An Oregonian At Heart

A cute neighborhood in Southeast Portland.

I like Oregon. A lot.

I especially like Portland, Oregon.

What with more than 50 breweries, all those roses, the easy pace, crazy-good food and coffee, the slightly nicer weather (in comparison to Seattle), 12 major bridges, and a clean/accessible downtown, what's not to like? A lot?

Luckily, The Russian's parents live about 15 minutes south of Portland, and when we visit, we stay with them.

They have a green, friendly looking house that sits up on the tippy top of a big hill. The view is amazing - fields and rolling hills as far as the eye can see.

I dream of that land - the wineries, u-pick berry farms, pumpkin patches, and acres of chestnut trees. And not far to the West, the Pacific Ocean.

Don't even get me started about the coast.

Its my lot in life, having the shared heart of a country mouse and a city dweller. Makes choosing a place to call home and raise a family less than clear, let me just say.

And that's also why it's so nice to have a little of both worlds when we visit our Oregon peeps.

Lunch at the raucous Deschutes Brewery, a trip to Powell's City of Books (the worlds largest new & used bookstore), or an afternoon spent discovering one of the city's picturesque neighborhoods - all pretty dang easy.

About as easy as a hike through the woods or a drive out into the countryside. Better yet, a drive out into the countryside that concludes at Ponzi Vineyards Winery - one of my top three favorite wineries and tasting rooms.

Seriously, there's so much to do. If you're interested in planning a day or an entire trip in the Portland area, or Oregon at large, check out these websites: Travel Oregon and Travel Portland.

Yep, I love it down there - the whole earthy, cozy, funky, homegrown, malty, outdoorsy Oregon package. Just can't get enough.

What can I say? I'm an Oregonian at heart.

Thank goodness it's only three hours away. And thank goodness we like a good road trip. :)

A dedicated, gluten-free brewery. The Russian's MomLady is a big fan!

A whole city block filled with books. Mind blown.

A thing of beauty.

Deschutes bar area - always packed.

Lovely, Little Concoction

The Russian and I love craft beer. We do. I'll just own up to it.

A golden pint reminds me of sunny days, barbecues, frolicking kiddos, and chit-chattin' grown ups. 

All that, swirling around in a lovely, little concoction comprised of malted barley, yeast, hops, and water (give or take other fermentable carbohydrates and natural ingredients, depending on your tastes). 

With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that we also love a decent brewery. In fact, many of our date nights and vacations end up having something to do with the makers and purveyors of this fine, carbonated beverage.

And in Seattle, where plenty of our afternoons and evenings can be less than balmy, a family-friendly brewery trumps one of those crowded, germy, and overpriced family play centers any day! 

At least in our book. But we're beer people.

When I think back on all the breweries that I've been to, I'm not sure I could pick a fav. Often, it's the ones  associated with family and friends that rise the top. 

The beer matters, of course - a flowery or citrusy aroma is my usual lure, which typically ends in a luscious IPA. But to me, beer and merriment go hand-in-hand. It's the whole malty, jovial, and relaxed experience that I love.

So, let me think back on all of my exploits, state by state. Have a seat, because this is going to take a minute.  

Washington State Breweries: Boundary Bay Brewing, La Conner Brewing Co., Diamond Knot Brewery, Redhook Ale Brewery, Pyramid Brewery, Elysian Brewing Co., The Pike Brewing Company, Lazy Boy Brewing, Icicle Brewing, Lake Chelan Brewing, Big Time Brewing, Bad Jimmy's Brewing, Georgetown Brewing, Maritime Pacific Brewing, Naked City Brewery, Hale's Ales, Populuxe Brewing, Reuben's Brews, Snoqualmie Falls Brewing, Stoup Brewing, Urban Family Brewing Company, Harmon Brewing

Oregon State Breweries: Bill's Tavern & Brewhouse, Cascade Brewing, Deschutes Brewery, Hair of the Dog Brew Company, McMenamins (several), Hopworks Urban Brewery, Ninkasi Brewing, 10 Barrel Brewing, Boneyard Beer, Bend Brewing Company, Standing Stone Brewing Co.

California State Breweries: Stone Brewing Co., Green Flash Brewing Co., Alesmith Brewing Co.

Colorado State Breweries: Breckenridge Brewery, Odell Brewing Co., CooperSmith's Brewery

Hawaii State Breweries: Maui Brewing Co.

Yowzer. But, honestly, the list falls terribly short of my expectations (and it does not, by any means, take into account breweries that The Russian has visited without me...that sneaky bugger).

And, for the record, many of these beer tasting expeditions took place sans children, and that was probably for the best.

While some breweries are ideal for the oddly heartwarming combo of craft beer and babies, others are not.

They might be small, hole-in-the-wall establishments with nowhere to wiggle or squirm.

They may not offer any food, which often leads to nefarious behavior...like...oh...crawling underneath the mash tun.

It might smell so heavily of boiling hops and fermentation that your child will refuse to enter the premises.

Or, it just isn't the kid-lovin' crowd.

*It's true. Not all beer lovers love kids. They all love dogs, though. (Except for me - I only sorta love dogs.)

So, if you've got some Littles and you're entertaining the fantastic idea of dropping by a brewery, do some research first.

Or bring a whole bag-o'-tricks (I always do), because pounding your stout whilst your offspring howl and your fellow patrons stare is no way to do it. Trust me.

And....all this reminiscing has changed my mind. While I am absolutely, positively NOT an expert, I do have my favorites - the breweries deemed stellar by yours truly (in no particular order):

• Odell Brewing Co. - Ft. Collins, Colorado
• Stone Brewing Co. - Escondido, California
• Standing Stone Brewing Co. - Ashland, Oregon
• Big Time Brewing - Seattle, Washington
• 10 Barrel Brewing - Bend, Oregon
• Ninkasi Brewing - Eugene, Oregon
• Deschutes Brewery & Public House (Portland) - Portland, Oregon
• Hair of The Dog Brew Company - Portland, Oregon
• Cascade Brewing - Portland, Oregon
• Hopworks Urban Brewery - Portland, Oregon
• Georgetown Brewing Co. - Seattle, Washington
• Boundary Bay Brewing Co.  - Bellingham, Washington
• Stoup Brewing - Seattle, Washington
• Reuben's Brew - Seattle, Washington
• McMenamins - Kennedy School - Portland, Oregon

Be it their beer, their lively, welcoming environment, or their tasty grub, all these guys stand out to me for one reason or another. And all of them are relatively kid-friendly. Yippee!!!

And, people, this is just the tip of the hoppy iceberg!

According to the Brewers Association, there were 2,538 craft breweries in the United States as of June 2013.

That's a whole lotta good beer. More than I could ever hope to sample.

But we've got enough going on in the Pacific Northwest to keep me busy for quite some time. Criminy, there are nearly 70 breweries in the Seattle/King County region alone (learn about them all at the Washington Beer Commission)!

Man, I love living here. :)

So, get out there and grab a pint. Or a sampler, if you're feeling undecided.

Either way, bottoms up!

Why The Hell Not

Last week, I found myself with some time on my hands.

Free time. Free time without children. Free time without children in the city.

When I realized this event would actually come to pass, I was delighted. And then, inevitably, I was stumped.

This is a common problem for moms. Ridiculous, but common.

Somewhere between our single days and our diaper bag days, we lose our ability to effortlessly squander countless hours in the name of Why The Hell Not.

Back then, I took those hours for granted. I remember spending days - whole friggin' days - reading and sipping coffee at Zoka, or sitting on the shores of Greenlake and staring into space, or stringing beads, or God knows what else one does on a blanket in the sun when children aren't wiping slimy, sunscreen-laden fingers on your legs.

Usually, I'd arrive with the intention of doing something really worthwhile or brilliant, but in the end...not so much.

I considered it down time, or mental prep for a busy night, or my respectable attempt to meet a guy. And it helped that the only creature waiting for me at home was my feline (yes, the same feline that still waits for me today...she's that old!).

But now, the art of wasting time is one of my lost crafts - like knitting or cooking with tofu. When given a free moment during the day, I end up scouring cookbooks/Pinterest for dinner ideas, picking up the same toys for the millionth time, or, if I'm totally fried, zoning out to Candy Crush (damn you, jelly!).

I can't just sit there anymore, staring out the window with my hand on a mug of coffee, my mind wandering to that glittery middle distance of my early 20s.

So, that day in the city, I knew I had to come prepared. If I was going to cash in some seriously overdue solo hours, it would have to be semi-productive, because that's just a part of who I am now.

I brought a book and my computer, and I found this adorable little shop on the corner of 22nd and Madison - Queen Bee Cafe. Considering the unpredictable nature of Capitol Hill, it was a total crap-shoot, but well-worth the 20 minutes I spent trying to find a parking spot for my behemoth mini-van (which I honestly love, btw).

Every corner of the cafe was beautiful, from the bathroom to the tables to the wallpaper to the lighting. They specialize in hot chocolate and crumpets. Crumpets! The coffee is divine and they donate a portion of their proceeds to local charities.

I read my book and worked on my writing. I people-watched and brainstormed. And when I began to get twitchy, I reminded myself that Candy Crush is a devious, mind-sucking siren, one that must be resolutely ignored. And I did just that.

It was a fantastic hour and a half.

Yep. That was it. Ninety minutes, folks. But I'll take what I can get, especially since it aided in the discovery of that little cafe on Madison.

And it reminded me that, someday, when my babies have pushed aside the barnyard gate and escaped into the pasturelands of adulthood, I will return to my days of squander. More hours than I can handle. A bittersweet realization to be sure, and one that made me snuggle their tiny bodies even more when I returned home.

But when that later-life someday does come, and it will, I hope to relish it like I did my stag years. My Why The Hell Not years. Only this time, with decades worth of knowledge and experience under my belt, it had better be a lot less turbulent and a lot more satisfying.

Evergreen

My city hibernates.

Every fall, when the clouds and the rains come, we retreat into our homes. We scurry by with umbrellas. We slumber long, black hours. We sprint to our cars. We hide under hoods. We forget the faces of our neighbors.

We, the people of the Pacific Northwest, hunker down.

It's not so bad, really. The rain is part of our mystique. If you live in this corner of the world, either you adapt and find ways to deal with the monsoon-like seasons, or you move. (There's also the complainy pants option, but that gets old really fast.)

Speaking of adaptation, should you find yourself without your Gore-Tex jacket, umbrella, galoshes, or one of those unforgivable, full body rain sack thingies, you've got the trees. Washington is The Evergreen State, and our evergreen trees, of which there are many, make handy rain shelters.

But that's only if you feel the need for shelter. Many do not. There's a certain swagger that comes with an umbrella-free stroll down the street, the rain pummeling holes in your face. It's good for the complexion, too.

As a native northwesterner, I can talk the talk. We love to get all rainbows and unicorns about the weather around here. But come February and early March, even the most die hard rain-revelers are ready for the sun, emerging en masse at the first sign of its unimpeded rays.

(Warning: such an accusation could get you shanked with an umbrella rod. Keep your sunshine-lovin' thoughts to yourself, if you know what's good for you.)

But it's true. We like sunshine as much as the rest of the world does, and when springtime draws near, the days lengthening and the clouds parting more frequently, we come out of our bunkers.

Sure, we're groggy and pale, but no one's more exuberant about a spot of unexpected sun than a Seattlite after a long-haul winter.

And guess what? We got that spot last week! Two or three magical days. It was heaven - the real rainbows and unicorns deal. And it was just what I needed to power through the remainder of our drizzly spring.

I love almost everything about living here, even the rain.

I love building a fire, cuddling up on the couch, and drinking my latte as the dark sky unleashes a torrent of water. I love the clouds, the way they cloak our mountain ranges. I love the fog, the way it rises from the valleys and ravines. I love the mist, the way it coats my skin and settles on the lashes of my babies.

And I love the joy that comes with a break from the deluge and the grey, the sun dragging us out-of-doors. Like bears waking from a deep sleep.