Portland, 20–25 Sep 2026
Melody had a conference (American Literary Translator’s Association, or ALTA) and I tagged along so I could spend some time checking off more things in Portland, as well as a side trip to Salem.
Tuesday, 20-Sep
We took a noon train from Seattle to Portland, and it was nice to not have a rushed morning. We had some food from home and grabbed other lunch things at Uwajimaya and ate on the train. There were a lot of empty seats on the train, and in general there’s more room than on an airplane (especially in coach).
Once we arrived in Portland, we checked into our hotel. In the past, we stayed at the hostel which is on the other side of the freeway, but this time decided to stay much closer to the train station, since our train back to Seattle was very early in the morning.
After settling in, we headed down to Grassa to get some butternut squash pasta and Brussels sprouts. We then went to the grocery store to get breakfast items, found a gelato spot for dessert, then went back to the hotel to settle in for the evening.
Wednesday, 21-Sep
Registration for the ALTA conference would be in the late afternoon, so we did a walk in the morning. We decided to do the 4T Trail: Train, Trail, Tram, Trolley. We walked to the beginning of the loop near Powell’s Books and hopped onto the MAX train, taking a few minutes looking for where we could tap to pay for the ride. We rode to the Washington Park station, looking at the long core sample next to the platform. After taking the elevator up to the top of the hill, we exited near the zoo.
The next segment was about four miles of trail. The first part took us partway along a freeway on-ramp. Part of it seemed a bit dicey since we had to go around a part of the hill which looked like it had slid down, but we still had plenty of room along the side. We then started going uphill pretty quickly, making our way to the highest point in Portland, Council Crest Park, walking up to the water tower at the very top. There were a couple of viewpoints, one where we could make out Mt. St. Helens through the haze.
We then walked down into a ravine, then back up to Oregon Health and Science University. All up to this point, there was great signage telling us where the 4T trail went, but at this point, all we saw was a sign pointing to the Aerial Tram. It seemed to indicate that we should go into the Hospital, but Melody asked someone to be sure. He was really nice and walked us through several buildings to the tram. We did see signs once inside the hospital that pointed to the tram, but we did appreciate him taking the time to show us where to go.
The tram kiosk seemed to only sell round-trip tickets, so we did that even though we were only going one way. It was a good view on the way down, and we seemed to go a long way until we got to the tower, after which the tram went steeply down to the lower station.
Around the corner from the lower tram station was the Trolley stop. It was about lunchtime, so we rode a bit past the end of the loop to go to a restaurant. Afterwards, we went to get gelato, but the store wasn’t open yet. We went back to the hotel to grab our devices, then went to a chocolate café to get hot chocolate and a chocolate sablé.
We then went back to the hotel, and after a bit, Melody went off to register for the ALTA conference and go to the opening reception, followed by a trivia night. In the meantime, I went to get a quick dinner, followed by a quick spin through Powell’s Books, then gelato.
Thursday, 22-Sep
For this day, we were both going to be gone all day. Melody’s first session was at 9, and she was going to other sessions throughout the day. In the evening, she was going to an event where translated pieces were read by actors. She had submitted a piece, and was excited to hear it.
My plan was to spend the day in Salem, so I went to the Amtrak station to catch a bus down. My original plan had me crossing town a couple of times, but I saw a place that looked pretty good near the station, so had lunch there, allowing me to visit sights in a circle.
The first place I went was the Willamette Heritage Center, which centers around the industrial and cultural history of the Willamette Valley. The centerpiece is the Thomas Kay Woolen Mill, a 19th-century factory that was a major Pacific Northwest textile factory. A lot of original machinery was set up (as well as machinery brought in from other mills to display) which showed the steps of how wool was eventually turned into blankets. Other buildings included the Jason Lee House and Methodist Parsonage, the oldest standing wooden frame houses in the Pacific Northwest.
My next stop was the Oregon State Capitol, which is unique in that is has no dome. Neither the House nor the Senate were in session, so I was able to take a look at both chambers, as well as the art outside the Governor’s office. I went to the west side to try to get a look at the Walk of Flags, but that whole side was inaccessible due to construction. I was able to walk around to the north side to get a look at the main entrance (I went in the back on the south) which gave me a better look at Gold Man, the statue at the top.
I then went towards the Willamette River to Riverfront Park. The Carousel was closed, but I was able to take a look at it through the windows. I then went over to the Eco-Earth Globe, which is in need of repairs and the Salem Parks Foundation is hoping to raise money to restore it. Nearby was the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge which I went on to take a look at the Willamette Slough, then started heading back. I had quite a bit of time, so I stopped by a café for a while before making my way to the train station. I then picked up some dinner to eat at the station while I waited for the train.
My train north happened to be one of the new trains that Amtrak is starting to put into service. It does look a lot nicer inside. The cupholder mechanism seems to adjust to take a wide variety of cups, and there are many options to hold a phone or tablet so you can watch things. Surprisingly, the window pillars are quite wide, and I happened to have a seat next to one. I could look at the windows in front and behind, but the view was definitely obstructed.
Friday, 23-Sep
Melody’s schedule for this day was less packed than on Thursday, so she was able to walk around the city a bit more.
My plan was to go to the zoo for part of the day, so I headed out to the light rail. Unfortunately, the train wasn’t running due to a disruption near the tracks, so I hopped onto the shuttle bus, then took the train for the last stop up the hill.
I was thinking there wouldn’t be too many people at the zoo, and that was the case. A few school groups and some families with toddlers, so I was able to get close to all the exhibits pretty quickly. Unlike other zoos, there is one main path that goes through the whole zoo with a few spurs and detours, so it’s pretty easy to see all the exhibits. There is also a shortcut so if you’re on the last half of the loop, you can cut back to where the food is, then cut back to continue to the last few animals before the exit.
On my way back, the trains were running as usual. Melody and I met up to get some ice cream before I went to the hotel and she went back to her conference. I later went to a café for a while, then picked up things for breakfast. Melody happened to be heading back to the hotel too, so I ended up walking about half a block towards her before we both went back to the room for the night.
Saturday, 24-Sep
This was the last day of the ALTA Conference, and Melody headed out for the morning sessions. In the meantime, I hopped onto a bus and headed to the West Hills to see Pittock Mansion. Melody had enjoyed going there several years ago, so I was glad I had a chance to get out there. It was built in the 1910s for the publisher of the Oregonian, Henry Pittock, and his wife Georgiana. The main house is 16,000 square feet over three floors and there was also a separate Gate House, which was a more modest 2,400 square feet over four floors. Along the driveway is a commanding view of the city with Mt. Hood in the background.
After I was done with the mansion, I headed down the Wildwood Trail to Hoyt Arboretum, walking through some of those trails to make it to the Oregon Vietnam Veterans Memorial which consists of a path that spirals in large circles up from a central park. There are walls along the top of the spiral inscribed with names of those who were killed in the war.
I hopped onto the MAX train to the Alphabet District (on the west side of the freeway; our hotel was in the Pearl District) and went to a bakery we enjoy to pick up lunch and dessert for later. I then went to a café to work on photos and catch up on things. After going back to the room for a bit, I headed out to grab some dinner since Melody was eating at the conference. Once again, I saw that we were pretty close to each other going back, so I waited for her near Powell's, where there were several people lined up in costumes for an event there. We walked back to the room to have some dessert and then pack.
Sunday, 25-Sep
We had an early train back to Seattle, so we got up early, packed our last things, and walked the few blocks to the train station. We got there a bit before it opened, so we waited outside with a bunch of other people who we assumed were also going to Seattle.
The train car was a bit nicer than the trip down, almost as if it were a repurposed business class coach. It was dark for a good amount of the ride, but we did start getting some views. Before too long, we were at Union Station, then we went to the light rail station where we had less than a minute wait. When we transferred to the bus, we only had to wait a minute or two, so it was a very smooth trip home.
