A crowd of us had decided to spend the evening celebrating – a bachelorette party the night before a wedding. Our destination: Lips, a restaurant with a twist. “Female impersonators” both served and entertained. And, what a show! (more…)
One of the best things about Portland, Oregon is just getting around! Especially if you are in the downtown zone – “Fareless Square,” where you ride for free, Portland is one of the most accessible cities in which we’ve traveled. (more…)
Last Friday we went Old School in Portland to McMenamins Kennedy School, now it’s time to go Rogue!
Unlike someone who recently wrote a book entitled, Going Rogue, I actually had the opportunity to go to the Rogue Distillery & Public House, one of the many pubs that are scattered throughout the city of Portland, Oregon. (more…)
With a claim to fame such as: More breweries than any other city in the United States, you would think we are talking about the big names in brewing (TV commercials, big horses dragging wagons, etc.). But, Portland, Oregon’s breweries range from micro one-off locations to national and international distribution, all without the horses dragging wagons …
Don’t get me wrong, I think those big draft horses are impressive, but big breweries don’t necessarily mean the best beer, or the only beer. (more…)
Proprietor Joanne Gemmill knows about a true English tea since she grew up in the south of England. Once she transplanted herself to Arizona, it was natural for her to continue her tradition of tea and share that with people so they would
Proprietor Joanne Gemmill
“ Take time out from their busy lives and wallow in tea and tranquility.”
These days, everyone can use some tranquility. (more…)
Ah, if only everyone could be Carefree – or travel there. It’s a town in Arizona north of Phoenix, by the way, but it is also a state of mind.
On a recent stay at the Carefree Resort & Villas in Carefree, the experience lived up to the name.
Carefree Resort & Villas entrance
After a two and a half hour drive over the Cascade Mountains on a road (U.S. 20) that wouldn’t win any awards for staying in a straight line, I arrived in Corvallis, Oregon. Most people will probably say, WHERE?
Although near Eugene, Albany, Salem and, ultimately, Portland, Corvallis is not the most well known of cities in the Willamette Valley. While the aforementioned cities have a common trait (they are all next to I-5 traveling north and south through Oregon), Corvallis is just a bit off the beaten track (8 miles west of the interstate highway.) Not so much a tourist destination as a sports and education destination, Corvallis is home to Oregon State University. GO BEAVS! (more…)
Bend has an interesting shopping area that was salvaged from a real old mill, a lumber mill.
Called the Old Mill District, it has become the center for some upscale shopping, restaurants and events.
In an effort to be evocative, the old smokestacks are still there and there is a sign that says, “Can you smell the sawdust?”
Old Mill District
After the strenuous drive on RT 242 (see our blog on September 17) to get to Bend, we were prepared to really relax!
Our hotel in Bend, the Shilo Inn, offered rooms with fully-equipped kitchens and a view of the river. A separate building contained an enclosed pool with spa and sauna. Furnishings were a little worn, but the amenities were good with freebies offered for their full breakfast buffet, so not a bad deal all together.
We headed to downtown to look around and saw the following fellow sitting on a bench. From a distance, he looked quite real!
Bench sitter in downtown Bend
We have already talked about the Farmer’s Market (see our blog on October 9) we visited and had a chance to stroll the path along the Deschutes River. We did not tell you about the very unusual restaurant that has a tree going through the roof in the middle of of a room.
Truly – a tree that goes through the roof! When the restaurant owners decided to add another room, they didn’t want to destroy the 300-year-old tree. Oregon people are like that. So, they built the tree into the room.
Trees in Pine Tavern Restaurant
Through the roof!
Besides the unusual attraction of a tree going through the roof, the Pine Tavern has a spacious patio overlooking the Deschutes River. We opted to sit there with an idyllic view. The patio has round tables with mis-matched linen napkins.
Our waitress Nikki, was most accommodating. She offered to make iced decaf tea for me, since they didn’t have anything decaf. Although I remember liking the food, I don’t remember what we ate because we suddenly had a hovering bee that just wouldn’t go away.
When we brought the bee to Nikki’s attention, she commented that there was no extra charge for the bee. The way she said it, it was funny and we laughed and relaxed.
The view was mesmerizing and,when it was time to leave, we did so reluctantly. As we left we saw two staffers sitting at empty booths in the restaurant folding napkins! All of those napkins do need to be folded!
We liked the Pine Tavern Restaurant. Good food with an old-fashioned, gracious atmosphere.
With the fourth largest number of breweries in the U.S., Oregon is a good place to find some suds on a Friday night, or any night, for that matter.
On a recent trip to Oregon, I decided to try out some of the bigger names in the micro-brewery and brewpub business, as well as one of the smaller and newest entries into the business.
