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October, 2008 - Volume 10, Issue 10
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We need you help here in California - Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment that would take away our hard-won right to marry, is ahead in the polls after a series of misleading, negative ads by its supporters. Mormons, in particular, are pouring millions into the fight to eliminate gay marriage, and a recent Sacramento Bee story profiled a Mormon family of seven who dipped into their savings to donake $50,000 to take away our rights. Our side is fighting back, but is being outspent two-to-one, and we urgently need to get more TV ads on the air to debunk their lies. We don't expect you to donate $50k, but if each Purple Roofs traveler on our list donated just $20, we'd raise $400,000. Please give whatever you can at: Now on to the newsletter! This Month's Travel Articles We recently revisted Portland - our original trip in 2007 was cut short when Mark came down with a bad case of the flu - and were able to see a lot more of the city. So we've updated our Portland travelog with some great new things to do, including the Japanse and Chinese gardens, an Epicurean tour, and much more. We also have three new columns from the Gay Travel Guys, Donald and Ray: one on Kansas City, a book review of An Ordinary Madness, by Robert A. Hofmann, and (ok, so we couldn't resist) one on how great Purple Roofs is. <grin> Thanks, guys! We also have several other great travel columns - one on exploring Oregon's Hood River Valley, from Mary at Old Parkdale Inn, and one on Five Tasting Room Secrets from The Napa Valley, from Kevin at Ink House B&B - thanks to Mary and Kevin for these great articles.. Innkeepers - write us an article about your area, and we'll include it in a future issue of this newsletter with credit and links to your website and email addresses. Contact wheretostay@purpleroofs.com for more details. Special Offer Accommodation Notices As always, we also have our Late Availability & Special Offer notices (164 offers in 19 countries/regions) all at http://www.purpleroofs.com/lateavailability.html, or just check your favorite destination page - these notices are also right there on the regular listings. Travelers - Try a Home Trade Membership for Just $75 for 5 Years... ...and stay for free with other gay, lesbian, and gay friendly travelers around the world. More details on our Mi Casa Su Casa site at: http://www.gayhometrade.com. Read Our Gay Marriage Blog on PurpleUnions.com... ...where we'll bring you news and views about the fight for gay marriage - we're tracking worldwide events weekly, plus commenting periodically on things as we see them. See it at: http://www.purpleunions.com/blog and join the mailing list for new postings by emailing your request to info@purpleunions.com And we've redesigned our mainstream accommodations directory - Altraverse.com Now with over 3,400 accommodations listed worldwide - see it at: That's it for this issue - see you next time! :) Mark & Scott, PURPLE ROOFS |
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We visited Portland, Oregon again in the last few months - here's our report on the visit, updated from our first trip there in th Spring of 2007.
Portland is a hard place to get a picture of. During our first visit, we tried but ultimately failed to come up with that "money" shot - this time around, we were a little luckier. The reason for this difficulty? There’s a freeway along the eastern bank of the Willamette River, which otherwise would be a natural place to snap a shot of the city’s skyline (Portland’s downtown snuggles up to the western bank of the river). And try snapping a shot through the windshield going over one of the bridges. Here are a few of our other attempts, from the freeway, from the waterfront, and from the Japanese Gardens:
Here's an aerial shot of Portland's downtown and the Pearl - the center is downtown, and the area below the river and to the left of the tall, skinny building is The Pearl. Click on the pic for a more close-up view:
At right there's a pic of the two of us with our hair-nets on outside the Pearl Bakery on the Epicurean Tour (more on that later) - don't get me started on the whole hairnet thing. <grin>
A couple snapshots:
One of the best aspects of Portland for us is the city's welcoming attitude toward gay and lesbian couples. We've now been there four times, and never once did we feel unwelcome as a gay couple. The Pearl District, in particular, is filled with gay couples, and is one of those rare places where you feel like you can let your guard down for a little while. Note: Many of the pictures below were taken on the Best of Portland City Tour - a great downtown walking tour run by the city. More info on the tour father below. Green Portland
Pioneer Courthouse Square is your living room, where you can relax, have lunch, meet with friends, and enjoy the city. And you don’t need a car – the city is your garage.
We live in one of Sacramento’s suburbs, and we’d have a hard time getting anywhere without a car. We’ll tackle a few of Portland’s wacky liberal ideas here, which, when you look at them more closely, don’t seem so wacky after all: Public Transit
Just $2.00. There are ticket purchase kiosks at each station that are really easy to use, too.
What also struck us about Portland is how thewy learn, even from their successes. The new light rial line will ride along the center of the street, veering to the curb at stations, to provide better traffic flow than the older lines, which run curbside throughout downtown. In another example, the old bus and rail stops had covered benches – and the covers tended to hold in cigarette smoke when someone smoked underneath them. The new ones have been designed to allow smoke to escape at the top while still providing cover from the rain. But they plan to keep one of the old stations around as a reminder of the old design. Flex Cars
In support of this idea, the city of Portland has provided the spaces for these cars, and you park for free in the designated spots. They’re marked by a bright orange pole with four “tabs”, which emphasize the preferred order of transit in the city – by foot on top, followed by bicycle, followed by mass transit, followed by car. With rising gas prices and global warming concerns, it’d be great to see other cities on the US emphasizing transit this way, and taking steps to make their cities more friendly to pedestrian traffic, cyclers and mass transit. Parking Meters
There are no meters, per se, in the city. Instead, you simply park, go to the nearest parking machine, and pay for the parking, getting a slip to put in your car.
Say you pay for parking near south park for two hours, but finish your picnic lunch there after half an hour, and want to visit the Pearl District. No problem – just drive there, park, and your parking there is paid until your ticket expires. Cool, huh? The parking times for each area are also very clearly marked on signs on each block, so you know if you’re in a 1/2 hour zone, an hour zone, etc. Benson Bubblers
Walking in Downtown Walking here is great – you can get anywhere in the downtown area on foot. The city has sightline guidelines that say that you should be able to see a minimum of five blocks down the sidewalk at any intersection, so the city streets feel wonderfully expansive. The city is also blessed with beautiful trees that line the streets of downtown, and there’s so much great architecture to see here.
And city blocks are really short here, so walking 10 blocks takes 5 minutes here. Again, the city is built to a more human scale.
Here again is a simple idea that just makes sense – wherever the sign faces, the map is turned to correspond with that direction – in other words, if you’re facing south looking at a directory sign, the top of the map is the south end of town. If you’re looking at a sign facing east, the map is turned, so again, the way you’re facing is the same way the map is oriented. This is one of those things that took a little extra thought, but makes it so much easier to visualize your location when you’re looking at the map. Architecture
This is a great example of both working with existing building owners to find a solution for new development which doesn’t devalue the older building, and an example of how a progressive city government doesn’t mean an anti-religion stance. In fact, you can make the case that the “liberal” values of tolerance, helping the poor, and stewardship of the Earth and our natural resources are very much in line with religious values. Keep your eyes open for some great architecture as you walk around Downtown Portland:
Public Art
Some of the art is practical, like the bike rack at left which mimics the form of the bridge behind it, complete with little cars and trucks on the span.
Portlandia was created by Raymond Kasky. Kasky created the sculpture – the second largest copper statue in the country – on two conditions – that the city wax the statue regularly to preserve it, and that it not be used in any commercial photography – he retains all commercial reproduction rights. He also will not allow the statue to be moved, saying it was designed for its location. Portlandia is based on the woman on Portland’s city seal, and welcomes visitors to the city with an outstretched arm.
And some of these are more ephemeral and unintentional, like the bouquet of pink roses in the basket of a pink bike parked on the sidewalk.
"It all began with an artist named Scott Wayne Indiana. He knew about the horse rings in many Portland sidewalks and thought it was a shame that we don't tie our horses to them anymore. Scott decided to change that and tied his first pony to a horse ring in the fall of 2005 in the revitalized Pearl District in Northwest Portland. After a few months, he expanded the horse project and asked for some help. Now these horses are showing up all over Portland. You can find them in most parts of Portland now." At the foot of The Elizabeth Building, next to Isabel Restaurant (see more on this great restaurant in our Where to Eat section), you'll find the Lovejoy Columns. Part of the Lovejoy Offramp before Highway 5 was torn down along the waterfront, these two columns were decorated by a Greek immigrant and artist. The columns have been preserved and the artwork covered up by replicas of what's underneath until they can be restored, creating a unique piece of public art. Best viewing time is after dusk, when the columns light up the small plaza where they stand.
The permanent art is mostly funded by Portland’s 1% for art program - new building projects have to incude 1% of their budget for public art. Here are a few of our favorites:
You also may notice some of the street names that sound familiar – Lovejoy, Flanders, Quimby, Terwilliger, etc. – if they sound familiar, they should – they’e all last names of characters on the Simpsons. Matt Groenig, the creator if the Simpsons, grew up here, and took many of his characters’ names from city street names. You’ll also find the street the Simpsons live on – Evergreen Terrace – here. City Parks There are a number of parks in Downtown Portland. There are several that caught our attention, each for a different reason.
The other park in The Pearl District is Tanner Springs Park (http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/ index.cfm?PropertyID=1273&action=ViewPark) at right - a few blocks north of Jamison Square Park - this one's more of a contemplative park - with natural grasses, running streams and a really cool metal wall that pays homage to the area's industrial past.
South Park is a long, skinny park, with some great examples of public art, including a statue of President Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and much more. It’s a great park for wandering, sitting on a park bench under the beautiful, huge trees, and enjoying a warm summer afternoon.
Finally, Waterfront Park runs along the Willamette River, offering a wide greenbelt that separates the city from the water. This park is not all that remarkable in and of itself – it’s a nice picnic spot, and offers some decent river views. But it’s more significant for what it represents. Some years ago, Highway 5 ran along this stretch of downtown Portland. The federal government wanted to build another freeway out to Mount Baker, but the locals objected. So instead of paving over even more land, they used the money, along with additional locally raised resources, to tear down the old freeway and to reconstruct it on the far side of the river, opening up the river view and the space for the park, similar to what San Francisco did in the early ninetes with the Embarcadero Freeway. Where to Eat For Breakfast
Isabel offers a great mix of breakfast options, from the decadent pancakes smothered in peanut butter and bananas to some really outstanding vegetarian breakfasts. We ate there almost every morning. For Lunch
Want something a little more casual? We found three great local pizza chains: First off, our favorite - Hot Lips Pizza (http://www.hotlipspizza.com/). These guys are really green - from their space in the refurbished Ecotrust building to the electric delivery car they bring the pizzas to you in. The pizza's great, and if it's sunny out, there's a great outdoor patio where you can enjoy a couple slices of cheesy bliss:
Next, try Pizzicato (www.pizzicatogourmetpizza.com)– a great little Pizza place on Alder across from the W hotel. This is a cute little pizza joint ala Blondies (for SF Bay Area folks) - with regular tables, sidewalk seating, and bar seating at the front window for folks who like to people watch with lunch. Pizza here is of the thin crust variety, kinda like Sabarros in the mall but without all the extra grease. The folks here are friendly, too.
The truffle fries were really good, but the rest of the meal wasn’t shabby either. Very cool interior and again, great friendly service.
For Dinner
We had a chance this time to try some places in The Pearl and around 21st and 23rd Streets, and here are the standouts:
The best part was the owner, who came over to our table and spent ten minutes with us explaining where the food came from and how it was prepared. She also caught a mistake in the kitchen, insisting that one of our dishes be taken back and re-served with a slice of lemon, to bring out the full flavor of the dish.
There are also a couple great restaurants that we found over on the 21st/23rt street area:
Then there's JoBar (http://www.papahaydn.com/r/6/Jo-Bar) at left - more casual than Serratto - with outdoor seating that's perfect for a warm evening. Standouts here were the asparagus spears, the pizza, and caprese salad. For some good, basic fare for lunch or dinner - beer, burgers and fries - try Deschutes Brewery (http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/Splash/default.aspx) below - a raucous place in the heart of the pearl, with fantastically carved wooden pillars and a lively, warm atmosphere:
For Dessert
The shop is in what’s being called the West End, an area in transition just across the street from the Pearl District, and Cacao is just around the corner from the Eagle, Scandals, and many of the local bars, right next to a big construction project, so it’s a little hard to find, but well worth it. Cacao is a must-see when you’re in Portland, but go early, because they don’t stay open late at night. 2008 update - Cacao has now opened a second store, at the Heathman Hotel in Downtown. Another dessert place, for folks with a real sweet tooth, is Cupcake Jones (http://www.cupcakejones.net/), on the eastern end of The Pearl - with different, decadent cupcakes served daily. Or try one of the gelato places in The Pearl - our favorite? Mio Gelato - just across from Powell Books on 11th st. Things to Do Visit the Pearl District:
Mr. Augustine came up with the name, claiming originally that it was because the district was like a crusty oyster – a bit rough looking on the outside, but with pearls inside for folks who looked a little deeper. But in 2002, he came clean, revealing that he’d really named the district after Pearl Marie Amhara, a social worker who was born in Ethiopia and whom Augustine had immense respect for. But he chose to wait until after her death in 1996 to reveal this, out of respect for her and her work. And apparently, the name was not universally embraced until someone writing for Alaskan Airline’s magazine picked it up, trumping other suggestions like the Warehouse District and the Brewery District (after a famous local brewery). Today, though, the name is universally accepted. Whatever the story, the area is undergoing a startling transition, as buildings are renovated, upscale furniture and clothing boutiques move in, new restuarants premier, and condo buildings spring up in and around the district.
If you’ve never heard of Powell’s, you have to see it to believe it. It’s a used/new bookstore that takes up a full city block, cobboled together from several original buildings. Wandering around inside is like being transported to book wonderland... For instance, most bookstores have a couple rows of Sci Fi and Fantasy Books – Powell’s has something like eight rows, each floor to ceiling, each 15-20 feet long. New and used copies of books comingle on the shelves, and you can often find a used copy in great condition for considerably less than the original. It’s like a huge old library, but you can buy the books! Another must-see in Portland. Over the last couple of years, the Pearl District has expanded northward. There are two new parks in the area:
For a deluxe spa treatment, consider The Spa Chakra at the Avalon Hotel on the South Waterfront just south of downtown. Sure, it's a little off the beaten path, but it's a top-notch facility, and they give a great massage. A word of warning about Portland spas - many are basically converted nail salons who offer massage services, and have no showering facilities. We found this out the hard way at another (not to be named here) spa in town - we came into the spa directly from the airport, had our massage with the sweat and grime from travelibg still on us, and then had to put our clothes back on while covered in massage oil. So be sure to ask when booking a massage if the facility has showers. The Avalon Spa does. Take a Walking Tour Take a walking Tour – there are several great walking tours that start at at the Visitor’s Center in Pioneer Courthouse Square – we took the Best of Portland Walking Tour (www.portlandwalkingtours.com), a two-and-a-half hour tour that starts at the square and winds in and around Portland, giving you a sense of the history, architecture, and community-mindedness of this beautiful city. The guide was friendly and well informed, and the tour provided a lot of the information about Portland and the city’s green policies that we’re bringing you in this article. Here are a couple pics we took on the tour - many of the other pics in this article were taken during those two and a half hours too:
We also took the Epicurean Tour (http://www.portlandwalkingtours.com/tours/epicurean_excursion.php) - which starts out in Downtown at the Heathman Hotel, and winds its way up through the Pearl District. On our tour, we tried hot soup at Flying Elephants Delicatessen (that's our tour guide, Bob, in the middle):
Then we visited an The Bridgeport Brewing Company - a local brewery on the north side of the pearl, in a historic building that was slated to be torn down as unsafe. Even though they don't own the building, the Bridgeport folks stepped up and paid to have the building retrofitted so they could stay in their iconic building. Now the building has a beautiful public space where you can enjoy their ales and a little something to eat, too. In my hand, below, you can see a hops flower - the little guy that figures so largely in the flavor of beers and ales.
Next, we stopped in at the Tea Zone - a tea shop that serves all kinds of hot teas, as well as one of our favorites - bubble tea. Regular readers of the newsletter will remember that we first found bubble tea - iced tea with milk, sugar, and some tapoica bubbles that you suck up with a big straw. We also got to check out a brick of tea - a big rectangular block of tea that was used for transport in the ancient world.
Next, we stopped at our favorite place on the tour - The Pearl Bakery - with some fantastic fresh baked breads, croissants, and other treats:
We also stopped by In Good Taste, a cooking store with a cooking school in the middle and every kind of pot, pan, cooking implement and spice known to man - we tried a couple flavored mustards with some wine here:
And we wrapped it all up with a cup of tasty gelato. It's a great tour - just bring your appetite and some good walking shoes: Also offered is the Underground tour, into the old streets and catacombs beneath the current city. Check Out the Zoo
Take the elevator up, and you’re literally right at the entry to the zoo. The zoo has a great central meadow for picnicking (as well as snack bars if you don’t bring your own food), and a cool little Elephant Museum with a full-scale skeleton of an elephant inside. You can see the whole thing comfortably in a couple hours.
Stop and Smell the Roses We visited three beautiful botanical gardens. The first was the International Rose Test Garden (http://www.rosegardenstore.org/thegardens.cfm) - a free to the public garden in Washington Park on the western edge of the city - it's walkable, but not a great walk unless you cut through the park - best to drive or take the bus). How long you spend here depends on how much you love roses and how many you stop to smell along the way. The Rose garden is filled with thousands of rose bushes, and was in full bloom when we visited:
The second garden, the Japanese Garden (http://www.japanesegarden.com/), is just across the street from the Rose Garden in Washington Park, and is a blend of different styles of Japanese Gardens, with a koi pond, waterfall, picturesque bridges, a zen rock garden, a gift shop, and much more. It's just $8 for adults, but the garden also has occasional free entry days - check their website for more information. The gardens feature a view (somewhay blocked by trees) of downtown Portland (see the start of this article) that's worth a look. Plan to spend 1-2 hours here - it's not huge, but there's a lot to see:
Finally, in the heart of the Old Town area which lies between the Pearl and the Willamette River, the Classical Chinese Garden (http://www.portlandchinesegarden.org/). Much smaller than the Japanese Garden, this urban garden is tucked into a single city block, but packs a lot into the small space. There's a waterfall, a bridge, several pavillions, a gift shop, and many seating areas. Adults are $8.50, and there are also membership plans that give you year-round entry for one flat rate.
and even a tea house where you can enjoy many varieties of chinese teas and authentic snacks:
And check out the beautiful pathways - these are made up of individual pebbles of different colors, all carefully arranged to create these wonderful patterns:
Have Lunch in the Square
The city built this brick-paved plaza at the front of Pioneer Courthouse, with the visitor’s center framed by a beautiful waterfall fountain at one end. There’s also a Starbucks here perched on the northwest corner – a really cool glass structure where you can grab a coffee and a snack for your people watching time in the Square.
In the northwest corner, just below the Starbucks, is a small, circular amphitheater (see the oicture at right). Stand in the center and say “Keep Portland Weird” - it’ll freak you out. The bowl shape is an amplifier, that will return your voice back to you like an echo chamber. Walking around the square, you'll see many bricks with names on them - these are mostly everyday folks who paid to sponsor a brick to help pay for the building of the square. There’s also some great upscale shopping in the blocks around the square.
Visit the Living Room Theater See a movie at The Living Room (www.livingroomtheaters.com) – ever heard of this? Portland has a great “Living Room” style theater where you can lounge on a couch and watch an indie movie. The theater offers oversized chairs, a few ottomans to rest your feet (get there early to get one), and food served by theater staff in the theaters. There's also a bar/seating area in the front where you can enjoy a drink and some snacks before the film. The theater specializes in indie films, so check out their website for the latest films before you go and make sure there's something you want to see. The theater is just on the edge of the West End.
Come early and get a seat on the lawn and enjoy a warm Portland summer evening under the stars. Cross the River and Stroll Down Hawthorn Avenue Hang out on Hawthorne Boulevard - an eclectic atmosphere reminiscent of University or Telegraph in Berkeley - just across the river from downtown. Lots of funky shops, cafes, and other interesting places to explore, with a bit of a lesbian vibe.
Visit Downtown Portland's Gay Bars Go to the bars - there are tons of gay bars in Portland - our favorie for just hanging out is Scandals. Here are a few of the others in the downtown area:
Shop the Saturday Market Check out the Portland Saturday Market (www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com) - an outdoor bazaar/swap meet/yard sale with all kins of crafts and clothing, and even a guy who makes balloon animals. Though it's called the Saturday Market, it's actually on both Saturday and Sunday.
And if you need a little something new to wear under your jeans before you go out clubbing at night, stop by Under U for Men on Broadway (below). :)
Where to Stay
The closest to Downtown Portland of all the accommodations that we visited, the Guesthouse is about four blocks west of Highway 405, which defines the western edge of the downtown core, in a quiet residential neighborhood. The accommodations here are basic but very clean and affordable, and the hosts, Thomas and Stephen, are great guys. The property has a secured entrance, and wifi internet access throughout. The location, in Northwest Portland, is just a short walk from the West End area where many of Portland’s gay bars and Cacao are - walk two blocks down to Burnside, and then four blocks east to cross the freeway, and you're there. Walking directly east on Flanders, and you're in the Pearl District. The Guesthouse is also close to the Japanese Gardens and Washington Park, and to Forest Park with over 40 miles of hiking trails. This location is ideal for folks looking for affordable accommodations close to the heart of Portland, walking distance from everything downtown.
If you're more of a hotel person and are looking for a place to stay in the Downtown area, you can't go wrong with the Governor Hotel. This gay friendly hotel is on southwest 11th street, just three short blocks south of Powell's Books and the edge of the Pearl District. There are no hotels in the Pearl, so the Governor is about as close as you're going to get. There are two parts to the hotel - the older wing, where the rooms are generally a little larger and have second, third, and fourth floor street views with big windows to let in lots of light, and the newer building, with six floors, including some very nice suites on the top floor, some with large balconies facing toward the Willamette (no river views, but some great cityscapes from up there). The property also features Jake's Grill, where you can catch a bite to eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and for the addicted, a full Starbucks store with all your favorites. There's also a gym facility on site, and a business center where you can print out your bording pass, check email, and surf the web. If you bring your own laptop, you can access the hotel's wifi network from your room as well. The Governor is a great choice if you're looking for an upscale (but reasonable) hotel in the downtown area, especially for business travelers.
This new rental accommodation was built by Rupert and Scott, and sits behind their home on a quiet tree-lined lane across the Willamette River from downtown, also in the Irvington District. Kinley Manor Coach House is just three blocks north of Lloyd Center and the light rail line. They're also an easy walk to the Convention Center, and via bridge to Downtown Portland. Built in the style of a carriage or coach house, this vacation rental unit is brand spanking new, with a large, beautiful kitchen, comfortable living room, and loft bedroom overlooking the rest of the home. The building is separate from the main home (which is the owners’ private residence) has its own private entrance, and is also available for extended stays for business travelers or folks needing a home base while visitng the Portland area. There's also a Safeway, a post office, and (big draw for us) a Starbucks just a block away. This is a great place for privacy in a new, well decorated vacation rental unit, and is perfect for folks who want a self-contained rental with everything you need for longer stays. Central to all of the Portland Metro Area.
A grand Victorian mansion in the same neighborhood as Kinley Manor Coach House and Portland's White House. Lion & the Rose is on the National Register of Historic Places, and features 6 guest rooms, each with private bathrooms. This historic property has all the modern conveniencesm including a/c, phones, cable television, and high-speed wireless internet access. They serve a full two-course breakfast each morning in their formal dining room. They can also provide afternoon tea upon request. They also have light refreshments available in the dining room, including soft drinks, juice, and spring water are complimentary. This is a great place for couples looking for a romantic getaway.
One word comes to mind when you arrive at Portland’s White House – Grand. Fronted by huge white columns and a wrap-around driveway, the colonial style mansion overshadows everything around it. And the tasteful opulence continues when you enter, with a huge central staircase and luxuriously furnished dining and sitting rooms downstairs. The Bed & Breakfast features 8 rooms, each with ensuite bathroom, The White House is across the river from downtown in North East Portland's Irvington District, in a quiet, tree-lined residential neighborhood, close to Lloyd Center, where you can catch the light rail at 11th Ave. to the airport or Downtown Portland.
Originally a motel, The Jupiter Hotel has been fully remodelled, with modern furnishings, art with a metropolitan vibe, and an on-site bar and restaurant. The hotel features 80 rooms, all with ensuite bathrooms, some with kitchenettes. All rooms are non-smoking. There’s no pool (it’s now a below-ground storage area) but there is a cool urban feel, fun touches like doors that double as blackboards (so you can personalize your own and leave messages for friends) an on-site salon, and an adult store on-site The hotel has a large, tent-covered patio and stage for events, and the hotel, although not a gay property per-se, has a high percentage of glbt guests, holds gay events, and is a major sponsor and host hotel for the annual pride parade in Portland. You can walk to Downtown Portland from here - it's about 8 blocks west on Burnside to the Wilamette River. If you like more of a party atmosphere, and want to stay in the middle of the scene, this is the place for you - an old hotel with a cool new vibe for the 21st century.
Near Hawthorne Blvd, a funky street with am eclectic, sorta Telegraph Ave, feel (for folks familiar with Berkeley, CA), Bluebird Guesthouse has a bit of an eclectic feel itself. On the second floor, the owner cut out the wall to expose the wagon-wheel that runs the dumbwaiter, so you can watch it turn as the mechanism is raised and lowered - believe us, it's pretty cool. The Guesthouse features seven guest rooms, 2 with ensuite bathrooms - the rest have shared bathrooms. Continental breakfast is served each morning. There's a con-op laundrey on site for guest use, as well as a guest kitchen, if you feel like cooking instead of going out every night. This is a great place for folks who want to explore the eastern end of Portland - Downtown is accessible by car or public transit.
In Gresham, about 40 minutes from Downtown via light rail (you do have to drive to the light rail station in the center of Historic Gresham, but it’s only two miles away), this gay-owned B&B offers three cute rooms in a beautiful, historic craftsman-style mansion. The grounds are extensive - two and a half acres surrounded by beautiful trees, set back from the main road for peace and quiet. The owners are working on renovating the grounds, including restoring a pond on the property. The house has views from the dining room of the Southern Buttes, and can accommodate meetings of up to 30 folks indoors and larger events and weddings (up to 100) outdoors. Breakfast is served using mostly locally grown and organic ingredients. The Springwater Trail Corridor is just a mile away up the road - you can hike or bike all the way down to the Willamette River on this paved trail. Forest Springs is great for singles and couples who want nice, quiet bed and breakfast accommodations in the Portland area with easy access to downtown but also close to Mt. Baker and the parks and natural areas east of the Portland Metro area.
About an hour to the west of Portland by car in Seaside is the Hillcrest Inn – an affordable motel-style accommodation in this little seaside town. Seaside is cute in a kind of Boardwalk beachfront town sort of way, with a cute main street filled with lots of little shops, arcades, and other beach attractions. The Inn is perched on a hillside near the ocean, and has 28 rooms. This includes several cottage-style accommodations along its southern border, fronted by a large, grassy lawn. The other units are in multi-story buildings, and range from smaller units to larger suites, some with romantic fireplaces and jacuzzi tubs. The rooms also have kitchenettes with mini fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. Beach access is just a block away, the Seaside Aquarium is next door, and the cute main street with all of its shopping and little cafes are just a couple short blocks away. Overall, the property offers a low-key, affordable gay friendly accommodation with fairly large, clean rooms.
Wanna Move Here?
There are also new towers going up along the river south of the University. Prices are higher than you might think, but after remaining one of the strong spots in the national real estate market for over a year, we're finally seeing some signs of weakness, with price declines in asking prices and new condo rate sheets over the last several months. Several condo projects were cancelled, and others converted to apartments before hitting the market, so there's still a relatively limited supply of new properties.
He also pointed out an amazing weather device on top of one of the downtown buildings (it used to be visible from most of downtown before new buildings went up around it). This device uses flashing lights to tell everyone what the weather will be like for the day. Early weather prediction technology? Nope. Some guy in the building reads the daily paper each morning and sets it to flash appropriately. When we were here, we had a mixture of great sunny days and several cloudy, rainy days where the weather averaged mid fifties all day. But we visited in the spring and the summer, and the winter weather here is much greyer. Note: The city has had to end the free wifi service that it was offering in the city core when MetroFi, the company that operated the service, could no longer afford to keep it running. But there are still many hotspots scattered around the city, offered by local and national vendors. On the Way Home We had an evening flight, and got some good pics off the city and some of the snow-capped peaks on the way - thought you might enjoy them. :)
Things That Make You Go Hmmm... First, a trio of the written word. We loved the first one below - "The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave." We're not sure what to make of the second, found scrawled in a concrete bunker in Eastern Portland - color us intrigued. And seeing Bill Clinton's name was like bumping into an old friend unexpectedly on the sidewalk.
Next, Amazon.com wouldn't fit here - apparently a relic of an old ad campaign by the online bookseller to emphasize how big a bookstore they are. Show me yours... Next, Bear Awareness week at the zoo - Is this like gay day at Disneyland? And finally, a sentiment near and dear to our hearts... Next, a couple for the foodies out there... the first sounds like the that gay guy from the Madonna film we all wanted to daye - Rupert someguy or other? But hey, it's just a food cart. And the second invites folks to become one of us - or wait, is that an O at the end? Guess it's just a japanese lunch shack. And our last trio - ok, the first one is a big purple octopus - 'nuff said. We've heard about these new mailboxes (R2D2, center), but this one, by the zoo, is the first one we've seen in public. The next one is on 11th street just before the Pearl - we walked by this sign daily - how do you eat a sandwich bigger than your head, anyway? Points for quantity, though! And for the last one - Young Guys for just $5? Where do we sign up?
There's a gay and lesbian center here - The Q Center (www.pdxqcenter.org) at 69 SE Taylor at Water Ave - the center offers theater performances, gay bingo, art shows, and much more. The Portland, Oregon Visitor's Center also has a gay/lesbian section (www.travelportland.com/glbt/) and even puts out a gay visitor's guide (pictured at right) that you can get a copy of at the Pioneer Courthouse Square visitor's center. |
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Traveling in Our Fabulous World
With a metro area population of nearly 2 million, Kansas City really has it all. From sports, arts, shopping, dining, partying and plenty of museums, everything you are looking for can be found in Kansas City. Actually there are three parts of Kansas City: Kansas City, Missouri (the major city); Kansas City, Kansas across the State Line and to the south of Kansas City, Kansas lies Johnson County, Kansas, the affluent suburbs which is comprised of about 15 smaller cities. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (below) is one of the finest art museums in the entire Midwest featuring a world class Chinese collection. The new Bloch building which adjoins the museum is filled with contemporary art and photography.
For a wonderful lunch, dine at the Rozelle Court in the Nelson. The Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, The Long Museum, Toy and Miniature Museum, John Wornall House Museum and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum are just a few of the many places to visit. For sports, take in a baseball game watching the Royals or watch the Chiefs play football at Arrowhead stadium. There are many things to do on weekends throughout the year including the Plaza Art Fair, the Brookside Art Fair, the Westport Art Fair, the Renaissance Festival, different ethnic festivals and fairs where you can taste the food of different cultures and Crown Center has a lot of activities on weekends in their outdoor arena and they are all free to the public.
The city offers the Lyric Theatre, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Kansas City Symphony and the Unicorn Theatre in Midtown is in it’s 34th season of presenting provocative and thought-provoking “Off-Broadway style” productions. The Heartland Men’s Chorus is a big hit and most concerts are sold out. The new Sprint Center in downtown hosts the finest of entertainment. Tina Turner chose Kansas City as the first city for her new tour and it was sold out instantly so a second day for her was added. The new Power and Light Entertainment District in downtown opened earlier this year. The Crossroads Art District in Midtown is fast becoming a Kansas City favorite. “First Fridays” are when the art galleries of the Crossroads Art District stay open until 9 PM the first Friday of every month. Nightlife for gay Kansas City is full of fun. Among our favorite bars and nightclubs are:
For fine dining we enjoy the CAFE TRIO, 3535 Broadway, an upscale restaurant and many evenings they have live music. All businesses in Kansas City are now smoke-free including restaurants and bars.
One of the famous “Grande Dames” the late Mrs. Kenneth Spencer of Kansas City once remarked, “I live in Kansas City because I simply love it! Why should I live in Paris when I have all this?” Kansas City is certainly one of the best kept secrets in the country. Everybody is so amazed when visiting the city for the first time. Kansas City really is “up to date” and you will have a fun time visiting the city. Before going to Kansas City, here is some information to check out:
Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from Coast to Coast. You can email them at: gaytravelers@aol.com or visit their webpage at: http://www.hometown.aol.com/gaytravelers. Explore Oregon's Hood River Valley
The Mount Hood National Forest offers natural beauty and many great hiking trails, along with majastic views of Mt. Hood, Oregon's highest peak at 11, 240 feet. There's also the Hood River, and the Columbia River Gorge. The Columbia River's enormous 80-mile-long gorge through the Cascade Mountains is one of the most dramatic destinations in the Pacific Northwest, so breathtaking that in 1986 Congress designated it the first of America's National Scenic Areas.
This awe-inspiring chasm -- scoured by a series of Ice Age flash floods -- has long been more than a scenic wonder: The only sea-level passage through the Sierra and Cascade ranges, for centuries it has also served as a major transportation corridor. For millennia, Native peoples traveled through the gorge to trade and fish. The Corps of Discovery, led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, also passed through the gorge in 1805-06 on it's epic journey to the Pacific (see p. 643). The gorge was also the final challenge to pioneers on the 2,000-mile Oregon Trail, which between 1843 and 1860 brought an estimated 53,000 settlers to the Northwest. In 1916, the Historic Columbia River Highway, a marvel of mountain road engineering, opened the gorge to automobile traffic. Although much of this route has been subsumed by fast-moving I-84, remnants of the winding roadway (now Highway 30) remain and are by far the best routes for exploring the gorge. The town of Hood River, the hub of the gorge, is known in the world of sports at the windsurfing capital of America. Stiff prevailing winds and the Columbia's strong river currents combine to create a kind of wind tunnel that makes for legendary windsurfing and kitesurfing conditions.
Plans call for a long public green, a swimming beach, and, naturally, kiteboarding and windsurfing put-ins. Kayakers dip into the placid Klickitat River, where local outfitters hold beginner lessons on the gorge’s Washington side, or navigate the gauntlet of Class IIIs and IVs on the aspen-flanked White Salmon. Landlubbers get their fat-tire fix at Post Canyon, where freeriders have been adding jumps, bridges, and seesaws. The steady westerlies churning the mighty Columbia nearby have been drawing windsurfers and kiteboarders to Hood River for years. But lately an almost equal number of mountain bikers, powderhounds, and whitewater paddlers have started calling it home as well. Judging by the signs above all the new restaurants, the recent arrivals are partial to sushi joints, wine bars, and bistros with hard-to-pronounce European names.
West of Hood River, a segment of the Historic Columbia River Highway climbs along the nearly sheer basalt cliffs, which serve as backdrop for the greatest concentration of waterfalls in North America. The most spectacular of all is Multnomah Falls, the tallest in Oregon and the second-highest year-round waterfall in the U.S. (after Yosemite Fall in California; see p. 862), with a total drop of 642 feet. You'll also find art galleries who work with local artists, some great wineries and fine dining, and a number of interesting museums to keep you busy. The Hood River Valley is just an hour and a half from Portland, Oregon, a spectacular drive through the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Taste the harvest September, October, and November in the Hood River Valley, Oregon. Experience the diverse agriculture of the Hood River Valley. The upper section of the Hood River Valley Fruit loop begins in Parkdale, 15 miles south of Hood River in the foothills of Mt. Hood. There are few places which offer the intimate experiences of growing, producing, and finally enjoying fruits and wine as this valley does Delightful attractions are scattered along the Fruit Loop, including fruit stands, destination farms, two alpaca ranches, a chestnut orchard, berry farms, wineries, farm bakeries, two lavender farms, and more. And half an hour south of town, the lifts on Mount Hood’s Palmer Glacier stay open straight on through summer, giving snowboarders and skiers access to 1,524 feet of vertical corn nearly year-round. We're on the list of 1000 places to see before you Die (US and Canada): http://www.hoodriver.org/HRCCC_ArticleTemplate.asp?ArticleINDX=377&CategoryINDX=504 And we're #5 on the National Geographic Adventure Magazine Best Places to Live: http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/weekend-getaways/best-places-to-live/west-text
The Old Parkdale Inn was recently selected by BedandBreakfast.com editors as on of the best undiscovered inns for fall foliage trips. We're in a very quiet location, perfect for guests who seek solitude and want to get away from everything. Our Hood River Bounty Package allows you the opportunity to enjoy a hearty Hood River Bounty breakfast, presenting and savoring Hood River delicacies in our dining room or delivered to your room. After breakfast you'll tour the Fruit Loop and visit the farms and wineries that make this valley a unique, diverse agricultural region. As an added pleasure, your driving tour through the valley and along one of the many forest roads will reveal an awesome display of fall foliage. Come be our guest and join the Celebration. Five Tasting Room Secrets of the Napa Valley Whether you are a first time visitor to the Napa Valley or a veteran wine-hunter with many excursions under your belt, you'll spend most of your time in tasting rooms as you try to find a keeper for your collection. Although there are over 400 wineries in the Napa Valley, the basics of visiting a winery are pretty much the same -- tasting room, tour (sometime optional, sometimes mandatory), fees for tasting, and then the sales pitch to persuade you to acquire a bottle or more or to join wine club. There are a number of little known secrets to maximize this experience and save some money so you can buy more wine: 1. Appointment Only does not mean go away. Well over half the wineries in Napa are appointment only. This is not by their choice, but was a result of the large wineries in the late 1980s pressuring Napa County to stop giving out public tasting room permits so they would not continually lose tourists to new wineries. Forced to post Appointment Only signs, these wineries want you just as much as those with public tasting rooms. If you drive by an Appointment Only winery and they list their telephone number on their sign, give it a call, tell them you are outside and would like the next appointment, and they will just happen to have one in about 2 minutes and invite you in. The other great thing about the Appointment Only wineries is that they are much less crowded and the personal attention they are able to give visitors is much greater. 2. Share a tasting. Almost all wineries charge for tasting now. Anywhere from $5 to $50 per person -- sometimes the more expensive ones come with a tour as well. If you are tasting with a companion ask to share a tasting. You pay one fee and most of the time the pourer will pour larger amounts, or two tastings, of each wine into the glass. You can either share a glass and sample all the wines with your companion, or if one of you is a red wine drinker and the other prefers whites you can switch as the tasting moves from white to red. 3. Negotiate the bottle price. When wineries first started charging for tasting in the early 1980s they always credited your tasting charge to a bottle of wine purchase. These days that is getting more and more rare. After you are finished with the tasting and are discussing the purchase of a bottle, ask if they would be willing to deduct your tasting charge from the price of the bottle. Many times they will, or offer to purchase two bottles if they will deduct the tasting charge -- afterall if it's good enough to buy, an extra bottle can't hurt. 4. Join a Wine Club. Signing up wine club members is the holy grail of a tasting room manager. It's usually a very good deal as you can choose your volume -- anywhere from two bottles a quarter to a case a month, In addition, the pricing is better than you could do from even a discount liquor store, they will offer you the ability to purchase hard to find library wines on a regular basis, you will be invited to many special events at the winery, and when you visit Napa and stop by the winery you are treated like gold. If you do join a wine club at the winery ask them to deduct any tasting fees that you have paid, ask if there is a special wine club member discount on any wine that you purchase, request to take the tour at not charge if they have a tour that requires a fee, and also ask if there are any special reserve wines available for tasting by wine club members. 5. Complementary Tasting & Tour Passes. If you stay at one of the small Inns or Bed & Breakfasts in the Napa Valley, many will have marketing partnerships with a number of wineries and will have complementary tasting passes for their guests. Ask your innkeeper when you check-in and odds are they will have some, or can dig some up out of the back room. Wineries are constantly mailing packets of complementary passes to the smaller lodging establishments. This article was written by Kevin Outcalt, owner of the Ink House Inn in the Napa Valley. He first started his wine hunting in the summer of 1985 when he moved to the Napa Valley town of Yountville and hasn't stopped since. The Ink House Inn is one of the top rated small lodges in the Napa Valley. Situated in the classic town of St. Helena, the 1884 Mansion sits on four acres or gardens, lawns, vineyards, and olive orchards. Surrounded by eight world class wineries and their vineyards, it offers complete bed and breakfast services with luxurious rooms, a full gourmet champagne breakfast, complementary wine and appetizers each evening often with local vintners pouring their latest creations, and full concierge service to assist guests with tours, restaurants, and other Napa Valley adventures. More info can be found at http://www.inkhouse.com or by emailing inkhousebb@aol.com or calling 866-963-3890. Traveling in Our Fabulous World
He makes something “fun” happen even when going to a funeral. There is way too much grief and misery in this world so why not “liven” things up a bit and try to bring everything to your level of having fun? He enjoys life and it shows. And why not enjoy life? He is fortunate that he has been able to travel all over the world and always finds interesting, exciting and sometimes perilous adventures to be found. Unlike 99% of travelers, he makes things happen when he travels. He tells of growing up in a family that is more or less normal, but then what family is really “normal” ? He tells of attending his religious school and the fun (and problems) associated with that experience and the different people he encountered along the way. He tells of having fun and not having fun with his two sisters and the challenges that face siblings. He tells of his trips to Key West, Ft. Lauderdale which he loves so much. Naturally his favorite place to stay in Ft. Lauderdale is the Grand Resort and Spa which is the Number One place to stay there. He is a regular guest there and always praises both Herb and Peter, the two gentlemen who manage the Resort. Robert is an attorney who lives in New Jersey. Most attorneys that we know are just like him. Fun, funny and exciting however we only know them as friends and not as enemies. Most attorneys really are two distinct different people, one being professional and the other wild and crazy! In his first book, he told so many things about his family and friends that we didn’t know if he would be able to come out with this second book or not, but it is just as interesting to read as the first. Now, we can’t wait for his next book to come out. We do hope that he lives to a ripe old age because wherever he goes, “fun” is going to be there!
Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from Coast to Coast. You can email them at: gaytravelers@aol.com or visit their webpage at: http://www.hometown.aol.com/gaytravelers. Traveling in Our Fabulous World For the past several years we have been fortunate to be able to travel all around the country from coast to coast. We do not want to stay in hotels or motels as we are the type of people who enjoy other people so we enjoy staying in either resorts or bed and breakfast inns. When we first began traveling we were always in a dilemma on where to stay. Then we heard about the purpleroofs website. We immediately fell in love with their website. It is so easy to navigate and you can find anywhere in any State so quickly. They also show accommodations all over the world. We do not travel overseas however we have friends that have stayed at places who are on purpleroofs and they have all be very happy with the accommodations. We really like purpleroofs for several reasons, mainly because we can find accommodations that are either gay owned or accommodations that are straight owned but who want our business. Unlike so many published guides that just list everyplace in a city, purpleroofs actually checks on every accommodation. Each accommodations has to want to be listed and apply to do so. We have several gay accommodations guides that we have used in the past and many times when we tried to make reservations, we found out that they had been sold or out of business. On purpleroofs, everything is up to date! Another great thing on purpleroofs is that you can immediately go to the accommodation’s website and see photos of their accommodations including rooms. You can see their rates and amenities. Actually there is no charge to be listed on purpleroofs. They do have extra promotions for accommodations but want premium listings. They send out monthly travel newsletters to keep everybody up to date on the different specials that some of the accommodations are having. In today’s economic downturn this is a very valuable thing for travelers to receive. For gays staying at a gay resort it is really quite simple and of course all of the other guests are also gay. We have found a lot of straight people who enjoy staying at a gay owned B and B. People who do stay at a B and B are really “people people” in that they enjoy interacting with people. Others stay at a hotel or motel so they can just stay in their room by themselves. We have met so many wonderful people both straight and gay while staying in B and B’s. There are hundreds of straight owned B and B’s who are wanting and enjoy gay travelers. They want to be listed on purpleroofs. We have met dozens of straight B and B owners in our travels.
Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone! TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from Coast to Coast. You can email them at: gaytravelers@aol.com or visit their webpage at: http://www.hometown.aol.com/gaytravelers. |
Everything is indeed up to date in Kansas City, “the City of Fountains”. Actually there are more fountains in Kansas City than in any other city with the exception of Rome, Italy! Many of the Boulevards and Avenues are filled with water fountains and statues.
Kansas City is home to the world famous, Country Club Plaza which was one of the first outdoor shopping centers in the nation. Several major stores as well as locally owned stores can be found there offering the finest of clothing, jewelry and home décor.
Sadly, the Gay and Lesbian Center had to close it’s doors this year. Kansas City now has the distinction of being one of the major cities in the country without a Community Center. Several churches in the area are welcoming gays and the MCC Church has been around for years. There are dozens of gay organizations which are always helping the community and their membership is strong. This is a very “caring” community. 
We get asked so often in our travels from resorts and B and B’s how to attract the gay audience and we always tell them to get on purpleroofs. It is just that simple! We will continue using purpleroofs forever!
Come visit Oregon's Hood River Valley, where you'll find so many outdoor recreation options, including the Indian Creek Golf, Mount Hood Meadows Ski Resort, and Zoller's white water adventures.
The mile wide river, flanked by volcanic sentinels Mount Hood (in Oregon; see p. 874) and Mount Adams (in Washington), flows beneath banded basalt walls rising 3,000 feet. Waterfalls tumble from the gorge's edge, cascading hundreds of feet to meet the river. All this beauty -- plus excellent hiking trails and world-class windsurfing -- is just an hour from Portland.
But this recreational boomtown hasn’t abandoned its roots—the focus here is still centered squarely on the action outside. Tucked between the looming basalt cliffs of the Columbia River Gorge, an hour east of Portland, Hood River is cementing its multisport identity with a new riverside park.
South of the city, above the pear and apple orchards of the Hood River Valley, the massive glaciered peak of Mount Hood rises to fill the horizon, a perfect postcard image of Oregon. In the 1910s, a rail line ran up the Hood River Valley to bring out lumber and later transported the valley's rich bounty of fruit. The Mount Hood Railroad now carries day-trippers between Hood River and Parkdale on vintage Pullman railcars.
The Old Parkdale Inn is a perfect halfway stopping place when touring on the 
After enjoying Robert Hofmann’s first book, “Surrounded by Insanity” where we laughed and laughed at his comings and goings through that part of his life, we couldn’t wait until his second book came out. We just finished it, and he continues writing about his wild and crazy life. He does not mind “telling on himself” as so many people do when writing about themselves.