The Fair was held at the World Forestry Center, which I didn’t even know existed. It is nearby the Children’s Museum,  Portland Zoo, Japanese Gardens and many of the other attractions in Washington City Park.

The Coffee Fair this weekend featured lots of coffee vendors giving samples and discussing their product and techniques. It was interesting and I got some yummy samples, but the most interesting part of the Coffee experience was the part that will be sticking around; Coffee: The World In Your Cup is a special exhibit that will be open until January 10, 2010. It is a self-guided walk through the life of a coffee bean. They even have live coffee plants. I thought I knew about coffee but I didn’t realize how much human labor goes into the process. It was fascinating!

I also enjoyed the variety designs of burlap coffee sacks and consumer-marketed bags of ground coffee.

A bonus of attending the fair or the exhibit is that your admission gets you into the World Forestry Center permanent exhibits as well. I will admit while I love trees, this is probably the last museum I would have visited of my own choosing. Forestry sounds mechanical and boring. But the museum was actually really cool. They have a lot of interactive exhibits. Peter found a wood instrument to bang on:

And there was a nearly 700-year-old tree.

Impressive! Although it made me wonder how old the big tree was I saw in North Bend, Washington this past summer:

Anyway… The World Forestry Center is worth a visit for sure. It’s kid friendly but there is plenty for adults to enjoy too.

Admission is $8/adults, $5/kids. Which I think is kinda steep for a museum so I would recommend going when a special exhibit is happening that excites you so you can get the 2-for-1 deal.  They are having mini-tasting “Coffee Weekends” in the future as well. And if Coffee is not your thing, the next Fair might be… It’s the ChocolateFest that will be open January 29-31, 2010. The accompanying special exhibit, A Chocolate Story, will be around from January 30-April 25, 2010.

Note: Some of the links in this post are time-sensitive and may not be correct in the future.

Of course there’s no homeless people or rain or strip clubs in this video, of which Portland has many… but a nice video nonetheless :)

Why? We had the pleasure of participating in the 2nd event presented by Portland’s Dill Pickle Club: The “How Are Things Made?” Tour.

This was an event that is right up our alleys. We love watching shows like How It’s Made. In St. Louis Peter and I lived by the Anheuser Busch brewery so I had many opportunities to go on its factory tour and always found it interesting. Pretty much any opportunity I have to see behind-the-scenes production of any product, event, job, etc I will jump on. It gives you insight and respect for how something we often take for granted comes together.

On our tour we visited 3 places:

• Intel
• Pendleton Woolen Mills
• Port of Portland Marine Terminal 6

We also enjoyed a brief conversation/lecture from Dr. Randall Bluffstone, Chair of Economics Dept. over at Portland State University.

So I will get to the tours in a moment but I just have to say that being in a big yellow cheese wagon is exactly the same as it was growing up, only I have gotten bigger and the seats haven’t. But it was fun nostalgia.

Intel

The Intel tour in Hillsboro, OR was very sterile. Which I guess is fitting when I think about it. The tour was like a slick slice of a science museum experience, and we learned about what goes into making the processor chips and how much they have progressed over the years. It was really fascinating. But we didn’t get to see any actual production. I think the building the tour was at was nothing but office drones anyway. It would have been nice to at least see a video of a chip being made.

There was a Q&A portion of the tour. Our group was very interested in things like environmental impacts and foreign relations. I asked a question about how many chips Intel makes and the speaker did not know the answer.

One of my favorite parts of this tour was the oversized computer with Windows 3.1 era boxes and a throwback Intel commercial shot on it.

Pendleton Woolen Mills

So this was the best tour of the day, but no photos were allowed. This place is in Washougal, Washingon, right across the river from Portland. Before the tour we were in the attached store with clothing and blankets and Peter and I were like “this stuff is lame.” After the tour we wanted to buy something because we were so impressed with what goes into making the materials.

First, from a technical standpoint, this tour is great because everyone gets to wear a headset that is tuned to a frequency that the guide’s microphone is on. Thus you never suffer from being in the back of the line or the guide having their back to you. Everyone can  adjust their volume to a level that suits them. EVERY TOUR EVER should do this :)

So during the tour we get to see fresh wool from the sheep’s back in bundles, learn about the methods of dying the wool, see it being combed and spun into thread, and see the thread on looms making fabric. We were walking through the mill, next to the giant deliciously 1960’s green machines that roll the threads, walking next to old school tables and safety posters from the 80s, and walking past consciously-ignoring-us employees on their breaks. Some of the looms were so old they use a patterned ticker-tape looking thing that “tells” it what pattern to weave. This mill’s daily operations don’t appear to have changed in the past several decades, but if it ain’t broke…

The QA in the factory really impressed us… as the loom weaves the fabric, it is examined for errors/holes/etc.. and it is examined a couple of times after. Every square inch sees human eyes. In fact the human element is present at every stage in the production.  You can read a little more about this and see some blurry photos here.

The blankets are all made in the USA at Pendleton factories but the clothing is all sewn overseas.

Port of Portland, Terminal 6

First off here’s some facts swiped right from the Wikipedia entry:

• Port of Portland’s marine terminals export the largest amount of wheat from the United States and third largest amount in the world.
• It is also the fifth largest port for tonnage, third largest auto import gateway in the country, the largest mineral bulk port on the U.S. west coast, and the 17th largest port for cargo containers in the United States.
• Around one thousand businesses and corporations are said to use the Port’s marine facilities.
• Imports and exports at the Port of Portland total about $14 billion USD, annually.

Port of Portland has four terminals. We saw Terminal 6, which has most of the storage containers and cars. I don’t know why it is called Terminal 6 if there are only four total, but you can probably google that.

So this terminal deals with a lot of heavy stuff. This tour was really enjoyable because our guide was nice, loud and knowledgeable. We seemed to be driving around the premises after daily work was done so we didn’t get to see a lot of stuff going on but it was fascinating to see the big machinery and vast use of land. These photos were taken from inside the school bus, and it was drizzling, so forgive me.

Those crane looking thingies are parked right on the edge of the land, overlooking the columbia river. They lift up the containers and place them off and on the barges.

Each of these containers is the size of a load on a full size semi truck.

This neat machine picks up these massive heavy containers like it’s no big deal. It was interesting seeing this approach… it makes the PODS approach seem a little rudimentary. Also that POD container is half the length of these containers.

And that concluded our day. Not pictured: Peter and I enjoying a brown bag lunch I packed us, suburban mom style. It even had a freakin ice pack and napkins in it. And it met all our food pyramid guidelines.

Most restaurants don’t want you to know their nutrition info. Burgerville prints it on the receipt. That is so so awesome. I love to be deliciously informed. I really hope other restaurants follow suit.

Kudos Burgerville, and Kudos Nutricate.

We took the MAX train downtown and got off near the start of the stride and checked in. Here’s Peter in his COOL vest:

Waiting for the start time (8am)… lots of participants!

The first bridge we crossed is the Fremont Bridge which is I-405. This was the one I was most excited about because it’s normally buzzing with traffic round the clock!

Walking onto the exit ramp:

Excited to be here!

You can see some cyclists also crossing:

The second bridge we crossed was the Steel Bridge. This was exciting because I had never done it, but not quite as cool/exclusive because this pedestrian path is always open.

I’m glad I know about this spot though. Such wonderful views of downtown can be seen here. I snapped a photo but I will definitely come back on a nicer day.

We made it back to the finish line to pick up our finisher pins and hydrate. It was a fun event!

We’re at 3 weeks from moving day. The POD is in front of our house… yet to be filled but we’re packing up a storm. We’ve scheduled a Yard Sale for May 23rd, so if you’re in the St. Louis area mark your calendar!

This week I made a lot of calls changing our address.. seven magazines, two catalogs, several bank/finance accounts, etc. Remember if you change your banking address you are also changing your billing address… something to consider when you make a lot of online purchases like I do, since your order won’t validate if that information isn’t correct.

One thing we’re trying to figure out now is drivers licenses in Oregon. We are bringing our (49cc) scooters with us. In Missouri, if the scooter is 49cc or under you don’t have to get it licensed or insured. However in Oregon you have to get it licensed and insured if it’s above 35cc. The thing is, we know where we’re staying when we get there is temporary. If we go and get drivers licenses the second we move to Portland, the address on it will be wrong within a few months. And if I call my insurance company to get insurance on the scooters, I’ll have to change the address for all our other lines of insurance… which, again, will have to be changed within a few months.

My preference would be to wait on all of that til we find our permanent home. But we want to ride our scooters when we get there… it’ll be perfect scooter weather. I wonder if there’s any way to avoid the hassle above and still get a license plate for the scooter. Like, can I get an Oregon scooter license plate without an Oregon drivers license? Anyway, that’s where we’re at on that.

Portland Tattoo © ohhh_yeah808

This may seem silly but I am really excited about food carts in Portland. There, I said it.  It’s just that nowhere I’ve lived had food carts. Saint Louis for example only has ten food vendor permits for the city. PERIOD. Like, that’s all. And they don’t work near each other and there’s not really a selection. From the few I’ve happened to spot they were just hot dogs.

When we visited Portland last October we were in SE (I forget which neighborhood) and happened upon a parking lot with 4 or 5 trucks selling tacos, gyros, and I think one even had Chinese food. Aside from a cheap and fast meal, I think there’s something so wonderful about the EXPERIENCE of it all. I’ve been to other large cities with abundance of street vendors – New York, Paris.. it creates activity and urban camaraderie.

And if I am over-romanticizing the experience of buying food from a small room on wheels, whatever. The whole point of this entry comes down to poutine.

Poutine.

Pronounced poo-teen, it’s a popular junk food in some parts of Canada. It’s french fries covered with cheese curds covered with spiced gravy. I have never had real Canadian poutine, but ever since I learned of it I have been in awe of such a concept of culinary perfection. I have tried to make it myself, but I’m sure it’s not right. For one, cheese curds are difficult to impossible to come by where I live. Chese curds aren’t like curdled cheese (gross), they are just bite-size pieces of cheese that look and taste kind of like mozzarella. They make squeaky sounds in your mouth when you chew on them.

Apparently cheese curds have a very short shelf-life so unless you live somewhere with a demand for them, good luck finding them because it’s not worth it to the vendors to stock them. Luckily I have a connection in Wisconsin, cheese capital of the US, who comes to Saint Louis occasionally bearing curds.

But the other ingredient, spiced gravy, is the part I can’t nail. From my thorough research (haha) I have learned that there is a certain Canadian brand of gravy that makes the poutine. Any ol’ gravy won’t do.

So anyway, you can only imagine my reaction when I learned a couple of months ago that… brace yourself… Portland has a Poutine Truck. A food vendor selling Poutine. Holy Hell.

I don’t know if it will be “real” poutine but I feel so validated just knowing it exists for purchase there. And within arm’s reach until I can make a pilgrimage to Canada.

Potato Champion
Located at the NE corner of SE 12th and Hawthorne Blvd
wed – sat > 8pm – 3am – LATE NIGHT POUTINE YOU GUYS
sun/mon/tues > closed

Official web site featuring picture of awesome trophy exploding with fries.

Poutine Goodness © zorbs

Poutinegasm © LexnGer

Not that we heard this a lot, but I was surprised to learn some of my friends had been thinking of Portland as a destination too. It’s not really that surprising when you think about it – it’s a popular city for many reasons and to the chagrin of some of its residents, I think, it is growing very fast. According to our tour guide the city is anticipated to triple in population in the next 25 years. The people of Portland resenting this growth aren’t without good reason. Many of the unique defining characteristics of the city are possible and fostered because of its size and careful city planning. Fast sprawl and growth can be to its detriment.

Two of my friends from Chicago were a couple planning to move to Portland later this year. They visited last week, so excited to scope out the city they had been reading about. They didn’t like it. They have decided to stay in Chicago. Portland did not amount to what they had in their minds.

I am, of course, selfishly disappointed. But I want them to find their place, and if Portland isn’t it, they shouldn’t be there. What didn’t they like about it? Sluggish, smug, not diverse enough. And, I think those are fair  remarks. I mean it’s a first impression, and it’s honest.

Going from Chicago (population 3 million) to Portland (population 1/2 million), it’s not surprising it’s less bustling. The smug factor? It’s a west coast liberal city, I too got the impression that there are homogeneous values and ideals, moreso than my Midwest swing state background. Lack of diversity was something Peter and I noticed right away when we got to Portland.  Portland is 18% non-white. By comparison, Saint Louis is 56% non-white and Memphis is 67% non-white. And those are the two cities I grew up in. I know diversity comes in many flavors beyond ethnicity, but it does make a difference.

My friends not loving Portland reminded me that what’s best for me is not best for everyone. When I was in college I loved my college so much, I raved about it. Based in part on my accolades not one but two of my friends from high school, unhappy at their current colleges, decided to transfer to my college. Both of them hated it and left within a year. I know it wasn’t totally my fault but I felt responsible. Ever since then I’ve always been a little wary of recommending something that might impact a big decision for someone. “But check it out yourself! Don’t take my word for it!” I warn. And it’s true.

I believe: You get out of a place (and life) what you put into it. You create the life you want to live.

The Broadway Street Steel Bridge © Jan Tik

Portland Downtown at Dawn © jikido-san

Japanese Garden © ahp_ibanez

Today I saw there is a new pamphlet highlighting the many gorgeous fountains in Portland in a leisurely 2 hour self-guided tour. Download it here (link is in the green box at the bottom). I can’t wait to enjoy this on a hot sunny day. Maybe let myself get cooled off in one of the fountains and then find a grassyspot to bask in the sun and air dry. Sounds glorious. Then again any warm weather fantasies sound great as we are all exhausting of this winter.

Ira Keller Forecourt Fountain © Alicia J. Rose

Salmon Street Springs Fountain © t3rmin4t0r

And I had the best gyro! Peter and I got some food from some of the many vendors and went down to the riverfront park to enjoy it.

Reminders of events like this keeps reinforcing our excitement… we can’t wait to get to Portland!

Portland Saturday Market - Photo © beaster725