In My Mind....

I'm Going to Carolina. On the road back, folks. The Airstream has a new blackwater tank, toilet, and vent (that's a whole other story which we'll share later).

For now, here's what you need to know.

We have to be in Minneapolis by Aug 16 for a flight to Charlotte. We'll be in Cackalacka for a week before returning to Minnesota to continue the drive back.

Somewhere in there we'll fly back to Seattle for my LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, returning to Charlotte with Airstream in tow in time for the Farm Tour.

So while you await the wonderful photos and stories we are working on...go check out the farm tour website.

We've been working on this while on the road...it's going to be a FANTASTIC event. Sept 15-16 45 farms are holding open houses for the Charlotte community. We'll be in 11 counties...and expect over 7500 farm visits over those 12 hours.

Yay!

Christy Doing Homework. Seriously.

Yes folks, it's true. Christy is taking the last class needed to complete her masters degree. Here's a shot of her on a conference call with some of her classmates. They're working on a group assignment, and they've been on the phone for one and a half hours.

The Blog Ate My Homework

So.  Many of you know that the real reason we're out on the west coast is that I have One. Last. Class. to finish my masters.  And I, like any rational person would, chose a program on the opposite coast from my home.  For two years I spent a week in Seattle every month at Antioch University.

The Center for Creative Change has been a great program, and now I'm taking my last class.  Due to the low-residency format, I have to be in Seattle the first Friday of July, August, and September.

And now, the whining and excuses set in.

The reason I haven't been able to get as much blogging done is that I now have HOMEWORK.

I promise.  There are more blog posts coming.  John swears he is going to do some too, "when he feels inspired."

I guess, really, I should have titled this post, "The Homework Ate My Blog."

Now you know.

Back to the homework grind....but check back for more blog posts in the next week.  Promise.

The End of the World...As We Know It

Hiked out to Cape Flattery, the northwestern most point of the continental US, home to the Makah tribe, and part of their reservation.  Incredibly beautiful hike with an amazing view.

Photos to follow...for now, here's a video clip.

A Musical Taste of Home

John was perusing the local entertainment rag the other night.  He spotted a familiar name performing at the Tractor Tavern.

Now this is a nightspot I have wanted to visit for years but never found the opportunity.  So I was happy to go, but THRILLED when I learned that it was Chatham County Line performing.

Got in touch with my friend the bass player and he was kind enough to get us comped tickets.  (Thanks, Greg!)

We didn't realize how much we missed home until the fellas came on stage and ceremoniously pinned up the Old North State flag.  It was heartwarming to see it.

The show was amazing.  There was a great crowd for starters, and CCL pulled off their smooth choreography.  All four musicians share a single microphone stand, each leaning in or pulling away as needed to adjust their volume.

It was a great evening in so many ways...seeing a familiar friendly face, hearing familiar music, and gathering beneath our flag.   Sweet taste of home, away from home.

Gum Wall

Walk down through the alleys of Pike Place Market and you'll discover a mysterious wall.  Apparently someone decided to put his gum on it, another person followed suit, and well, the tradition 'stuck.'

I've passed the Gum Wall many a time, but never came equipped to make a contribution of my own.

Not tonight!

Thai Tom

Decided to get Thai food to take with us to Michael & Emily's house tonight.  I'm trying to get back to all the places I remembered loving over the years in Seattle. Thai Tom is one of those hot spots I don't want to miss.

The space is really, really tiny...and the kitchen is out in the space.  There is only seating for 20...half of which is on stools around the cook area.

The folks working the space had quite a system going on...they were incredible team players, anticipating what each other needed and lining up everything in advance.  Very fun to watch...we didn't even notice the 10 minutes we waited for our order.

Welcome to Burgerville.

A few years ago, our friend Kris extended an invitation to a presentation on sustainability and food in chain restaurants at Johnson & Wales University. One of the companies highlighted caught our attention: Burgerville.

On the surface, it's just a fast food restaurant: burgers, fries, shakes.   But scratch just a little bit deeper and there's something else going on.

You can see on their website that they encourage you to learn about their food sources.   They also take advantage of seasonality to ensure they always have a call to action...a hook to get you in..."Last Chance...Fresh Oregon Raspberries from Liepold Farms."

Same information is featured throughout the store.  It was really an amazing contrast to see the gimmicky fast food atmosphere and the farm and seasonal influence sprinkled in.

We were two days short of Walla Walla onion rings (DRAT!), but we made the strawberry season, so we got strawberry shake, strawberry lemonade, and a bacon cheeseburger.

It was actually quite good...especially for a fast food chain!

Food Trucks

Our friends Peter Reinhart and Dan Huntley evangelize the food truck movement in Charlotte...we decided to check out the scene in Portland.  Food trucks have clearly taken hold...according to Food Carts Portland, there are over 475 food carts available at any given time.

Our first stop was in a parking lot where trucks had established essentially a permanent locale.  There was a central tent which housed picnic tables and a wood stove.  The beer truck was aligned with it, so it could clearly contain the alcohol to a specific area.

Beer Truck Next to Central Seating			Just a Parking Lot with Food Trucks
Blues City Biscuits			Portland Food Trucks!
Roshambo: Nice Shelter for Ordering			Venezuelan inspired fare
Blues City Biscuit Menu		Bo Kwon's Koi Menu		Pie Spot Menu

In addition to central seating, the site provided hookups for electricity and water around the edges, allowing the food trucks to stay in position longer.  They also provided a couple of money-making opportunities such as an ATM and soda machine.

Central Eating Area

Well-placed ATM and Soda Machine

My personal favorite was getting PIE!  It was a quaint little spot, big enough really for only one person to work inside, but essentially a decent size kitchen for that one person.  Very cute and tasty.

Pie Spot
Pie Spot: Pie Making	Pies Right Outta the Oven
	Marionberry & Lemon Curd

After the first 'pod' we decided to hike up to Hawthorne, a neighborhood which had great thrift stores and eclectic shops.  And of course, more food trucks.   Fried Egg I'm In Love was AWESOME.  I had the yolko ono, which included avocado with sausage, cheese and scrambled egg on an english muffin.

Lunch!	Fried Egg I'm in Love
	Yolko Ono

Later in the day, we headed up to Alberta, which is another neighborhood in transition.  It was on our way there that we discovered Voodoo Doughnuts.   And with every other neighborhood we'd visited thus far, we were surrounded once again by food truck options. 

I thought that the seating provided at this location was particularly interesting.  It seems as though they are recruiting food trucks to locate here...

Food Truck Seating: a Bus!

Stopped for Dumplings...

In addition to the parking lot phenomenon, we found food trucks tucked in just about everywhere.  Even single width driveways between structures housed trucks.


Another interesting aspect of the movement is the other businesses that spring up as a result.  We saw one truck labeled with NMK...Northwest Mobile Kitchens.  And on the Food Carts Portland site, we saw insurance companies, food suppliers, and more who are now view mobile food trucks as a target market.

VooDoo Magic

For years, I've been hearing about the magic of Voodoo Doughnuts.

Was really looking forward to some for breakfast, but the line last night was wrapped around the building...even after 11 PM!

Surprise! We didn't know there was another location, and we stumbled upon it when we made a supposedly-wrong turn.

There was a line, of course, but it didn't take long.

There were also food-truck-like vehicles in the parking lot, continuing that Portland food-truck theme.

Voodoo Doughnut Food Truck	Donut Scooter
Donut Scooter	Donut Scooter

Time for doughnuts! It was hard to decide, but we ultimately ended up with: m\Maple Bacon Log, Raspberry Filled, Maple-Glazed, Mexican (with cayenne!), and Blueberry Cake.

Distillery Row

So...I first learned of Portland's brewery scene when I visited with my brother way back when.  Apparently the distilling industry has taken off in recent years.

We decided to check it out.  There's a tour you can take, but we're too independent-minded to be at someone else's mercy.  So we hoofed it on our own, hitting three distilleries in a six block area.


First stop was Vinn Distillery.  Apparently these folks are distilling just down the road from our RV Park in Wilsonville, OR.  But their tasting room is in the distilling district, for obvious marketing reasons.  Chinese-Vietnamese heritage influences this family-run rice distillery.


It was located in a small warehouse-type space.  The folks were really nice, and we were able to taste four different libations.  Two were fortified rice wines, and exceptionally sweet at that.  The other two were vodkas made with rice.  The rice flavor really stood out in one of the two, a product line which they are still developing.



Next up was New Deal Distillery, an airy garage-type space.


There was quite a crowd there, so we took our time looking around. We found something pretty interesting...the beams were the largest we had ever seen. You can see the size comparison by looking at the standard issue electrical outlet.

While we were looking at beams, a film crew came by with an actor in a bear suit. They were promoting Grassroots, a movie that was opening in Portland that weekend.



We finally got to sample the goods. We skipped the hard stuff...vodkas and gins, opting for the liqueurs...ginger, coffee, and HOT MONKEY (chile-infused vodka).


We picked up several bottles to bring back...Evelyn, the Hot Monkey makes a GREAT bloody mary when mixed with V8. Get ready for our return! ;-)

Another thing we saw were these 'drinking vinegars' produced by a local Thai restaurant in Portland. These were used as mixers at New Deal.

Our final stop: Eastside Distilling, makers of rum, bourbon, and liqueurs.


While we were finishing up our free mixed drink at Eastside, I stumbled upon a very interesting discovery. Apparently, John loves pinball, which I had not had the opportunity to learn before. I found him attached to the Indiana Jones pinball machine in the back...since it was free, we ended up hanging out for quite a while. Quite a blast!