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Portland Has America's Craziest Doughnuts

May 26, 2009 at 1:27 PM | 0 Comments

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]

Fold Up A Box of Goodies at Harry & David

April 29, 2009 at 12:14 PM | 0 Comments

Become an informed consumer while still on vacation! Check out Jaunted's newest series of the Best Factory Tours the world over.

We were not reassured when we discovered that mail-delivery food company Harry & David manufactured its monthly fruits in Medford, Ore. Oh, what's that you say? They just package the fruit there and make all the other goodies like truffles and popcorn? Well, carry on then.

Packing and wrapping experts assemble the gift baskets you'll want to borrow off the conveyor belt and take home with you, which must be why you watch them from the safe distance of a balcony. Onto the bakery, where you can see cheesecakes being glazed and chocolates poured into molds. And yes, you'll get a bit of chocolate to take home with you.

Tours cost $5 and run Monday through Friday at 9:15, 10:30, 12:30 and 1:45. E-mail tours@harryanddavid.com to make your reservation in advance. There's a store at the end of the tour, but why pick something up there when you can just get it mailed home?

Related Stories:
· Tour the Kitchens of Harry & David [harryanddavid.com]
· Allegiant Will Fly From L.A. (To Medford) In May [Jaunted]
· Luxury Lodgings to Arrive In Oregon's Wine Country [HC]

[Photo: ZakVTA]

Three Tourism Twitter Accounts We Don't Want To Shake Our Fist At

April 6, 2009 at 3:41 PM | 1 Comment

When Travel Portland launched its associated Twitter account, it added a little something longer than 140 characters -- a mission statement:

If what you’re doing is planning a trip to Portland — or just looking for cool places and happenings around town — you should follow Travel Portland. We share tips on making the most of this city we love, and we’re happy to answer any questions you may have, whether you’re a first-time visitor or a seasoned pro.

In an ideal world, all tweeters would have to justify their existence. Oh, if only it were that easy! But since we're all about separating signals from noise: here are three travel-related Twitter accounts who know what they're into.

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'Twilight' Geeks Can Now Play in The Vampire Baseball Adventure

March 10, 2009 at 9:04 AM | 0 Comments

Parents across the country will be faced with an age old dilemma this summer, spend that precious vacation time getting your "Twilight" geek on or take the obligatory family road trip. Thanks to "Twilight" Fan Trips, you don’t have to choose. Now, you can pack up the whole family for A Vampire Baseball Adventure.

As the company’s website explains, “this trip combines the best in 'Twilight' fan experiences with opportunities to experience some of most notable Washington and Oregon Landmarks for a well rounded summer vacation”.

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Portland Will Ride It Out on the 'Worst Day of the Year'

February 9, 2009 at 11:51 AM | 0 Comments

There are two approaches one can take to travel this time of year. You can let the snow and the cold get to you and hunker down indoors, or you can just embrace it and hit the road anyway.

A few thousand enthusiastic athletes will take the later sentiment to the extreme this month as they gear up for the eighth annual Worst Day of the Year Ride. The 18-mile cycle race takes place in Portland, Oregon each February 15, celebrating the all-around bad weather that hits the Northwest this time of the year, culminating in the region's most miserable day.

The city flooded on this date 13 years ago, and way before that, recorded its lowest temperature ever, negative 54 degrees. So participants break out their umbrellas and vow to get in a good day of cycling, rain or shine (hopefully rain).

Lest you think this is some crazy endeavor just for tough guys with a masochistic wish for pneumonia, the Worst Day of the Year Ride comes complete with roadside pick-me-ups like hot cocoa, warm cookies, and a raucous finish line party, with special prizes for those who come in costume.

· Worst Day of the Year Ride [Official Site]
· Bicylcing coverage [Jaunted]
· Weird travel coverage [Jaunted]

Photo: [Worst Day of the Year Ride]

You Look Like Peter Pan

December 8, 2008 at 8:37 AM | 10 Comments

Chasing Racers is back, with a brand new Amazing Race 13 mashup. This map will update the morning after every new episode. Send along tips, rumors, gossip, locations and spoilers to our map editors, become a member and comment on the stories below and add to the Jaunted-Flickr photo pool to get in on the fray.

Remember to zoom in, out and around on the map--with so much happening in each episode, it's easy to miss a map point.

It's the finale, and we have to look back. Eleven teams set out from Los Angeles, California, in a race of nearly 40,000 miles and across five continents that took 23 days to complete. Teams experienced highs and lows, and 16 racers fell to the wayside. Ken and Tina came on the race with hopes of repairing their seriously broken-down marriage. Over the course of the race, they rediscovered each other--and we found out how nag-tastic Tina really is and what a whipping boy Ken has become. Not pretty!

Andrew and Dan have bumbled their way through the race, and with a lot of luck and tenacity, they've found themselves, almost accidentally, in the final three. Meanwhile, Nick and Starr have been the model of consistency, winning six first-place finishes. When the pressure is on, will Nick's calming influence be enough to keep them on track? Will Ken and Tina power through to a first place finish or will Andrew and Dan beat all the odds and win The Amazing Race? Which team will win lucky season 13, and $1 million?!

LET'S FIND OUT!

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Toast Your Thanks In Oregon

November 19, 2008 at 1:00 PM | 0 Comments

To deal with holiday stress, some of us reach for the bottle. Turn stress-induced drinking into a learning experience with the Willamette Valley Wineries' Wine Country Thanksgiving.

Over a hundred wineries are throwing open their doors over the holiday weekend for wine snobs and "Sideways"-watching amateurs alike. How to choose? Check out the incentives some vineyards are offering: At Carabella Vineyard in Newberg, you can buy wine "futures" to get a great deal on next year's vintages along with this year's bottles; Stag Hollow Wines in Yamhill promises chocolate pairings with your vino.

Remember: Be safe and use a designated driver. Try sweetening the deal by offering to get them a Black Friday treasure like a Blu-Ray player!

Related Stories:
· Active Travel: Willamette National Forest [Jaunted]
· Portland Avalon Hotel and Spa: Don't Call the Town Car A Drunk Bus [HC]
· Set the Poker Table Instead of Mom's [Jaunted]
· Breathe! Restful Retreats At Home and Away [Jaunted]
· Thanksgiving coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: themarioblog]

Oregon Is for Beer Lovers

October 13, 2008 at 10:30 AM | 0 Comments

While the attraction for most ale-heads at this weekend's Great American Beer Festival was the 1,800-plus brew list, the festival's not just about getting sloshed: There are also a bevy of awards handed out, and they can reap serious dividends for small breweries.

The prestigious awards span 75 categories, from best fruit or vegetable beer to best coffee flavored beer. The big winner this year: Oregon's hop-heavy breweries, who walked across the podium in Denver again and again. The Beaver State beat out almost all of its larger competitors by taking home nine gold medals and 19 overall.

For those looking to get a taste of just what these Oregonian brewers have going on, the state's Fresh Hop Beer Tastivals offer a chance, coming up in Portland on October 18 and in Eugene on October 25.

Related Stories:
· 2008 GABF Winners [Official Site]
· 2008 Fresh Hop Beer Tastivals [Official Site]
· Fall Travel: Say "Scumps" at the Great American Beer Festival [Jaunted]

[Photo: inajeep]

Oregon Coast Embracing the Web, User-Generated Content

September 11, 2008 at 4:45 PM | 0 Comments

One major problem with tourism board websites is that the content on them can be a little thin--and a little cliche. So how is Oregon spicing up its effort to lure travelers to its coastal cities? By having locals and visitors alike submit photos and stories about the great times they've had there.

The coast's new site--at the easy-to-remember URL VisitTheOregonCoast.com--has dozens and dozens of photos from Flickr along with Google Maps, recommendations of stuff to do from real people and extensive listings of places to stay, complete with links to property websites.

True, we could just search Flickr on our own for, say, Yachats, but then we wouldn't learn that it's actually pronounced YAH-hots!

Related Stories:
· Oregon Coast Visitors Association [Official Site]
· Oregon, the People's Coast [Travel 2.0]
· Tourism Board Travel coverage [Jaunted]

Summer Vacation With An Edge: Stick To Your Ribs In Oregon

June 25, 2008 at 4:30 PM | 0 Comments

Don't bring ketchup to this sauce show: Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs may get all the glory when it comes to competitive eating for its Fourth of July contest, but in order to get to New York City you'll have to out-eat your neighborhood at one of several qualifying events. (It's like "American Idol" for the stomach!)

Bragging rights come easier at one of many other events sponsored by the International Federation of Competitive Eating, like the Chinook Winds World Rib Eating Championship held in Oregon on July 13.

In rib-eating contests, contestants are judged by the amount of meat consumed in pounds when their pile of bones is accounted for. Nathan's defending champ Joey Chestnut will be there to strap on an industrial-sized bib. (Prepare yourself: He ate 8.4 pounds of meat at the contest in 2006).

Even if you don't win, you can still chow down at the Smokin' at the Ocean event at Chinook Winds all weekend. Related Stories
· World's Easiest Event Registration Page [IFOCE]
· Smokin' at the Ocean Rib-Eating Championship Belt [Flickr]
· Nathan's Famous and More at Coney Island [Jaunted]

[Photo: donita-reason]

Missed Connections in Southwest Oregon: Patriotic Nudity Edition

June 20, 2008 at 2:30 PM | 0 Comments

Planning to spend your Independence Day in Oregon now that you found out Ashland, Oregon's Fourth of July parade will include a naked lady?

You need to get out more! Try dating someone instead of just ogling them in a parade. Find your big love in this small corner of Oregon at one of these hot spots:

Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market :: As far away from a bar as possible, pick up peonies or produce or "forget [your]self. Completely." 1420 E. Main St., Tuesdays only

One World :: Cheap incense and world music await you at this knicknack store, along with the girl for you "if you routinely use words like caboose." 1600 N. Riverside Ave., Medford

Bambu :: Visit this Asian fusion restaurant if you're hungry for coconut lime soup and pad thai and find yourself "starved for a connection." 970 N. Phoenix Rd., Medford

Related Stories:
· Missed Connections coverage [Jaunted]
· Ashland Hotels [HC]

[Photo: eternal_exemption]

Fourth of July Travel: Parade Nudity

June 19, 2008 at 10:01 AM | 0 Comments

The town of Ashland, Oregon has a classic Fourth of July celebration planned. The day starts with an early-in-the-morning six-mile run, then continues with food and game booths, arts and crafts and even a reading of the Declaration of Independence before the fireworks. The all-American festivities in Ashland have been about the same for more than a century, but when the parade kicks off at 10 am this year, one thing may be a bit different.

Jen Moss, known as the "the naked lady," plans march this year, wearing nothing but a hemp G-string. She moved to the town recently as she was intrigued by its nudity laws. Apparently the town only requires that genitalia be covered in public, leaving her "bottoms only" approach perfectly acceptable.

Understandably, the town's chamber of commerce is a little concerned about her participation, but we hope freedom-lovers will sit back and enjoy as the parade passes by.

Related Stories:
· Oregon Woman Plans to Parade Topless on July 4 [AP, via Google]
· Topless Parades Continue in New Zealand [Jaunted]
· Fourth of July coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: eob]