Portland - Day 1

The other side of the mug said "Call your mother"

As I mentioned in my post on Monday, I started off with a 6am run. By the time I got back to the hotel room around 7, my parents were ready to start the day. So after I de-glistened myself (Us Southern belles don't sweat, we glisten. Obviously.), we headed to the front desk where the kind young gentleman recommended that we go to Mother's for breakfast. There, I ordered hot chocolate and Mike’s Special Scramble (prosciutto ham, roasted garlic, tomatoes, basil & provolone cheese),

and my parents each got the Omelet du Jour. It was delicious and filling, even though my toast and potatoes went untouched. I forgot to ask for no cheese, so my tummy growled at me for a bit after breakfast. The restaurant was super cute and had some awesome chandeliers.

After breakfast, we wandered over to Pearl District, passing by the entrance to Chinatown and a couple interesting sculptures along the way.

Our first stop was Powell's bookstore. 

I wish ALL bookstores were like this! These three monstrous floors of giant bookcases (68,000 sqft) full of one of my favorite things ever: BOOKS! Store maps are available by the entrances and at information desks. The bookstore even has a smart phone app that will provide you turn-by-turn directions through the store to the book you're looking for. We spent about two hours perusing the aisles. Of course the first thing that I went for was cookbooks (particularly books on Paleo), followed by books on running and other workout books. Those were the two things most appealing to me. I ended up buying Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals by Mark Sisson. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but each recipe comes with a handy nutrient breakdown: calories, fat (and the types of fat), carbohydrates, and protein.

And, I think that's enough photos for one day... don't you?