Floating, Friends and Pho!

A long-planned visit from our friend Pat prompted Todd and I to do something special.  Everyone knows there is nothing better than to visit Portland during the most glorious time of the year- SUMMER.  And there is no better way to spend a warm Portland Saturday than on a looooong float down the Sandy River.  With about 20 people we had enough floaters for an intimate stride together down river, a couple of near-death, slightly-intoxicated oversights and an overall great day!!  The Sandy float is a local Portland favorite.  The group met at Dabney State Park and floated downstream to Louis and Clarke State Park.  

Since there were so many floaters we made sure to facilitate an ice-breaker and go over the rules. Ice-breakers included spelling your name with your hips, describe the natural disaster that best describes you, likes and dislikes, favorite foods and phobias.  

Tying the floats together created a loungy atmosphere where people were able to really relax.

All and all, Todd and I were happy floaters with our friends!

On a recent trip to Fubon, the largest Asian mall in the Pacific Northwest we found some easy to use concentrated pho broth and quickly realized pho can be made at home.  It was delicious!  The broth was flavorful and well worth the .58 cents.

With some easy to gather pho condiments, home-made salad rolls and peanut sauce from scratch we had a yummy Vietnamese dinner!  

THANKS FUBON!!

Seattle to Portland! The Ride!

Last month, my buddy Chris Peck and I joined approximately 9,998 other riders to test our endurance in the 33rd annual  Seattle to Portland bike ride ("STP"). Considered the most important rite of passage in the brutal Pacific Northwest biking scene (second only to riding a fix gear bike, while drinking a PBR in the rain and singing an Arcade Fire song, AKA "the quadrahipta"), the 204 mile  ride is a long hard slog down the I-5 corridor, through small rural towns (ever heard of Puyallup?), over bridges, and alongside some gnarly freeway traffic. 

Seattle, 5am Sat morning..and it begins.

Chris Peck at the first rest stop...25 miles in, don't look so glum!

While not the most beautiful route, it was my first big ride and it was a blast riding in a paceline and covering some serious miles. Chris Peck was an awesome riding partner, even though I wasn't (ask him about his bruised rib...), and I would love to do some more long distance riding (provided there are no hills, plenty of rest stops, and tubs and tubs of chamois butt'r). It was even better when upon crossing the finish line I was greeted my my parents who came all the way up from San Jose! 

The bike corral at Centralia Community College where we camped the first night (Mile 100).  There were some nice bikes in there, mine wasn't one of them...

Waiting to cross the Lewis and Clark bridge into Oregon on Day 2, 50 miles left!

Chamois Butt'r, made from the best stuff on Earth. This stuff saved our asses. 

Chris Peck giddy as a clam after reapplying Chamois Butt'r and realizing we are almost done!

This photo should not be posted, never ever ever. Get this guy some pants. 

My lovely parents at Multnomah Falls. What? it was their first visit to Portland, I had to take them. 

To PDX and Back: A Hip Hip Tale (Guest Blogger: Jeff Hallenbeck)

Over the July 4th weekend, May and I were lucky enough to have my brother Jeff come up to Portland and visit. It was super fun having him up here and his beard was well received! These are his recollections from that week.

Portland, where the young go to retire, where the weird go to be free, and where the hipsters go to slack line. For me, Portland was a destination to unwind, visit with my big bro, and surround myself with this Beautiful town and the Pacific Northwest. It turned into an adventure and a truly unique and weird experience.

To start it off we spent a night with the clown prince of Weird: Patton Oswalt.

We drank, We laughed, We stumbled, we ate poutin, and we caused Ruckus at the food cart with Poppers. Todd’s Mischievous smile sums up our night nicely.

Then off to the organic beer festival to treat our palettes with some inventive ales. There was some grooving to live music, and along with a little getting lost on the way. Only to wrap up the night with some skateboarding and the best chicken in town.

I got some days to myself to encounter the weird on my own. With two wheels underneath me and a camera around my neck I took to the streets. I got to see the local attractions like Gigantic Bookstores and Immense and Tranquil Japanese Gardens, as well as the local breweries in the southeast Portland. Go Sour or Go Home!

Then off to Seattle for some walking around time, we even managed to stop by a zoo. And the fireworks. Oh how magnificent they were when viewed from Chris’ Lakefront property. Largest in North America, believe that.

To end the week we spent the last couple of days relaxing out on the Olympic Peninsula in forest (camp sites) that evoke memories of Ferngully and Tarzan with gargantuan Firs moss covered logs laying across the forest floor. Green as far as the eye can see.

Until we got to the beach (A 15 min walk) where we sat around a bonfire and discussed things like Politics, Ambitions, Alberto, and Forks.

And then I got on a plane and flew back to LA with Portland becoming a distant memory in the oblong mirror and a single thought in my head… when am I going to come back to this weird place?