Oregon my Oregon

So the other weekend our friend Daniel (the third component of Trek Trio) escaped from Iowa and came out to see us. We decided on a 'close to home' trek. We loaded up the gas guzzling SUV and headed to the Oregon coast to spend some time at a few of our favorite haunts and hoping to make a few new Trek Trio discoveries. Beginning in Manzanita, about an hour and a half drive from Portland, we drove north to Cannon Beach and stopped for lunch at the comfortable and charming Warren House Pub. Warren House features a full compliment of house brewed beers with appropriately Oregon-ish names like "Duck Dive Ale" and "Clear Cut Lager" and a great menu of delectable sandwiches . Try my perennial fav, the Oyster burger. No fries but they provide a darned fine pea salad (or chips if you prefer) on the side. The bar is dark and cozy and the staff always seems to have the eclectic music selection tuned just to my liking. An added bonus for visitors - no need to leave your your canine friend in the car as the pub features an inviting, dog friendly beer garden out back.

Next stop was the old fishing town of Astoria, Oregon where we checked into the historic Hotel Elliot in the center of the quaint downtown. The Elliot may not be for everyone as it simply drips old hotel ambiance: musty building smells, creaky elevator, frosted glass panels over dark wooden room doors. I half expected an old sea captain to appear with a floozy on his arm. Of course I loved it. The rooms themselves are decorated in period appropriate decor and, though small, were very pleasant. The bathrooms had (wow!) heated tile floors that would be fabulous on a typical chilly Oregon coast weekend. (it was 80 when we were there) I would advise asking for a room above floor 2. Ours had a lovely view of the ventilation system. Our friend Daniel, however, had a very nice room just down the hall which looked out to the hills and the Astoria Column. Location Location ...


Before dinner we popped into The Schooner just across from the hotel. We immediately made friends with the charismatic and interesting bartender, Rob, who managed to design the ultimate Cosmo while keeping us mesmerized with a fast paced monologue that ran the gamut from surfing to parenting. He had a cool tattoo of the NY Yankees logo too...we ran into him later at the Baked Alaska. (ok.. I was a little smitten)

We dined at the popular Italian restaurant, Fulio's, just around the corner from Hotel Elliot where we experienced the wonders of grilled romaine lettuce salads. (you will just have to trust me on this one) After dinner we wandered down to the Shipyard Inn for an energetic night of 70's rock and dancing. They have an impressively large hall located in the back of the bar that could easily seat 500 people. When we were there the crowd was significantly less than 'full house' (you could have safely done cartwheels across the width of the floor) but we enjoyed the Jimi Hendrix sound alike guitarist and the Astoria crowd who were totally into it.

The weekend finished up with a night out in Portland. Because we live there I generally avoid mentioning any of my experiences as, strictly speaking, my Portland life isn't travel oriented. But
this particular night I went on a 'trip' of sorts. I tried absinthe for the first time. Just that week I had read the 'real thing' (Yes, the Absinthe of decadent Paris and Tolouse Latrec!) had become legal and Oregon bars were beginning to serve it. So while we lounged at the Blue Hour bar I noticed a beautifully decorated bottle sitting on the shelf - Absinthe. I knew immediately I had to ..well.. experience it. (Am I detecting a Jimi Hendrix theme to this post??) Blue Hour spared nothing in the whole ritual of the Absinthe 'setup'. The silver slotted decorative spoon.. fire lit sugar..the beautiful little crystal glass of water on the side. The cube drops.. the water swirls.. the blue turns to a milky green. Without going into too much detail, I will just say I am one of those susceptible to the 'green fairies'. The night whirled to a finish with my husband (and my cat) having forbidden me to go near the stuff again.

Body Surfing.. The Sequel

After a couple of months trying to convince himself and everyone else that he was FINE DAMMIT, Gerry finally relented and saw a physician about his shoulder. With the help of such wonderful diagnostic machines as the MRI (guaranteed to cause "get me the hell outta here" claustrophobia in even the most stable of folks) my aspiring surfer husband found his body surfing adventure had resulted in three severely torn rotary cuff tendons. This revelation was followed by surgery, a week of excruciating pain and all you can eat oxycontin. On the up side he got to pretend he was a recovering NFL player when we rented the cool psuedo- sporty Game Ready Ice and Compression Machine. He was finally able to hire a lawn service! And he was put on the injury list for dish washing duty for a couple of months. He has been a pretty good sport though as you can see from the photo. The other night at the San Dune Pub in Manzanita, Oregon I whined about us not getting to dance. He came back with a defensive "oh yeah??" and pulled me out onto the dance floor. After the song, the band leader remarked wryly, " C'mon folks.. if a ONE armed guy can dance...EVERYone get out there!" Shrug. Maybe the singer mistakenly thought the massive black sling was some kind of prosthetic device. So just remember gang, when the waves are too big, the break too short and your logic goes out the window you TOO can have this kind of summer fun - it lasts and lasts...

Rants, Raves and Lessons on Staying in the Present

It has been roughly a month since we returned from Zihuatanejo. After having a few weeks to regroup, there are a few things that still warrant mentioning. Always top of the list are the restaurants. I have to admit I'm getting a bit tired of eatery posts. More often than not these days there is a trend among trip reports in which the primary focus is eating. A typical report goes something like this: "Monday we went out to eat at Restaurant X and ordered grilled Y with Z sauce. It was excellent and cost only (fill in the blank) dollars/pesos/euros/yen! The waiter was blasted slow and we about died of hunger but the place was packed so we understood. Tuesday we went to... " And on and on for about nine long paragraphs. Sigh. Why don't they just stay home and go out to dinner every night?! It would save them a lot of time and money. With that said here are a FEW Zih restaurants that we tried for the first time this year that are noteworthy...

Worth a Repeat Restaurant - Cafe Mandarino: This cozy cafe is located across from the church on Calle Cinco De Mayo. Their culinary niche is a varied offering of yummy filled crepes. The dinner crepes are quite large and filled generously with your choice of everything from Mexican to French fillings. In fact, the only regret about this place is that we were so full we weren't able to work our way through the dessert crepes. Crepes may not be traditionally Mexican but it was a nice change.

Cleanest Restaurant - Neuva Zealanda: We only ate breakfast here but their sparkling floors, tidy cafe counter and pristine bathrooms inspired confidence in their food. Even their menus were unsmudged! Fairly priced meals, standard Mexican menu and decent portions.
Calle Cuauhtemoc #23

Craziest Restaurant with Great Food - Angelos Pizza:
Whew! This place is something out of a Fellini film.

The Cast:

• A screaming, raging, pan-banging Italian chef

• A dreamy sweet faced waiter serenely taking orders and trying to retain calm

• A sea of impatient customers unwittingly adding to the tension by their constant neck craning in the direction of the kitchen.

• Us.. as.. well.. ourselves!

The scene: waiters fired..waiters re-hired..a fire juggler tossing torches just inches from the tables... Wine corks popping.. pasta slurping...too many customers.. not enough staff... loud background music ...Exciting Pandemonium!

When we visited we were seated promptly and after ordering, sipped on excellent and inexpensive wine. Eventually it was impossible to ignore the barrage of outraged screams coming from the kitchen. Coupled with this cacophony was a seemingly endless parade of the chef's friends who wandered by calling out enthusiastic greetings in Italian. (who knew there were so many Italians in Zih?) The shouts, agonized cries and pot banging continued from behind the counter. We fidgeted and wondered if coming here was a terrible, terrible mistake. At last, from this real life 'Hells Kitchen' chaos, our pasta dishes emerged. Within seconds we knew! They were ALL delicious. Forks stabbed ferociously back and forth as we struggled to try a morsel of each other's dinner. At last satiated, we sipped our wine, sat back and enjoyed the atmosphere. Apparently the evening hadn't been exciting enough for him, because Gerry took advantage of our pasta induced reveries (and subsequent inattention) to interject himself into this mad house. The chef had been doling out a scathing, long and LOUD critique to our serene and unflappable waiter. The monologue seemed to revolve around the pros and cons of firing him.

At this point my husband entered the fray. God help you if you are in a discussion with my Irish 'Persuader'. He can go all ten rounds - talking at you.. over you.. twisting what you say.. bringing up random bits of evidence to support his case...Yes, Gerry can go on for hours. So as the debate raged, both men's voices became louder, faces turned redder, customers interrupted their homage to pasta and exchanged looks of alarm. As I was preparing to give Gerry a kick in the shins (my long standing marital signal for 'knock it off, blockhead!') a silence fell over the establishment. The chef nodded in resignation and as he slumped weakly into a chair he agreed to keep our saintly waiter on staff. I strolled over and briefly interviewed this mercurial restaurant owner. Found out he was from the south of Italy.. had been chef at many interesting establishments.. just your typical, amazingly talented, wild Italian chef! As we prepared to leave, the waiter glided by our table and baring his peaceful Buddah-like smile, he breathed a soft "Thank you..". For this quick tempered Gringa he was a walking sutra lesson.

So, although Angelos is not for everyone, this place served up an unforgettable evening of high drama, some unexpected inspiration and outstanding food! We will be back. At Pedro Ascencio and Agustin Ramirez

Zihua Videos

Well, the quality isnt all that great, but I recently uploaded some videos to You Tube from our trip to Zihuatanejo. Here is my You Tube Page.

My Other Brigadoon

For the last several decades I've been fortunate enough to enjoy our family beach house near Manzanita, Oregon. The house my parents built lies in the lee of the legendary Neahkahnie Mountain which, according to Oregon coastal Tribal traditions, is said to possess mystical powers and be home of the Great Spirit. Many mornings we have watched the mists and fog, like some witches brew, spill over the top of this oceanside peak and trickle down the slopes to meet the sea. Those that live in the mountain's shadow talk of feeling a sense of being in a hidden, otherworldly place of peace and contentment. Once, while sharing a glass of wine with a local resident of the area, Kate Johnstone, we discussed this phenomena. She nodded in agreement and remarked wistfully "This IS Brigadoon...". Now I believe I have found yet another Brigadoon; Zihuatanejo. In my own mind It certainly fits the definition - a place where time seems to stop, each visit feels as though you haven't aged a day and a sense of being removed and protected from stresses of the world. Oh, I know, my perception is perhaps the result of too much sun, cervesas and late night viewing of old Gene Kelly musicals but I truly feel I am somewhere 'else' when I am there. As I return from my most recent visit to Zih I am haunted by this altered sense of reality and joy that I experienced for a few short weeks.

Seduction Zih Style

So... this is your scenario. You are taking someone to Zihuatanejo. You plan to propose or you want to make like Liz and Dick with nights of sweaty, lusty embraces under a tropical moon. You don't know quite how to set the mood. You reason, maybe if she just drinks enough she will be overcome by passion! Unfortunately, chances are she will probably end up hanging over a Mexican porcelain throne and you will be running to the nearest pharmacia. No problemo amigo, I can help! I just spent an evening that had all the elements required to make your dreams come true. Now first let me say, I readily admit I'm a woman of a 'certain age'. Yes, despite my mini-skirts, blond highlights and penchant for wild adventures I am certainly not a young sweet thing easily given to weak knees and non-earned bodice ripping. I know full well what it is going to take to get from point A to a sometimes quite distant B. So, with that being said, let me go over your plan of action. First - reservations for 6:30 pm at La Cala Restaurante at Puerto Mio Hotel. The food, presentation and quality are decent enough, your typical 'continental' style menu - lots of shrimp, steaks, fancy schmancy sauces and big prices. The pay off here is ambiance. When I walked in and saw the dining area I literally gasped. Elegant table filled terraces edge down the hillside to a small punchbowl shaped grotto of boiling sea and pounding waves. We dined on the lower level and were so close to the ocean we literally felt a slight salt spray from the larger waves. (No worries! It only adds to the whole edgy-sexy-danger feel!) As twilight falls, young men scamper up the cliffs to light torches amongst the rocks. The waves crash.. the rocks clack and hiss.. the wine pours... the waiter discreetly hangs back and allows you to work your magic on your paramour. (I know.. I know.... the photo shows my husband and amigo Daniel... but work with me here ok!?) So back to YOU and your beloved. You are nearly there. She smiles and gives you a come hither look. But wait! You need to seal the deal and I know JUST the place... Zihua Blue Lounge.

This restaurant lounge is located on the road to Playa La Ropa on the first hill ascent near Hotel Irma. The taxis will know it. We walked up the stairs to the outdoor deck and saw a few tables, pretty lights, knockout view AND a scattering of beds! And not just any beds, but gorgeous four posters of somewhat unusual height were spaced about every 25 feet throughout the patio. (they even had darling little bed steps up to them) They all featured piles of plump pillows, cozy terry cloth coverings and white sheer curtains fluttering in the breeze. Waiters were casually shuttling back and forth as though people sipping cocktails on beds was the most natural thing in the world. Sexy jazz played on the sound system and stars twinkled overhead. I sprinted over to the nearest bed and clamored up. Of course our experience was complicated a bit by there being three of us so we got a few confused glances from the other couples around us. But we knew others would want to know about this place so we forged ahead. After one cocktail and a wry "why don't you guys find a room..." directed at us from one of the neighboring beds we decided the three of us sharing a 'bed' was taking on a certain scandalous quality. With that we paid the bill and left the other couples to their romantic interludes. But back to you! Take your sweetie to Zihua Blue for the perfect end to a wonderful evening in Zihuatanejo. The playful and unique quality of the lounge can't fail to impress anyone who happens to experience it. Just make sure the night isn't too breezy - the restaurant is set on a hill and can be a tad cool if it is very windy. After a night cap the rest is up to you... Go get her tiger!

Pics from Zihuatanejo

Only in Zihuatanejo...

Sometimes you see things here that make you do a double take. Like this sign advertising happy hour at a beach side restaurant called Rossy's. As a wine drinker I was quite happy to see they now encourage you to ask for the buckets... sounds good to me!








As we all know, it can be damned hot in this part of the world. But that shouldn't deter the biker who still wants to dress in his macho bad ass best. Leather in Zih? No problem... just get this little vesty version of a full jacket.