Portland or Bust, Baby

Everyone needs a vacation now and then, even if my job doesn't really feel like work most of the time. Ketchikan is located in a beautiful corner of the world but the town itself has little to offer in the way of culture. When I heard my friend Tina was having a wedding reception in Portland the first weekend of August, I jumped on the chance to head south. My boyfriend Carl came along for the ride and the much needed mental break. We had a grand old time perusing thrift stores (see above), eating delicious ethnic food, and listening to outstanding music at the Pickathon music festival.

Readjusting to the lower 48 took a little bit of time. At the Seattle airport I had to go sit in a corner because all the people and stores and TVs were so overwhelming. The Pickathon gently eased us back into another way of life, where Xtra Tuffs and Carhartts were replaced with plaid shirts and organic bamboo fibers. After a Friday morning of people watching in Portland we headed out to Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley to take in some musical vibes.

The event was well-organized with a relaxed atmosphere. There were five or six separate stages, which made it hard to decided who to listen to. The two main stages were covered with this amazing tent-like contraption suspended above the lawn.

Wood Stage was buried off in the forest, and we started out there listening to the Foghorn Stringband. Later we came back to catch the Punch Brothers, a bluegrass group from New York City all decked out in suits and ties.

In addition to music this was a celebration of delicious food. Gorgonzola fries, anyone? They were real big on sustainability, so the beer garden was populated by stainless steel cups instead of plastic ones, and the vendors used paper plates and bamboo utensils. There were more recycling bins there than I've seen in three months.

Hayes Carll performed on the main stage, and I had to buy a shirt because his name tickled my funny bone and a CD because his music was amazing. He sounds like the older generation of country singers, with some blues and rock mixed in for good measure. Other awesome acts included Martha Scanlon, a singer-songwriter from Montana, Megafaun, and Breathe Owl Breathe.

Carl and I enjoyed attempting self portraits while listening to music.

The musicians were just getting warmed up as night began to fall.

On Saturday we headed over to Selwood Park to celebrate my friend Tina's wedding with Shea. The main celebration was down in Mexico and this gathering was for all of us who couldn't make it. There was good food, some bumping techno beats blaring from somewhere across the river, and a radiant bride. Congratulations again Tina and Shea!

Now it's back to Ketchikan, which greeted us with a perfectly calm, misty Alaskan evening. In three weeks the parentals are coming to visit, and a month after that I'll be unemployed again. Happy summer to all!