Why you Should NOT Bike and Sip Wine!

So my birthday is coming up and one thing I have been dreaming of is taking off by bike into the rolling green hills of Oregon on a sunny day and enjoying life. Enjoying friends, the sunshine and strolling through a few wineries that bless the Willamette Valley.... sounds heavenly huh? Like something from the movies.

 

SO I decided to contact all the people that know wine and biking best that includes my Mom and her local OR friend Pat. One word of concern from Mums and this is the response I get back.

Hi Anna,
Wine tasting by bike is not such a good idea for several reasons:

• I'll admit to riding my bike after consuming a few beers and it's something that I can't recommend. The Tour de Lab last year comes to mind as an example. It's amazing how unsteady you feel on a bike after even one beer! Your Mom thinks it's dangerous.
• Most of the wineries I frequent are located along HWY 47 between Carlon and Newburg. Another bunch more are located along Hwy 99 between Newburg and Dundee. Both these roads are very dangerous to ride on with 55 MPH traffic and little to no shoulder.  Your Mom thinks it's dangerous.
• Wineries tend to be located on big hills not the flats. The two main AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) for those areas are the Jory Hills and the Dundee Hills. Note the word "hills" here.Your Mom thinks it's dangerous.
• So I'd recommend going for a nice flat ride during the day and sipping some excellent Oregon wines at home with something on the BBQ in the evening.  

Pat

 

p.s. Your Mom did not make me say any of this! Mother's always know best however.

There ya have it folks... Dreams Crushed. Thanks Mum..... But no really I made a different plan. I am going to try out the Banks-Vernonia State Trail and maybe spread out some of my favorite vineyards in between by car- Purple Cow, Willakenzie Estate, and Duck Pond.

What do YOU enjoy? Well I enjoy long strolls.....

Well I enjoy long strolls on the beach and sunsets, and through the forests....ha-ha. I just enjoy walks of any sorts. Dates don't need to be a fancy dinner or something that you always have to pull out the wallet. I actually prefer getting out of the hustle and bustle of  the city and exploring. Just hand in hand in the quiet of nature, with a spectacular view. And I did just that the other night, with this handsome gentleman.

Cooper Mountain Nature Park is just right out of the city. There are trails that take multiple twists and turns through the forest. Its not too long and the scenery is just right.

Two Roads Diverged in a Wood, Which Road Will You Choose?

The Road Not Taken- by Robert Frost

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

This just hit me, and I have to write about it before the thoughts run into media requests and updating media lists. I remember being so in love with this poem at the age of 8. I even memorized and recited it at my elementary school talent show. But just now I have understood how prevalent this perception has been in my life and so many times I have stood staring at those two roads. If I went right my life would lead one direction but if I go left my life would lead another. Most often than not, I choose the destination that is unknown. Maybe that is my adventurous spirit. I hate change, although I hate following the same boring path in life. I get bored doing the same thing too many times in life and I am thrilled by a new destination, a new path, a new journey. Maybe that’s why I cringe a little at taking the same hiking trail…. I think “What about the others?” So many more to explore! Or watching the same movie… “But what about the other stories? Yet to be heard!”

Decisions…my weeks are changing quickly. Every week is different. My life has taken so many turns in the past few weeks I might get dizzy. But God has a plan and he has an understanding and the cool thing is, he knows the path I am going to take. And that has made all the difference.

A Homemaker Not to be Confused with Home wrecker…

Sorry that’s a terrible title, but I kind of found it funny. And it’s a Monday, a day I am usually not at my best and spend most of the morning trying to shake off the sleepiness of the sleep I did not catch up on during the weekend. My life is seriously a blur sometimes as I try to cram so much into one 24 hour day. And this weekend was no exception. Although, I am proud to say most of my weekend was spent in my home. Starting out with a Friday night jam session around a tiny fire pit and then Saturday preparing our garden box, weeding and enjoying the later afternoon on a bike ride with one of my best friends.

So my Mom recently purchased her fourth bike…… Yes, fourth! As I would say, why do you need four bikes? For a bike enthusiast that is a ridiculous question, so I came up with a scheme.

I have a bike, most of my friends don’t have a bike….. So it goes, “Hey Mom, want to “loan” me a bike? I mean you don’t really need ALL four.” So the great Mother that she is, “loans” me one of her better bikes and because of this I got to teach my friend Sammie on Saturday the joy of road biking! Can’t say I was the best teacher of street smarts…. I pulled into traffic a bad way, whoops. However, we really did enjoy a leisurely ride through Fanno Creek .

And where does the Homemaker come in….. well yesterday after I dragged myself out of bed finally at noon. I then proceeded to clean the house, mow the lawn, weed, weed-whack, plant vegetables, and clean out the scum from our fish pond. And by grace, I  luckily I woke up free of whatever nasty disease I could have gotten from that water. I may be renting a house, but its sure fun to pretend I’m not and tend to the beautiful home God has currently provided my roommate and I.

U Should Have Called in Sick

These were the words my mother left me....along with this beautiful picture. Of all things I would like to be doing today on this 70 degree day, it would to be on my bike. Biking the countryside. So thank you Mom, for blessing me with this jealousy. According to what she told me this morning, she is at Mt. Angel. A quick Google search and it pulled up this: http://www.mtangel.org/. Definitely a place that deserves checking out.

This is the pleasure of the PNW, when the sun comes out, YOU DON"T WANT TO MISS IT! Rain tomorrow (sigh).

As I have grown out of calling in sick (that was only easy and forgivable at Disney).... I am still quite distracted. If we are truely sick at my work, you get to work from home...but at least I have Wi-Fi in the backyard! :)

Anyways, I will stop complaining and get back to my duties!

Oh Sassy Red Heels- Its Time for a Night on the Town!

Seriously, I have been put in some REALLY awkward and uncomfortable moments with men lately that I could begin writing a book of, “How to NOT treat a lady!”. And I don’t care if we are just friends, there have been some big “Oh no.. you didn’t” moments, that I have brushed aside with a smile and then let myself break in the car. I hate feeling awkward.

But today is a new day, and I got these fancy BCBG red heels in the mail yesterday. Today I feel sassy and ready to take on the world!

I SHALL take these beautiful shoes, dress up and plan a night out on the town with the ladies at Urban Fondue. It's my Mothers fault but I am addicted to cheese. So the thought of cheese fondue makes my mouth water. The dark, candle lit ambiance of this place also makes it the perfect setting for a romantic date, but groups are fun as well. My friend Caitlin recently had her birthday here. I was unfortunately late and had to shove fondue down my mouth before the group left. But through the quick bites, it tasted delicious and I would argue a much cheaper/better quality alternative to the Melting Pot.

Hmm… yes, I am planning this outing soon.

Despise V-day? Do what you LOVE!

Hate is a strong word, so I will go with despise. Like any single girl should, I despise Valentine’s Day. Even if I wasn’t single, this really isn’t my favorite holiday. So how crazy is it, that I participated in the Worst Day of the Year ride? Its name actually coincides with one of the coldest days of the year. But how appropriate that it falls right along the holiday…

But no really, when a day comes up that you know isn’t your favorite, what a better way to cheer yourself up? And in my life- my bike, volunteering + Portland corky culture= TRUE LOVE! Seriously, I couldn’t have had a better Sunday. Making this Monday all the more bearable.

By volunteering, you get a free ride, free meals and a free shirt. What a steal! You can choose between an 18 mile or 40 mile loop and seeing as I didn’t have much time, I chose the 18. (Along with being out of shape, I am so sore today!) Dusting the bike out of the garage, it felt so good to get outside, to ride along the river and dream of owning a house in one of the many beautiful Portland neighborhoods. Last year was a bit of rush to get back to my volunteer duties, but I made sure to get there early and enjoyed all of it with a great girlfriend. The ride was pretty flat with rest stops along the way, that served amazing drinks like Dragonfly Chai. YUM!

After the ride, I supported the Community Cycling Center (CCC) by serving up Laughing Planet Veggie Chili to those riders coming in, washing dishes, and taking down bike racks. The rain didn’t hit until we were taking down, so I think it was definitely a successful day. And I love what the CCC does for the community. You will probably hear more from me about them.

And for today…. I am not eating a tub of ice cream to myself. No, instead I am joining with my fellow single ladies and we are treating ourselves to heart shaped pizza, chocolate, cookies and chick flicks. Oh what a good life.

So stop pitying yourself and do what you LOVE to make yourself feel like a million bucks today.

Portland International Film Festival- Happening NOW!

One thing I discovered a new passion for last year, are international films. Well, I lied. I took a foreign films course in college and we were graded on watching films and analyzing themes. Tough, huh? This February in Portland brings about the International Film Festival. Check out the schedule and two of my top choices below. The first one is definitely going to be a nail bitter.

Aftershock

The Colors of the Mountain

Cheap Movie Tickets and a Glass of Hard Cider

Who really wants to pay $10 bucks for a movie ticket nowadays? I had the pleasure of joining my friends at the Laurelhurst Theater for a $3 movie and pint/small popcorn for $6.25. Now that’s a steal. I mean how many theaters can you enjoy beer, wine and hard cider in? There hard to come by, and this place screams Portland. It’s more on the casual side, with films that aren’t always in the big chain theaters. These are the films that have a deeper meaning than just a redone plot or cheesy love story. Hollywood is really starting to bore me to tears. This is why I Redbox everything and I don’t have guilt about the $10  ticket.

Anyways we saw, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. This is the last movie in a series, you should definitely watch the other two films to fully understand the plot. My friend loved it, but I was whispering to her the whole time to catch her up on certain details. And it has subtitles as it’s in Swedish. Personally, these are my favorite kind of movies and I have heard talk that the US plans to remake these films. This I am not excited about.

Another cheap movie ticket option- check out AAA discounts!

Lets Go Chasing Waterfalls!

 Really does it take much to be spontaneous? NO! Not really.... I was thinking Saturday at 11:45pm how lazy I was all day that I really needed to make Sunday active. I had gotten ready to eat breakfast with a friend at the Hawthorne Street Cafe, Saturday morning, then proceeded to take a 3 hour nap, cleaned my house and ate a huge burger with WAY too many fries at Five Guys Burger. Besides cleaning my house and enjoying the company of two of my best friends, it was not a productive day.

So how do you plan a random adventure in the PNW? Well.... luckily the whole outdoors is like a huge playground. Anytime of the year in Oregon. A few text messages and I had a small group convinced to go on a local hike. Search engines helped me pick up a few ideas, and definitely what was too far. To check out last minute hikes look at: http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Main_Page or Trails.com was helpful as well: http://www.trails.com/activity.aspx?area=14659. I got a little frustrated and decided to drive a little further East to the Columbia Gorge. (I plan on buying a hiking book at Powells) There really is endless places to hike off  Hwy 84 and everything I have seen is breathtaking. Like waterfalls... I really need to start counting and labeling all of the falls I have now hiked to.

Our small group enjoyed Latourell Falls. Its about a short 2 mile loop that goes to the upper portion of the falls, which you can walk behind. Like everything in Oregon, it was breathtaking. And the mossy green on the trees is gorgeous. Easy hike, easy on the eyes and a great way to get out of the city.

GET INVOLVED! Working with the Street Youth of Portland

I first noticed the large amount of street teens in Portland, when I was invited to a dodge ball game somewhere in the parks in Southeast, in 2008. They gathered there every Tuesday during the summer to catch up, hangout and enjoy the game. It was one of my best memories from the summer. They had collected lost balls, balls that get thrown out, that are tattered and worn and its a rough game. Yet thrilling at the same time. Everyone I met was inviting, friendly and felt like we had all known each other for years. I have never discovered again where this little gem of a game was held and I regret not writing down the parks name. But the issues of this street family has not gone unnoticed.

I have been involved now for almost a year in Transitional Youth. Its a program that works to reduce youth homelessness in the Portland. I serve twice each month serving meals at an outreach center in downtown Portland. It has opened my eyes to the issues people living on the streets deal with each and every day and gives me new perspectives on my own life. Check out the video below, for more information:

Wishful Wednesday- Top PNW Destination

Photo via: http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/crater-lakes-volcano-7162/

I want to pick top choice destination places, on my wish list. Crater Lake National Park is definitely one of them. But I think I will take this adventure during a weekend after the snow melts.....

Hurricane Ridge= Beautiful, Rope Tows…Never Again!

Hurricane Ridge is a gorgeous part of the Olympic National Park to visit on a clear sunny day. You get some great views of the Olympic mountains and its only about a 20min drive from Port Angeles. The last time I spent time in this part of the Olympics was in 8th grade and we enjoyed snow shoeing. I prefer this over snowboarding.

I am still regretting my decision to snowboard up the intermediate hill using a rope tow (the Poma side was closed). I will stick to chair lifts from now on thank you very much. As my left shoulder three days later still feels like it was ripped out every time I go to lift or pull something. Although, chair lifts are not an option at Hurricane Ridge. I really wouldn’t recommend Hurricane Ridge for skiing or boarding. I thought rope tows were only for the bunny hill….but oh no. Being “goofy” on my board I was recommended to hold on to the rope behind my back. So your left arms gets jerked with the first grasp on, and then you have to quickly grasp with your right.. and the first attempt ended with an immediate fall. They were kind enough to let me back on. Then as your gaining elevation, the rope moves up, then down and after I ran into a tree well, I realized you need to steer as well. WAY too many things to think about for the uncoordinated.

I was so annoyed at running into a tree that I undid my bindings and hiked my way to the top. After taking a much needed breather and taking in the view, I overheard these “ski jocks” laughing about the boarder who biffed it coming up the lift… yea they were referring to me. I thought to myself, “I board real mountains….with real lifts.”

But if you live out in the middle of nowhere, like my friends who live in Forks, WA, the $22-27 dollar lift tickets are quite appealing. Maybe I will return in the summer and take in the area without snow.