OR Travel Guide
6/25/2008 at 4:30 PM
Tags: Summer-Vacations-with-an-Edge, Summer Travel, Competitive Eating, Joey Chestnut (all tags)
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]
by egw
6/20/2008 at 2:30 PM
Tags: Missed Connections, Nude Travel, Farmers' Markets, Restaurants, Shopping (all tags)
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]
by egw
6/19/2008 at 10:01 AM
Tags: Summer Travel, Fourth of July, Nude Travel (all tags)
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]
by kjb
6/18/2008 at 2:00 PM
Tags: Summer Travel, Rodeos, Fourth of July (all tags)
If you're looking for something a little different than fireworks this Independence Day, then look no further than Oregon. The 73rd annual St. Paul Rodeo is riding into town July 2. In addition to the usual rodeo festivities, there's a Western showcase featuring artisans selling jewelry, paintings, home goods and clothing.
If you come hungry, or are just a great backyard chef, July 5 offers a BBQ cook-off. The judges are looking for creativity, a fun team name and, of course, melt-in-your-mouth ribs. Prizes up for grabs are tickets to the rodeo, trophies, bragging rights and a trip around the rodeo ring as champion.
The cheap seats start at $12 each night. And, yes, even though they aren't the main attraction, there will be fireworks every night.
Related Stories:
· St. Paul Rodeo [Official Site]
· Fourth of July coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: ReneS]
by kjb
1/25/2008 at 9:10 AM
Tags: Movie Set Travel (all tags)
In the world of viral videos, YouTube and all else, this week's movie pick was inevitable. Untraceable focuses on secret service agent Jennifer Marsh (Diane Lane) who gets involved in a cat and mouse game with a serial killer--who commits his murders via an "untraceable" website.
The more people who visit the website, the quicker the victim dies. Yikes. We're not sure about this one just yet--we're hearing it's like a drawn out CSI episode and that Diane Lane's unimpressive--but if you're looking for a weekend scare, this is it.
The cool thing about this flick? It was all shot in Portland, one of our favorite cities! Check out what you shouldn't miss in Portland:
Where To Stay: Heathman Hotel We don't say this often, but this hotel's got it all: an awesome location right downtown, an award-winning restaurant (with a James Beard celebrated chef) and a serious on-site art collection which includes a Galle, Warhol and Pander. You can select from a comfy "bed menu" or grab a book from the well-stocked library to go with afternoon tea.
Where To Eat: Paley's Place Paley's is a true local spot, a cozy bistro serving Pacific Northwest-inspired cuisine like halibut, chilled oysters and a delicious winter squash salad. Think fresh as Gourmet named it one of the country's 10 best farm-to-table restaurants last year. Keep in mind that they're closed for quick kitchen renos from February 18-29.
What to See: The Grotto Even if you're not religious, you'll appreciate this stunning outdoor cathedral among 62 acres of woods. The grotto itself was carved out of the base of a 110-foot cliff that's surrounded by views of the Columbia River and the Cascades. You can imagine what it looks like done up at Christmas. It's a non-profit organization supported solely by donations and sales from the gift shop so be sure to buy something.
Related Stories:
Movie Set Travel
by sedona
1/17/2008 at 10:05 AM
Tags: Geocaching, Mount Hood, Climbing, Adventure Travel, Active Travel, Hiking (all tags)
Justin Votos and Matthew Pitts didn't have a GPS device when they went climbing on Mt. Hood earlier this week, but that didn't keep them from stumbling upon a geocache that would lead rescuers to the stranded duo. Luckily, the climbers, who were stuck on the mountain after bad weather set in, had a cell phone and could call up authorities to describe the cache, which led to their backcountry rescue.
Most people explicitly go hunting for the hidden treasure stashes using handheld GPS receivers, but since all the boxes are listed on the geocaching website, rescuers could pinpoint Votos and Pitts' location from afar. It only took a couple hours to find the pair once rescuers knew their coordinates.
Lesson learned? There are two really. First, don't forget your cell phone and your own GPS receiver when hiking off-trail or in challenging conditions. Second, Geocaching is even cooler than we thought.
Related Stories:
· Geocaching [Official Site]
· Climbers Rescued on Mt. Hood Aided by Treasure Hunt Box [King5 News]
· Mt. Hood Climbers and the "Climbable" Paradox [Jaunted]
· Adventure Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo of a geocache: Francois Schnell]
by pbb
12/31/2007 at 9:30 AM
Tags: Jaunted Travel Awards, Airports, Airport Heaven, PDX, WiFi, Free WiFi (all tags)
We've spent a lot of time this year digging up airports with free WiFi. And though lots of smaller airports have wireless--and don't get clogged with too many flights--we have to give this year's award to a major airport that's just great: PDX.
Portland International goes so far to let you set up a VPN so you can handle secure data. The airport also has plenty of plugs and seats around; you won't have to set up shop on a dingy patch of floor. Add in the fact that we have fond childhood memories of PDX and that it's so close to great skiing and you've got a winner.
[Photo: web_guy94301]
Related Stories:
The 2007 Jaunted Travel Awards
by Jaunted
12/03/2007 at 3:00 PM
Tags: Ski-Areas-Near-Airports, Skiing, Ski Travel, Ski Resorts, Winter Travel, PDX (all tags)
We really like skiing and boarding. But that doesn't mean we want to spend our whole vacation just getting to the mountain. Our Ski Areas Near Airports Map will help you maximize your time on the slopes.
If you don't dawdle around, you could be at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood within two hours of unlatching your airplane seat belt at PDX. It'll take some luck at the luggage carousel, but when you're this close to such terrific skiing, even a slight delay pushing you over the 120 minute mark won't sting too badly.
Take the scenic Highway 26 out of Portland to reach the Timberline, famed for its appearance in The Shining. You'll have access to a vast swath of high-altitude terrain, and starting Saturday, December 8, a new, 220-acre expansion will open below the Lodge.
With the new Still Creek Basin, you can conceivably shred 3,690 vertical feet without stopping--though we'd like to see you try it. Skiing is daylight-hours-only until this Friday, when night riding opens, and the terrain park is already up-and-running for you daredevils.
Related Stories:
· Timberline Lodge [Official Site]
· Timberline Lodge [Jaunted]
· PDX: Childhood Memories [Jaunted]
· Skiing coverage [Jaunted]
by pbb
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