Holiday in Centralia

June 2010

Meet Me in the Village

I have seven blisters on my feet. Each and every one of them hurts like hell, yet they’re all worth it. Over the past few days, I’ve explored lower Manhattan as if it were my own, on foot. And because it was 90 degrees and horribly humid, I opted for sandals. I’m in NYC for […]

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Acres of Green in Eugene

Growing up, I always wanted to live in a college town. The quintessential college town of my childhood was Madison, Wisconsin, with wonderful city parks, real espresso (this was 1990, people), vibrant street scenes, great college radio and rampant campus activism. As a midwesterner, I loved Madison. And now as a Northwesterner, I love Eugene. […]

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Tasting the Umpqua

Down in the valley, where the green grass grows, there are over a dozen small, family-owned wineries whose creations range from spicy Syrahs to deep-noted Pinot Noirs. Oregon’s Umpqua Valley wine region is not just one valley, but comprises several small valleys and undulating hills. It’s drier than the Willamette to the north, and cooler […]

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Splendor in the Grass at McMenamins Grand Lodge

A couple of tall, frothy IPAs and  a basketful of cajunized tater tots sat atop the weathered red picnic table during the Yardhouse Pub’s happy hour. Nearby, our toddler frolicked in a patch of splendid green grass. Although only minutes had lapsed since we’d arrived at the McMenamins Grand Lodge, our vacation was off to […]

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7 Reasons to take an Oregon Road Trip

This weekend, we’re leaving for a weeklong road trip through western Oregon. Not only are we over the moon about the very idea of an actual vacation, I’m particularly excited about experiencing some of the awesomeness that western Oregon has to offer. On my twitter, I’ve been tweeting the top seven reasons I’m looking forward […]

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