Around the Nation board

[K-Mack]

I cut these from the Travel Log portion of the column this week, but my semi-edited digressions might be enjoyable to the die-hard ATN fan.

(reference to Linfield being a mix of old and new)
Or the old, historic campus where graduations are held (familiar to my experience at Randolph-Macon) and the new apartments built on land donated to the college by Hewlett-Packard. (check) Pat remarked as we drove into town that this could very well be Alliance, Ohio, but later recanted when we reached downtown McMinnville. Third Street meant it appeared a very spunky town that looks like a pretty fun place to visit, and not as small a small-town as most college towns. Of course Pat and I spend the vast majority of our time on campus when we parachute in and out of town on game day, but despite me having no connection to Oregon, I felt like I wouldn't mind moving there someday. Not far out of town are wineries and mountain vistas. On campus, for those who have never visited the Pacific Coast, the influence of Hawaiian students and the surf culture was evident. I felt like chillin' out.


<img src="/images/bullet.gif" hspace="3"> For you who have never been, I'm not sure what your expectations of Portland are, but I had heard about it being a so-called Green city and I had read about the downtown Pearl District.

With some family in the Pacific Northwest, I got to have dinner with my sister in Portland after the Linfield game. Great city. My knowledge of Oregon geography was sorely lacking, however, as I couldn't remember which river Portland sits on. Turns out the Columbia and Willamette rivers fork at Portland, creating a drive along I-5 (Pat and were sure to refer to it as The 5, to pay proper West Coast respect) filled with views of the rivers and the bridges the city has built over them. Think maybe, Pittsburgh. It looks like post cards in every direction.

Those bridges can be a source of confusion though. I got a good look at the map before I headed from the airport-area motel back downtown, and knew I'd need to avoid Steel Street Bridge, a one-way bridge (I think that's a first). So in one of those 'everything I can do wrong I did' rushes to be on time, I got off the highway an exit early, found myself at the Rose Garden, home of the Portland Trail Blazers and their giant Greg Oden poster (so sorry), and what do you know ... bang, Steel Street Bridge.

Luckily there are bridges everywhere in Portland, and I eventually made it across the river to the city's downtown maze of one-way streets and parking lots I couldn't reach.

My new recommendation is to take the light rail.

[Ron Boerger]

The Pacific Northwest is a wonderful part of the world.  Glad you got to visit (and on "business," too  )

[wildcat11]

Luckily there are bridges everywhere in Portland, and I eventually made it across the river to the city’s downtown maze of one-way streets and parking lots I couldn’t reach.

My new recommendation is to take the light rail.

No worries K-Mack....Mrs. 11 still gets turned around in downtown Portland.  With the one ways and the constant construction it can be a little confusing.  Sounds like the drive back from Mac to PDX went smooth. 

We were happy that you and PC were able to make it out.

BTW...That Around the Nation was fantastic.    Where did you eat at in Portland?

[repete]

Yup, as a guy who's lived in five U.S. time zones, the Pacific NW is my favorite. Anywhere you can catch a salmon, ski and play golf in the same day -- the NW trifecta -- is a good place, although a bit far from the Pine Curtain. There's a recent musing about Bend on the MIAC board, another beautiful part of the state.

[K-Mack]

Well,
I actually have plenty of Pacific Northwest experience in Washington State and Northern Idaho, but that was my first Oregon trip. I have a friend out here who's wife is from Bend. Sounds like a great place, but it's a long ride from nowhere.

Portland was pretty cool, it was just one of these deals, like you said, with the construction and one-ways, I could see where I wanted to get, and I could drive to where I wanted to get, but I was never on the proper side of the road to park, and when I went to do that, it took six blocks to turn around.

Ate at a Greek place, I forget the name, but it had a purple Octopus out front. 4th and Washington maybe?

Glad you enjoyed the ATN. Without too many quotes from coaches or game stuff, I realized it was going to be one of those travel-tour Around the Nations. As often is the case, I had no idea how long it was getting. I write for an hour or two a day (night) and then try to edit it Wednesday night and go 'daaaaang."

[K-Mack]

Some samples from the NWC board:

94 point game:  Fans sure got their money's worth of offense today.

You got that right. I got worn out listening to it on the internet.
olinemom, Pat, and Keith picked a great game to attend.
Safe trip home for all.

I also just got home from the game, and I've got to say...........WOW!
First.......
Enjoyed meeting Olinemom, Pat,  Keith and Criswyly.  D.O.C. as always good to see you, and sorry about the seats I know I will hear about it for awhile. What a great game for everyone  to come and see in beautiful Oregon. Great day, sun was out and temp was perfect, 70's.

Coco,

How were Olinemom's "nationwide famous brownies"?  I suspect with that group of hungry vultures they didn't last very long!   Needless to say Olinemom, Pat and Keith could not have picked a better game to attend than Saturday (unless they had been at the Catdome for the Whitewater show stopper game of two years ago).  8)

Had to catch that one on video. It was a great game though.

Oh man...am I glad we won that one....The Coco's and Tuxguy's, Wildcat11, Swede, O-linemom, Pat & Keith and even some weirdo from Mongolia were all there.  Rumor had it that even Bluenote was somewhere in the vicinity.  Even the cheerleaders showed up at the tailgate party....Thanks for all the eats and drinks there...I know that takes a lot of work.

[PA_wesleyfan]

K-Mack

Great ATN piece!!

[dewcrew88]

Well,
I actually have plenty of Pacific Northwest experience in Washington State and Northern Idaho, but that was my first Oregon trip. I have a friend out here who's wife is from Bend. Sounds like a great place, but it's a long ride from nowhere.

Portland was pretty cool, it was just one of these deals, like you said, with the construction and one-ways, I could see where I wanted to get, and I could drive to where I wanted to get, but I was never on the proper side of the road to park, and when I went to do that, it took six blocks to turn around.

Ate at a Greek place, I forget the name, but it had a purple Octopus out front. 4th and Washington maybe?

Glad you enjoyed the ATN. Without too many quotes from coaches or game stuff, I realized it was going to be one of those travel-tour Around the Nations. As often is the case, I had no idea how long it was getting. I write for an hour or two a day (night) and then try to edit it Wednesday night and go 'daaaaang."

I wrote 2,100 words on my latest East Region column, your columns are probably twice the size of that. But every word is damn good!

[K-Mack]

Thanks, I definitely appreciate the notice.

Just trying to do my part to help the fast readers kill 15 minutes at work every Thursday and the crafty vets who know how to read half, take a coffee/smoke break, then come back, kill 30-45. 

[K-Mack]

A couple more from the NWC board. Gotta run, so I'm moving them here to remind myself to respond later, if nothing else (they also, strangely, fit the theme of this board)

Pat and Keith,

Great story on your trip to the wild west.
It was nice talking with you guys, and thanks for the photo of my sign
in the around the nation write up.

That's just the way we are out here, we love our team, our food and drink and we welcome every one to join in with us.
The Johnies, Warhawks, and many others have joined in before the Cats hit the field.

GO WILDCATS
LEAVE NO DOUBT

Keith,

Nice article on your weekend trip.  In a span of a very few hours you very effectively captured the "spirit of the Catdome".  Most posters realize their is NO DOME over Maxwell Field but rather their is an "aura" that encompasses Linfield and specifically Maxwell Field when the Cats take the field on any given Saturday.

The only thing I think you may have missed is the start of the 4th quarter at the Catdome when every Wildcat fan and player raises his arm and has "4 fingers in the air"....a tradition that started in the Ad Rutschman era because his teams were noted for coming back in the 4th quarter and winning close ball games.

Thanks again for taking the time to come West.  Long live d3Football!   

[Foss]

Ate at a Greek place, I forget the name, but it had a purple Octopus out front. 4th and Washington maybe?

K-Mack, that place with the funky purple Octopus on the front is the "Greek Cusina." In the evenings, a belly dancer appears and shakes about (no $1's required) in the upstairs portion of the restaurant. It's typical Portland, you never know quite what to expect......

[K-Mack]

Yeah, that was the place. They started bumping the music right before we left, and my sister wanted to go upstairs, but her boyfriend was looking for a more relaxing atmosphere. We went to Hubert's, which looked like the nightly meat market (nice enough place though) and didn't stay, and passed a pool hall en route to the Red Star Hotel, I think, which was very quiet and swanky ... and had repeated highlights of Notre Dame getting pummled!

[downtown48]

Don't know if they still do it, but you used to be able to dance on the tables and smash plates on the floor...pretty classic...

[footballfan413]

Damn..............how did we miss that place in 05?   

[K-Mack]

I am definitely going to give said boyfriend a hard time for insisting we go somewhere quieter.

That sounds pretty memorable.