A fairytale castle with pink, purple, and blue details.

Exploring Oregon’s Strange and Adored Enchanted Forest

October 20, 2026, Leave a Comment on Exploring Oregon’s Strange and Adored Enchanted Forest

Sitting just off Oregon’s Interstate 5 rests one of its most magical places, Enchanted Forest, a 20 acre theme park, owned by the same family that built it 55 years ago. I grew up going to Enchanted Forest, and it wasn’t until shortly before moving to California that I really began to appreciate it. Unlike…

Marquee for the 99W, a red, green, and white sign advertises the films playing, The Sandlot and Spider-Man.

Returning To My Favorite Place In Oregon, the Beloved 99W Drive In Theatre

October 15, 2026, Leave a Comment on Returning To My Favorite Place In Oregon, the Beloved 99W Drive In Theatre

Longtime readers will remember I loved going to the 99W Drive-In just outside of Portland in the small town of Newberg when I lived in Oregon. Unlike California, where drive-ins operate year round, the 99W is subject to the weather whims of Oregon, and operates typically late spring through early fall. Thankfully Pat’s sister’s wedding…

Overall of the Sandy Jug, which is a building shaped like a jug, painted a pale cream. The very top is painted brown, with a gold stopper. Around the shoulder of the bottle are gold circles with roses painted in the middle. A door sits in the middle, with a blue neon sign reading "Cocktails" above, on either side of the door are windows of glass blocks.

Grabbing a Drink at Portland’s Only Bottle Shaped Bar, the Sandy Jug

October 13, 2026, Leave a Comment on Grabbing a Drink at Portland’s Only Bottle Shaped Bar, the Sandy Jug

While living in Portland I would sometimes find myself passing by a massive jug, solidly painted maroon. Inside? A strip club dubbed Pirate’s Cove. I always sighed, and bemoaned the fact it was a strip club. Here was a beautiful example of programatic architecture, and it was a strip club? And not even painted well?…

Sign reading "The Skeleton Key Odditorium"

The Skeleton Key Odditorium is Keeping Portland Weird

October 9, 2026, Leave a Comment on The Skeleton Key Odditorium is Keeping Portland Weird

Portland’s unofficial motto is “Keep Portland Weird” something stolen from Austin, Texas. And Portland certainly marches to the beat of its own drum. One place that is helping keep Portland weird is the Skeleton Key Odditorium, a 2,500 square foot museum filled with oddities, spooky treasures, and best of all, a spirit board collection. Visitors pass…

Myself seated on a bench just outside the roller rink above you can see the pipe organ that hangs above the rink.

Oaks Park: One of the Last Trolley Parks is Home to America’s Oldest Roller Rink

October 7, 2026, Leave a Comment on Oaks Park: One of the Last Trolley Parks is Home to America’s Oldest Roller Rink

Located on the banks of the Willamette River is a true treasure of Portland, Oaks Amusement Park. Not only is it one of America’s oldest amusement parks, it is home to the oldest roller rink in the United States. In 1905 the Portland area was gearing up for the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition. Meanwhile…

On the left is our TV with various jack o'lanterns on top, to the left is a built in bookcase with various decorations on it.

It’s Time For Halloween!

October 5, 2026, 1 Comment

We interrupt the road trip posts to bring you a look at the home all decorated for Halloween! To be perfectly honest, this year was the hardest yet. While I love Halloween, it is impossible to separate the holiday from death, and I am still reeling from the loss of my mom. I also left…

Exterior of Grand Lodge, a Greek revival style portico with columns, with the building itself made of brick.

McMenamins Grand Lodge: 100 Year Old Freemason Retirement Home Turned Whimsigoth Hotel

October 1, 2026, 1 Comment

As mentioned earlier, we returned to Oregon for Patrick’s sister’s wedding. She chose to get married at a local campground with a beautiful lake. As her and her friends adore camping, many opted to pitch tents right on site. As for me I chose for Patrick and I to stay at McMenamins Grand Lodge, a…

Exterior of the Sacramento History Museum, a two story brick structure in a simple style.

Unearthing Early California History at the Sacramento History Museum

September 29, 2026, 1 Comment

Old Town Sacramento offers visitors a look into how California developed from a rough and tumble western town into the bustling capitol it is today. At one end of Old Town visitors can find the Sacramento History Museum. Inside is a range of artifacts from the area, along with the viral printing press area that…

Exterior of Pancake Circus. Across the top the roof comes down and painted in orange and white stripes, yellow script neon reads "Pancake Circus" below massive windows are painted in circus themes.

Runaway to Pancake Circus

September 24, 2026, 1 Comment

Sacramento is home to many things, most notably California’s capital. But if you’re looking for a bite to eat with a side of whimsy, look no further than Pancake Circus. Opening in 1961 as Al & Bud’s Platter, by Al Nahas and Hollis “Bud” Sheely, it served up pancakes and and steaks 24 hours. Later…

Railtown 1897: Hollywood’s Favorite Railroad Nestled in the Sierras

September 22, 2026, Leave a Comment on Railtown 1897: Hollywood’s Favorite Railroad Nestled in the Sierras

Last month Patrick and I ventured back to our home state of Oregon for his sister’s wedding. We decided to drive, taking some of California’s lovely backroads through gold country, and stopped at Railtown 1897, a wonderful rail museum nestled in Jamestown. While central and northern California are well known for their gold, the area…