A Three Day Hiatus from Driving - Day 2

Sis didn’t want to spend the entire trip sick and in bed so she went out riding with us after breakfast. Our destination – Hair of the Dog Brewing. Remember, we reside in the Eastern Standard time zone so beer after breakfast makes sense. Actually, we often ride for beer and breakfast back home. Ever had a “Beermosa”? Check out  Rivertown Brewing.

At least this time we knew where we were going. We found the bridge to cross over the river to the east side of Portland. Velo was a little ahead of Sis and I so he wasn’t around when….WHOMP!...the seat on Sis’s bike fell. She tried to keep pedaling because there was nowhere to stop on the bridge ramp. Remember we were riding our folding bikes so when the seat falls, it really falls. It looked like she could have given herself a pair of black eyes from her own knees. Not to mention one cannot pedal uphill when the seat is that low. We had no choice but to stop and walk the bikes to the top of the ramp. We must have really looked like a couple of doofeses, walking up the side of the ramp. Velo was still oblivious to the whole dilemma Sis and I had gotten ourselves into. He was already at the other end of the bridge with no way to turn around. We had no choice. We had to raise her seat so she could make it across the bridge.

So, here we were, two middle-aged women, on the side of the bridge, in street clothes, working on her bike. We finally made it across, found Velo, and continued on.

We hadn’t gone far and Sis’s seat was slowly sinking. At least this time we were on a trail and not in the middle of traffic. We raised her seat and tightened the quick release this time. I am not sure what happened, but she threw her leg over the top of the seat only to fall backwards with the bike on top of one leg. We’ve all done this before, right?. You’re lying there, on your back like a turtle on its shell, surrounded by other cyclists, and you just can’t get up. She got up, her seat finally fixed, and TaDa, we were lost. Just a little lost, though, if there is such a thing. (You’re either lost or you’re not). 

We found our bearings, headed towards Hair of the Dog, and in the end it was well worth the trip. I had a glass of Adam, the first beer they ever made, and a great Turkey and smoked mozzarella sandwich.

We left hair of the Dog and started our tour of the River Trail in downtown. We rode to the other side of the trail to find the brand new, car-free Tilikum Bridge. I felt privileged to ride across it in the first week of its opening. In case I forgot to mention, we were in Portland to see how we may be able to take ideas back to our hometown of Cincinnati and the Tilikum Bridge will definitely be a discussion topic.

Portland’s Saturday Market was really hopping so we walked through the vendors. Cosmic Garden Designs was there with a host of useful, handmade items, including some really cool bike handlebar bags. Because they are all made "upcycled" they reduce waste, most are one of a kind, and they double as a cross body bag when off the bike. I had to put that plug in there for a very dedicated and conscientious craftperson, Tika Bee.

For dinner we went brewery hunting again. We found Rogue Brewing, but I ended up passing on the beer for a Pumpkin Spice soda. It was fantastic. It would be an awesome mixer with apple cider or cinnamon bourbon. 10Barrell Brewing was on the opposite corner so we stopped there for one beer before heading back to the hotel for the night. Score – three craft breweries in one day. I love Portland!

#portlandbybike #roguebrewing #hairofthedog #saturdaymarket #10barrellbrewng #tilikum #cosmicgardendesigns #ternfoldies