Opening Day

Ah no two words are sweeter then opening day. Today was a gloomy
and rainy day, but it was the beginning of baseball season. It was a
good day.

4 Star Hotel Baltimore

Is this the best hotel in Baltimore? Actually it is my hospital room
for my sleep study. I get to spend the night with sensors and tubes
stuck to me. The fun never really stops.

Home Sweet Home

I was on the go today for Easter. Amy and I traveled to Lancaster Pa today the ancestral home of the Zangari family.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner of ham, and college basketball. I watched
in horror as my brackets went down in flames with Georgetown's loss. I guess there is always next year.

Fogo de Chao

Ah Fogo de Chao, one of the most decedent restaurants in the world.  All you can eat prime cut steak, chicken, pork, and lamb. Baltimore is lucky to play host to one of the US locations of this Brazilian restaurant. 

This was my second trip to Fogo de Chao, and it has not lost its charm yet. The meat is excellent, well seasoned and the perfect temperature.  The sides mashed potatoes, polenta, and fried bananas are not quite up to par with the meat, but I hope no one is heading to Fogo for the sides.  

My favorite cut has to be the house speciality top sirloin. There is just a hint of garlic that makes it mouth watering. The Filet Mignon is also very tasty.  This time around I tried the beef ribs which were surprisingly tender.  My only complaint to the dining experience was that the pork tenderloin did not make the rounds often enough. 

Dining at Fogo de Chao is a remarkable experience, but be prepared to pay for it. We went at lunch and it ran us about $80 including tip. If you are going for dinner you could easily double the price. If you are a fan of steak, this is a can't miss stop in the Baltimore Inner Harbor.

Oregon Summary

Here is a quick summary from the trip to Oregon. 

Day 2

Columbia River  Gorge

This is a must do if you heading to Oregon.  You can complete the Gorge and still make it back to Portland for dinner.  The views are spectacular and you do not have to be a outdoorsy type to enjoy. 

Day 3 

Portland

I was amazed at the amount of things to do in Portland. There were way to many activities to pack into one day. 

The Oregon Zoo

This was a great time. I had not been to a zoo and years. This is large by East Coast standards, and the animal habitats are nicely done. We had a beautiful day to enjoy walking around.  For the photographers, there are great shots to be had. Though we were there in midday day, and there was not a lot of shade.  I would recommend the zoo, it was a nice change of pace for jam packed vacation.  On a side note if you take public transportation you get a discount on admission. 

The Japanese Gardens

First let me say that I am sure that the Japanese Gardens, are beautiful in the spring, and summer. However, they were quite disappointing in February. This should not be shocking, but they still charge full price to get in about $8. Would I recommend it, probably when it is in season but not during the winter. 

Pioneer Square

Pioneer Square is the center of downtown Portland.  There is quite a bit to do in the general vicinity.  There is a nice mall if you are in the mood to do some shopping. There is also a large stand alone Nordstrom Rack if you are looking for some bargains. It is worth a trip to check out the stores and restaurants. 

Day 4 The Coast

The trip to the coast is more time consuming then the Columbia River. If you are short on time I recommend staying the general Portland vicinity because you will find more then enough to do there. If you are feeling intrepid however and went to venture to the coast read on.

The Oregon coast is stunning. The trip is worth it for the drive alone.  The drive to Tillamook is about an hour and half. The drive takes you through more mountains, and some nice scenic views. When you get to Tillamook it worth a trip to the Cheese factory. Though it is very cheesy(I am really really sorry for the pun, but it is the most apt description) The food is great, and there is free cheese. I had a cheeseburger and a milkshake that were out of this world. 

The must do thing on the coast however is to hop on Highway 101 and just drive. The Pacific Coast Highway is by far the best drive in the United States.   A word of caution if you are driving North most of the scenic overlooks are on the West side, you have to cross traffic, so keep and eye out.  

That is a short summary of what see and do in Oregon if you only have a few days there.  I will hopefully post soon, quick summary of places to eat. 

 

Columbia River Gorge Photo's

I have posted the first of the photos I took in Oregon you can see them on flickr.

iPhone Posting

The beauty of all the posts from Oregon, was that they were done on my iPhone.  The downside is that there are probably many typo's and formatting issues. So please excuse them, because I will take them any day over having to take my laptop with me on vacation.