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NO OTHER PORTLAND BUT FRESH HOPPED PORTLAND

No city can be the Portland of the north, east, south, or west due to one basic truth. And it’s so obviously Portland. No place on earth is closer to the most valuable ingredient in beer. Hops grow down the road from a city with over 142 breweries in the metro area that pour 53 […]

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MOTHERS IN LAW DRINK

At Tigard’s Tapphoria good things happen when mothers in law drink. The first time I met the lady in white she was fifty years old and climbing out of ’69 Mustang fastback. Wearing black leather. Could have been Steve McQueen’s Mustang from Bullet. She and her second husband drove up from LA to see her […]

OREGON LOVE IN THE DISTRICT

Reluctant traveler finds Oregon love on the road. The best part of traveling to the other side of North America is answering the question, “Where are you from.” The easy answer is, “Oregon.” The one that gets across is, “Portland, Oregon.” Saying anything else needs explaining, like Tigard, but since I get mail marked Portland, […]

THOMAS WOLFE STYLE WITH ASHEVILLE LAUNDRY

What is Thomas Wolfe Style? Keep reading. Here in Thomas Wolfe’s hometown, I mean Asheville, as much a home as he ever had since he liked to keep moving, I’m doing laundry at the Dixieland Laundry on a Friday afternoon. From the looks of things I’m probably the only washer headed back to Grove Park […]

PORTLAND OF THE SOUTH PT. 2: KNOW WHERE YOU ARE

An ongoing series about Asheville, NC, Portland of the South pt. 2. In Portland, Oregon, going under the Morrison Bridge at midnight for southern food seems like a good idea every time. Yes, it’s dark, there are homeless tents scattered around, but Montage is still Portland. Park and go on in. If it was any […]

MAN-D OREGON BREWERS FESTIVAL GUIDE

Once a year the Man-D comes out of storage for the Oregon Brewers Festival. Traditions need respect. The beer hat named Man-D is part of tradition. Where’s the best place to wear the Man-D? Oregon Brewers Festival. See, the Man-D has magic for whoever wears it. The draw on Waterfront Park is the wide variety […]

TWO TABLES, ONE DINNER

Two tables are ready. Those are the magic words for a big dinner party. Unless it’s a big dinner at your house and you want one table instead of two tables. Then what? Crowd in. This is no restaurant, this is back deck dinner. Careful where you sit if you’re wearing white, it might not […]

OREGON COACH RON FINLEY

Youth passes with the people important in our youth: Oregon Coach Ron Finley. How does anyone leave a small town? Some never do, and the towns are all better for it. Oregon Coach Ron Finley left Newberg on a wrestling mat and he never got off. The sports world is better for him. For some […]

BRENDA TRACY, UNDEFEATED

When you need help, Brenda Tracy is right here. How many times have you had problems no one understands? Every time you’ve had a problem? If you’re like most of us, you see half an inch of water and think you’ll drown. Brenda Tracy sees half an inch of water and walks right through. She’s […]

MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S SUSHI

When a birthday dinner turns to Shakespeare and Midsummer Night’s sushi. Imagine if you will a birthday dinner, but not just a regular birthday dinner for a regular birthday. Instead, it’s a milestone birthday dinner, a biggie, so you plan and time and schedule and connect. Because it is an older birthday, one idea is […]