Dave Knows: Portland » Out of town

July 17: Portland Highland Games 2010

Dave — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:56:43 +0000

As if there weren’t already enough things to do this weekend, the 2010 Portland Highland Games take place Saturday, July 17th at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon.

Spend the day among the Scots! The tradition returns and we invite you, your family and friends to join us for traditional Scottish entertainment and fun.

What will you enjoy at the Games?

Scottish dancing; piping, drumming, and fiddling competitions; athletic competitions; musical entertainment; traditional food and shopping; children’s activities; clan tents and more!

And this year, we’re thrilled that our featured guest pipe band is the six-time and reigning world champions, the Simon Fraser University Pipe Band from Vancouver, Canada. They’ll play on our field just a few weeks before heading to Scotland to defend their title!

Visit PHGA.org for the full schedule and details.

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A Visit to the Enchanted Forest

Dave — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 17:01:32 +0000

I was determined, this year, to visit the Enchanted Forest.

My last visit was sometime before 1983, when the Ice Mountain Bobsleds ride was built. But my memories and interest were piqued anew two years ago when Roger Tofte, the creator of the Enchanted Forest, made a special appearance at the Charles Phoenix show in Portland. When the park opened for the 2010 season in March, I began strategizing. Finally, I found my opportunity this week. Heather and I both took a day off work to celebrate her birthday, which fell on Tuesday this year. After a morning trip to another of our favorite places, Bob’s Red Mill, we jumped into the Saabaru and pointed ourselves South. Heather appeared skeptical of the Happiest Place off of I-5 in Oregon, but I believe the trip turned her into a fan.

We couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was warm and sunny, but the Enchanted Forest really is in a forest, so it was easy to stay cool in the shade. Our adventure began, of course, at the Castle, which welcomes visitors to Storybook Lane.

Below, I prepare to enter the Castle. As you can see I’m wearing appropriate Oregon amusement park togs – my Pixieland t-shirt from Vintage Roadside!

Heather began to sense the magic almost immediately upon our arrival.

The Crooked House was one of my favorites when I was a kid. Still is. The first house I owned had similar structural integrity.

The Witch is one of the most iconic, creepiest and wonderful parts of the Enchanted Forest.

We had a great time. I finally experienced the Haunted House, which as a kid I was too terrified to enter. I was a bit disappointed, however, because it was too dark to really see anything – maybe I’m just too old? The Western Town and Old Europe Village are both a hoot. Perhaps on our next visit we’ll get up the gumption to go on some rides!

For more, read Heather’s Mile73.com post: Enchanted Birthday

Thanks to Trashbag for the Enchanted Forest photo at the top. The rest of the photos were taken by Heather or me.

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Things to do in Portland When it’s Hot (2010)

Dave — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:05:38 +0000

Drink beer. If it’s hot, it’s probably summer, and since it’s summer there is likely a beer festival going on somewhere in or near town. Many bars are air conditioned, some have fantastic patios. All sell cold beverages.

Jump in a fountain. 18 city parks feature fountains, many of which (but not all!) you can jump into. The old-school favorite is Keller Fountain Park (SW 3rd and Clay) – lots of shade too! And of course if you like screaming kids the Salmon Street fountain at Waterfront Park perfectly matches your needs.

Jump in a pool. Though summer weather only really started after the 4th of July, Portland’s outdoor pools opened on June 21st!

Visit a shady park. Good choices are Washington Park or Forest Park of course, but large shady trees populate a large number of Portland’s city parks. Trees grow well here!

Lounge in a hammock or lawn chair. If you’re smart, you abhor physical activity when it’s hot. Your Portland home probably doesn’t have AC, so it’s ridiculously hot inside. If you’re outside, 100 degrees isn’t that bad if you are lounging in a hammock under a shady tree with a cooler full of beer within reach. When it’s really hot it’s usually breezy too and humidity is rare around here . . .

Take public transit if you’re going anywhere. No, seriously. Avoid traveling on foot, by bike*, or by car. The vast majority of TriMet’s fleet has pretty good AC (if that ass hat in the back will close the goddamn window), and the bus will probably be cool the moment you step on. Let the bus driver deal with the stressed out and overheated car drivers; that’s his job.

Head to the coast. It’s always cooler on the coast. It may even be raining. (If you’re camping on the coast, it’s definitely raining.)

Head to the mountain. 100 degrees in Portland means 80 degrees (approximately) at Government Camp, Trillium Lake or Timberline Lodge.

And if all else fails . . .

Whine about the heat [a Mile73.com classic from 2008!]. It won’t make things cooler, but it’ll make you feel better.

And for some other great ideas, visit:

QPDX: Summer guide to queer Portland
altportland: Staying cool when it’s hot
ThePortlander: Tips to Stay Cool

*If where you’re going is down hill, by all means ride your bike! And then transport it and you back home via air conditioned TriMet.

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Dave Goes: Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival 2010

Dave — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:10:31 +0000

For the second year in a row Heather and I descended upon Astoria, Oregon for the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival.

We arrived in town Friday evening, so we missed the Coronation of Miss Scandinavia, the bonfire, and the queen’s ball. But Saturday we took in the Optog (aka the walking parade through downtown Astoria) and then made our way to Clatsop County Fairgrounds for the whole tamale. Here’s a quick, illustrated, recap (read a more thorough and better written re-cap at Mile73.com!):

At the fair entrance I made sure my allegiances were clear.

I tested out new axes for Timbers. This one wasn’t cartoony enough.

The band playing in the beer garden Saturday afternoon had this guy, on bass and oxygen.

And of course we had some beer.

Sunday after we checked out of our hotel, we wandered around the Astoria Sunday Market.

You knew Clark Gable began his acting career in Astoria, Oregon, right? Yup, just before the theater (and much of the town) burnt down. And right before he sold ties at Meier and Frank in Portland. This plaque is adjacent to the public restroom.

Finally, at noon, Fort George Brewery opened. We had a beer and headed home. Here’s Heather enjoying a crisp and hoppy oatmeal pale ale:

That’s all I got, but go visit Heather’s Mile73.com for more!

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June 18-20: Pride Week, Offbeat Belly Dance, Chinatown Walking Tours, and the Timbers

Dave — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 12:18:56 +0000

It’s shaping up to be a great weekend here in Portland, Oregon. Behold below a list of select events I’m going to miss because, of course, Heather and I are off to the 43rd Annual Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival!

And don’t forget, it’s Pride Week in Portland! Visit qPDX‘s special Portland Pride 2010 page for all the events, and follow @qPDX on Twitter for real time updates all weekend.

Friday

Offbeat Belly Dance

Every third Friday of the month, from 7 to 9pm, the Blue Monk (3341 SE Belmont) hosts the Offbeat Belly Dance collective, a club rocking, good timing, genre-defying gang of badass belly dancers.

This third Friday, June 18th 2010, is no different [more]

Saturday-Sunday

Sweet Cakes, Long Journey: A Walking Tour of Portland’s Chinatown

The tours offer a unique opportunity to learn about the neighborhood through its architecture, oral history and little-known cultural heritage. A rare lecture by visiting scholar Dr. Marie Rose Wong offers a broader sociological and historical view of the area. [more]

Sunday

You Are Timbers History Open Studio #2

You have another chance to make Portland Timbers history, this Sunday, June 20th, at FC Media’s second Open Studio event.

The first Open Studio, earlier this month, was a success. Fans brought Timbers memorabilia of all kinds to the event to be photographed and cataloged for the Timbers visual history project. [more]

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June 18-20: Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival 2010

Dave — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:11:43 +0000

The 43rd annual Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer Festival (aka Astoria Scanfest 2010) takes place this weekend, June 18-20.

Heather and I attended the Scanfest for our first time last summer, [that's me pictured, preparing for the 2009 fest with strong coffee and appropriate head gear] and we had a blast. Read her account of our adventure:

This year’s festivities begin Friday with the Coronation of Miss Scandinavia, the torchlight procession to the bonfire to burn hexes representing bad luck, and the queen’s ball. And also very importlantly, on Friday from 9-11pm Beer-drinking Music is scheduled for the Beer Garden.

Saturday‘s events include the Optog, a walking parade through downtown Astoria. And the raising of the midsummer pole followed by ring dancing, and an evening open dance.

Music and dancing take place throughout the festival, all days. Entertainers include the Sigtuna Brass Sextet from Sweden, the Karelian Folk Music Ensemble from Finland and Russia, Pekka and Perttu from Finland, and the Ultima Thule Choir from Norway. Vendors will be on hand selling handcrafts and imported items from Scandinavia. And don’t forget the Aebelskiver (Scandinavian donut), Krumkakke (crisp flat cookie rolled into cone shape), Lefse (flat bread with butter, cinnamon and sugar), Riisipuuro (rice pudding with fruit soup), and more!

Sunday the festival wraps up with a Pannukaku Breakfast and more music and fun.

And I’ll leave you with one of the highlights of last year’s festival: Kerry Christensen, Master Yodeler performing the The Norwegian Cow Song!

Kerry Christensen, Master Yodeler, The Norwegian Cow Song from Mile73 on Vimeo.

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Portland Pinball Map Conquers our Neighbors to the North

Dave — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:45:40 +0000

The folks behind the Portland Pinball Map (and the highly recommended iPhone application) have expanded their horizons, with two new maps for our neighbors to the North:

British Columbia (http://pinballmap.com/bc)
Seattle (http://pinballmap.com/seattle/)

Just like the Portland map, the new maps enables a user in Seattle and BC to:

Check your favorite locations for their latest line-up

Search for machines throughout town

Browse the machines in your region

Search for locations with four or more machines

Comment on a machine’s condition

Also like the Portland map, the BC and Seattle maps are maintained by locals. The BC map is maintained by the folks at the Vancouver Regional Pinball Association (VRPA), and the Seattle map is maintained by unaffiliated volunteers.

At this moment the BC map tracks a respectable 58 locations and 91 machines, and the Seattle map 82 locations and 153 machines (compared to the mature Portland map’s hearty 176 locations and 366 machines).

(There is no accompanying iPhone app for the new regions yet, but I imagine that’s only a matter of time.)

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Dave Goes Camping: Silver Falls State Park

Dave — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:50:53 +0000

Our first camping trip of 2010 took us back to a park we visited a few months ago: Silver Falls State Park. On that mid-March reconnaissance mission we noted that though the campground was not particularly inviting, the park is a quick Friday-after-work drive, has beautiful scenery, and sports showers and flush toilets (the desirability of which is never to be underestimated).

Friday we sneaked out of work early and headed south on I-5. The rain had subsided and the forecast promised actual sun and spring-like temperatures Saturday. We were in denial about Sunday’s forecast of heavy rain . . .

For more (including dutch oven highlights!) read Heather’s account of the trip at Mile73.com: “Summer” Road Trip Season Begins

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Biggest Trailblazers Fan in Elko, Nevada?

Dave — Fri, 28 May 2010 20:30:33 +0000

My brother Steve and his family moved to Elko, Nevada a few years ago. But despite keepin’ it rural (as the tagline of his blog succinctly puts it), he has stayed true to his Portland roots in at least one way: he’s a huge Trailblazers fan.

As I’ve mentioned before, he secured a personalized license plate as soon as he moved to Nevada: BLZRFAN. Well recently he and his wife bought a second car, so of course they needed to get another personalized license plate declaring their allegiance:

Steve is also an entertaining (if infrequent) blogger at the confusingly named blog Dave Knows: Elko. And though he only started Twittering recently, he’s a natural; follow him at @ElkoSteve.

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The Globe and Mail gives a shout out to Portland Poutine

Dave — Sat, 22 May 2010 14:39:29 +0000

In the The Globe and Mail, Saturday, May 22nd 2010 edition, John Allemang writes about the world wide reach of Canada’s favorite late night snack in: Poutine: Quebec’s accidental delicacy becomes global haute cuisine

It’s official: Poutine is a global player.

The world poutine-eating championships being held Saturday in Toronto – as a high-cal appetizer to a Toronto FC soccer game – are as good a sign as any that Quebec’s down-home artery clogger has finally arrived on the international stage.

Chicago, San Francisco, and of course New York; you can find poutine in more and more places throughout the world. And Portlanders may have more poutine choices than any other city not in Canada. I spoke to Mr. Allemang about my, and Portland’s, poutine obsession for the article.

In Portland, Ore., there are at least a dozen locales that play to poutine cravings, including the Potato Champion, which boasts of being the city’s only late-night French-fries cart and tempts homebound drinkers with vegetarian and even vegan poutine, as well as the standard version made with free-range chicken stock and artisanal curds.

How does an Oregon city come to be a force in the dish’s globalization? “There’s a big foodie culture here,” says software engineer David Strom, author of the Portland Poutine website. “There’s also an irony addiction in Portland. In the end, poutine’s the perfect junk food. … You’ve got gravy, you’ve got French fries, you’ve got cheese – what’s not to like?”

Mr. Strom traces his passion for poutine to a visit he made to Montreal in 2005: The motto of his website is “We have much to learn from Canada.” Montreal’s reputation as a lively tourist destination is in large part responsible for poutine’s rise in the food world.

Read the rest of the article for more on poutine’s march around the world.

This story was cross-posted on PortlandPoutine.com.

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