Keep Portland Weird

     Portland, Oregon is an amazing city. Every time I visit, my eyes can't consume enough. Seriously, it's a visual hullabaloo of fascinating details. I wander around in a daze with my mouth open and a huge grin on my face. Nowhere else can you find such a combination of creative and friendly people.
    In my last jaunt through Portland, I took a trip with my comrade in chaos, Adrienne, to the Hawthorne district—an area riddled with vintage shops, interesting stores, and delicious eateries. Here are a few places that caught my eye.

Miao Fa Chan Temple: This is a stunning, Chinese style, Buddhist temple.

A house with an arch made of bicycle wheels

Hinson Baptist Church, constructed in 1909

This  bike was chained to a sign post next to the Lone Fir Cemetery. I thought it was a fascinating memorial.

Okay, I saw this van and just about shrieked. We drove around the block several times trying to find a place to park because it is nearly impossible to find parking in the Hawthorne district.  This van is a work of art. Somebody spent some serious hours and creativity constructing this mobile sculpture. Just check out some of the fine details.

Amazing van

close up

I don't know if you can see inside, but the interior is interesting too.

There is a freaking dinosaur on the front. Just how awesome is that!

Hehe, there is a hand on the rear windshield wiper that waves at you.

I can't wait for my next trip to Portland. I'm sure there are more captivating discoveries to be found!