Day 13

After all the confusion, calls, emails, etc., the window repair was quick and easy.

Learned about the cheap motel I had chosen arbitrarily for its location. Seemed pretty odd when I went to get my free breakfast in the morning that it was served in a coffee shop in the same complex of buildings. It was called Sacred Grounds, there were religious posters all over the place, and they were playing Christian rock on the sound system in the coffee shop.

Turns out the Eastside Foursquare Church owns the whole complex. They operate a meeting center with all kinds of A/V gear there, which is used as their church at other times. From a recent newspaper story:

"When we bought the hotel, one police officer told us we just bought the biggest meth lab in Portland," said David Walmer, executive director of the church.

The church purchased the old Travelodge hotel at Northeast 97th Avenue and Sandy in 2004. Walmer says it was no secret that sex and drugs were for sale at the old hotel.

After spending $8 million on renovations and marketing, Walmer says the old clients are long gone. The hotel now hosts travelers and worshippers, and it also operates a drug and alcohol rehabilitation
program.

Nice neighborhood...

Had a mediocre dinner in downtown Portland, then returned to the Green Dragon for a meet-the-brewer night. I ran into one of the Beer Goddess's friends I had met the night before and talked a bunch more about the Portland beer scene while trying a few other brews. Then she talked me into checking out yet another neighborhood place, the EastBurn. Where I topped off the night with a Storm King Stout. Now that's dessert...