay homage to those who lost their lives. Escaping the heat of city, this stretch of the Cascade Ranges is clean, pure, and cool. 

Our first stop was Mt. St. Helens Learning Center where they have numerous exhibits and hands-on displays of the volcano itself and the flora and fauna. It was a great place to learn, until I found out Weyerhaeuser sponsors the center. I am always skeptical when private firms have to stick their fingers on a center of learning like this as part of the exhibit also showcases why the forest industry is good. However, it is still a good place to visit because the other draw is an amazing landscape of Bear Creek below. You can see how the pyroclastic flows shaped and altered the landscape.

The eruption was so large it stripped the land everything in its path, even the soil that covered these majestic ridges. But now you can see the vegetation is slowly coming back to life. 

Before you reach the Johnston Ridge Observatory, I recommend one final stop, and that is the Loowit Viewpoint. It is a great place to view Mt. St. Helens and the surrounding area. 

Johnston Ridge Observatory is another amazing place to visit. Again there is a lot of interactive learning including a movie theatre and a large 3D model of the volcano and an interactive presentation with lights on the model, showing the various activities of the volcano. There is an admission to the center but it also allows you access to the hiking trails. 

I highly recommend doing the hike, whether it is a few hours or half a day. The views of the volcano is spectacular, and seriously makes you feel small, humble, and insignificant. The sun shines very brightly here so remember to bring: sunscreen, water, granola bars, hiking stick, sunglasses, and a good pair of hiking boots.