May 2023 Check-In's

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN A SLIDE SHOW OF THE BELOW PHOTOS
or click on any photo below to view a larger image of that photo.

Please wait a few moments for the embeded
YouTube video links to load.

Salmon Creek Greenway Trail
Vancouver, Washington
Monday, May 1, 2023

We did our daily 40 minutes 2 mile walk starting at the west end of the Salmon Creek Greenway Trail. So far this is our favorite walking trail near our Vancouver home. The east end of this trail ends pretty close to our home but that end starts out in the open where there is little forest cover. That makes it pretty unpleasant on hot sunny summer days. We prefer starting at this west end of the trail that is forest covered and shady. We'll probably never walk the full 3 miles length of the trail as that would be a 6 mile round trip walk. Above you see that we walked as far as the 2 mile mark. This is actually at the point where we have walked 1 mile and turn back. The markings start at the east end of the trail such that we've only actually walked 1 mile when we get to the 2 mile mark.

Live Music Every Monday & Wednesday At
Maryhill Winery, Vancouver Waterfront, Washington
Monday, May 1, 2023

We decided to join the "Selection Of Maryhill" wine club. It made our two wine tastings of 7 wines each free today instead of $35 each. Plus we can each get a free wine tasting of 7 wines valued at $35 each anytime we visit even if we come here every day! Our only obligation is to pay the $25 to join the club and then purchase 6 bottles of red wine hand picked by the Maryhill owners 3 times per year. (We already picked up our first 6 bottles and several of them were reserve wines). We also get 25% off food menu items every Tuesday and advance notice and discounted tickets for winery and tasting events. We'll make up the cost of what we pay for the wine in just the savings of not having to pay for the tastings each time we visit as well as the discount on food.

Andrew Rathbun (Sax) with The George Colligan Trio At
The 1905, Portland, Oregon
Tuesday, May 2, 2023

I received an email just a couple of hours before we left our home to drive to the venue that said there would be no food or drinks available this evening. However, they said we were welcome to bring our own food and drinks. We planned to bring our own wine bottle from home anyway. We decided to stop at a Subway and purchase a roasted chicen footlong to split. When we got to The 1905 we found that their water heater had broken earlier in the day. Portland City law does not allow a restaurant to serve food if they don't have hot water. Portland City law also does not allow them to serve drinks if they are not also serving food. So, no food and no drinks! This was the first time this venue has not served food and drinks since they first opened. They did get it fixed before the performance started, but by that time it was too late to call in their full kitchen staff and to get the venue prepared for serving food and drinks.

Ben Rice & The Portland Hustle At
Billy Blues Bar & Grill, Vancouver, Washington
Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Vancouver Waterfront, Washington
Wednesday, May 3, 2023

We parked on the street as close as we could get to The Vancouver Waterfront without entering the pay parking area which is $2 per hour. In the past we parked as close as we could get to the waterfront and had to pay $6 as since usually stayed over 2 hours. This time we parked 0.3 miles from the waterfront, a distance that we could easily walk considering that we try to go for a 2 mile walk every day for exercise. The parking space right next to where we parked was literally a $2 per hour parking spot while our space was a free parking spot.

We didn't eat at the Willimette Valley Vineyards tasting room, but just took a photo of their menu displayed on their front window. We'll have to try the wine and food at this place sometime.

Instead, we ate at the Maryhill Winery Tasting Room at The Vancouver Waterfront. We were going to split the Pan Seared Stellhead ($22) and the French Onion Soup ($6) but their oven was broken so they were only serving cold food. So instead we had the Artisan Cheese Board for $20. The cheese board includes a good serving size of 3 excellent cheeses, house made spicy honey, roasted garlic, olives, grapes and black pepper crackers. We each had a wine tasting flight of 7 ounce pours which we can have free anytime we visit since we are club members.

Busking At
Vancouver Waterfront, Washington
Wednesday, May 3, 2023

As the weather gets warmer there will be more and more buskers (live street music playes) around the Vancouver Waterfront just playing for tips. We walked over to him along with others and give him a tip. He had just started to pack up as he was worried that it looked like rain and he was using a portable amplifier.

Dan Wilensky (Sax) Jazz Group At
Jo Bar & Rotisserie, Portland, Oregon
Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Still hungry for some regular hot food, we went to Jo Bar & Rotisserie and split an Impossible Burner. I also had an excellent glass of David Hill Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon ($15).

Fenix Rising (Sax) Blues Band Every Thursday At
The Blue Diamond, Portland, Oregon
Thursday, May 4, 2023

Cinco De Mayo With Shelli & Lanita At
Who-Song & Larry's, Vancouver, Washington
Friday, May 5, 2023

Savor Wine Tasting Event Hosted By
Southwest Washington Winery Association
Saturday, May 6, 2023

The tickets were $75 per person but they provided unlimited wine from 17 different wineries and appetizers from 6 local restaurants and live music from 4 different bands. Each winer brought between 3 and 6 different bottles of wine to try. Barbara and I would just get a single one ounce pour from each wine we wanted to try and split that between us. With just a single one ounce taste between us from 17 different wineries was already more than 8 ounces of wine each. That was the equivalent of 2 small 4 ounce glasses of wine each! But we did have a taste of more than one red wine from some of the wineries. So all in all, we probably drank more than two 5 ounce glasses of wine each.

I am a member of the Southwest Washington Wine Assoication (SWWA), so I received all the meeting notes as well as a complete detailed list of set up time, event time, teardown time, as well as an updated list of wineries, restaurants and musicians that would be performing, and a map of where each table would be positioned.

They had a similar event to this years ago that was more of a wine walk down the main streets of Downtown Vancouver. Bob and Joyce Manning were in town at the time and we just walked down the main streets with our wine glass sampling the wines from various local wineries. The problem with that was that many Southwest Washington Wineries did not have tasting rooms so we missed out on trying a lot of the different wines. This time, 17 of the Southwest Washington Wineries were all in the same room and we got to try wine from all of them.

We managed to get some "swag" from the event. The best was probably 4 wine glasses with the logo of the "Savor Southwest Washington Wine" event.

Westward Whiskey Old Fashioned Social
Portland, Oregon
Saturday, May 6, 2023, 7:00 - 9:00 PM

"Join us at our distillery for a late-night drink featuring some of our best friends and partners. Expect exclusive full-size codktails, food, and featured guests. The ticket price includes the special drink of the night!"

They served us 2 of the above mini-Old Fashioned cocktails as a few guests were stuck at the nearby railroad crossing. You can see the train through the above garage door windows. A bit later the Amtrak Cascades train passed by the windows. When we were at the Savor event earlier in the day, a train went right by their windows too. Those tracks are the route of the Amtrak Empire Builder Portland Section. The Amtrak Empire Builder, Amtrak Coast Starlight and Amtrak Cascades all serve both Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. This area is definitely well served by trains!

They put out quite a spread. It was actually two of the above platters with different items on each one. They served us a permutation of an Old Fashioned and beer as seen in the above tall glasses. That was followed by tastes of 3 of their whiskies.

The above building is across the street from Westward Whiskey. It is a very large empty industrial building. I think they are going to have a hard time finding a tenant that wants a large industrial building in the middle of Portland. They should probably see if they could convert it to either apartments or condos. Being so close to good urban transportation and a view of the river, they'd probably sell out pretty quickly.

Dueling Pianos at the Barrel Room
Portland, Oregon
Saturday, May 6, 2023

The Barrel Room has dueling pianos on Friday and Saturday once or twice each month. As you can see in the above photo, they only serve wine in small airplane bottles just like The Fling in Santa Ana, California. Like at The 1905 you have to use a QR-Code and a Mobile App in order to place and pay for your food and drink order. They played some good songs but it really wasn't like the dueling piano shows that I'm familiar with. In Dueling Pianos, the two piano players will often try to outdo each other. Here one seemed to take the lead and the other piano player just played along.

Ron Steen Jazz Jam Every Sunday At
Clyde's Prime Rib, Portland, Oregon
Sunday, May 7, 2023

Devin Phillips At The 1905
Portland, Oregon
Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Hit-Machine At Billy Blues Bar & Grill
Vancouver, Washington
Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Tesla Supercharging Location At Fred Myers
Our Local Grocery Store
Vancouver, Washington
Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Soft Opening Of Silver Rails Wine Tasting Room
La Plata, Missouri
Friday, May 12, 2023

Unfortunately, Barbara and I could not be there for the soft opening of the Silver Rails Vineyards & Winery Tasting Room, but above are photos of the new tasting room and winery.

Mel Brown (Drums) & Louis ("King Louie) Pain (Keyboard)
At The Jack London Review, Portland, Oregon
Thursday, May 12, 2023

Ben Rice & The Portland Hustle At
The Blue Diamond, Portland, Oregon
Friday, May 13, 2023

Mother's Day Flowers From Jason & Rumei Lopez
Saturday, May 13, 2023

Bridgetown Sextet 1920's & 30's Dixieland Jazz At
The 1905, Portland, Oregon
Saturday, May 13, 2023

Edible Arrangements For Mother's Day
From Sherica & Brian
Sunday, May 14, 2023

Westward Whiskey Behind The Scenes Tour
Portland, Oregon
Sunday, May 14, 2023

New Tesla Service Center & Superchargers
Vancouver, Washington
Sunday, May 14, 2023

Mother's Day Dinner at Shanahan's
Shelli, Barbara & Stephen
Vancouver, Washington
Sunday, May 14, 2023

Mel Brown Trio at The 1905, Portland, Oregon
Shelli, Lanita, Barbara & Stephen
Monday, May 15, 2023

Mel Brown (Drums), Louis "King Louie" Pain (B-3) and Renato Caranto (Sax).

Vancouver Whiskey Aficionados
Whiskey Flight Night Featuring
Barrel Proof Bourbon
The Infirmary, Vancouver, Washington
Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Prepare to treat your taste buds to a powerful collection of high-proof spirits, all at an unbeatable price of just $23.50! Barrel Proof Bourbon Lineup: 1. Nashville Barrel Company (116.04 proof) 2. Stagg Jr. (130 proof) 3. Wild Turkey Rare Breed (116.8 proof) 4. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (120.8 proof)

Join us for a memorable evening as we explore the depth and complexity of these barrel-proof bourbons, each offering a unique flavor profile that showcases the skill and craftsmanship of their respective distilleries. This is an extraordinary opportunity for both seasoned whiskey lovers and newcomers alike to discover the fascinating world of high-proof bourbon. We look forward to raising a glass with you and sharing a night of camaraderie, exceptional bourbon, and great conversation. Cheers!

Karaoke at Cascade Bar & Grill
Vancouver, Washington
Thursday, May 18, 2023

Westward Whiskey Club Two Malts Pickup Event
Portland, Oregon Saturday, May 20, 2023

Justin Copeland Duo At
Vino Veritas, Portland, Oregon
Saturday, May 20, 2023

Blues Jazz Jam Every Sunday 8pm-12am
Montavilla Station
Downtown Montavilla, Portland, Oregon
Sunday, May 21, 2023

Sunday Night Jazz At Vino Veritas
Downtown Montavilla, Portland, Oregon
Sunday, May 21, 2023

PDX Cookie Company
Downtown Montavilla, Portland, Oregon
Sunday, May 21, 2023

Ron Steen Jazz Jam at Clyde's Prime Rib
Portland, Oregon
Sunday, May 21, 2023

Dinner, Free Club Member Wine Flights & Live Music
Maryhill Winery, Vancouver Waterfront on the Columbia River, Washington
Monday, May 22, 2023

Dinner & Karaoke at Cascade Bar & Grill
Vancouver, Washington
Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Dinner and Live Jazz By The Mark Turner Quartet
Featuring Jack Turner (Sax), Jason Palmer (Trumpet),
Joe Martin (Bass), and Jonathan Pinson (Drums) At
Jack London Review, Portland, Oregon
Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Morning Walk at Salmon Creek Greenway Trail
Vancouver, Washington
Thursday, May 25, 2023

Fenix Rising Blues Band At
The Blue Diamond, Portland, Oregon
Thursday, May 25, 2023

Rose Festival Fireworks Sightseeing Cruise
On The Portland Spirit Crystal Dolphin
Willamette River, Portland, Oregon
Friday, May 26, 2023

Cruise During the Portland Rose Festival. The Rose Festival Begins May 26th! Watch the sky light up. Enjoy the best seats "in the house" for the Rose Festival's opening night fireworks show! We'll cruise for approximately 30 minutes so you can take in the sunset aboard the Crystal Dolphin prior to getting in position for the fireworks which begin at 9:50 pm. Snacks and beverages from our full service bar will be available for purchase on board. Friday, May 26th, 2023. Cruising: 9:00 pm - 10:30 pm. Boarding: 8:30 pm. Boarding Location: Caruthers Landing: 110 SE Caruthers St, Portland, OR 97214. What's Included: 30 minutes of cruising followed by 1 hour of floating the river. Viewing of the Rose Festival's Opening Fireworks Show. Price: From $50.

Celebrating Mary Brown's Birthday at
The Brickhouse, Vancouver, Washington
Friday, May 26, 2023

After the fireworks cruise we went to the Brickhouse to help celebrate Mary Brown's birthday, someone that we just met on the fireworks cruise.

Ron Steen Jazz Jam Every Sunday At
Clyde's Prime Rib, Portland, Oregon
Sunday, May 28, 2023

Stopped By The Brickhouse
To Pick Up My Tesla Jacket That I Left Here Friday
Sunday, May 28, 2023

Dinner At McGrath's Fish House
Monday, May 29, 2023

Ron Steen Jazz Jam At
The 1905, Portland, Oregon
With Tom Grant (Piano & Vocals), Phil Becker (Base), Ron Steen (Drums)
Monday, May 29, 2023

Dinner With Live Blues Music By
Ben Rice and The Portland Hussle At
Billy Blues Bar & Grill, Vancouver, Washington
Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Dinner With Our Free Wine Club Flight And
Views Of The Columbia River At
Maryhill Winery, Vancouver Waterfront, Washington
Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Karaoke at Cascade Bar & Grill
Vancouver, Washington
Wednesday, May 31, 2023

CLICK HERE TO BEGIN A SLIDE SHOW OF THE ABOVE PHOTOS
or click on any photo above to view a larger image of that photo.

Click A Below Link For More Check-In Photos:
<<<April 2023            June 2023>>>

Close this browser tab or click here to return to my main Check-In page.