As Promised

Pics and debrief of Portland!

A souvenir within two hours of landing. Sweet!

Flew in just before dinner on Wednesday. Off to a yummy dinner and pint night at Rock Bottom Brewery downtown. Gotta love the Max transit system, we just had to stumble out the front door and onto a train back. Wendy's boy Erhard was not able to join us, as he was cramming for a fireman exam and I didn't want to catch his cold.

Later that night, went to meet some chums of Wendy's at the Dublin Pub. No linkies for that, it was a dive. It DID however have more delicious beer! The only one I didn't like was the Nitro, tapped through a nitrous oxide line. Quite a disappointment after drinking nice ambers most of the night. I'm still bummed I never did find any black currant ciders this trip. : (


Thursday, it was a wine tasting tour. Started with Wi-llam-ette (dammit!) Valley vineyards. Pretty lookout lounge, nice samples, and not too bad with the pricing. Picked up a pinot gris (yummy!) and a cab sav for the rockstar.
Nicky and Wendy




After a scenic drive in which Garmin took us over the Wheatland Ferry, Garmin loves ferrys!

we ended up at the Sokol Blosser vineyard. We had a exceedingly addictive dessert wine, and a nice Frenchie somilier. Or whatever they call the people dispensing the tasters. Picked up a meditrina and a reserve pinot noir. Of which apparently for what the Portland wine valley is best known.

By then, understandably, we were in serious need of some good food. Stopped in Dundee for a nice lunch at Calamity Jane's. They have some serious burgers! One of the boys with us managed to eat a 2/3 lb burger with two eggs, ham, and a side of fries. We had the defib paddles at the ready.

'Ar' driver Mike at Argyle winery.

We ended up right down the road from Argyle vineyard. They are unique, in they offer tasting for champagnes. I had to abstain, as I managed to leave my jacket behind at Jane's. I'm not sure how that happened... since all we were doing was giggling like madmen, and trying to get Wendy out of there before she wanted to take everyone's supersized beer mugs home in her purse. Oh, it was a fun day!



We decided we couldn't top such a good time, and stayed in Thursday night. After a run to the closest Fred Meyer (only like three Walmarts in Portland, total. Weird!), we stayed in for pizza and ice cream. As is turned out, going out with her bud Nicky would not have been much fun, since his Tennessee Vols lost that night.



After a quiet night of responsible sleep, it was off to the airport in the morning. Wendy's brother and Garmin were the heroes for getting me back to my boys in one piece.