Dolls,

Well I'm finally off the road after the most harrowing and fearsome 3 months of work. Harrowing and fearsome only because I wasn't convinced I could do it.... play three different roles in a matter of weeks sandwiched between "Matters of the Heart" performances in Pittsburgh and the Pacific Northwest. Well, I did it and I passed the test. The test being good humor, good attitude, and not letting my fear dictate my actions. Just goes to show that anything is possible. I keep learning that lesson. My journeys ended up in the Pacific Northwest and that's what I want to write about.

"Matters of the Heart" played for one week in Portland, Oregon and one week in Seattle, Washington. I don't know about the rest of the year but the sun shone in both of those cities, both weeks. This part of America is so beautiful. I had never been. The day we arrived my company manager and I decided to spend the day spa-ing. We went to The Avalon Hotel and Spa, 0455 SW Hamilton Court, Portland, OR 97239 Ph: 503-802-5800. Oh my God, we had The Shirodhara. What they do is drizzle a slow stream of warm oil over your forehead and into your scalp and add herbs and they massage your head and they exfoliate your face and they put your feet and your hands in booties and mittens and you reenter the womb and I never wanted to leave. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa. It's the best kind of massage I have ever had! Check it out if you are ever in Portland.

Some restaurant recommendations: Mother's Bistro and Bar "You should eat so good." 409 SW 2nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97204 Ph: 503-464-1122. We went there for breakfast. French Toast breaded in Corn Flakes. Oh my God! Also, Southpark Seafood Grill & Wine Bar, 901 SW Salmon Street, Ph: 503-326-1300. We were there practically every night. Great service, friendly, friendly, friendly wait staff and delicious food. The fish in the Pacific Northwest is so fresh. You just want to eat oyster after oyster after oyster, which I did. Portland is a very beautiful city, very clean, very well laid out, and so green. I didn't know that the Pacific Northwest was a temperate climate. The people are very proud of their city and rightfully so. They're smart and we wondered why they were all so good looking. I actually asked some people in a bar, "Why do you all look so good?"... One of them said, "I'm from LA."

On to Seattle. We didn't stay here but it looked like a very cool place: Inn At The Market, 86 Pine Street, Seattle, WA 98101 Ph: 800-446-4484. We walked down to Pike's Place Market and I felt like I was in Europe except it had an American robustness about it. The freshest of fish, vegetables, meats, flowers, fruits, coffees and teas, big strapping handsome guys (again) throwing fish. They all had piercings on their faces, so... did the football team go grunge? Speaking of which I wished I knew where Kurt Cobain lived. I wanted to go see his house and the park where they held the vigil.

I stayed at the Fairmont Hotel whose windows opened, thank God. In the morning I would hear the traffic of the city and seagulls. How cool is that, man? Restaurant recommendations: Wild Ginger, 1401 Third Ave., Seattle, WA 98101 Ph: 206-623-4450. Yum, yum, yum, yum. Bambuza, 820 Pike Street, Ph: 206-219-5555. This is Vietnamese food, so delicious, so clean. And, Cafe Campagne, 1600 Post Alley at Pine, Ph: 206-728-2233. So French, so divine. Barbara and I spa-ed again in Seattle. The Gene Juarez Salons & Spas, 607 Pine Street, Ph: 206-326-6000. Very, very luxurious.

You know what would be a really cool vacation? Start out in Northern California and drive up the coast to Vancouver, cut across to Jasper, take the Icefields Parkway to Banff, then cut across to Calgary. Hang out at the Calgary Stampede for a while and if there is one, take the train across the southern border of Canada to Montreal. The Happy Kingdom. Yeah, I like that trip.

I'm not taking any trips. I'm home. It's my birthday and I'm going to go play miniature golf. Happy Birthday to all of you out there! See you next month.

Love, Patti

 

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