Downtown Portland Field Trip

Hayden's 3rd grade class has been studying how cities work, so the kids got to head into downtown Portland to see things up close. They mainly learned about the history of Portland, but I think they were thrilled by things like statues and the Benson Bubblers.

Downtown businesses are very accomodating for the kiddos. They were taken two different places to look at the window, got to go into the vault at US Bank, walk through the tunnel the President uses to get to his motorcade when he is in town, and saw the first indoor swimming pool in the Pacific Northwest (@ The Benson).

I was so proud of how well-behaved the kids were. I'll admit, knowing I had to keep track of nine kids in downtown was a but daunting. But they really seemed to understand that they had to pay attention and stay with me.

I wish they weren't so enamoured by the Benson Bubblers. The continual drinking fountains seem so dirty to me. Sure, they look clean, but where is all that water coming from? And does anyone else see the irony in them? Benson installed them so workers wouldn't drink beer and wind up asleep by the afternoon. Now, Portland has the most breweries per capita.

We had lunch at Pioneer Courthouse Square, and again the kids impressed me with their behavior. They all stayed together, even in the middle of the city. Hayden was still hungry after he ate his lunch, and was quite disappointed that I'd only packed fruit and cheese. So, he got to make his first food-cart purchase...a hot dog!