Amtrak's Northwest Corridor, already busy in anticipation of the 2010 Olympics, just got a little bit busier. As of August 19th, the train company has added a second daily train to the Seattle-Vancouver portion of their Cascades route, a network of rails that bind Portland to Vancouver and back. The new train means that travelers now have direct daily round-trip service starting all the way at the bottom of the route and all the way till the end.

Amtrak Cascades connects Portland to Seattle with four daily round-trips, and then travelers are routed to their final destinations accordingly. They're celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, with the expanded Seattle-Vancouver route being a part of that. For the rest of the celebrations, which include promotions and events, there's even a dedicated 10th anniversary page.]]> Omri 2009-09-25T16:58:49-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/2/20387/43952
A scene from last year's MFNW

As a destination, Portland is best known for being calm, idyllic, and very, very, very green. Though it's not a swarming metropole, it has, for years, also enjoyed a reputation for being a major culture hub in the Northwest.

What the city lacks in grit and grime it makes up for with a music scene to rival that of Seattle and San Francisco. Just ask the likes of The Dandy Warhols, The Decemberists, and The Shins, all of whom have ties to Portland. In other words, it's a lot more rock 'n' roll than the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden lets on. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-09-03T14:06:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/31/103312/660

What do you call it when a bunch of pirates get together? Well, call it this fall's Portland Pirate Festival, which needs your help setting a world recARRRRRd for the most fully dressed pirates in one location.

The salty sea dogs will board Cathedral Park September 19th and 20th for two days of kraken riding, sea chanteys and grog. Watch an exhibition of Samoan fire knife dancing or pirate belly-dancing (which we must see to believe), or play a role-playing game called Pirates of the Cursed Seas. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the gate ($6/$8 for children under 12). ]]> egw 2009-08-31T12:24:43-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/15/93559/9536

Dave Chappelle in Portland

Our favorite comedian before he abruptly left the public eye, Dave Chappelle, is apparently still crazy but this time, his crazy actions benefited thousands of folks who crowded Pioneer Square in Portland, Oregon to see him do a sort of flash mob stand-up routine after rumors lit up Facebook and the Twitterwaves.

The comedian, who suddenly dropped out of a lucrative $50 million contract for his Comedy Central sketch show and the comedy scene altogether, stepped on stage just after midnight and performed for nearly 90 minutes.

From the Oregonian:

Chappelle seemed surprised by the scene.

"This has never happened in my entire career," he said, to a huge cheer. "I'm grateful everybody came out."

Chappelle did squeeze in some comedy. He compared one guy working on the sound system to Scotty from Star Trek, and took an OPB reporter's microphone and said, "Support Oregon Public Broadcasting." At one point, a woman and two men atop Starbucks began stripping as Chappelle gaped and the crowd cheered and jeered.

By 2 a.m., it was clear the sound system wouldn't go, and Chappelle wound things down. He thanked the crowd and shared a few things he learned, including: "Don't tell a secret in Portland."

]]> juliana 2009-07-15T09:47:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/5/26/10844/2484

Chicago has its street dog vendors. DC has jumbo slice. New York has Pommes Frites. Every half-decent drinking town has that one late-night, greasy, calorie-ridden eating option that any sane, sober person would avoid like the plague, but at 2 a.m. after a particularly arduous bar crawl, sounds like the very best idea in the world.

In Portland, Oregon, that option is doughnuts. Specifically, VooDoo Doughnut, a tiny, 24-7 downtown bakery outfitted with a disco ball and quirky duct tape mural, where a rowdy line inevitably starts forming once the bars start closing.

These hot, freshly baked treats could probably have attracted a following just by keeping it simple, and indeed, their basic frosted chocolate doughnuts rank up there with the best. But what keeps the late-night crowds streaming in here are the much, much crazier options, including doughnuts covered in oddball toppings of the day, from mini-marshmallows to Lucky Charms to bacon strips.

Are you going to feel good about eating a bacon-covered doughnut the next morning? Absolutely not, but that's hardly the point.

Related Stories:
· Voodoo Doughnut [Official Site]
· Get Dat Donut [Jaunted]
· Do-Nuts So Old School, They Won't Drop the Hyphen [Jaunted]

[Photo: kimberly marie lawson] ]]> BS 2009-05-26T13:27:01-05:00 45.5227210 -122.67320 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2007/10/30/1090/3349

Unpretentious world class sushi, that is what Mio Sushi in Portland's North West neighborhood is all about. Sonny Kim, a well-known Portland restaurant man and owner of Mio, is the driving force behind this neighborhood haunt.

The sushi pizza and any of rolls are the main draws on the menu, though there are plenty of options to satisfy those scared of raw fish -- bento boxes, noodles, and miso soup.

Prepare to write your name on the chalkboard and wait outside for a table most weekend nights, as this location does get quite full. However, the staff politely moves people in and out and soon enough you will be filling out your order on a paper menu with a pencil.

While Mio has six locations it is the 23rd Ave blue house that serves the best sushi. More good news? The Portland street car can take you to Mio, just ride the car to the Northwest and get off at the stop before Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital.

Mio Sushi menu is posted here.]]> markj 2007-10-30T10:13:26-05:00 45.528542 -122.69810 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/