PORTLAND PHOTO TOUR

Today I'm introducing Jennifer Costello who recently started offering photography classes in the Portland area.  She offers a variety of classes; both daytime and evenings.

Her goal is to separate us from the "Auto" mode and to take control of our cameras by using the manual settings on our DSLR.

The Portland Photo Tours are unique in-the-field photography learning experience with hands-on instruction from Jennifer.  She uses the streets and sights of beautiful Portland as her classroom.  Even better, after her classes, she encourages students to stay in touch, ask questions and get tips.

I'm looking forward to a class this Fall when the trees change color.

Check out her classes at:

www.portlandphototour.com

Grand Central Bakery and Fresh Produce Market

Portland has several Grand Central Artisan Bakeries; my favorite being the one on Hawthorne Blvd.  

Recently a local farm opened a small produce market on the edge of the parking lot so now I can get fresh baked bread and pastries, along with fresh farm fruit and vegetables.





Another feature of the bakery is that they serve coffee drinks, breakfast, salads and sandwiches for lunch and they offer picnic lunches, with chips and a fresh baked cookie, perfect for taking on a drive to Columbia Gorge, the coast, or one of the beautiful city parks.

BRIDGEWATER BISTRO in Astoria, Oregon

bridgewaterbistro.com



Last year we were in Astoria for our anniversary and my birthday and we had dinner at the Bridgewater Bistro.  It's a wonderful restaurant with a beautiful view so I chose it for my birthday lunch today.

The food was even better than I remembered - service was excellent and I was given a fresh blueberry cobbler with ice-cream for my birthday dessert.

We're home now with full tummies and two heads filled with happy memories of a perfect get-a-way.







These two photos were taken from our window seat in the restaurant.  The red building is the "Cannery Pier Hotel".  The rooms all face the Columbia River so we'll stay there on our next visit in early January.

WE'RE IN LOVE WITH CANNON BEACH, OREGON

It's a 20 mile drive from Manzanita to Cannon Beach so that was our next stop. After spending some time on the beach, we visited several art galleries there; our favorite being Dragon Fire.  Cannon Beach has an eclectic choice of restaurants; all excellent.  After our big breakfast, we decided to wait until we got to Astoria for lunch.

Wanda's Cafe & Bakery in Nehalem, Oregon

Our only disappointment was the breakfast that was offered at the hotel this morning.  There were very few choices so we just enjoyed our coffee and tea and went looking for a breakfast restaurant.  We could not have been luckier.  First with a front row parking spot and secondly, not having to wait for a table.  (When we left there were about 16 people waiting).  The restaurant is "Wanda's Cafe & Bakery - about two miles up the coast from Wheeler.

Check out the website at:
wandascafe.com

The wait staff is attentive and the food is delicious and attractively plated.  Another place we'll return to !

Old Wheeler Hotel and Big Wave Cafe

August 28th is our wedding anniversary (2 years now) and the 29th is my birthday (77 years surely must be a lucky number) so we took a short trip to the Oregon coast.  We took the road from Portland to Tillamook and then worked our way up the coast to a charming small village "Wheeler".  We reserved the Bridal Suite with a jacuzzi, fireplace and large window with a view of the bay.  All of the rooms are furnished in antiques and it has the feeling of a place dating back to the 1800s.  There are lovely personal touches everywhere and the staff is personable and attentive.  Shown here is a daytime view from our window.  We were so enchanted with watching the sunset, I didn't take time for a photo but it was a beautiful ending to a perfect day.

For dinner, we drove four miles up the coast to the "Big Wave Cafe" in Manzanita.  This place serves fabulous food and we're already talking about a return visit.

OUR HOUSE CHARITY EVENT - Missoula Flood to Garden Art

Today Allison and I enjoyed a unique experience at a charity function in Oregon City.

This is the invitation from the "Our House" charity that operates a home for HIV AIDS patients.

Rose Ada Stamp; Chuck Combs, with Virginia Burney Stamp; Richard Bach Performances by Storytellers Bob Stamp; Anne-Louise Sterry and Portland Revels' ViVoce Women's Chorus
Sunday, August 27, 2017 - 2:00 p.m.

Come enjoy an afternoon of gentle, funny entertainment from storytellers Bob and Anne-Louise Sterry and the Portland Revels' ViVoce Women's Chorus.  Rose Ada and Chuck's expansive garden is full of giant boulders, charming fern-lined paths, and a basalt cliff.  Don't miss an afternoon full of humorous and beautiful entertainment, wine, and marvelous food.



History tells the story of the Missoula Flood that, through ancient centuries, carved out a beautiful landscape throughout the states of Washington and Oregon.  This afternoon we enjoyed entertainment in this amazing yard that looks like something out of a fairy tail.  The yard has multi levels with every plant, flower and tree imaginable.  To add to the beauty, the owners have enhanced it with unique custom made sculptures and fountains throughout the gardens.

We encourage Portlanders to check out this worthy charity.  They host party and dinner functions throughout the year to raise funds and you'll find their catalog of events on the "Our House" web site.

THE LOOK OF FALL at Portland's Farmer's Market

I love my weekly visits to the Farmer's Market on the PSU campus.  Now that the MAX stop is close, I can hop on for two stops and then it's only a short walk away.

Since we're going to the coast for a couple days, I bought "light" this week but I couldn't resist the farm fresh tomatoes, corn and basil and the organic eggs from chickens who are pasture fed.

When I spotted the squash I came to the realization that Fall is getting very close.  Since our summers are so short, we're hopeful we'll get a few more weeks of sunshine but, since both Roger and I love the Fall and the vibrant colors, we're ready to embrace a new season.

RINGSIDE FISH HOUSE - DOWNTOWN PORTLAND

http://www.ringsidefishhouse.com

Today was an errand day in downtown Portland so I decided it was also a great excuse for a special lunch.  There are two Ringsides; one specializing in steak (on Burnside) and one for fish.  Now that I'm avoiding red meat, the Fish House has become my favorite.  

At the end of the month they are discontinuing lunch but happy hour starts at 3 p.m. and dinner starts at 5:00 p.m.  To make it even better, you can park in the public garage and they will validate your parking ticket so parking is free.  Park on level 3B and try to get close to the elevator.  Inside the elevator, there's a button for Ringside so press it and you'll enter at street level.  The Snitzer Theater is a block away for the symphony, the Fox Regal Movie Theater is next door and Pioneer Square and Nordstrom are nearby so once you park there's many places to go to.

Today's lunch was linguini with three different clams (manila, sea clams, razor clams and all fresh from the Oregon coast). (I was so excited I ate two clams before remembering to get a photo).  A glass of sauvignon blanc made it perfect.

If you're shopping or visiting in downtown Portland, don't miss this fabulous restaurant !

Lodi California OAK RIDGE WINERY Reds are FABULOUS !

Living in Oregon, I have developed an appreciation and a love for Pinot Noir because the weather here is perfect for growing this varietal. 

My heart, though, still prefers Zinfandel and hearty reds that are mostly found in my home town, Lodi, California.  I've been away from Lodi for almost ten years so now I rely on my daughter, Lori, who lives in Sacramento to keep me up with what's happening in the local wineries.

When she recently visited, she brought a case of Lodi Zins and other reds.  Tonight I opened an Oak Ridge Winery red blend that is smooth and velvety.  It brings back the recollections of visiting the eclectic and innovative wineries in my hometown.  Good memories ................. 

Belgium Waffles With Fresh Berry Syrup

Our girls, Lori and Pam visited recently and they surprised us with a cute little Oster Belgium Waffle Iron that puts out beautiful waffles in a very short time.  Today we enjoyed them with fresh marionberry and blueberry syrup and sliced bananas. (Add a little maple syrup to the fresh berries and warm in a saucepan).

Another favorite is to blend half lemon curd with half Creme Fraiche (Trader Joe's sells a delicious lemon curd) and I make a sauce for the bananas.

Roger had three of these so he won't be hungry for awhile ...................

NEW SEASONS in Downtown Portland

https://www.newseasonsmarket.com

New Seasons Market is an award winning grocery store and we are fortunate to have several within a close distance.  My favorite is on Division Street and it's always an exciting adventure - with fresh and innovative food items.

If you are in the Portland area, I highly recommend this very special shopping experience.  If you cook, it's a fabulous place to find the finest fresh produce and meat.  If you prefer buying prepared food, they have in-house meals that you can buy either cold or hot in the deli.  There's truly something for everyone's life style.

Tonight our dinner will be giant prongs sautéed in butter with garlic and shallots, finished with a grated parmesan cream sauce and a vegetable salad.

Life is good in Portland with mild temperatures and lots of sunshine - and - fabulous food.

The Day After

This fabulous photo was in todays Oregonian (taken by Marcus Yam from the Los Angeles Times while he was in Salem Oregon).

I'm sharing it with you to show you exactly what we saw through our solar glasses.  The only difference was that in downtown Portland, our view ended on the sixth image with the tiny sliver on the bottom.  Then the shadow started moving in reverse.  On television we witnessed the full eclipse and now we understand why many people braved the traffic and crowds for that ultimate experience.

The ECLIPSE Experience .......

It was an exciting experience to see the eclipse - at 99.2% it ended here with just a sliver of light on the bottom left quarter.  It didn't get dark but the light looked similar to about an hour before sunset and it became noticeably cooler.  Channel 8 in Portland has a live narrative of the eclipse that won't finish for about another half hour so we decided to finish the experience in the comfort of our condo.



Helia made it to Salem and she was ecstatic about seeing the total eclipse.  Now, she's going to attempt to drive south on I-5 with the hope of making it to Shasta to camp overnight.

August 21st Eclipse in Downtown Portland

It's eclipse morning in Portland and we're ready to go ....... with special eye glasses and a filter for my iPhone so now we'll just wait.  At 9:30 we'll go up to Ann Olsen's condo on the 17th floor where we'll have a patio view of the 99.2% eclipse.

Helia, Roger's daughter came yesterday for a short visit and now, she's on the road to Salem to view the 100% eclipse.  She just sent a text that she's 8 miles from Salem so it looks like she'll make it in time.