Spring Ahead: Parkdale OR

On that first day of Daylight Savings, a friend and I snuck in a couple of hours of cross-country skiing before it got too warm and started to drizzle. Not ones to ski in rain and melting snow, we decided to get a drink instead. So we hit one of our favorite Hood River Valley destinations – the Solera Brewery in Parkdale.

We love this place. It has a certain scruffy charm, and it's off the beaten path. But really, you don't have to drive that far off the beaten path to get there - just 6 miles off of Hwy 35. It's a perfect diversion in our opinion. 

We came here many times when it was still the Elliot Bay Public House. (Look closely, and you can see the ghostly outlines of the old sign.) And when it closed for a while, we were devastated. A favorite hang had been taken away from us.   

Thankfully, it reopened. During this particular visit, the new proprietor turned us onto a lovely IPA which wasn’t too hoppy, and in his words, was more “floral”. The beer is good, and the pub grub is above average. But what makes this minor detour worth taking is the view from the back deck. It borders on a pear orchard, and on a clear day (which this wasn't), the view of Mt. Hood is fantastic.

It’s a terrific place to come after hiking or skiing. And it's also fun to take visitors, because it’s just so Oregon.

And since we had gained an extra hour of daylight, we decided to take the backroads back to Hood River. The late winter light, the barely budding pear trees, and the dark clouds were stunning.

Solera
4945 Baseline Drive
Parkdale, OR  97041
solerabrewery.com

Sunday Night Special: Esparza's, Portland OR

One positive thing that has come out of The Great Recession is that restaurants have taken Happy Hours and dinner specials to new heights, which make for some good deals around town.

I mean, really, who wants to pay full price for anything anymore?

Which is how a friend pitched the Sunday night dinner special at Esparza’s Tex-Mex restaurant to me – a hearty plate of enchiladas for only $6.99.

Were they good? Well, they were certainly good enough – considering the price and the generous portion.  Not to mention the free chips and salsa, which were quite tasty, by the way. The chips were fresh and still warm when served, and the salsa had a nice smokey quality.

So, a plate of enchiladas with rice and beans, plenty of chips and salsa, plus one beer, and my tab came to $10.00 and change.

I would have easily spent more at Burgerville.

Esparza’s
2725 SE Ankeny Street
Portland, Oregon  97214

503-234-7909
esparzastexmex.com

Leave it to Beavers: Beaver Lodge Sanctuary, Seattle WA

Seems like at every Northwest artsy-crafty show I've attended, there's always an artist's statement that declares their work depicts "where the natural and urban landscape collide". It might be another Northwest cliché (right up right up there with “Summer starts July 5th”) – but you know what? It’s true.

Recently, a friend introduced me to a fine example of the nature-meets-city phenomenon.  At the end of a short, tucked-away gravel path in Seattle's well-heeled Madison Park neighborhood, you'll find the Beaver Lodge Sanctuary. Nestled between upper-middle class homes and a golf course, the sanctuary is a small, woodsy area that connects with the water. It's dotted with tidy piles of crisscrossed logs and branches – the makings of these semi-aquatic creatures' homes.

Unfortunately, on that particular day, the beavers were laying low, and the lodges seemed still - at least on the surface. But, it was comforting to know they were there, co-existing with their human neighbors, and the Starbucks just up the road.

Beaver Lodge Sanctuary
37th Ave E (E Mc Gilvra St), Seattle, WA 98112

A Lot of Trees: Portland OR

Peterson family Christmas tree lot

Growing up in the San Fernando Valley, buying a Christmas tree meant going to the local supermarket parking lot.  And depending on that particular winter (if you can call it that), the temperature could be anywhere from 68 – 90 degrees, where lovely trees from cool damp places (probably Oregon) would be baking in the heat. You picked your tree, took it home in the family station wagon, and hoped it wouldn’t turn into kindling before the big day.

So, now that I live in the Christmas Tree Capital of The World, that probably explains my complete appreciation for the tree lot less than a mile from my house, which sets up shop every December in a very adorable rustic open space, complete with woodsy hut and wood-cut elves.

For me, the Christmas Season officially starts when this local tree lot is glowing with string lights and packed with fresh trees grown in nearby Canby, cut just hours before you take them home. It’s run by the Peterson family, and apparently has been doing business for over 20 years. Fathers, sons, and cousins are all on-hand helping out.

And after my initial tree purchase, I often return to buy fresh holiday greens, and sometimes even a wreath – so the thrill of Christmas tree buying extends well into December.

To top it off, Jim and Patty's is across the street, so I can get a warm yummy drink, then head over to tromp around the pine-scented lot, humming with the sound of buzz saws merrily trimming stumps and errant branches.

What could be more Christmassy that that?

Peterson Christmas Trees

NE Fremont & 49^th
Portland, OR

Where the Cool Kids Are

The weather has turned and we've set back the clocks... meaning its cold, dark, and wet. But don't despair! Even if it sucks outside, you can still venture out into the World Wide Web.

For me, on these dark, soggy evenings, my latest social networking drug-of-choice is tumblr. If you've ever wanted to know where the cool kids hang out online, this is the place. What makes tumblr so cool? Just check it out - you'll see.

And here's a fun tumblr link for all you bloggers out there. Refreshingly goofy, even if it is at the Cool Kids site.

A Better PB&J: Portland OR

One Saturday afternoon while on NW 23^rd Avenue, I realized I had skipped lunch, which immediately made me feel ravenous. As fate would have it, I spied the PBJ’s food cart across the street, which serves gourmet sweet and savory grilled sandwiches.

Keena of PBJ's hands out sandwich samples

Man, these are good – and rich. (Nut butters, chocolate and cheeses - oh my!) And they use all local, mostly organic ingrediants. I had the Oregonian, an amazing grilled, melted concoction of challah bread, berry jam, blue cheese and hazelnut butter. 

I also got to sample a dessert-like sandwich (as if the first sandwich wasn’t dessert-like enough). This one involved peanut butter and chocolate, and finished on a perfectly salty high note.

I also chatted with one of the owners, Keena Taliman, who has boundless enthusiasm for turning people onto the gooey goodness of her fancy-but-still-down-to-earth sandwich creations.

PBJ’s

NW 23rd Avenue and NW Kearney Street

pbjsgrilled.com

Let Me Take You on a Sea Cruise: Vancouver BC

Gosh. Lucky for me, when I road-tripped to Vancouver BC earlier this month, I hit three days of 80-degree-plus weather and not a cloud in the sky. So, knowing what lies just around the corner in the Pacific Northwest, I took full advantage of the California-comes-to-Canada climate and spent most of my time outside. Let’s just say visiting museums will have to wait for a rainy day. 

Stanley Park Seawall bike path

What I did do was rent a bike, and took a leisurely spin around Stanley Park. Yes, a tourist activity, but one that actually allowed me to connect like a local with the city's wonderful natural beauty. Conveniently located near Stanley Park are several bike-rental shops. I wound up at Spokes Bicycle Rentals – which is quite a large operation, manned by lots of friendly international twenty-somethings from places like the Czech Republic and Australia. At Spokes, you can choose from several types of bikes – including one-speed cruisers, city cruisers, mountain bikes and full-on road bikes. I opted for the city cruiser, which is kind of an urban comfort bike with several gears. A lock and a helmet is part of the deal, and if you bring our own bike shoes, they’ll even hook you up so you can clip in. 

Totem poles in Stanley Park

I must confess, I really didn’t explore much of the park’s interior, mainly because I was so enamored with the 5.5 mile scenic seawall bike path. It circles the entire park, and for long stretches it hugs the water’s edge. In fact, riding along this seawall is pretty much the next best thing to being on a boat. I did make a couple of stops; one to check out the totem poles (a very popular destination), and another to watch freighters loaded with colorful containers cruise by. 

A freighter floats by on English Bay

Cycling around the park just left me wanting more. So I continued on and rode past several beaches including Second Beach – which on that particular day looked like the Canadian version of the French Riviera. It was hot and sunny, and visibly happy folks in bathing suits dotted the sand, soaking up the last rays of summer. I also admired the use of logs as Nature’s answer to the chaise lounge – very much in keeping with the tone of the city, which has an international Northwest-chic vibe. 

Second Beach on a sunny September afternoon

Vancouver BC is as beautiful as San Francisco and appears to be as bike-friendly as Portland, which is a killer combination. The city’s bridges seemed to have as many bike commuters as our Broadway Bridge on a summer weekday afternoon. Green bike boxes and wide bike lanes are everywhere, and nifty miniature bike maps are free in most bike shops. 

One of the city's many bike lines

Next time, I plan on taking my own bike and exploring the city on two wheels. Seems like an ideal way to either stay on or get off the beaten path.

Stanley Park
2000 West Georgia Street

Vancouver, BC  V6G 2V7

Spokes Bicycle Rentals

1798 West Georgia Street

Vancouver, BC  V6G 2V7

Ph. (604) 688-5141

spokesbicyclerentals.com