This morning is my first outing from our Airbnb of the moment: Tiffany’s, not far from Mount Tabor.  We moved here from Stacey’s the day before yesterday, and will be here for two weeks.  So far it looks like it will suit us well, and more so than Stacey’s – it’s significantly roomier, has much better WiFi, and is not as quirky.  After a month in a half-attic, we were both ready for a change of scene.

 

Inspired by Alchemyrider’s latest post, I leave Tiffany’s in the predawn.  If he can get out the door at 4 and complete an 95k by 9, I should be able to brave a few dark miles to my CLC target for the day, Stark Street Station.

It’s actually not all that dark while I’m biking anyway, since there’s no point getting to the diner before they open at 7.  I stop for a few photos  on the way, so by the time I arrive they’ve already been open for awhile and it’s nearly dawn.

I take a few minutes locking up Rodriguez.  There is an array of racks along the north, windowless wall.  I consider locking it up there and hoping it’s secure enough, but then change my mind when I see a utility pole across the street that I can keep an eye on over breakfast.

Stark Street Station is an interesting place, and a bit different than my usual haunts.  It’s clean, a bit conservative in its decor, but friendly.  They have some attractive food choices too – I enjoy my quiche like artichoke chicken frittata.  I enjoy their 60’s sound track of the morning too, with some old favorites I haven’t hard for a long time: Four Strong Winds (Ian and Sylvia); Shambala (Three Dog Night); So Far Away (Carole King).

 

 

 

This is a working ride this morning – I have a few errands to run downtown – and rain is due to roll into town in a few hours, so I don’t have too much time to play around.  It looks pretty fair now though, so I decide I can afford to climb up to the top of nearby Mount Tabor first. It is a pleasant climb, especially starting from here on the north side -I’m already half way up.

A brief pause for a fun fact you may not be aware of: Mount Tabor is a small extinct cinder cone/volcano,a part of the Boring Lava Feld that also produced Rocky Butte, Mount Scott, Powell Butte, and several other nearby prominences.  Mount Tabor is notable as one of only four volcanoes that lie within city limits.  The others are Pilot Butte (Bend, Oregon); Diamond Head (Honolulu); and Jackson Volcano (Jackson, Mississippi).  And Jackson shouldn’t even count, because it’s completely subterranean.

Anyway, it’s quite nice this morning.  Very quiet, almost cathedral-like beneath the Douglas firs.

 

Coasting back down, I zip past Stark Street Station again, on my way to Glisan Street.  I’m on a mission to scope out Seven Virtues, a place I’m considering for my next CLC outing.  It looks fine, quite suitable.  I like this theme for this year, scouting out the next destination on each ride.

Xxx