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Summit Arts Center

Summit Arts Center’s creativity stems from a desire to preserve history in Government Camp

written by Catie Joyce-Bulay photography by Daniel Stark Most people head to Mount Hood for the epic skiing and hiking, but there’s also a vibrant art community keeping traditions of craftsmanship alive. The story of Summit Arts Center, formerly known as Cascadia Center for Arts and Crafts, began in the 1930s when the cabins housing its studios were first built for U.S. Forest Service personnel. In 1936, construction began on nearby Timberline Lodge as a Works Progress Administration project, providing employment during the Great Depression. As the lodge flourished as a popular tourist destination and historic landmark, the original Forest Service cabins fell into disrepair. Fast forward more than sixty years—the cabins were slated for demolition for lack of funds to repair them. Enter Betsy Valian, a nearby Government Camp resident and glass artist who couldn’t bear to see such an important part of the region’s history disappear. It was…

Aerial Courses — adventurers zip, sway and swoop on carefully designed courses

written by Jennifer Burns Bright Monkeys aren’t the only ones who can swing from trees. Increasingly popular at resorts and outdoor destinations, “American Ninja”-style aerial courses challenge visitors to sway on zigzaggy wooden bridges set between high platforms, climb rope webs and zip through the sky. Some even dare the fearless to leap to the ground or into water. We’ve selected three of Oregon’s coolest courses—all surrounded by nature in breathtaking areas—to explore on your summer vacation. Klamath Falls Crater Lake Zipline If hiking through the forests or fishing near Crater Lake seems too leisurely, how about zipping through the canopy of pine and fir trees? Just thirty-five minutes from Crater Lake National Park, Crater Lake Zipline affords magnificent 360-degree views of Upper Klamath Lake and Mount McLoughlin as riders sail over the treetops. Kids can now climb over their own spider webs and bridge challenges on the new Sasquatch…

gelato

Four Picks for Gelato

written by Jen Stevenson PINOLO GELATO  Tuscan technique meets Pacific Northwest ingredients at this deliciously authentic Division Street gelateria, where Pisa native Sandro Paolini churns up fresh daily batches of cold case classics such as fior di latte and Sicilian pistachio, alongside a refreshing raft of summer specials such as lavender, lemon basil, Tuscan melon and mint, and Sauvie Island Farms peach sorbetto. 3707 SE DIVISION ST. PORTLAND www.pinologelato.com BONTA NATURAL ARTISAN GELATO After a carefree August day spent floating the Deschutes River, follow the chatter of ecstatic children to this popular downtown Bend gelato shop. Using fresh local fruit at its peak, owners Jeff and Juli Labhart handcraft fleeting summer flavors such as Oregon boysenberry and raspberry citrus blossom in addition to their signature small-batch favorites like vanilla bourbon pecan and honey-infused Tumalo lavender. 920 NW BOND ST., #108 BEND www.bontagelato.com FRANCESCO’S GELATO With its honey-hued walls and Tuscan…

Eem — Smoked Meats and Vacation Drinks

written by Jen Stevenson It’s hard to argue with a restaurant concept that promises “smoked meats and vacation drinks,” and that’s just what you’ll get (with a side of tamarind-spiked Thai BBQ fried rice) at North Portland’s Eem, a boozy, boisterous, funk and fire-kissed collaboration between James Beard Award-nominated restaurateur Earl Ninsom (Langbaan, Hat Yai), Matt’s BBQ pitmaster Matt Vicedomini and acclaimed bartender Eric Nelson (Shipwreck). Start the night with a long look at Nelson’s cocktail list—it’s hard to resist the siren call of the Nocturnal Worker, made with Thai rice liquor, Oaxacan rum, banana, soursop and cardamom, and bearing a provocative “limit two per guest” warning label. Tiki mug in hand, dive into fish sauce-doused fried cauliflower and roasted beets topped with fresh herbs and puffed jasmine rice, followed by the sweet-and-sour fried chicken, soy-honey-glazed baby back ribs and sliced pork steak served with crisp greens and spicy nahm…

The 79th Annual Sisters Rodeo

Sisters Rodeo Photojournal 2019 written and photographed by Jessica Smith Every summer during the first week of June, professional cowboys and cowgirls travel to Oregon to compete in the Sisters Rodeo. The show has been around since 1940 and has remained a favorite among contestants because of the sizable purse offerings (up to $10,000) awarded to winners in each category. For decades, the world-class talent has attracted crowds from miles away, and this year was no exception. With rodeo organizers making this year’s tickets available online, the already-popular event sold out a week before opening night. However, those lucky enough to secure tickets were in for a treat, with sunny blue skies, plentiful food and drink from various vendors, and stunning displays of athleticism by both the animals and the competitors.  

Four Faves for Donuts—Don’t be so square!

Four Faves for Donuts—Don’t be so square!

            written by Jen Stevenson NOLA DOUGHNUTS Mardi Gras is just a king-cake-splattered March memory, but National Doughnut Day is June 7, and brother-sister duo Rob Herkes and Connie DeMerell’s Portland doughnut shops blend the best of both worlds with their New Orleans-inspired “la’ssants,” uniquely flaky square doughnuts made with a croissant-like dough, French technique, and European grass-fed butter. Sip your chicory coffee with hot, made-to-order beignets dipped in housemade raspberry mocha sauce. 365 N STATE ST. LAKE OSWEGO 110 NW 10TH AVE. PORTLAND www.noladoughnuts.com SISTERS BAKERY Sure, Sisters is known for its stunning natural beauty, abundance of outdoorsy to-dos, charming Old West storefronts and celebrated late summer folk festival. But fried-dough devotees come for the good old-fashioned doughnuts—soft, squishy, raised, glazed, iced, spiced, sugared and/or sprinkled. Try the epic “pinecone,” a yeast doughnut as delicately ribbed as its namesake, with a sweet stripe of…

Enviro-Breweries for a better world

written by Jeremy Storton I sat typing away at my keyboard one wintry day at a local brewery. A beautiful, brilliantly clear pale ale with a rich head kept me company and served as my muse. My calendar said January, but the sunny, 60-degree temperature outside suggested late spring. “If this is climate change,” I thought, “I could get used to this.” I discovered the world of beer in college. Despite my best efforts, I also graduated with a degree in environmental studies, examining the intricate, web-like relationship of all things that make up an ecosystem. For me, the two were completely unrelated, until I had an epiphany last October. A flurry of reports came out warning that climate change will affect barley production, thus driving beer prices higher. All the old college lectures, visits to farms and time spent learning about beer were a jigsaw puzzle, and these warnings…

Best places for a bountiful brunch

BEST PLACES FOR BOUNTIFUL BRUNCHING HUNNYMILK With both a West Burnside brick and mortar and an eastside weekends-only pop-up, this pretty prix fixe brunch cafe makes it easy to treat mom to something a little unexpected this Mother’s Day. Chef Brandon Weeks’ $23 menus rotate regularly, but the format stays the same—first, choose a drink (obviously the caramel hot chocolate with toasted milk marshmallows), then something from both the sweet and savory sections, perhaps the smoky bacon Dutch baby and key lime curd-filled poppy seed crêpe, or the crispy pork ribs and cheesy garlic grits with a honey butter-dipped fortune cookie waffle. 1981 W BURNSIDE ST. PORTLAND www.hunnymilk.com FOXTAIL BAKESHOP AND KITCHEN Part of Bend’s exciting and ever-evolving Box Factory project near the Old Mill, pastry chef-owner Nickol Hayden-Cady’s comely bakery and cafe promises an artful experience, from the gorgeous wall mural to the dazzling pastry case to the plates…

Modern Outdoor Finds—Make your patio pop with these products

    If you need an update for a decrepit picnic table, try the Aviara Aluminum Rectangular Dining Table from Restoration Hardware. Made of rust-proof tubular aluminum and available in three sizes, its strong, graphic lines will stand out on your patio. www.restorationhardware.com       The Tolix Marais A Chair may have been created in 1934, but it still looks fresh today. Fabricated from powder-coated steel or galvanized steel, the chair that once sat on the deck of the S.S. Normandie, not to mention numerous French cafés in the decades since, will lend your backyard a certain joie de vivre. www.dwr.com             Barn Light Electric looks to vintage silhouettes for design inspiration. Take the Frontier LED Angle Shade sconce. It riffs off of classic gas station lamps, but the LED technology, which lasts up to 50,000 hours, is all new. www.barnlight.com