The ice skating rink in the center of the shopping mall. I think they may have taken a tip from the Mall of America?!
It was empty around 11:30, within 45 minutes, every table was filled with some out on the patio. On the walls were signs of other pit BBQ places across the country. Not much on ambiance, but big on taste!
Podna's
Walking up to "Podna's Pit BBQ"
This picture is for Tess, who recommended this as a Portland destination. We saw it as the bus passed by! Is that close enough?Days 4 & 5
(This first part is more for our records and memory of what we want to remember from our travels. You may find it a bit mundane so feel free to skip down to the part that starts with what we actually did)
We survived the 2 night, 3 day train ride .... Leaving Portland, Oregon on time, and crossing Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and arriving in Minneopolis/St. Paul, Minnesota ON TIME! Amazing for Amtrak and for our previous experiences.
It actually was not just "survival", but rather another enjoyable (most of the time) adventure. We left Portland at 4:45 so came in time for dinner. However, this was a small train - 5 cars long, and we were to meet the Seattle train in Spokane at midnight. Then we would have over 12 cars including the dining car. Since meals are included in the price of the sleeping cars,they gave us "box lunches" for dinner. A choice of shrimp cocktail type fixing, chicken mixed with corn, and roast beef rolled with bread and dessert. We all chose the roast beef. It was good, but because there wasn't much train to explore, we went to bed early. We brought dvd players and like watching "Get Smart" dvds.
One thing that was a bit disappointing, was that we couldn't get the door to our adjoining rooms open. They didn't have the key. Mary, our room attendent was only on her 2nd train trip ever, and didn't know much about where to find things. We called customer service and they offered little help. So we found ourselves running back and forth through the hallway, reminding me of dorm room style shinanigans. Had we known morse code, we could have communicated just fine! LOL Even our cell phones had no signal in the mountains and vastness of Montana!
What we did on days 4 & 5 ....
On July 6th, our 4th day on our trip, we took the bus (very good and reliable bus service in Portland) to a DDD (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - a food network show) restaurant. This was called "Podnah's Pit BBQ" It specialized in BBQ items. It was just a little obscure place inbetween a for sale building and something else. We would have missed it altogether had we not had an address. Jonathan tried the BBQ trout, as was featured on the show. Although it came with head and tail on it, he really enjoyed this. I got pulled pork sandwich and the others got ribs and brisket. The sides of black eye peas, cole slaw, and cornbread and potato salad were sooooooo yummy! They made it vinegar based rather that mayo based and with a few other spices as well. mmm mmm mmm. We got there as it opened and there was only one other person who left shortly after we got there. We felt a bit bad for the place, as the food was REALLY good. It quickly became our favorite DDD place. We talked with the waiter about the visit from Guy, the host on DDD. They come in on 2-3 different days to film it all. A day behind in the kitchen and then with customers. As we left, the place got packed, every table taken and the outside ones filling up as well. Pictures to be posted soon.
After this, we rode the bus again, and stopped at a Mac store to get a power cord for Russ' Ipod, and to go to a mall. We walked around just to see what was there. In the midst of this mall was an ice skating rink. Fun to watch people taking lessons or just trying to skate.
So our journey began on the long train trip. We awoke in Montana, totally missing the trip through Washington and Idaho. In no time at all, we were in Glacier National Park. SO beautiful. I'll post some of the pictures of this place as well.
Blessing others
This was one of the focuses of our trip (besides family togetherness, adventure and to see the USA) and I don't see the opportunities that I imagined we would have. However, we keep an open heart and mind to what the Lord may bring our way. We have encouraged people along the way with words of appreciation, with tips, with giving up our seat so some could sit together, or finding a magazine that one was looking for. I've met interesting people in the Observation Car - and in the dining car. Elizabeth, from Switzerland who is traveling and meeting friends by herself and was still struggling with her English. I loved that I could speak a little German with her. She was the one who wanted a hard to find Amtrak magazine with the map of routes in USA. I also met a newlywed, Penny, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a town we used to shop in when I lived in Manchester, IA. There was a man, Joe, who's lap I landed in when we were on the MAX, a light rail in Portland. After I apologized, I learned of his story, that just 1 week prviously, a very large man fell into him also, Only that other man broke his glasses which in turn scratch his eye! Since Joe was already unemployed, and had to fund the doctor's visit and the replacement glasses by himself. He wasn't bitter, just discouraged. So I prayed for him and told him I would continue to do so. He seemed very grateful for that! If you think of him, please pray for him as well.
Time to leave for the day ... Jonathan hopes to write about the MALL of AMERICA and the other DDD that we'll visit today!
(This first part is more for our records and memory of what we want to remember from our travels. You may find it a bit mundane so feel free to skip down to the part that starts with what we actually did)
We survived the 2 night, 3 day train ride .... Leaving Portland, Oregon on time, and crossing Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and arriving in Minneopolis/St. Paul, Minnesota ON TIME! Amazing for Amtrak and for our previous experiences.
It actually was not just "survival", but rather another enjoyable (most of the time) adventure. We left Portland at 4:45 so came in time for dinner. However, this was a small train - 5 cars long, and we were to meet the Seattle train in Spokane at midnight. Then we would have over 12 cars including the dining car. Since meals are included in the price of the sleeping cars,they gave us "box lunches" for dinner. A choice of shrimp cocktail type fixing, chicken mixed with corn, and roast beef rolled with bread and dessert. We all chose the roast beef. It was good, but because there wasn't much train to explore, we went to bed early. We brought dvd players and like watching "Get Smart" dvds.
One thing that was a bit disappointing, was that we couldn't get the door to our adjoining rooms open. They didn't have the key. Mary, our room attendent was only on her 2nd train trip ever, and didn't know much about where to find things. We called customer service and they offered little help. So we found ourselves running back and forth through the hallway, reminding me of dorm room style shinanigans. Had we known morse code, we could have communicated just fine! LOL Even our cell phones had no signal in the mountains and vastness of Montana!
What we did on days 4 & 5 ....
On July 6th, our 4th day on our trip, we took the bus (very good and reliable bus service in Portland) to a DDD (Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - a food network show) restaurant. This was called "Podnah's Pit BBQ" It specialized in BBQ items. It was just a little obscure place inbetween a for sale building and something else. We would have missed it altogether had we not had an address. Jonathan tried the BBQ trout, as was featured on the show. Although it came with head and tail on it, he really enjoyed this. I got pulled pork sandwich and the others got ribs and brisket. The sides of black eye peas, cole slaw, and cornbread and potato salad were sooooooo yummy! They made it vinegar based rather that mayo based and with a few other spices as well. mmm mmm mmm. We got there as it opened and there was only one other person who left shortly after we got there. We felt a bit bad for the place, as the food was REALLY good. It quickly became our favorite DDD place. We talked with the waiter about the visit from Guy, the host on DDD. They come in on 2-3 different days to film it all. A day behind in the kitchen and then with customers. As we left, the place got packed, every table taken and the outside ones filling up as well. Pictures to be posted soon.
After this, we rode the bus again, and stopped at a Mac store to get a power cord for Russ' Ipod, and to go to a mall. We walked around just to see what was there. In the midst of this mall was an ice skating rink. Fun to watch people taking lessons or just trying to skate.
So our journey began on the long train trip. We awoke in Montana, totally missing the trip through Washington and Idaho. In no time at all, we were in Glacier National Park. SO beautiful. I'll post some of the pictures of this place as well.
Blessing others
This was one of the focuses of our trip (besides family togetherness, adventure and to see the USA) and I don't see the opportunities that I imagined we would have. However, we keep an open heart and mind to what the Lord may bring our way. We have encouraged people along the way with words of appreciation, with tips, with giving up our seat so some could sit together, or finding a magazine that one was looking for. I've met interesting people in the Observation Car - and in the dining car. Elizabeth, from Switzerland who is traveling and meeting friends by herself and was still struggling with her English. I loved that I could speak a little German with her. She was the one who wanted a hard to find Amtrak magazine with the map of routes in USA. I also met a newlywed, Penny, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a town we used to shop in when I lived in Manchester, IA. There was a man, Joe, who's lap I landed in when we were on the MAX, a light rail in Portland. After I apologized, I learned of his story, that just 1 week prviously, a very large man fell into him also, Only that other man broke his glasses which in turn scratch his eye! Since Joe was already unemployed, and had to fund the doctor's visit and the replacement glasses by himself. He wasn't bitter, just discouraged. So I prayed for him and told him I would continue to do so. He seemed very grateful for that! If you think of him, please pray for him as well.
Time to leave for the day ... Jonathan hopes to write about the MALL of AMERICA and the other DDD that we'll visit today!
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