In America 2025, seemingly everything has to be viewed through a partisan political lens. Even my personal vacations.
I wrote Aug. 29 about having enjoyed myself in Portland and Seattle. Coincidentally, Donald Trump Jr. had just mused during a TV interview that the military should be sent “to Portland, Seattle, the other craphole cities of the country.”
On our newspapers’ Facebook pages, readers, or at least people who like to comment on Facebook after reading headlines, weighed in.
“The cities are nice,” one allowed, “but the ideology sucks.”
When booking a vacation, “ideology” should definitely be top of mind.
“Well I guess if you like streets full of junkies and homeless people it might be a good place,” another groused.
Houston has a lot of those too, but not enough to make its downtown lively.
“He should visit San Bernardino then,” said another.
Me or Junior? I’m there all the time. Haven’t seen a presidential motorcade yet.
Wrote a retired cop: “Go on a ride along with the city’s police and that fluff article will be a diary of terror.”
I quoted that line to a friend. She exclaimed in disbelief: “You were on vacation!”
Another retired cop emailed to say he likes Eugene, Oregon but has only traveled through Portland: “There is too much traffic and crime there, so I don’t stop.” He included a link to a YouTube video titled “Portland’s 25-Year Collapse: The Timeline Nobody Wanted to Believe.”
I don’t know if I would believe it or not, but as someone who’s vacationed in Portland seven times, I’m not the right audience for a 28-minute anti-Portland video. I’d rather watch an episode of “Portlandia.”
As for traffic and crime, a reminder: Big cities are places where people live and work (and sleep on sidewalks). They’re not all-inclusive resorts.
Also, in the first half of 2025, according to stats released in August by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, Portland had 17 homicides and Seattle had 18. This compares to 28 in Tulsa, 34 in Nashville, 56 in Louisville, 59 in Phoenix and, uh, 67 in St. Louis.
Some of you are more positive, thankfully.
“I’m enjoying hot cocoa in a Powell’s mug,” Tammy Woodman of Upland tells me impishly by phone, referring to the Portland bookstore. A former resident of Oregon and Washington, she put in a plug for Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden, a twin to the new one at the Huntington.
“Portland’s airport looks inviting, and I like all the light rail,” Robert Gregory of Torrance writes after reading my column and admiring the photos.
“The bookstore will be on my itinerary when I visit,” Gregory continues. “I didn’t know how easily we could board Amtrak and reach Seattle, then use light rail. I’m used to needing taxis to get around. Good story. I’m inspired to follow your journey.”
Angie Gillingham of West Covina is headed to Portland and Seattle in mid-September. “Love Powell’s and the independent restaurants, not the chains that we see in every city in California,” she says. “We won’t rent a car and will take advantage of the ground transportation as you did.”
“Your story about Portland and Seattle was great,” praises Mary Sue Berkley of Riverside. “I’m glad someone — you — is brave enough to challenge the never-ending false narratives.”
Also positive about Portland was a friendly young woman in that city. She struck up a conversation with me as we waited in the heat for a bus. She told me she’d arrived a year ago from Austin to get out of Texas and hadn’t regretted it at all.
I guess she likes the ideology.
More custard
The frozen custard stand Ted Drewes in St. Louis was pictured here Aug. 31 after a former St. Louisan who lives in Banning brought it up. That in turn prompted a fond note from Stephanie Cooley of Upland.
“Growing up in St. Louis, Ted Drewes was a regular stop in the summer for a ‘concrete,’” Cooley says, referring to the thick concoctions served in cups. “As children we were thrilled to be handed the cup upside down!”
She adds: “And of course, I always enjoy it when you mention our beloved St. Louis Cardinals! Your column is the first thing I read in the Sunday paper.”
I’d better use her note on a Sunday, then!
Pumped up
To get across the scale of the Tesla Supercharger station in Upland, I wrote here Aug. 17 that its 64 chargers are precisely double the 32 gas pumps at the Costco in Montclair.
And that’s true. But it may not be so in a year.
“Did you know, David, that Costco in Montclair has been approved to double the gas pumps it currently has?” asks Ed Starr, Montclair’s city manager.
I did not.
The station will relocate to the northwest corner of the parking lot. The expansion will include a feature to let drivers in line see what pumps are available and will, in theory at least, improve the flow of traffic.
“When it comes to the Montclair Costco fuel station and the Upland Tesla Supercharger EV station,” Starr muses, “gas is still king, or at least on an even playing field.”
David Allen treats Sunday, Wednesday and Friday equally. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, and follow davidallencolumnist on Facebook or Instagram, @davidallen909 on X or @davidallen909.bsky.social on Bluesky.