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That Old Black Magic

by Brian on July 19, 2013 in Food & Drink, Oregon, Travel, United States

There really is no other way to explain it. We were caught in a web of dark magic. Portland voodoo had us under its spell and it started in the strangest of all ways, with bacon.

I’m normally an adventurous eater because you never really know. Those beaver testicles might just be the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten. The way I figure it, food is so awesome that the occasional disappointment is well worth the potential upside reward. So why not go for it?

Doughnuts, on the other hand, will always rank a timid one or two out of ten on any objective scale in the adventurous food category. But who is objective when it comes to doughnuts? When you’re jonesing for a sugary fix, taking a chance on an unusual concoction feels like bungee jumping over the piranha infested Amazon. And we were jonesing. Big time.

Pittock Mansion Montage

by Brian on July 17, 2013 in Oregon, Travel, United States

The Music Room

Pittock Mansion

The Turkish Smoking Room

View of Portland and Mount Hood from Pittock Mansion

View of Portland and Mount Hood from the Pittock estate

The Library

Built in 1914 by newspaper magnate Henry Pittock, this 16,000 square foot French Renaissance-style chateau rests in Oregon’s West Hills, high above the city of Portland. Entrance to the mansion currently costs $8.50 per person, although you can now skip the admission having seen the best bits here.

Show Me the Marshmallow

by Shannon on July 15, 2013 in Food & Drink, Oregon, Travel, United States

“The S’more Stout is an absolute all-star: Aromas of chocolate, coffee, fig, and smoke invite you in to a gigantic maltiness that is distinct in its smooth and refined character, with flavors of chocolate and hints of smoke mingling with rich caramel, fruit, and warming alcohol. Top with a roasted marshmallow and you have the ultimate S’more experience!”

Who could resist that decadent description? Of all the options in craft beer mecca Portland, Base Camp Brewing won us over with those two sentences. Mostly, we wanted the roasted marshmallow – not to mention a beer that could handle one.

Portland of Waterfalls

by Brian on July 12, 2013 in Oregon, Travel, United States

5 Can’t-Miss Cascades 30 Minutes from Portland

Wahkeena Falls

As long-time New Yorkers we not only feel at home in lively and vibrant cities, we prefer them. And downtown Portland, Oregon, reminded us of the best of our hometown — only smaller and with more bicycles and way more waterfalls.

Okay, so the waterfalls aren’t really in downtown, but they might as well be. In the amount of time it takes a New York subway to travel from City Hall to the Metropolitan Museum of Art you can drive from Portland’s bustling city center to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and its more than 77 waterfalls.

And getting there couldn’t be easier. A 30-minute drive east on I-84 out of Portland brings you to Exit 22 and the Historic Columbia River Highway. Drive another winding and scenic six miles north to reach your first waterfall.

The Astoria Column

by Brian on July 10, 2013 in Oregon, Travel, United States

Patterned after the Trajan Column in Rome, the Astoria Column is similarly adorned with a 525 foot long spiral frieze depicting 14 significant events from early Oregon history.