Our 1st Anniversary Celebration

PLANS AND PREPARATIONS

Several months ago we made our pledge to support Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB). They were offering several different pledge incentives and we chose the Rick Steves’ Lecture. We had no idea what his subject would be, but we have been fans of his PBS travelogue “Rick Steves’ Europe” for several years, and were convinced it would be worthwhile.

The lecture was scheduled for 2pm on Sunday, March 15th at the Portland Museum of Art. Since our first anniversary was the next day, we decided to spend a couple of days in the Portland area celebrating the occasion.

We began assembling our itinerary and the first order of business was to choose a hotel that would serve as our base of operations. Though we have stayed in several Portland-area hotels, the choice was both easy and obvious: McMenamins Edgefield. Here’s a short description of this full-featured resort:

Built in 1911 as the county poor farm, today McMenamins Edgefield is a destination resort and national historic landmark in the Columbia River Gorge scenic area. Blending history with entertainment, Edgefield’s 74 acres offer relaxation and tranquility, just twenty minutes east of Portland. Stay the night to enjoy a comfortable guestroom, fine-dining restaurant, pub, small bars, Ruby’s Spa, soaking pool, winery, brewery, distillery, par-3 golf, movie theater, artwork and more, all paired with our handcrafted ales, wines and spirits.

Here’s a link to their website:

http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=3

As our plans began to take shape, we had another consideration; on January 27th, Pennie had slipped on some ice and fell, breaking her left ankle. So we had to make sure our activities were handicap accessible and didn’t involve much walking.


SUNDAY MARCH 15, 2009

We left our home in Hood River at 9am for the drive to Portland. The morning skies were grey and steely, but the rain was light and occasional as we made our way west along the always-spectacular Columbia River Gorge. We had selected a restaurant in southeast Portland called Zell’s, which was highly acclaimed for its breakfasts and laid-back atmosphere. A review states:

Mornings at Zell’s wouldn't be complete without cozy environs, a bit of a wait and tasty surprises, such as complimentary mini-scones. Add the original tile soda fountain counter with stools, huge mirrors and detailed woodwork from the pharmacy that originally inhabited the spot, and you've got one charming breakfast spot. Omelets are fluffy and filled with ingredients such as mushrooms and Gorgonzola. Corned beef hash is rife with chunks of beef blanketed by sunny-side up eggs, but the signature dish is the German Pancake with Rhubarb and Pear Sauce.

I dropped Pennie off near the entrance and drove around the block searching for a parking space on the crowded neighborhood streets. As I completed my first circuit and returned to Zell’s, a space opened up directly in front of the door. My parking-karma was still operational.

I found Pennie seated on a padded bench in the waiting area, and the young, vibrant customers provided a constant hum of lively conversation. Soon we were seated and enjoyed free scones with our coffee while we made our selections. Pennie chose the German Pancake and I ordered the Corned Beef Hash.

Portland had hosted a St. Patrick’s Day Race early that morning and several patrons who had run were wearing t-shirts from the race. At the table next to ours was a young family with a little red-haired girl of three or four with rosy cheeks, freckles and a glowing smile. She looked like the poster girl for Irish Lassies.

After breakfast we set Greta (as we call our Garmin GPS unit) for the Portland Museum of Art. I dropped Pennie off on the plaza and found a parking space nearby. When I returned Pennie was enjoying the warmth of the morning sun on her smiling face. The doors to the museum opened at noon and we took the elevator to the second floor to the featured exhibition, La volupté du goût: French Painting in the Age of Madame de Pompadour.

From the time she attained the envied position of official mistress to Louis XV in 1745 until her death in 1764, Madame de Pompadour was one of the most celebrated and active patrons of the arts. La volupté du gout (voluptuous taste), comprised of paintings created by 24 of the era’s most important artists patronized by Pompadour during an age that witnessed the birth of a public discourse in aesthetics and art criticism, reveals her legacy as the royal tastemaker of the time.

The truth is we were passing time until the Rick Steves lecture at 2pm. Normally, this art would never have interested us, however, we were given audio devices which provided details about the history and importance of the paintings. As a result, we very much enjoyed the exhibition.

We crossed the plaza to the adjacent building and went to the Kridel Grand Ballroom for the travel lecture with Rick Steves. As the doors to the elevator opened we saw Rick standing near a table of his books and pamphlets. I crossed the room and told him, “Thank you for your excellent work.” He shook my hand and acknowledged my compliment. Pennie came over and I took a photo of the two of them. He was warm, friendly and genuine.

We took our seats in the large auditorium among the more than six hundred attendees. Rick appeared on stage next to a huge screen and began his talk about his recent travels to Iran.

“Last year, a friend from the Washington State chapter of the United Nations Association called me and asked what I could do to help them build understanding between Iran and the US, and defuse the tension that could lead to war.”

At the same time John McCain was singing a parody of the Beach Boys Barbara Ann—Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran, and the possibility of another war seemed imminent. The result was ‘Rick Steves’ Iran: Yesterday and Today,’ no politics, just travel. His 90-minute lecture detailed the production of the travelogue and introduced us to many Iranian citizens, and emphasized how much they are just like us.

A central theme was the struggle between Fear and Love—how fear causes us to elect hard-line politicians (Bush and Ahmadinejad) who use terms like Axis of Evil and Death to Satan while leading us to the brink of gamesmanship. But Steves pointed out that while the Iranian people didn’t like our government (just as we don’t like theirs), they very much like the American people.

In short, Rick Steves’ commentary was truly inspiring.

After the lecture it was time to check-in at McMenamins Edgefield.

Several months ago we had heard about “the best executive golf courses in Portland.” When we checked out their web site, we found two courses – one had twelve holes while the other had twenty holes. This was a bit odd since nine and eighteen holes are the norm, but this was our first clue – nothing is normal at McMenamins.

We planned to play there one day but upon arrival at Edgefield, the winds were gusting to 60mph. So instead we looked around the facility briefly, and a month or so later, we returned for dinner with Al & Bettianne Goetz. We chose Edgefield again for lunch when Deavon Badami came to visit in January, and in February when Kristi Esmay visited us.

We found a long ramp to use to enter the main building, and checked into Room 34 – The Albert Chaker room. Pennie had asked for a handicapped-accessible room because of her broken ankle. Chaker was a resident for over sixty years at the original Edgefield Poor Farm and despite the fact that he was always in a semi-reclining position, he was known for his pleasant, positive attitude. This information was painted on one of the walls in the room, along with tiny faces on the end of water pipes and other oddities – McMenaminities? – in the room and hallways throughout the building. You soon learn to look everywhere for examples of their whimsy and playfulness.

There was a nice king bed in the room, a large, mirrored armoire, a desk by the window and a fold-down bench in the shower. Our room looked over a picnic area and a pond with a solitary duck.

We unpacked and relaxed for a couple of hours before freshening up for dinner. A light drizzle softened the evening as we drove a few miles east along the Sandy River. The two-lane road crossed the winding river several times. Soon we saw our destination on the banks of the river, the aptly named Riverview Restaurant. Their web site states:

Exquisite fusion cuisine set in a restaurant with extraordinary original artwork, serene ambiance and natural scenic beauty. The Riverview Restaurant was specifically designed to take advantage of the natural beauty of the region and provide an exceptional view of Troutdale’s scenic Sandy River. The gazebo and manicured grounds have been designed to explore, host weddings and receptions, and for entertainment or musical venues. Finally, throughout the restaurant and for your viewing pleasure, we are proud to display original artwork from the Yoshida’s private art collection.

As for our gourmet food…our talented team of chefs apply their extensive knowledge and experience of food preparation while using the finest Northwest ingredients, and our servers are available to assist you in answering any questions in regard to making your menu selections. Thank you for considering the Riverview Restaurant for your dining experience.

We ordered wine—an outstanding Cab/Merlot blend by Barnard Griffin, and then shared our appetizer—melted Brie with sliced apples, cranberries and toastettes, and a fine Caesar salad.

Though the restaurant was fairly empty on this Sunday night, a jazz duo—piano and bass—provided romantic background music as we enjoyed the view of the river from our table next to the huge windows. The duo took a short intermission and when they returned we spoke to the pianist and requested Cole Porter’s Night and Day.

Our entrees arrived—Pennie had order the Miso Glazed Wild Salmon, a fresh grilled salmon glazed with a sweet miso, served over steamed jasmine rice, grilled asparagus and seared roma tomatoes, while Tom had the Pan Seared Tilapia with sautéed baby bok choy, shitake risotto and balsamic reduction. Both were well presented and very tasty.

When we considered the food and wine, the ambiance, music, art, lighting, décor and the view of the river, this was a perfect celebration of our first anniversary.


MONDAY MARCH 16, 2009

The rain was persistent but not hard the next morning as we drove into Portland for a fun and funky breakfast at one of Portland’s best-known icons—Voodoo Doughnuts. We entered the tiny lobby that was packed with some of the city’s more colorful youth. There was a single table, a small counter, a swirling brass chandelier and a huge 3-foot doughnut on the wall. A hand-painted menu hung overhead listing the various concoctions. Their menu states:

Famous for their girth, our doughnuts are made fresh with love and care. You can pay us more for our product which is locally made, locally owned, and an honest dream come true, or you can buy cheaper, megalacorp, machine cut, rebaked, defrozen, warehouse doughnuts and pastries. We are always coming up with new doughnuts. Some stay on the menu, others don't. Here are a few of our favorites:

Grape Ape (raised doughnut with vanilla frosting and grape powder)
Dirt (raised doughnut covered with vanilla glaze and Oreo cookies)
Butter Fingering (Devils food, vanilla, and crushed Butterfinger)
Triple Chocolate Penetration (chocolate doughnut, chocolate glaze, and cocoa-puffs)
Voodoo Doughnut (voodoo doll doughnut) complete with stake and ozing blood
Dirty Snowball (chocolate cake doughnut covered with pink marshmallow glaze and surprise filling)
Apple Fritter (apple/glaze/doughnut as big as your head)
The Memphis Mafia (chocolate chips/banana/ peanut butter/glaze big!)
Portland Crème (raised doughnut filled with crème and covered in chocolate with two eyes)
Nyquil Glazed and Pepto-Bismol (currently on hold)
No Name A doughnut so good we couldn't come up with a better name. It has chocolate rice crispys and peanut butter on it.
Cock-n-Balls (Bachlorette party favorite, triple cream filled, with your favorite saying written right on it. Comes in its own pink box. $4.95 Order ahead as supplies can be limited.)

On Sunday, we had phoned in our order for a Cock-n-Balls with our favorite phrase—Just Say Yes. The counterperson quickly brought forth a pink doughnut box with our cream filled pastry, and we also ordered two doughnuts each—hey, it was our anniversary!; Tom had the No Name and the Big Bubble (with a piece of Double Bubble gum in the hole), while Pennie had the classic Voodoo Doll doughnut complete with a pretzel “stake” in the doll’s heart and filled with oozing raspberry “blood,” and the Cereal Top, a raised doughnut covered in Fruit Loops.

We washed down these fantasies with some hot coffee and saved our special order for later. We left with a big smile, contemplating Voodoo Doughnuts’ slogan, The Magic is in the Hole.

We drove a few blocks and I dropped Pennie off at the corner of NW 11th Ave & NW Couch St (pronounced “cooch”), at the main entrance to Powell’s City of Books, our favorite bookstore in the entire universe, Here’s why:

Powell's City of Books is a book lover's paradise, the largest used and new bookstore in the world. Located in downtown Portland, Oregon and occupying an entire city block, the City stocks more than a million new and used books. Nine color-coded rooms house over 3,500 different sections, offering something for every interest, including an incredible selection of out-of-print and hard-to-find titles store inventories as well.

With my parking karma still in force, I found a space just a few feet away, and joined Pennie on the raised platform overlooking the large lobby. She couldn’t negotiate the stairs with her cane and cast but fortunately there was a long, sloping ramp nearby and she made her way down to the lobby displays and stacks.

I was a man on a book-buying mission, and finding books in this literary labyrinth (ouch!) with nine different rooms on four separate floors would not be an easy task if it were not for the Help Desk personnel. I gave the assistant a list of three books I was interested in, and within a minute or two, he handed me three slips of paper, each showing the color of the room, aisle number, section and subsection for each of the books.

Off I went and soon I had two of the three, but although the third book was not on the shelf, a different and perhaps better book, was close by. Having accomplished my shopping within minutes, I began filming in the aisles with my Flip camera, narrating as I went. As I made my way to one of the stairwells, I looked down and seated two floors below was Pennie. She had located Birds of Oregon to help us identify the many different types of birds that gather at our feeder outside our kitchen window.

For those who are interested (and you must be if you’ve read this far), the three other books were Worse Than Watergate by John Dean, Joseph Wambaugh’s Floaters (set in San Diego), and Thunderstruck by Erik Larson, author of The Devil in the White City.

It was just after noon, so we headed east again across the Willamette River to Urban Grind Coffeehouse. This large open warehouse offers lots of sandwiches, soups, salads, cookies, pastries and of course, coffees. There are tables and chairs, couches, sofas, easy chairs, lots of reading material and free WiFi. The perfect setting for a bowl of beef barley soup, a few crackers and some quiet moments with our iTouches, checking email and Facebook updates.

We returned to our room at McMenamins’ and prepared for our 3:00 pm appointment at Ruby’s Spa.

Set just off the west driveway in a three-story building formerly known as the Janus House, visitors will find Ruby's Spa, the second upscale salon to grace McMenamins' Kingdom of Fun. (The first opened at the Grand Lodge in 2006.) Named for the iconic flame-haired sorceress who adorns our bottled Ruby Ale and who appears in various forms and fashions throughout the Kingdom, the spa casts a spell of contentment over all who enter.

Guests revel in the spa's comfortable decor – warm hardwood floors, a natural palette, original artwork by the McMenamins artists and more echo the surroundings of Edgefield's main lodge. Our trained staff offers manicures, pedicures, massage, scrubs, make-up application, hair styling and more in open as well as private treatment areas. Schedule an appointment to get all gussied up before a big date, or spend the entire day getting a complete makeover.

We had scheduled a Couples Massage…

Try a side-by-side appointment, where you’ll both be treated to a massage by two trained therapists. Let them knead, ease and relieve tension as you and your partner enjoy each other’s company.

…but we discovered the only double table room they had was upstairs, and Pennie could not negotiate the stairs in her cast. So Tom went upstairs with his masseuse, Lila, while Pennie went to a room on the ground floor with Debbie, her masseuse. We both agreed later that our massages were truly special, relaxing and peaceful.

Pennie then went to Ruby’s nail salon and had the Grand Pedicure…

Customize your own pedicure using Ice Cream products. Nails are filed and smoothed, cuticles tidied and skin exfoliated, softened and massaged. Finally, a warm mitten or boot wrap deeply conditions your skin. Finish with a nail buff or polish of your choice.

While Pennie enjoyed her pedicure, Tom went to Ruby’s Soaking Pool. Though the air was nippy, the saltwater was maintained at a temperature between 98 and 103°…

Slip into the soothing waves and ripples of our soaking pools as the perfect complement to your visit. Gently heated and open year-round, the pools are filled with chemical-free saltwater that is more buoyant and “soft” than chlorinated water. The Soaking Pool is an oasis surrounded by natural rock formations and lush green flora. And at Edgefield, the winding, freeform pool in private surrounds behind the spa inspires calm and relaxation for hotel and spa guests.

We returned to our room, relaxed and refreshed. Originally we had planned dinner in Edgefield’s Black Rabbit Restaurant. However, we made a last minute change in plans and strolled over to the Power Station Pub instead and ordered individual pizzas to be delivered to our seats in the adjacent movie theatre where we watched two consummate professionals, Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson, in Last Chance Harvey. Nice story, nice work, and a nice end to our stay at Edgefield.


TUESDAY MARCH 17, 2009

We checked out in the morning and drove east on Highway 84 through the Gorge. We stopped a few miles later at Multnomah Falls Lodge.

Plummeting 620 feet from its origins on Larch Mountain, Multnomah Falls is the second highest year-round waterfall in the nation. Here, all your senses will come alive as you experience the sights and sounds of these magnificent falls.

At the base of the falls lays historic Multnomah Falls Lodge. Built in 1925 the lodge provides fine northwest cuisine with a panoramic view from your table.

The large dining room had a high ceiling and a windowed wing from which to view the falls. Our table was next to the crackling fireplace and we enjoyed a quiet breakfast before driving home to Hood River.

This was our first anniversary…

Love,
Tom & Pennie

>>> Click here to view all photos <<<

The Mountain in the Morning

Sometimes we go days without seeing our ever-present friend, Mt Hood. This morning, March 12, 2009, we awoke to clear but brisk (26°) skies. So we drove about three miles to a location known as Panorama Point and took the following photo:

And here's some video of the same.

We can't wait until Spring arrives and the orchards are filled with blossoms and fruit—apples, pears, cherries, huckleberries and much more. And later in summer, Hood River's 12 local wineries will harvest their grapes. So we have much to look forward to, and we'll post plenty of photos and video then.

The only questions is…when will you come and visit?