Day One – 7/8/25 (Tuesday) Portland

 Our quick (2 hrs) Alaska Airlines flight to Portland was on time and uneventful. After landing in Portland we could admire and appreciate the new airport, which this year was named #1 in the U.S. in traveler satisfaction. And yes, it is a nice, attractive airport. We had to walk a long way to find the pickup place for hotel shuttles. After waiting for some time and watching other shuttles come and go, we finally asked one of the drivers who said that we had to call the airport to let them know we needed a shuttle. After the call, it came pretty fast…

 The hotel (Embassy Suites by the airport – provided by American Cruise line) turned out to be nice, with very big rooms, almost suites. When we check in, it was about 10 am so we had a whole day to explore Portland. There is a metro train from the airport to downtown Portland, but we decided to Uber it. Had a great conversation with the young Uber driver about nutrition, and got a few restaurant recommendations for lunch. He dropped us off at the Pioneer Square at the very heart of Portland. The first thing we noticed and loved about Portland are the trees. All the streets are lined with beautiful trees and on a hot day (it was about 87F that day) you really do appreciate the shade. Another special thing about Portland is that it is well known for its food trucks. Out of 10 best food trucks in the U.S., three are in Portland, and people say that the best restaurants in Portland are food trucks. We were willing to try a food truck for lunch (there were several in Pioneer Square), but it was so hot that eating outside was just not appealing. So we tried one of the driver’s recommendations – Jake’s Grill. Good recommendation! Located in a 1909 building that also houses the Sentinel hotel, the interior was lovely and the food was delicious. Then we decided to visit one of Portland’s attractions – the Rose Test Garden, which is located in a huge park called Washington Park. We bought a day transportation pass, hopped on a train and went to the park. It was HOT! Luckily they have park shuttles so we didn’t have to walk to the rose garden. It’s an amazing place. It’s where they experiment and produce new varieties of roses. There are now 650 varieties displayed in the garden, and a total of about 10,000 roses. We walked as much as we could, but it was hard in the heat. Then we took the train all the way to the airport, going through different parts of the city. Got back to the hotel exhausted but in time for the cruise welcome reception.