LIVIN' ON THE EDGE

We traveled south from Seattle and stopped in Vancouver, Washington. Vancouver is just across the Columbia River from Portland. I call it a suburb, but the locals will probably tell you that Vancouver came along first because of Fort Vancouver. The locals will also tell you that it’s a pretty good place to live. For instance, the State of Washington doesn’t impose a state tax on income and Oregon doesn’t have a sales tax. So, you get the picture. They can live and work in Washington and then go to Portland to shop and spend their entertainment dollars. They’re livin’ on the edge. Sorry.

But, if you haven’t listened to Aerosmith’s song, it’s one that lasts. Tyler, Perry, and Hudson write:

There's somethin' wrong with the world today / I don't know what it is
Something's wrong with our eyes / We're seeing things in a different way
And God knows it ain't His / It sure ain't no surprise.

For a hard rock band, it’s kind of surprising that those lyrics from the early 1990s stand the test of time. I spent some of my youth in the 70s listening to early Aerosmith and went to one of their concerts. Yikes. That was a few minutes ago!

Vancouver has an interesting downtown. There’s proper movie theater, nice tree-lined streets, and a very down-to-earth feel. Very little pretense. The waterfront is in the middle of some major development. Lots of new condos, apartments, and commercial property. There is a walkway which makes for a great walking and running trail along the riverfront and there is a structure which is suspended to extend out over the river. Beautiful!

We made our way further south and stopped on the bottom end of Portland. We relaxed for a couple of days and Betty took me to Ordnance Brewery and Taphouse. She enjoyed a nice stout and I sipped on a nice glass of Oregon red grape juice.

[Yawn] … [Stretch]

Buster

The Kiggins Theater

Vancouver on the Columbia Riverfront