Portland, OR

Have any of you readers started sharing these facts with those around you? We’re almost to the end of my list!

Oregon farmers raise about 1.5 million head of cattle. Livestock is particularly important in the Willamette Valley and the southeast.

Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge was established in 1936 to protect the summer range of Oregon’s pronghorn antelopes. The region is also home to bighorn sheep, deer, coyotes, and a wide array of bird species.

North America’s only surviving antelope species, the pronghorn antelope has steadily lost its range to farmers and ranchers. Though their numbers were severely threatened in the early 1900s, they have now rebounded.

The high desert region of southeast Oregon suffers frequent drought. Only a few hardly plants can survive in the dry, wind-swept earth.

At 1,932 feet, Crater Lake is America’s deepest lake. It is also one of the country’s oldest national parks, established in 1902.

The 56,000-acre Newberry Volcanic National Monument was created in 1990, encompassing lava beds and mountain lakes left in the wake of eruptions about 1,300 years ago.

When visitors think of Oregon’s climate, they often picture the rain- and storm-swept coast. But the state’s mountains and inland plains receive their fair share of snow in the winter. In fact, Oregon has the longest lift-serviced ski season on the continent.

Malheur National Wildlife Reserve protects 184,000 acres and hosts more than 300 bird species, including trumpeter swans and sandhill cranes, during the spring and fall migrations.

The road that winds along the bottom of five-mile-long Leslie Gulch is a favorite access road for hikers. The surrounding cliffs are also a great place to watch for bighorn sheep.

Making the run of facts an even five, today I bring you news on more Oregonian areas!

Steller’s and California sea lions are common along the coast, hunting fish and basking on the rocks. In the winter, thousands of these giant creatures may gather near herring schools.

Most sea lions breed on islands. A monument at Sea Lion Caves marks the largest sea caves in North America and home to the only Steller’s sea lion herd known to breed on the mainland.

The state offers unlimited fishing opportunities, from surf fishing along the coast to angling in the lakes of the dunes. Salmon thrive in the rivers, trout populate the inland lakes, and the occasional sturgeon is glimpsed in the Columbia River.

Oregon’s southern coast is less populated than the tourist-oriented north coast. There, small towns lie along quiet bays, and fishing and logging industries coexist with the beauty of the long beaches and quiet islands.

Samuel Boardman State Park hugs the coast for 11 miles, allowing spectacular views from numerous viewpoints along Highway 101.

Wind surfers race the waves at Pistol River State Park. Through the Columbia River Gorge is the best-known windsurfing venue, surfers can find a suitable breeze at many places throughout the state.

Loeb State Park preserves old-growth myrtle-wood – the largest surviving grove in Oregon. Giant redwoods also grace the park, some more than 300 feet high.

Visitors to Jacksonville can step back into the gold rush days. Almost 100 buildings along California Street and throughout the town have been restored to their 19th-century boomtown beginnings.

Today dear readers, we move on to part four of the tidbits I’ve learned about Oregon!

Founded in 1840, Salem became the capital of the territory in 1851. It became the capital of the state when Oregon joined the Union in 1859.

Vineyards thrive throughout the state, from the Willamette Valley and Yamhill County to Ecola Hills and the Rogue Valley.

Eugene is known for its array of festivals and cultural events, from the Saturday Market to the Bach Festival.

In the 1980s, the Willamette Valley became one of the first regions to be developed for grape growing.

Built in 1871 as one of nine beacons on the coast, Yaquina Bay Lighthouse has been restored and is open to the public. Reputedly, there is a resident ghost.

Tufted puffins, murres, and cormorants take refuge on Colony Rock, a steep outcropping off Yaquina Head. Access to many of Oregon’s offshore islands is prohibited, to help protect the nesting sites of birds.

The city of Newport is billed as one of the friendliest places in the state. With a relatively small population and an active fishing industry, Newport is also a thriving base for tourism.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is home to almost 200 species, from Dungeness crabs to leopard sharks and 21 kinds of sea stars.

Newport was founded upon the popularity of the oyster – and it’s abundance in Yaquina Bay. Fishing continues to be a central part of the economy, and up to 600 vessels can moor in the city’s harbor.

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area encompasses some of the world largest oceanside sand dunes. The 32,000-acre area is populated by dunebuggy drivers, hikers, and horseback riders.

And here we go again! Just like yesterday, and the day before, I bring you more tidbits about our gorgeous state! Enjoy!

Continuing yesterday’s many-part series on new facts about our state, I bring you part two, today!

Mount Hood is Oregon’s highest peak and attracts more climbers than any other glaciated peak in North America. In the world, only Japan’s Mount Fujiyama attracts more.

Several species of the rhododendron along the Ramona Falls Trail have blooms up to six inches across; they are well-known indigenous Coast & Cascade Range plants.

Two of Portland’s original settlers decided the city’s name with a coin toss. Francis Pettygrove, originally from Maine, chose Portland. Massachusetts-born Asa Lovejoy preferred Boston.

From charter boats to freighters to pleasure yachts and kayaks, the city’s position on the Willamette River makes it a natural international port. In fact, the city’s docks process billions of dollars worth of cargo every year.

Pioneer Courthouse Square was the site of a school, a hotel, and a parking lot before thousands of Portland residents donated funds in the 1970s to create a public space. The downtown square is a natural gathering place, and concerts in the amphitheater attract large summer crowds.

There is no shortage of interesting trivia about Portland. The city offers one of the world’s largest bookstores (Powell’s) and hosts one of the largest children’s parades. To top it off, more Asian elephants are born at the zoo here than any other American city.

Astoria hosts the Columbia River Maritime Museum at the mouth of the Columbia River. The museum offers a detailed look at the history of trade, recreation, wrecks, and rescues in the Pacific Northwest.

For Christmas this year, a very close friend bought me a fantastic coffee table book. She splurged on the hardcover book Oregon (American Series) by Tanya Lloyd Kyi. I have been flipping through it and wanted to share some facts I’ve learned about our great state thanks to this book!

The lush vegetation of the Oneonta Gorge includes some plants found nowhere else in the state. The canyon’s walls preserve a damp, mossy microclimate.

Vista House at Crown Point, built in 1916, was part of a plan by high-way engineer Samuel Lancaster to introduce people to the wonders of the Columbia River Gorge. It now serves as an interpretive center, offering information on the region.

With an upper waterfall of 541 feet and a lower drop of 69 feet, Multnomah Falls is the fourth-highest in America. It is believed to be named after a native chief from the Willamette Valley.

About 40 miles rurally east of Portland, the Bonneville Dam has been churning out power since 1938, when it became the first dam on the Columbia River. It stretches 3,460 feet across the river and could provide electricity for about 200,000 homes.

Latourell Falls is one about 70 waterfalls that pours over the cliffs of the Columbia River Gorge.

The Bridge of the Gods spans the Columbia River between Oregon’s Cascade Locks and Washington. According to legend, a natural stone bridge once spanned the river at this site.

Lifts at Timberline Ski Area run year-round carrying enthusiasts up the slopes of Mount Hood. Timberline Lodge, famous for both its art displays and its role in the film The Shining, was built in the 1930s.

Continuing on my Portland media kick (my first few posts of the month were all about Getting to know Enko Photography (part 1) (and part 2), today I’d like to address Portland PodCasts.

For those who don’t know, a podcast is something akin to internet radio. However, it’s better described as a “collection of digital media files which is distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers.” It’s like TV shows without pictures on your iPod.

The only Portland podcast that I listen to is Delta Park Gets Lost where Jason and Anna dissect that LOST show I was talking about yesterday.

On a non-Portland-podcast related note, my favorite podcast of all time is Keith & the Girl and I’ve included YouTube video of them at the end of this entry to prove they are freaking hilarious!

Using The Podcast Directory I found a list of other Portland-based podcasts. You can also use iTunes to do a search and find your own Portland podcasts.

>Northwest Noise - life. podcasting. northwest noise.

>DVD Talk Radio - “DVD Talk Radio has an interview with Scott Dacko director of the indie thriller - The Insurgents. Winning raves at a number of film fests including a best of show nod at the Oldenburg Film Festival, The Insurgents is an explosive thriller that asks the question, “What if the terror thread came from within?”.”

>Clusterflux Anomaly Podcasts - Two Geekish-Freakish Myriad Entities discuss everything from Life, Love, Sex, and Current Events to Movies, Music, Comics, and Podcasts in this weekly show from Portland Oregon to the World.

>SexGeeks Podcasts - “Lindsay and Rob are geeks about sex the same way other people are geeks about technology. In this series we will be talking about all aspects of sex and relationships.”

>Weekly Davespeak Dave Matthews Band Podcast Podcasts - Our podcast covers news and views on Dave Matthews Band. With special guests from the DMB fan community and actual crew interviews planned for this summer. We’ll be talking about show reviews and critique of the new album songs as they’re played.

>Black Samba Rides Again Podcasts - Black Samba Rides Again is a Podcast program about life as a jazz artist, a monk, a philosopher and poet, among other things. Interesting background music and links to articles are provided on the blog.

>The Timely Beaver Podcasts - Skits and improve will keep you rolling on the floor while the independent musicians will have your head-a-banging.

>Post Modern Rock Show - KPSU, Portland Podcasts - The best new indie releases along with classic alternative. Hour-long show. Airs Friday nights at 7 on KPSU, 1450 AM in Portland, worldwide at kpsu.org, on-demand at postmodernrock.com.

Enjoy this KATG video and check out their podcast on iTunes if Keith and his magics make you laugh!

When was the last time you left the fair city of Portland? Has it been months since you left our weird city? Do you just need to get away? Here are a few places within four driving hours of Portland that are, favorite places I like to visit to just get away!

1. Mt. Hood - travel east on I-84 (may I recommend leaving either before or after rush hour so as not to start your vacation off on a frustrating note?) about two hours and reach the highest mountain in Oregon. Mt. Hood has opportunities to ski, to hike, to climb and all sorts of other outdoor activities. If you’re not into the outdoor activities, stay in Timberline lodge, an old-time type hotel and enjoy the fireplaces while eating their fabulous chili and sipping on hot cocoa (and may I recommend spiking that cocoa with Bailey’s mint chocolate?).

2. Castle Rock/Silver Lake/Mount St. Helens, Washington - spend an hour, drive north, and if you’re not paying attention, you’ll pass by Castle Rock (and Toutle) without even noticing. However, if you’re lucky enough like me, you have family friends who live at the base of Mount St. Helens on Silver Lake and they’ll let you spend the weekend with them. Being 56 miles from Johnson Creek and Coldwater Ridge on Mount St. Helens, this is a fantastic place to spend some time in the summer.

3. Seattle, Washington - about two and a half hours north on I-5, you can visit the gorgeous (and lately very wet) city of Seattle. Enjoy Pike Place Market, drink some coffee from the town that thinks they invented it, and spend some time at the aquarium petting strange feeling things!

So, if you need a quick get away, there are three different places I recommend you visit if you need to get away from our city!

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The Oregonian recently published an article on the fact that Oregon children’s teeth are decaying! You tell your children to brush their teeth, and the teeth are still falling out of their head? Well, maybe this is why!

A survey done by the state of Oregon shows that among 4,000 first- through third-graders are living with worsening dental health! Every five years, the Oregon Smile Study is done on children’s dental health, and this year, Oregon’s score has decreased on “every measure of oral health” for children. Rampant/untreated decay (classified as decay - past or present - in seven or more teeth) has increased since 2002. The survey found that one in three children in Oregon aren’t receiving the treatment they need for their tooth decay - 25% of them had not been to a dentist in the past year. (I wonder what the adult numbers look like.)

There were 32 states that conducted similar surveys, and Oregon is seventh from the bottom. SEVENTH! Washington, California, Idaho & Alaska all show better rates than Oregon does. This 2007 Smile Survey was started over a year ago in 73 public schools in Oregon - reaching almost 4,000 students. A dental hygienist looked at the teeth while parents answered questionnaires about frequency of dental visits, health insurance and demographic information.

This bad dental health in children often progresses into adulthood, leading to preventable pain and low-level inflammation throughout the entire body. This low-level inflammation is a risk factor in all cardiovascular diseases! These cavities, if left untreated can lead to tooth loss, bacterial infections, severe pain, and other problems as well.

Thankfully, for the children in the Portland Metro area, their dental disease rates are lower than those in rural Oregon, however, it is still a problem! This rural-urban gab is very clearly show in emergency situations. 1% of Portland Metro children may need emergency dental care in their lifetime as compared to 6% of rural children.

The report made four recommendations for parents of Oregon children:
“*Fluoridation of water supplies. Oregon ranks 48th — ahead of Hawaii and New Jersey — among states in the percentage of residents using fluoridated water. Most dental experts tout fluoridation as a safe, cheap and effective way of preventing tooth decay, but in Oregon a coalition of anti-government conservatives and environmental groups has blocked statewide fluoridation.
*Early prevention, beginning as soon as age 1.
*School-based fluoride supplements for children in communities without fluoridated water.
*A school-based dental sealant program.”

For those parents reading this, who want to include their children in this entry, I’ve embedded this “How to brush your teeth” video for you. Spend some time teaching your children, or even yourself on exactly how to brush your teeth fully. Children live by the “monkey see; monkey do” method! Enjoy, and now go brush!

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I was born & (essentially) raised in Oregon. (I spent time in Florida, in Alaska, and growing up, spent a year in Vancouver as well.) I went to college in Corvallis and moved to Portland in 2004, soon after graduation. I fell in love with Portland immediately, and for a long time I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Lately, however, I’ve been feeling this weird pull away from my beloved city, and have been contemplating moving. I’m back in school and so in my mind, I’m staying in Portland until I graduate. I’ve been thinking a lot in the past few weeks of where I would move to. I’m at a loss. I have no idea what city would afford me the luxuries that Portland does.

I’m an hour from the ocean.
I’m an hour from skiing on a volcano.
I’m able to hike in my own backyard.
I can be in the most pretentious bar ever, walk to the next block and be able to dance the night away to 80’s music.
I am surrounded by the smartest, and the strangest people I’ve ever known.

Why would I want to move, right?

and more importantly:

Where would I move to?

I did a “where should I move to?” search just to see what I came up with, and I think I’m the last person in the world to know about Find Your Spot. Seriously, why didn’t I know about this site before. I spent about 15 minutes taking their quiz to find out where I should live, and here are my answers - with some oh-so-smart-ass-commentary to

1. Norfolk, Virginia - Uhm, okay. I know that I would have to learn to say “Nore-fock” instead of “Nore-folk” … and that would make me laugh. Plus, it snows here. 7″ of snow a year. Uhm, that’s a lot for me.

2. Portland, Oregon - Well I’m glad to know that I’m living in the appropriate city.

3. Cincinatti, Ohio - Not Columbus? That’d be more fun. I have friends who live there. It snows in Cincinatti, too. Plus, I don’t like the Bengals. Boo.

4. Tacoma, Washington - a very very close friend lives here. I’ve seen both the good and the bad sides of Tacoma and I think I could enjoy living here. Too bad the school opportunities for me aren’t so great in Tacoma unless I want to commute to Seattle everyday.

5. Eugene, Oregon - a Beaver living in Duck territory? No thanks.

6. Charleston, West Virginia - Hmm … besides the two feet of snow every year, I think I might like this place after reading the descriptions.

7. Salem, Oregon - my parents live right outside of Salem. I do not want to live in Salem. (Not because my parents live there, but because of the things I’ve seen & heard about Salem.) Thanks for the suggestion.

8. Hampton, Virgina - I’ve never even HEARD of Hampton. I could move there. *shrug*

9. Lynchburg, Virgina - Why is it that I’ve never heard of anywhere in Virginia? This place looks gorgeous though, has about the same amount of rain as Portland, and would be decently near friends. Hmmm … I may have to think about Virginia!

10. Corvallis, Oregon - been there, done that. I love Corvallis, and have actually thought more than once about moving back. I have friends there, it’s close to my family, I could get my Master’s degree from Oregon State. Buuuut, I’ve been there, done that.

Welcome to Portland … want to know if you’re really here? Check this out. I italicized the ones I know I feel!

1. You throw an aluminum can in the trash and feel guilty.
2. You never go camping without water-proof matches and ponchos.
3. You stand on a deserted street corner in the rain waiting for the light to change.
4. You’ve ever ordered a half caff/decaf, nonfat mocha grande with sugar-free cranberry whip.
5. The bride and groom registered at REI.
6. Know at least eight people who work for Intel or used to work for Tektronix.
7. You make $30,000 a year, yet still can’t find a place to live.
8. You can list more than five reasons why Starbuck’s is evil.
9. Every July 1st, it takes half a day to find your sunglasses and sunscreen.
10. You blame anything that is not right on ex-Californians.
11. You remember the date, severity, time of day, where you were, and how long you were out of power for every winter weather event for the last five years.
12. You know what and when the Columbus Day storm was. Bonus for having been there.
13. You go to a coffee bar and see two guys get into a fight over who makes the best IPA.
14. Own more than 10 articles of clothing that have microbreweries/brewpubs printed on them. Bonus for embroidered stuff.
15. You know that Boring is a place, not an adjective to describe your job.
16. You can point in the direction of two or more volcanoes even though you can’t see them due to clouds.
17. You have a bookstore, coffee bar, and brewpub within walking distance of your house.
18. You can give a 30-minute monologue on infill and the Urban Growth Boundry.
19. You think downtown is “scary” because you were panhandled there once.
20. When you drive out of town, every other guy in a pickup truck looks like the governor.
21. When you drive out of town, even the Hondas have gun racks.
22. You can name more than 10 kinds of berries and where to get them.
23. You can name more than 10 beer styles and their hop profiles.
24. When the weather gets above 50 degrees, you put on your shorts, but you still wear your hiking boots and parka.
25. When the weather gets above 60 degrees, you replace your hiking boots with sandals.
26. You think people who use umbrellas are wimps. - today, I was a wimp
27. You can recount more than five anecdotes why the east side is a crime-infested jungle. *OR* You can list more than five reasons why the west side is a boring, snobby, white-bread suburb.
28. You know what is between the east side and the west side, and how to pronounce it.
29. You know that Couch Street is not pronounced like what you sit on.
30. You are sitting at a red light surrounded by Subaru Legacy Outbacks.
31. “Today’s forecast, showers, followed by rain. Tomorrow: rain, followed by showers” doesn’t faze you.
32. You can’t wait for a day with “showers and sunbreaks”.
33. You can go skiing after work.
34. A tree or mudslide has ever damaged your house or car.
35. You live equidistant to a symphony hall, a winery, and a volcano.

About Portland OR, Portland OR, Portland, you know you’re from Portland when, silly list

I woke up this morning to a very overcast and lightly raining sky, it looked like it did the last time I was in Seattle, WA. I left for school around 10:30am in the dark grey clouds. I went through one class (health programs/disease prevention), wandered to the library class in clouds, and then sat inside the Portland State University library for four hours. I watched rain, sunshine, blue sky, and then hail hit the PSU campus while I was holed up in my favorite area (on the fourth floor, by the soccer/football field windows, in case anyone feels like stalking little ‘ol me). All of these weather patterns went down in less than four hours in the early afternoon. Amazing!

On my way home (I left downtown Portland around 6:30pm) and drove in the clouds, in the rain, in the HAIL (in September!) and then in the rain again. It’s so strange, yet so familiar to be in weather like this. It’s comforting to know that I can go home, cook some soup and relax while keeping myself warm.

Portland weather never ever ceases to fascinate me – I love to just watch the weather. I have a large window in my living room and have been known to lay sideways in my favorite (big, huge cushy) chair watching the rain fall. My front windows are surrounded by big trees and rhododendrons and so I get to see either the sun making them insanely green or the rain making their branches heavy with moisture. Either way I am normally fascinated by what I can see!

Living in Portland has definitely given me the chance to see most of the world’s available weather. You either love or hate the rain in Oregon, and while I do love the rain, I absolutely love the change between the rain!

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Yesterday a friend and I drove over to Astoria, and then down the coast to Canon Beach. We had a marvelous time taking pictures, getting stuck on the Astoria-Long Beach bridge (for over 20 minutes) and then exploring the “rest stop” that is Dismal Nitch. Today you all get the pleasure of being linked to some of my pictures from the adventure. These are pre-editing and are in a general order, but nothing too fancy. Pictures include the Astoria Column, The Goonies house, Canon Beach, old ladies on logs, and birds.

BeachDate

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If you live in Portland, OR there is not one street you can drive down or walk on where you don’t see a Starbucks, other coffe chain, small independent coffee shop or someone carrying a coffee in their hand.

But what is that makes Portland a coffee lover’s town, is it the insane amount of creative energy brought in by the diversity of Portlander’s that can only be enhanced by a cup of coffee? Is it the rain that chills our bones for 6-8 months a year, so we need something warm to gives an extra boost?

Well being a coffee lover myself, I am convinced that when you go to small coffee shops such as; STUMPTOWN, you feel a sense of community and there are always regulars working on laptops. When you go to Starbucks you can feel like you have social status because you are able to pay for a 5.00 cup of coffee.

Not only are we a city that lounges in coffee shops, or wireless cafe’s but we house the The American Barista & Coffee School, which trains baristas for the top coffee companies in the world.

Coffee, rain and lattte artwork! Amazing! And because Portland is such a city geared for coffee I will be highlighting a new favorite coffee shop every week! So check it out!

“The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., “Over the Teacups,” 1891

Well the time is here my friends, you have seen it on the tv, read it in the newspaper and the internet. For those of you that don’t know about IKEA
(www.IKEA.com) it is probably the most affordable, sleekest, modern and well set up furniture store that is in existance.

For a little history on IKEA, it is a furniture company based in the Netherlands. First opening in Sweden, IKEA’s popularity spread from Europe to the US like wildfire. Their company states, “We shall offer a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them.”

Now franchised in 31 countries, finally Portland, OR is getting the love it deserves. No longer will you have to drive up to Seattle to get affordable, fun and functional furniture, it will finally be in our own backyard.

IKEA opens on July 25th, the first 100 customers in line will receive a free signature armchair, right out of the IKEA store.

Make a day of your experience there, not only do they offer a place for you to drop your children off so that you have freedom to shop, but they also have a food court with a vast array of affordable and tasty food. Their specialty the swedish meatball with a lingonberry sauce.

Check it out for yourself, or you can wait a couple weeks and just visit when the traffic dies down to see what the fuss is all about.