Portland Food Cart: Philly Cheese steak

Portland is famous for their food carts.
In downtown, they have lots and lots of food cart vendors all around the same block.
We tried quite a few of them this trip but would want to try more later.

The first one we tried is "Philly Cheese steak".  I have never heard of it before.
After I tried it, I love it!!

The picture does not tell the story.  It was very warm and fresh!
It has cheese, beef, green pepper, different veggies and sauces in there.

All the ingredients mixed in very very well for a nice taste.  It was perfect!
 The taste was calming and not too extreme.

This vendor is here for over 25 years.  I guess it is a safe bet.
This one is outside Pioneer Square near all the department stores.

http://www.foodcartsportland.com/

They have a website for all the food carts... 
Apparently, they have a food cart festival this weekend....

Portland Max Line Train and Portland Red Lion Hotel

The public transit in Downtown Portland is completely free and is very convenient.
This includes train to the Rose Garden Arena, Lloyd Center (a local mall) and anywhere to the downtown core.

The trains are very clean and modern.

Portland Downtown Max Line train

However, it is on the ground and is subject to red lights.
Also, it is kind of slow...(maybe only downtown?)

We stayed at a cheap old downtown business hotel called, "Red Lion Hotel".

The hotel is old but I can tell that they renovated the hotel and bathroom's decor.
However, when we entered our first room, we saw this in the sink:

mud, clay or sand...I don't know what it is but it was puzzling.
They did not clean that up?
My wife said that it looks disgusting so we changed a room right away.

The staff did respond correctly and swiftly but the sink still puzzles me.
The hotel was okay....but....
I might try other places next time...

Harrods Bear with Hello Kitty Clothes from Build a Bear Workshop

If you have been to the United Kingdom, then you have heard of Harrods.
It is the famous symbolic luxury department store of UK.
(Things in there are really expensive!)
http://www.harrods.com/

We bought the famous Harrods bear (well made with magnets inside) and we put on the Hello Kitty outfit from Build A Bear Workshop.  www.buildabear.com

Harrods Bear with Hello Kitty outfit from Build a bear workshop

We got a one piece skirt and Hello Kitty shoes for her.
We might get her a hair accessory for her later.

Hello Kitty clothes on Harrods bear from build a bear workshop

Did you know that Harrods bear can have different poses and expressions because its hands and mouth
has magnet inside?

I was very surprised to discover that!
I guess that is why it was expensive...

Hello Kitty shoes for bear from build a bear workshop

Seattle Zoo Gift Shop: African Kids Toy from Kenya

Seattle Zoo has several toys and African musical instrument from Kenya for purchase.

They actually have African drums, colorful musicial eggs and sanza (African thumb piano).

Kids toy Kenya from Seattle Zoo

I wanted to buy more African things, but that would be for my own collections.
I think the kids would be happier if I buy them gifts downtown Portland, so I saved the thought.

I only bought the kids toy above...made in Kenya.

McDonald's USA (Portland, Oregon): Chicken McBites

I will slowly blog about my trip to Portland, Oregon.
We found this new product in McDonald's that we have not seen in Canada or Seattle.

It is Chicken McBites.  Basically, they have developed it to compete with KFC.
(Or, they have taken the idea from KFC.)

Chicken McBites McDonald Oregon Portland

Shopping and eating is tax free in Oregon, so McDonald's seemed cheaper, too.
(A big box was about 3.7 if I remembered.)

The taste is not bad even though I still prefers the KFC popcorn chicken.

inside McDonald's chicken Mcbites

Seattle Zoo Trip April 2012

This year, we made another trip to the Seattle Zoo in the April Easter break.

We went on the way to Portland, Oregon to break our long drive in half.
This year, the weather is colder in Seattle for some reason...many animals just chose to stay in their home.

We could not spot many of them at all, especially the african ones...
Here are the classic ones we saw:

Seattle zoo hippo

Hippo eating grass and giraffe:

seattle zoo giraffe spring 2012

and Asian Elephants:

Asian Elephant Thai Seattle zoo spring 2012

Orangutan

The orangutan was funny. This huge primate was holding a ball of grass in his mouth.
Occasionally, he would show the tourists his ball of grass and then put it back in his mouth again.

Seattle Zoo home page:
http://www.zoo.org/

Vancouver International Auto Show 2012: Mazda RX-8 and Nissan GT-R

What is a car show without GT-R and RX-8?
You can't go without the famous Japanese racing cars.
They are efficient and practical. 

Here is the RX-8 Rally edition on display:

Mazda RX-8 rally international vancouver

Here is the famous GT-R for 2013 model:
The starting price for this car is 100,000 dollars.  Too cool!

Vancouver Auto Show 2012: Mercedes-Bez Roadster and Jaguar

Here is more pictures from the auto show: Mercedes-Benz's SLS AMG Roadster and Jaguar.

The Roadster looks really impressive with its red finishing.

Vancouver auto show 2012 Roadster SLS AMG Mercedes

Here is the cooliest Jaguar this year:

Blue Jaguar 2012 Vancouver auto show

I could go in many Jaguar this year and I like their features inside the vehicle including button shifts and parking brakes.  However, I could not go into this one....

Vancouver International Auto Show 2012: Infiniti Red Bull F-1 Racing Car

For the Infiniti (Higher Brand of Nissan), the had luxury cars and this F-1 Racing Car on the display.

It has sponsors logos all over: Red Bull, Casio, etc.

Infiniti racing car Vancouver Auto Show 2012

Vancouver International Auto Show 2012: Lotus and Lamborghini

Here are two more supercars:
(see the sign behind it?  It means you can't touch it....)

Yellow Lotus Vancouver auto show 2012

Red Lamborghini Vancouver Auto Show 2012

The Lamborghini is really cool. I am not familiar with it enough to know the model name.
However, I guess you have to be super rich to maintain this kind of toy.
I wish I have one of these...

Red Lamborghini front vancouver auto show 2012

Vancouver Auto Show 2012: Porsche, Maserati and Rolls Royce

Here are pictures of a Porsche racing car with bikes, a Maserati and a Rolls Royce.

Porsche black with bike rack vancouver auto show

You can`t really touch these supercars, which is kind of disappointing.
I guess you don`t want to scratch these cars.

Vancouver International Auto Show 2012: Lexus Racing Car LFA 2013

The interesting part about the car show is that all the brands will have 1 best car to show off.
One of the more impressive ones is actually not a Ferrari, it is this Lexus LFA.
If the rumor is true, there is only 25 LFAs on sale in Canada.

Each one of these cost more than 300,000 dollars but you can stand close to see it.

Red Lexus racing car LFA 2013

This one is a nice red model.  Very very nice but we can only look at it....
The starting price is 375, 000 US dollars and another version will be 445,000 dollars.
According to wikipedia, it is the most expensive Japanese roadcar ever made.
Only 500 were made last year.

In the beginning, it was a concept car developed in the early 2000s.
The body is made of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer.
This car is constant being reviewed against other supercars and racing cars such as Ferrari and GT-R.

Vancouver International Auto Show 2012: Ferrari

Here are the pictures of Ferrari in the Vancouver International Auto Show.

White Ferrari Vancouver 2012 auto show

Black Ferrari Vancouver auto show 2012

Vancouver International Auto Show 2012: Dodge Viper

I went to the Vancouver International Auto Show last week with my wife and took lots of pictures.
I will be uploading all the cool fancy car's pictures.

Here are the Dodge Vipers:

Canadian Superstore: World of Flavours - Spicy Piri Piri Chips

I don't usually praise the products of the Canadian Superstore because I don't think they are innovative.

However, for a couple of years, they have released these world flavors of chips.
(I have to say that they are not bad.)

We bought these Piri Piri chips and tried them. 
It is slightly spicy but delicious compared to other brands.

They also have other cultural flavors such as Szechuan spicy and wasabi....I think.

Piri Piri comes from a kind of chili plant in Africa.
It means "pepper pepper"  and people from different countries use it to make hot sauces for food.

Toys R Us Canada: Free Lego and Duplo Easter Bunny Building Event

Toys R Us has special events at least 8 times a year.
A couple of times a year, they are Thomas the Train events, and the rest are Lego building events.
(They are usually for Mother's Day, Father's day, Spring, Winter...etc.  Search my other Lego blogs.)

Today's Lego and Duplo building event is for Easter Bunnies!  (Chicks for toddlers and babies.)

Lego Duplo free event toys r us Easter Bunny and chick

It think it is great that they have these special events.
Lego is expensive but you can get free pieces by attending these events. 

The kids can get entertained, too.
In the future, the kids can utilize the special parts to make other creative things.

Toys R Us free Lego event Easter bunny and chick

I wonder when is the next event...