Portland by Bike

So, after traveling out of town the last two weekends, we finally got to spend our first weekend in Portland. After a good breakfast on Saturday, we took our single speed bikes up the Springwater Trail north towards downtown.

The annual Red Bull Flugtag was taking place, so the waterfront and nearby trails and bridges were packed.

For those of you that are unfamiliar, the Flugtag is a charity contest involving teams that make human powered "flying" machines. After a skit on the launching deck, they push their machine as fast as they can down the runway and ride it over the edge into the river. Most of the machines nose dive into the water... a few of them fly a few yards as they fall. The teams are rated by judges and by flight distance. It's quite a trip.

Speaking of crazy sights, at one point we heard what sounded like 80's hip hop coming our direction. We turned around just in time to snap a picture of some guy on a double decker bike with a bob trailer loaded down with a fully powered stereo system, cruising the esplanade.

After the Flugtag, we checked out a few cool vintage stores, and then sampled the very fine organic craft beers at "Roots", one of our favorite microbreweries in Portland (of which there are more than 30). At the brewpub, Liz taught me how to play chess, and after an hour or so, I beat her in my first game ever. (It helps to feed her beer while playing!) All in all it was quite a Saturday!

(Note that the parmesean and chili flakes filled in for missing pawns, and the Tabasco made a fine queen for Liz's army)