Real Travel Adventures
International
4 NEW Articles
Adventure Travels
Stories & Photos
By Bonnie Neely
By Terry Zinn
By Ron Kapon
By Maxine Sommers
Enjoy our past features below:
INTERNATIONAL
MAGAZINE
Treasures of Portland, OR, and Willamette Valley Wine Country
Adventure Travel can often
take you all over the world,
but securing accommodation
wherever you travel can be
difficult, and costly. That's why
many adventurers who find
themselves traveling frequently
have decided to purchase a
timeshare resale.
The flexibility that these vacation
properties afford allows owners to
travel to thousands of locations on
a budget; and you can find
timeshares for sale all over the world.
International
Travel Adventures
Stories & Photos
We average nearly a half million unique visitors a year.
On Home Page
In Travel News
Your FREE online travel magazine e-zine of exciting travel adventures, travel reviews, travel photos from all ages and lifestyles of real travel in US and the world. International travel adventure - travel adventure magazine - travel reviews - trip planner - road trip planner - travel news - Real Travel Adventures Ezine with Book Review and Travel Guides for good reads and good listens on your trips and international travel adventures.
Sharing Travel Adventures & Adventure Travel
Discover Great get-aways, budget stays, and luxury travel to Dream About .Choose from Hundreds of Travel Reviews and and book reviews Outdoor and Nature Photos
Get Your Travel Review Published here!
INTERNATIONAL
MAGAZINE
Treasures of Portland, OR, & Willamette Valley Wine Country
©2009 Maxine Sommers
Have you traveled to Portland, Oregon? If not, make plans soon to visit one of the most interesting cities in the country. Beginning with Portland’s airport I was immediately struck by the friendly attitude of everyone. Even though it’s a fairly large city, first time visitors will have no problem navigating through the terminals since the directions to gates, departure areas etc. are mercifully simple to follow.
After you pick up your suitcase there are several means of transportation for you: a taxi ($30 to downtown)—hotel shuttle (free)—door-to-door small van ($16 to a hotel.) You can also arrange limousine or town car service at www.besolucky.com. Portland has a distinct advantage regarding location since towering, snow-topped Mount Hood is a stunning backdrop to the city. As an added bonus for travelers the city radiates a cosmopolitan atmosphere with a small-town attitude. It’s hard to beat that combination. The downtown area is centered by the Pioneer Courthouse Square where a variety of outdoor activities take place. Music, food, dancing and festivals, you name it; this is the place to be for exciting entertainment. A coffee shop anchors one corner with an outdoor seating area highlighted by brightly colored flowering plants and trees, an excellent location to view the city.
There are a wide assortment of large stores and small shops to choose from. My favorite small shop: “Kathleen’s of Dublin” is a small intimate establishment filled with a grand assortment of special items from Ireland: Waterford Crystal, Belleek China, Irish tapestry and beautiful Irish knit sweaters for adults and children, to name just a few. (Kathleensofdublin.com.) On the cultural side: Portland has a fine Symphony Orchestra, an Opera Company and a Ballet Theater. They also feature touring Broadway shows during the year. Fiestas, you ask? At least one a month. All of this plus a progressive live music scene makes Portland a city that produces a BIG sound. The Heathman Boutique Hotel reigns supreme as Portland’s premiere downtown lodging. The vintage hotel is listed on the national Register of Historic Places and boasts a 4-star rating. Also lauded as one of the “500 Best Hotels in the World” it provides elegant, luxurious accommodations and superb service. “Ask and you shall receive” seems to be the staff motto. It is conveniently located to downtown museums, restaurants, shops, theaters and transportation. (Contact: sgalvan@heathmanhotel.com.)Under the direction of, Executive Chef Phillipe Boulot, the Heathman Restaurant offers each guest a superior dining experience with meals utilizing the Chef’s exceptional award winning cuisine. He uses the finest Pacific Northwest seasonal ingredients inspired by the flavor and cuisine of his native France. Portland is a city filled with liquid refreshments! If you are interested in spirits (no not ghosts) check out “House Spirits.” Lee Medoff and Christain Krogstad opened House Spirits Distillery to spark-up the distillation craft and enhance it with the flavor and taste of the area. Recognizing the unique qualities of the region they prepared to make Vodka, Gin, Rum and Whiskey and produce them according to their own vision. Currently they offer Medogeff Vodka, Aviation Gin, Krogstad Aquavit and a personalized Whiskey Your Way program. (ckrogstad@housespirits.com)
Following the same innovated Northwest theme, Mike Sherwood and his partner, Linda Lausmann, have formed “Sub Rosa Spirits.” Currently they produce two products: an Oregon French-inspired Tarragon Vodka with a slight flavor of herbal licorice, fennel and a hint of anise. (Smooth!) Also offered: Saffron Vodka, intense by itself, has hints of cumin along with a lemony coriander flavor. (Powerful!)
Further exploration of Portland produced another distillery lodged in a portion of the Green Dragon (a beer house and bistro.) “Integrity Spirits,” owned by Kieran Sienkiewicz and Rich Phillips, handcrafts a series of interesting distillates. Lovejoy Vodka is made in small batches which gives it a smooth quality and a superior flavor. Lovejoy Hazelnut Vodka is flavored with mild fresh-roasted hazelnuts. Integrity Spirit’s 12-Bridges Gin joins the smart sophistication of London dry with the bold flavor of Dutch varieties, flavored with juniper, refreshing cucumber and peppery ginger. (A definite Wow drink!) They also produce Trillium Absinthe, one of the first legal versions in the United States. It is a compilation of flavors: Trillium blends wormwood, green anise and hyssop which combined with other botanicals creates not just a drink but a startling experience. (rich@integrityspirits.com)
Shifting from spirits to beer my next stop was Charles Davidson’s hop farm. Trekking out into the hop fields I learned the growing season begins in March when the dormant plants begin to peek up through the soil. The hop vines grow up on a trellis—a system of crisscrossing cables and wires supported by 18-foot tall poles. Strings are attached to the top of the trellis, and the hops climb the strings. Harvest begins about August 15 and lasts about six weeks.
One of the local brewers is “Full Sail Brewery”—just one of 32 breweries operating in the city. This company continues to craft their beers by hand in one of the few manual brew houses of it’s size in the country. The hops are sourced from local farms when possible, and the water flows from a spring on Mount Hood—resulting in a full rich brew pleasing to the most discriminating beer drinker. (Full Sail Brewery 503-222-5343)
Oregon Bounty is a special two-month celebration of the food, spirits, wine and beer that make Oregon an unforgettable travel destination. More than 60 restaurants, 90 craft breweries, 20 artisan distillers and 100 wineries join 150 lodging properties featuring Oregon Bounty packages and experiences. New this year visitors will be able to sample hand crafted spirits at local distilleries. Visitors participating in the activities can taste and talk with the artisans who create Oregon’s cuisine, spirits, wine and beer. Want to talk with the folks that make all this happen, learn how to prepare new dishes in cooking classes or participate in harvest festivals? Here’s your chance for your dream to come true! Oregon Bounty celebration runs from October 1 to November 30, 2008, across the state. Visit www.TravelOregon.com/Bounty for details.
A trip to Oregon is not complete without a visit to the famed Willamette Valley Wine country. There are so many wineries in the area it may be difficult to choose one. Consider the Penner-Ash Wine Cellars. Both the winery and the vineyard are nestled on a hillside. The winery is impressive both inside and outside with rolling hills, gorgeous flowering plants and impressive mountains as a background. A large outdoor patio, located on the side of the winery, holds several tables which can be reserved by visitors for picnics. The view from the patio is spectacular. Visitors leave with both their spirits and eyes filled with the glorious memories of the colors of the countryside.
The winery is owned by Ron and Lynn Penner-Ash. In 1998 Lynn began carefully crafting small amounts of Pinot noir and Syrah. Production has increased from 125 cases of Pinot noir and Syrah to 8,000 cases in 2007. The winery has an inviting tasting room; if you would like information on tasting and visiting times email: Natalie@ pennerash.com.
Willamette Valley wine country: Abbey Road Farm Bed & Breakfast: Guest quarters
which are constructed of three silos joined together. Strange looking from the outside
but marvelous guest rooms. While you are in the valley treat yourself to an overnight visit here. Set among the rolling hills of Yamhill Country, this B & B is an 82 acre working farm. The animal population is varied with a herd of goats (fresh goat cheese abounds), sheep, llama, alpaca, chickens, ducks and two big dogs. All live together in harmony. The accommodations for visitors are unique. Three large silver silos have been re-modeled and joined together. Each “silo suite” is spacious. Guests have a large comfortable bed and a modern bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub equipped with powerful jets guarantied to make any tired body feel brand new. For the cooler months radiant floor heat & heated towel racks stand at the ready. When the weather is warm, a large fan or an individual cooling unit keeps the room comfortable. Coffee is available in the farm house at 7:30 A. M., and a delectable breakfast of area fresh produce is served in the farm house at 8:15 A.M. As I stood looking out across the acreage after breakfast, I was struck with the beauty of burnished shades of gold and red as they bathed the fields in marvelous lights that magically transposed the scene into a Van Gogh painting. The conclusion? Oregon is a treasure not to be missed!
Abbey Road Farm Bed & Breakfast: Alpacas, standing by my window. They woke me
up "talking Alpaca" in the morning. I think they were telling me to "Get up immediately!"
They are really regal animals in appearance.
____________________________________________________________________
Book Your Travel To Almost Any Adventure Here
Great Help and Great Prices Book Now!
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
 |
 |
 |
|
||
 |
|
 |
|
||
 |
Book & Audio Reviews For Your Travels_______________________________________
Click here to book your Real Travel Adventures
_________________________________________________
Subscribers:So that your free subscription is not mistaken for spam,
Please copy & paste our E-mail address into your address book: mail@realtraveladventures.com
It's that simple!
Real Travel Adventures International Magazine
Adventure Travels in your Free Ezine
If any links don't work
Thanks for visiting us!
Real Travel Adventures International Magazine
Real and Armchair Travelers: Enjoy best trip reviews, travel features, and excellent travel photos in RealTravelAdventures.com, your FREE on-line international magazine. Send your funny or outrageous travel experiences & photos and get published!
Visit or dream of fascintating places with Real Travel Adventures e-zine! This site offers travel humor, photos, stories, helpful guidebooks, and more. Visit for fun or to seek tips for your next travel adventure...and then share your own stories with us here at
realtraveladventures.com, your free online travel magazine, where you'll find great book reviews, international travel adventures magazine, airline tickets, real travel adventures, camping, RV travel, RV's, Cruises, restaurant reviews, RVing, FamilyTrips, traveling with kids and children, Nature and eco trips, ecology, international travel, Ski Trips, Spas, Spiritual Retreats, interviews with Special People, Travel Humor, Travel News, Unbelievable, WeddingTrips, restaurant reviews and advisor, traveling adventures, adventure travels, travel, virtual and armchair travel, Back Roads, off the beaten path, where to go Camping and enjoy RV trips, where to Dine and Sleep, fun Family Trips, our Favorite Finds, Arts and Crafts, cruises and cruise vacations, romantic trips, traveling tips, travel stories, audio book reviews for your travels, books reviews, good books for a trip, wedding trip planner, wedding Trips, Honeymoons, Unbelievable adventures, Travel News, humorous travel stories, spas and retreats, spiritual retreats, meditation retreats, ski trips, week-end trips Near You, nature's Best places, ecology trips, travel guide books, traveling with children, e-zines, FREE Ezines, Free travel magazines, magazine, free online magazines, internet magazines, free magazine subscriptions, web magazines, true stories, humorous articles, funny features, human interest features, nature photos, environment photographs, photos, adventurous stories, real true stories, true adventrues, camping gear, vacation, holidays, safaris, Caribbean vacations, cheap hotels, great places to go, nature hikes, nature photography, family vacations, family holidays, trip planner, great trips, scenic photos, holiday vacations, holidays, holiday stories, foreign destinations, International travel trips. And you can Get published here too! Send us your travel stories and pictures.
© 2009 Bonita Productions Inc.
If you wish to use our features or photos you must first contact us