We sat there about 25 minutes, deciding which MAX to catch, the Red or the Blue. Mama wanted to go as far as possible, so we decided to go to the western end of the Blue Line, out in Washington County, to Hillsboro.
Here's Mama! Note her useful and beautiful carved cane and my ever-present rolling black bag.
We rode from a few blocks west of the Willamette River to the middle of suburban Hillsboro, around an 18 mile ride. When we weren't in the tunnel that goes through the West Hills, Mama sat like this the whole way.
In Hillsboro, when the MAX car announced end of the line, we got off and boarded the waiting Blue Line to Gresham, as far east as the line goes. Mama announced that we'd get off at PGE Park and not go all the way to Gresham--she felt like that would be enough for one day. So we did get off, and then walked over a block and caught a 15 bus home. All told, we had an enjoyable meal and over three hours entertainment, for under $35, including the brunch and tip. Mama wants to go again, and so do I. Next time, we'll ride east and make a bus connection, too, maybe heading north, maybe south. Or we'll ride the Red Line to the airport. It's so great that we have options.
UPDATED TO ADD: The MAX is Portland's light rail. From TriMet dot org, TriMet's MAX Light Rail system connects Portland, Gresham, Beaverton, Hillsboro and the Portland Airport. Trains run every 5-15 minutes roughly between 4:30 a.m. and midnight.
4 comments:
You are so blessed to have your Mother joining you on outings. My Mom had been crippled with arthritis for over two decades and is now in a nursing home. :(
Oh, I love me some Mamma! She reminds me of myself, with the visor, sunglasses, cane (like I use my cane for a hand rest), and what?! yes, looks like the black leather Merrel clogs I have! Could it be?
Isadora, I know what you mean by "crippled with arthritis". I'm in my late 50s, but recently had a total knee replacement, and need the other knee done. It's a tough tough thing to go through whether you have the surgery or not.
Lynette, thanks so much. I thought this was a bus, but now you've said it's a train. Even better. Look at Mamma's contentment on her face. Sometimes it's great to get out and about and see how the world is getting on. You two have found a great way to do it without having to walk too much. I wish I could've been there.
What brand is that rolling bag? It's gotta have at least 50,000 miles on it. I need a good one.
Isadora, I am blessed, you're so right. So is Mama. I hope that your mother has some great memories to keep her company--I'm not being glib, I really mean that.
Honesty, I hope your recuperation is going very well. My rolling bag is an American Tourister from Wal-Mart. I bought two of them because, in the past, when my previous bags broke down, I never could find one I really wanted.
Well now I'm getting paranoid as I also posted a comment here on the 27th and it has disappeared (or do you delete some?) --
What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday Lynette. The brunch sounds divine. If Eric (PDP) ever comes to Portland, lets meet up with him and take him to someplace special for dinner! Since I rarely eat out in Portland, I'll leave that detail up to you!
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