Nature, Beer, Nature, Beer
Portland has a few enduring characteristics. I have been very vocal about my love for two in particular: Nature and Beer. For the remainder of last weekend, I tried to mix both into the festivities. As it turned out, we nicely bounced back and forth. Let me explain...
After a whirlwind Saturday, I decided to take Mark and Jeff up to Council Crest. Just last weekend, Teresa and I did the same hike. The trail isn't too steep and the view from the top can't be beat. This being said, the guys were still slightly skeptical about this thing called exercise.
The trail wasn't as muddy on this trip. The weather has been sunny; there has been less mud. They marveled at the lush scenery and kept a lively pace. Before too long, we reached the summit. Awestruck might be the term I'd use for their reaction. You can't deny the amazing sight that is Mount Hood. Because the sky was mostly clear, we also caught glimpses of Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Rainier. Don't be fooled, we didn't just look at Nature. We spent the next hour or so hacky sacking. Yes the glorious hippie game that is fun for all. I think it was Jeff who found my hack back at the house. I can say, we did well with a few complete hacks. I can also say, we were awkward at times.
This completed the first round of Nature time. Once we returned to the car, we promptly drove to the Lucky Lab in Southeast. It was Beer time. Due to the mild temperatures, a number of people and dogs were lounging at the outside tables. We joined the fun. Dogs are fun to watch. Most of the dogs did get along. There was only a single incident of dog furry. Even then, the owner quickly pulled the mean dog away from its rival. While staring at the dogs, we had an awesome lunch of sandwiches and Lucky Lab Brew. I even purchased a peanut butter cookie for dessert!
We stayed at the Lucky Lab just for a meal. I wanted to show Mark and Jeff Hawthorne. This neighborhood is around SE 28th and Hawthorne. Its was a short drive. We parked the car and let them loose. Our first stop was a zany dollar store dubbed The Dollar Scholar. The quirky clerk greets you with silly toys and encourages you to touch everything. Why thank you; we will. After an extended search mission for the strangest item, we emerged with plastic masks. Mine was a Blue Bunny. Mark's was an Asian Superhero. Jeff's was a Pink Pig. Teresa was mortified. We walked toward the Bagdad proudly wearing our masks.
We didn't have the guts to walk into the bar with the mask a blazing. I think we should have, but it might have been for the best. We sat behind the front bar with easy access to the bartender. The guys have been impressed with McMenamins, and the Bagdad was no exception. I explained the movie theater and the pool hall. I really want to checkout that pool hall. We decided to stick with beer and more dessert. That is right, we are officially women tourists. We shared a fresh fruit cobbler dripping with vanilla ice cream. I ain't too proud. It was damn good.
The Beer portion of the trip continued. Teresa drove us back to the house for showers. A shower was the perfect pick-me-up. To finish off the night, we walked over to Alberta for a Binks visit. I knew they'd enjoy my favorite dive, and they did. The jukebox is second to none. PBR is always on tap. The pool table is cheap. Combine these three things, and its a good night. We met a few locals and shot a few games. We would have stayed on the table all night, but some more experience shooters dropped quarters on the table. It was for the best; the guys needed a Kennedy School stop.
After the quick walk back to 33rd, we found ourselves in the lobby of the Kennedy School. This elementary school turned fun complex is astonishing for unexperienced attendees. We arrived too late in the evening; most of the bars had closed. I vowed to bring Mark and Jeff back the following day. We returned back home for much needed sleep.
The very next day, we stepped back into Nature. We piled into the car and drove to the Gorge. I'm still amazing how close it is. Our destination was Multnomah Falls. After parking the car, we battle the stiff winds to the lodge for the first great few of the falls. Its breathtaking. I couldn't wait to traverse the Benson Bridge. From the bridge, you can feel the water and mist hitting your skin. It is an easy walk to the bridge. After the bridge, the trail starts to slant. I mean slant. My famous words, "its going to level out on the back," didn't go over well with Jeff, Mark and Teresa. In between gasps of breath, they shot expletives in my direction. A workout the walk is. You do finally reach a level spot and actually start back down. This part of the trail is home to a striking creek. Everything is deep green. We stopped and enjoyed the sounds and smells of Nature. Instead of meditating all day, we decided to checkout the top of Multnomah Falls. You can walk to a lookout right where the cliff ends and falls begin. The view isn't for the light hearted. As you might expect, there are generally some stupid kids acting out. On this visit, some high schoolers were throwing paper airplanes down the falls. Nice work. After the kids left, we enjoyed the stunning view.
On the way out of the Gorge, the guys plead with me to drive to Washington. They wanted to hack in another state. It is a reasonable request; Washington is just across the river. I hoped on the 205 North. I heard Vancouver, WA is nice this time of year... we'll I heard wrong. I pictured a quaint downtown, but I saw a rundown main street. It wasn't pretty. We stopped at a Burgerville, USA. A couple of vagrants were startled by the Maryland tags. They could barely pull it together to beg for change. I kindly said no, and we proceeded to get one hack. We then left Washington. Mark and Jeff can check off another state, I guess.
Oregon welcomed us back with open arms. We took the MLK down to Mississippi. I wanted to show the guys one more neighborhood. Enter the second session of Beer. We ate lunch at Mississippi Station. They had a few happy hour specials going, so the food was good and cheap. Jeff even discovered a Bridgeport Ale called the Beertown Brown. It is awesome! I will also mention, our waitress was top notch. In this town, a lot of the help could care less. Its frustrating. We continued the afternoon at Amnesia Brewing. I love the atmosphere. Everyone chills at picnic tables underneath a large tent. Most of the time, people bring their dogs. The beer is spectacular. We enjoyed a new imperial brew called Sleigh Jerker. God Bless America this stuff is tasty!
We concluded the day at sunset. Back at the house, we decided to revisit the Kennedy School. The guys wanted to checkout the different rooms. We arrived before the Honors Bar and Detention Bar both closed. These bars are single rooms with not a lot of light. The Honors Bar features a wood burning furnace that keeps the room toasty. I liked the experience, but I'd probably only revisit the Honors Bar. As a last hooray, we stopped by the Concordia Ale House. We were home with only a few hours to sleep. Their flight left super early in the morning.
I'd like to think, I kept the fun going all weekend. We went from Nature to Beer and back again. In retrospect, we could've laid off the sauce a bit. Live and learn is a good tactic. I'll apply that maxim here. Besides, what a ton of great times! We waxed philosophical. We busted up on each other. Did I mention some guy invited us to a indoor lacrosse game? It was a weekend to remember. I love how any number of things are possible in this small area of Portland. I hope Mark and Jeff had just as much fun as I.
