Where could I be--I don't kno-o-ow...

Greetings from my new home in Vancouver, WA. Up until two months ago, I didn't know Vancouver, WA even existed and now I'm sitting in my new office/guest room here, finally updating the blog. It's a heady experience (sitting here, not the updating). I've been to Vancouver, B.C. many times so I know this copy-cat city name is confusing (personally, I think the state of Washington should have considered naming the town Columbia, since it's on the Columbia River and "Columbia" has a poetic ring to it, does it not?).

So we've gone and relocated and it's sad to leave the wonders (and friends and family) of Oakland, Calif. but it's damn nice here, if a bit more suburban than I've been used to in the past 20 years. Without going into incredible detail (because I'm tired of moving and just plain tired), I find this place very reminicent of my childhood suburb of Concord, CA. Not the Concord of today, but the Concord of almost 40 years ago. This town is now becoming way over-developed but it's still very beautiful in many places; it really is along a river and Portland is a short bridge away. That's right: tax-free shopping right across the water. And as many know, Portland is a unique and wondrous place.

So we're close to the ocean, the mountains, the rivers and waterfalls, and micro-breweries, parks, playgrounds and an awesome school district. I'm sure I'll find something to grumble about but for now, enjoy this pictorial array from the City of Vancouver website and The Columbian newspaper. I'll be taking some photos of all the run-down decrepit stuff that I've discovered, because that's my personal aesthetic. Until then, enjoy the friendly, laid-back, majestic sights of Vancouver (U.S.A.).

Our tour begins along the Columbia River. That's the I-5 drawbridge to Portland.
Here's a beach along the river with Mt. Hood, ever-present in the background.
Nice mural on the railroad bridge. Vancouver sports many planes, trains and automobiles (and recreational boats).
The fountain at downtown Esther Short Park. There are kids here like you wouldn't believe. We've gone to three parks in one week and they're crawling with kids. Today a couple of kids rang our doorbell and played with Jackson all afternoon until their worried-sick mother came looking for them. They had forgotten to tell her where they would be. That's kid-like!
Hungry? How about some grain-fed beef burgers from Burgerville? Enjoy the seasonal milkshakes; this summer it's Oregon blackberry. Fall will feature pumpkin. We still haven't gone to to Burgerville but they're giving away 2,000 free cheese-burgers tomorrow at Esther Short Park for Vancouver's 150th birthday celebration, so maybe we'll wait in line. Scheduled to perform: Squish--a local all-kid rock band.
It does snow here a little bit. I own a hat with ear-flaps, so I'm looking forward to wearing that without getting laughed at, like I did in Oakland.
Oh hell, I'm going to Portland for some tax-free shopping, Powell's Books, micro-brew and an overwhelming population of indie-rock bands, the likes I haven't seen since 1983 in San Francisco. If I can just stay awake past 11 p.m....cannot manage it...night-night.