As a result of a long (44!) post thread on the
Oregon Randonneurs Facebook Page, a nine person-strong group of coffeeneurs descended on
Blend Coffee Lounge on a fabulously sunny morning. We came from all points on the Portland compass. Bill, Lynne & I from the west side, Ken from Multnomah Village, Jeff from southeast, Theo & Asta from close-in to town, Steph & Ryan from North Portland. Bridging the Trans-West Hills Cultural Divide for coffee!
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| Some interesting menu choices. |
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| Best dressed barista in town. Pretty pleated dress and all! |
I ordered a Harvest Moon Latte, which was a delightful combination of espresso and Chai Tea. Beautiful latte art by the barista. And of course, I couldn't resist a peanut butter cookie.
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| Harvest Moon Latte & Peanut Butter Cookie |
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| Documenting the documentation. |
One of the great things about Portland is the proliferation of bike corrals. I read that the city just installed it's 100th corral! They really are a boon to bike friendly businesses. And as a cyclist, I love having my bike nearby where I can keep an eye on it. With the rampant bike theft in pdx, it was awfully nice to not have to worry about it.
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| Conveniently located bike corrals |
The locals have a sense of humor too. At least, I'm assuming they are joking....
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| I dare you to jump on this wifi network. Go ahead. I'm sure it will be fine. |
Put this many cyclists in one place, and the conversation is sure to meander. We sat gabbing at the coffee shop for three or four hours!
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| Coffeeneurs |
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| Jeff brought along reading material to share. |
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| Asta's star-struck bicycle |
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| Asta & Theo |
Eventually, we decamped to a nearby restaurant and had an early dinner. By the time I got home, it was nearly dark, and I'd been gone the entire day on this coffeeneuring adventure.
Total distance ridden: 13.3 miles, courtesy of using MAX for the lumpy commute over the west hills.
