WHY PORTLAND?

Many regular readers know that the hubby and I have a several-years-old tradition of spending Thanksgiving somewhere outside of LA with the son and the daughter.  It started in 2007 with a trip to London and has continued since with domestic trips to NY, Chicago, New Orleans (twice), Napa, Nashville and this year in Portland.  Why Portland?  Why not?!  This hip town is a mecca for food and wine, not to mention no sales tax, gorgeous scenery and easy access. So off we went.  

Yours truly typically lays out the things to do and see for these trips.  But having son Sam as the family's resident sommelier (and founder of The Cellar Beverly Hills) in this wine-centric region certainly took the burden off me; he secured the winery visits (five the first day) and I sourced the restaurants.  I'm not sure why Higgins wasn't originally part of the plan, but in retrospect I am delighted the hotel sent the hubby and me there the first night (the kids flew in later).  It was a spectacular choice and a harbinger of the food scene in the area (dishes below).

Above:  the most perfectly cooked fresh halibut with vegetables;  Below:  am I the only one who never heard of Bostock?  Wow -- a combination of bread pudding and scone but crispy on the outside and tender inside.  Oh my.

The Willamette Valley -- roughly an hour outside of Portland -- produces some of the finest Pinot Noir wines around.  That is my drink of choice so I was a happy camper to the extent I could taste a bit and still be the designated driver.  While not tasting, the scenery provided an exquisite backdrop -- fall foliage at it's peak with pockets of mist.  We were thankful to experience such beauty all around.

Newberg Ferry Crossing -- positively ethereal

Breathtaking foliage

Imagine having this view every day ...  Bethel Heights

Portland's iconic landmark, Powell's Books, was open Thanksgiving Day making our "what should we do until dinner" decision an easy one.  The store comprises a full city block with multiple floors and a massive amount of titles.  I'm not sure how shoppers found one another before everyone had a cell phone, making the "where are you" challenge much easier. Fun fact:  If you're perplexed as to how to get your purchases home, Powell's calculates shipping cost by the number of items and not by the weight.  So the son purchased five hefty coffee table books and the cost for shipping was $9 -- much less than UPS ground.  Avid reader Hannah made not one but two trips to Barnes & Noble on Black Friday for amazing deals.  We did our share to help the Portland economy for sure. 

 

Bistro Maison in McMinnville laid out a beautiful table; traditional Thanksgiving meal (there were other options); deserts (pecan pie and fruit crisp)

A most fun surprise for us NCAA basketball fans was discovering the PK80 tournament taking place in Portland in honor of (Nike founder) Phil Knight's 80th birthday.  The boys went off to see beloved Ohio State Buckeyes take on Gonzaga after Thanksgiving dinner. It was great fun seeing lots of players and their families at our hotel (UConn, Butler and Texas).  

Exploring the Nike Headquarters in nearby Beaverton is a must.  The vast campus offers every type of training facility -- full size -- including track, soccer, basketball, beach volleyball and work-out facilities not to be believed.  It is a spectacular setting  with a serene lake right in the middle.  Although pretty much vacant (Friday), one still could see just how cool a place this must be to come to work.  We did wonder if EVERYONE in the company is fit and works out.  Any diversity allowed in that department?

 

Likely no one is using this parking space

No caption required

Running track on the campus

The "last supper" was at The Hairy Lobster; photos and description below.

Shared plates: seared scallops, whole trout; indulgent ribeye and a chocolate/peanut/mousse concoction!

Morning view of Mt. Hood from our hotel room across the Willamette River

By now, the "Why Portland" question should be well settled.  A visit is highly recommended.   By the way, next year is already decided: a week in Charleston & Savannah.

Accommodations:  Portland Downtown Marriott on the Willamette River

Wineries:  Bethel Heights, Cristom, Eyrie, Arterberry Maresh, Domaine Serene, Bergstrom

Dining:   411 Lounge, Valley Commissary, Bistro Maison, The Hairy Lobster, Higgins, Little Bird Bistro, Cheryl's on 12th

A LOCAL GEM

Do you ever pass by somewhere in your town and think, "I can't remember the last time I was here."  I do.  But do I actually act on it?  

When given the opportunity to visit the Norton Simon Museum, located in Pasadena just 20 minutes or so from my home, I signed up -- especially with a private tour and docent arranged through my executive women's group.  Immediately upon arriving I asked myself  "Why has it been so long in between visits?  I love this place!" 

Vincent Van Gogh self portrait

The museum became known as the Norton Simon in 1975 but its origins -- through various iterations -- actually date back to the 1920's.  What I particularly love about the structure is that it is so "manageable."  One doesn't get that feeling of being completely overwhelmed when visiting so many other museums.  You know the feeling:  you don't want to miss anything and you can't really figure out how to tackle it.  Frankly I was stunned to read the museum's square footage is 85,000, for it seems smaller to me.  I suppose with a collection spanning more than 12,000 pieces, a significant space is required.  But the beauty of this museum is it's intimate feeling.  To get a sense of proportion, can you guess the size of the Metropolitan Museum in NYC?  How about 2,000,000 square feet?  That's one heck of a space ..

Above, "Assembly of Sea Forms" in white marble by Barbara Hepworth Left, "Tall Figure IV" by Alberto Giacometti stands 9-10';

With dear friends and fellow members of the Organization of Women Executives. The museum outing was part of our Culture Group.  I chair our Foodies Group (no surprise there).

On this beautiful fall day, the sculpture garden was an absolutely ideal setting.   With magnificent pieces by Henry Moore, Rodin and Maillol, one could really get lost in thought while strolling around the Lilly Pond stocked with ducks.  So peaceful.  

Aristede Maillol's "Mountain"

The magnificent pond

Henri Laurens' "Les Ondines"

Rather than hearing from me, go and then go back again.  I plan to and soon.  This spot is truly a gem in LA's busy metropolis.  

The museum is open daily except Tuesdays. 

DEAR VIRGIN AMERICA: WE'RE THROUGH

You know how one has that sinking feeling that something just isn't going right?  Well, my suggestion is to always trust your instincts because you're probably on to Something ... 

 

My initial clue that flying round-trip from LAX to Boston on Virgin America was going to be problematic was not being able to check in online due to their website problems.  A phone call to the airlines was required, only to be walked through their myriad choices.  Finally success achieved.

Upon boarding, I was asked by the attendant if my small carry-on needed to be stowed.  He suggested I take the first available bin.  I said, "Would you help me lift this?  I have a sore arm."  His reply:  "So do I."  Upon which the nearest passenger stood up for the assist.  The flight proceeded fine, although another attendant was quite snarky ... where's Southwest when you need them?

The return was the nightmare.  First, no email received:  "It's time for you to check-in!"  No pre-flight alerts that had been signed up for just days earlier.  Unable to check in online.  Another call to the airlines left me uncertain.  She just didn't exude confidence upon confirming our reservation was indeed there, including exit row seats (extra $$) and pre-paid baggage fees (3 x $25 ea). 

At the airport (we arrived 4pm for a 5:50 departure), we were told 1) It was too late to check our bags because the plane was departing at 4:40; 2) We were still in the record for the now non-existent 5:50 flight but nowhere to be found in the 4:40 flight; and, 3) only a supervisor could do anything.  So where's the supervisor?  He's with another customer; he's on his way; he'll be here in five minutes; he'll be here in four minutes; he's at the gate; he's still on his way, etc., etc.  

Some 45 minutes later, said supervisor arrived.  The only option at this point (east coast flights were still reeling from the various hurricanes) was Boston-JFK-LAX on JetBlue.  We check our bags and clear security. Except at the JetBlue gate, we learned we had missed our takeoff window due to fog rolling in.  With the now-delayed departure, we'd miss our JFK connection.  Another 45 minutes in line at the "Just Ask" counter yielded basically no solutions.  We even considered renting a car, driving to NYC to make the first-out flight from JFK at 6am.  

And then our savior appeared from the heavens in the form of the JB gate attendant.  To summarize, we split the reservation so son Sam and daughter Hannah could leave that evening on a non-stop JB flight, arriving at about 1 a.m. -- at least they could get back to work.  The hubby and I would get a room at the airport ($230 for 7 hours) and fly out the next morning at 7 a.m.; arriving around 10:30 a.m.  Where the hell were our bags?  JetBlue had the tags and promised delivery to our home Monday afternoon, which promise they kept. 

The aftermath?  All of these gory details were conveyed to VA via their website.  Full disclosure:  I did receive a schedule change back in July, found in my trash email.  Yet VA kept us on the non-existent 5:50 flight which they confirmed to me multiple times and never transferred our reservation when they changed the schedule.  Thus we wouldn't have gotten on the 4:40 flight no matter how early we arrived.  After two weeks of back-and-forth emails, we were provided $500 in credit toward future flights.  I can hardly wait to experience the airline again.  My Twitter wrath is below ... of course, the promised email never arrived.