Live Oregon

Face Rock Sate Scenic Viewpoint

Sand labyrinths at Face Rock State Scenic Viewpont

photography by Joe Kline When the tide is out, Denny Dyke’s work begins. He designs, draws and decorates labyrinths in the sand along the Oregon Coast, mostly in Bandon at Face Rock State Scenic Viewpoint. What started as a walking meditation turned into a public art installation—this year, Dyke and his team of volunteers will create more than forty labyrinths in the sand, inviting the public to walk through the circles and waiting for his creations to wash away as the tide rolls in.

Freeland Spirits

Women and Whiskey at Freeland Spirits

Freeland Spirits sets out to do distilling differently written by Sheila Miller Freeland Spirits started with a Texas grandma, a whiskey night and a dream. That dream is now a reality, thanks to the hard work of founder Jill Kuehler, distiller Molly Troupe and farmer Cory Carman, who have combined to create a woman-owned and operated distillery that cheers “equal opportunity drinking.” Kuehler has a nonprofit background focused in food and agriculture. Up until a couple years ago, she was running Zenger Farm in Southeast Portland, a spot that educates thousands of kids each year about how food is grown. But she’d always had a soft spot for spirits, and was interested in their “terroir”—how grain from different places could influence flavor. When she became friends with Cory Carman, one of the sisters who owns Carman Ranch in Eastern Oregon, it all started to click into place. “Anytime she comes…

Spokane

Northwest Destination: Spokane Rising

Spokane is the right jumping-off point for outdoor adventure and sophisticated city life written by Cara Strickland If you’re looking for an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise, you’ll find it in Spokane. Five ski resorts, seventy-six lakes and five national parks are within driving distance, a river runs through the city, and the Centennial Trail offers 37 miles for hiking and biking with a mountain backdrop. If you’re feeling a little less extreme, you can stroll through one of Spokane’s many parks, including the crown jewel, Manito Park, which boasts 90 acres of gardens, a conservatory and a duck pond, plus two playgrounds for your little ones. Bring a picnic and enjoy the rose garden or get some zen in the Japanese garden. Just a couple blocks away, you’ll find Rockwood Bakery, a staple of Spokane’s historic South Hill neighborhood, known for its freshly made, decadent baked goods and quiche. Just down…

Professional Freeride Biker Carson Storch bombs down mountains for a living

Carson Storch talks biking and brain trauma written by Mackenzie Wilson Two broken collarbones, one snapped wrist, a couple cracked ribs, bruised organs and one major concussion later, Carson Storch considers himself “lucky.” The professional freeride mountain biker has been going big, crashing hard and doing it all over again for nearly half his life. “Freeriding is pretty similar to any other high-impact sport, like football for instance, but the difference with us is we’re going fast and we’re hitting dirt,” Storch said. Freeriding by nature is unpredictable. Riders choose a route or a “line” down a steep mountain and hope to make it to the bottom unscathed. At 25, Storch is still in his prime, but he’s taking preventive measures to stay at his best both physically and mentally. “I think brain health is kind of a focus of our sport now—it’s pretty serious at competitions nowadays,” he said….

A Wine Country Modern Farmhouse

A Wine Country Modern Farmhouse

A design duo crafts a distinct farmhouse for wine lovers in the Willamette Valley written by Melissa Dalton DEEP IN THE DUNDEE HILLS, up a curving gravel drive past a grove of moss-covered oaks, sits a farmhouse with a tomato red door. The home’s silvered board-and-batten siding and standing seam metal roof evoke farmsteads of old, but that’s about where the resemblance ends. This one has a decidedly more contemporary shape. “We wanted to take the idea of the modern farmhouse and flip it on its head,” Matthew Daby said. The residential designer teamed up with interior designer Angela Mechaley, both of m.o.daby design, to tweak tradition in unexpected ways. Picture a classic American farmhouse, and the image that comes to mind most likely includes a pitched roof, front porch, and double-hung windows. Pretty? Yes. Practical? Not for this particular plot, which has a dramatic grade and straddles a driveway…

The Art of Goat Cheese

The Art of Goat Cheese

A second-generation goat cheese maker dishes written by Sophia McDonald photography by Eugene Pavlov Does anything epitomize spring more than baby goats frolicking in a farmer’s emerald green field? This has been a familiar view for Patricia Morford with Rivers Edge Chèvre since 1958, when her father brought home the family’s first goats. Jack, Stripes and Pinky had a specific job—eating the blackberries that had overrun an apple orchard. They stayed with the family long after the vines were gone, however, and ended up being the inspiration for Morford’s career as a farmstead cheesemaker. Long before she wrapped her first log of chèvre, Morford was known for her outstanding goat breeding program. “I just kind of fell into making cheese because I had such good milk genetics and I was interested in producing food,” she said. She started making cheese for her family around 1970. By 1990, she had decided…

Best Places for Scrumptious Pizzas

Best Places for Scrumptious Pizzas

written by Jen Stevenson HEY NEIGHBOR A popular newcomer on the Eugene pizza scene, chef-owner Calen Willis’s cute bungalow-bound pizza shop near the university turns out 12-inch, hand-tossed, wood-fired pies ranging from a classic margherita to the pancetta, pepperoni and housemade fennel sausage-topped Carnero. Start with wood-roasted asparagus or a crisp fennel, grapefruit, parsley and pickled onion salad, try something off the craft cocktail list, or take your pint of Oakshire stout outside to the heated and covered outdoor porch. 1621 E 19TH AVE. EUGENE www.facebook.com/heyneighborpizza   MONTESACRO PINSERIA Okay, so Roman-born pinsa isn’t technically pizza, but they’re very close cousins. Made with a blend of rice, soy and wheat flours imported from Rome, this lively Pearl District pinseria’s light, chewy flatbread is layered with everything from broccolini to burrata to bottarga before being blistered to perfection in the oven. Pair the smoked buffalo mozzarella and ’nduja-topped Infernetto with a…

Portland Dining Month – Cider-glazed salmon

Portland Dining Month – Cider-glazed salmon

written by Jen Stevenson THIS YEAR, PORTLAND DINING MONTH celebrates ten tasty years of uniting the city’s best restaurants with intrepid eaters who love a good meal and a deal. From March 1 through 31, diners can devour special $33 three-course menus at more than 100 participating restaurants, from tried-and-true favorites like Aviary and Little Bird Bistro to buzzed-about newbies like Delores and Bullard. Whether your culinary companion’s a staunch meat eater, one of those admirable souls still sticking to their kale-related New Year’s resolutions, or somewhere in between, there’s a menu to match. Pore over the entire list at www.travelportland.com. To sweeten the pot de crème, your prix fixe dining spree comes with a side of philanthropy—for every reservation made through the OpenTable link on Travel Portland’s website, a donation will be made to the Oregon Food Bank.   EN ROUTE When you reach Florence, a lovely little former…

The Beauty of Beer Cocktails

written by Jeremy Storton | photos by David L. Reamer I found a path less traveled in Beerlandia recently. It began with a muddled slice of orange, Angostura bitters, a Bordeaux cherry and a tablespoon of cherry juice instead of sugar. The aromas began wafting their magic as I stirred in 1 ounce of rye whiskey. In order to make a whiskey old fashioned, ice cubes and soda water ought to have come next, but that wasn’t the plan. Instead, I poured half a can of cold pale ale into the glass. With one swift stir of the bar spoon, I entered the esoteric world of beer cocktails.    With one swift stir of the bar spoon, I entered the esoteric world of beer cocktails.    The idea of mixing beer with spirits was anathema to me until I realized I was just being a stodgy beer snob. Then I…

Angel Face in Portland

Libation Vacation – Plan your next trip around your favorite spirit, wine or beer

Drinks are a natural part of life on vacation. But what if the vacation was … all about the drinks? We cooked up three perfect libation vacations—wine in the Willamette Valley, beer in and around Bend, and booze in the big city. written by Amira Makansi and Sheila G. Miller What are you looking for in a wine tasting experience? Clearly, great wine tops the list. But there are other factors, too. What about quality of service? Sweeping vistas? Ambience? And that ever-elusive je ne sais quoi?   Wine in the Willamette Valley In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, unique wineries and diverse identities abound—to such an extent it can be difficult to narrow down your tasting list. But on a weekend getaway when time is limited, choosing your top destinations is paramount. Here are five diverse establishments worth a visit on your next escape to the Willamette Valley. If you’re coming…