Portland

This trip was a mix of business and pleasure. One of my best friends, Deb, lives in Portland. So when I heard there was a Trauma conference in Portland I thought why not?! As an ER nurse, I am always learning. I like going to conferences because you see and learn things you wouldn’t see in your ER plus you get to explore whatever city the conference is in. The conference I went to was Traumacon hosted by The Society of Trauma Nurses.

 

TRAUMACON

The Society of Trauma Nurses puts on Traumacon very year around March. I had never been to this conference before. I have been to ENA before and learned it. My hope was this conference would be like that.  There were both positives and negatives to this conference.

PRO:

free food!

They had lunch every day in the exhibit hall, which was a very nice bonus. (and may explain the high admission price) On the last day, they was a networking lunch to get to know people.

TCRN prep course

For an extra fee, they were providing an in-depth TCRN course that was over 2-3 days. I am focused on trying to get my CEN, so I did not sign up.

CON:

I wanted more lecture options.

I go to conferences to learn. I love hearing about things I’ve never gotten to seen or do. The schedule did not have many options to choose from and the last day was a set lecture schedule. While the lecture I did go to were good, I wanted more.

WEED

Like it or not, it recreational marijuana is here. It’s legal in Oregon and huge business. [add facts] it just did not seem right to go to Oregon and not talk about it. Deb and I were walking on Mississippi when we randomly found a dispensary. The lady was very nice. I told her I write a travel blog and she allowed me to take pictures of everything.

It’s really easy.  Here is a poster they had in the shop that summarizes they recreational marijuana laws. You have to be 21 and you can pay up to 8 ozs. It is still illegal to smoke in public, but I saw people doing it.

I don’t smoke weed, so I don’t have any dos and Don’t’s on this topic. But this place was nice and not out of the way of you were already going to go shopping or have food.

For more information on the laws, click here.

Mississippi Ave

This is a popular street in Portland with shopping and restaurants.  This north Portland neighborhood gives you the hipster experience you’d expect from Portland.

There were some many different shops, from a hippie hipster shop to a taxidermy shop that sells cat craws as earrings.

For more information, click http://mississippiave.com

Downtown/ Pioneer District

Those are some of the top shopping districts in my opinion. You can find the famous

Powell’s Book Store.

This is the world’s largest independent bookstore. This bookstore is three floors and takes up an entire city block. The main entrance is at the corner of 10th and Burnside. I say get lost in this giant store and find a unique gift for yourself or a loved one.

Check out their website here.

Portland Farmers Market

This year-round market happens every Saturday 8:30-2pm. Located in downtown’s South Park Blocks. This market is located at SW Park & Montgomery. You can find more the produce here. There is chocolates, sauces, coffee, and other goodies to take home.

For more information, click here.

Alder Street Food Carts

Portland is known for food trucks. This area in downtown is the fastest and easiest way to get your food cart/truck fix. Located at SW 10th Ave & Alder St. you will find the largest collection of Portland’s famous food carts. Most have long lunch hours on weekdays and are open on weekends. There are over 60 carts so you are bound to find something to meet your foodie needs. For more information about different food carts in Portland, clock out this website.

Ground Kontrol

While in Portland I learned they love arcade bars. There were a couple to choose from, but we picked Ground Control. One of the main reason is that they have a bar. I had my doubts about this place, but I had so much fun. There was this one shooter game with zombies and good school graphics that I just could not stop playing. It was the perfect place to go after dinner on a Thursday. When it is too cold and rainy to do anything outdoors, this is a good option.

For more information, click here.

The Kennedy School-McMenamins

While talking with Deb about things to do on my days off from the conference, she told me about McMenamins. She explained to me that McMenamins is a company that turns old buildings into cool neighborhood hangouts and hotels. Many of them craft their own beers, wine, spirits, and coffee. They are located throughout Oregon and Washington since the 80s. The one we decided to check out was the old Kennedy School. They were having a showing of The Post that night. We had dinner in one of the two restaurants before the movie.

The building was just so fun to walk around and explore.

 

The old detention room is now a bar.

There is a soaking pool that is open to the public for $5. I need not bring a bathing suit with me, but I would have loved to have tried it.

I love old building and I think it is so neat how this company reused it. I would definitely recommend checking out the McMenamins website and deciding which location excites you the most.

For more information on the location I went to, the Kennedy School, click here.

 

Portland is fun in both the winter and summer. But if you want to do all the outdoor activities that Portland has to offer, go in the summer. Till next time Portland.

xoxox – Nursewhotravels