Yesterday we headed down the road about 30 miles to Ashland, Oregon, home to the highly regarded Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Southern Oregon University and, this weekend, the 6th Annual Oregon Chocolate Festival. Because I am one of those people who believes that chocolate should be a separate (essential) food group, you can be sure that I was not going to miss this event.

More than 30 vendors offered tastes and sale of their products at the lovely and historic Ashland Springs Hotel (formerly known as the Mark Antony), just steps away from the OSF theaters. The entire town was focused on the chocolate event this weekend: Friday night the monthly First Friday Art Walk included chocolate goodies in many of the galleries, and all weekend theater-goers could enjoy 50 percent off their evening show tickets by mentioning “chocolate” at the ticket windows. (We weren’t able to take in a show this year but will have to keep that in mind next spring!) Able to devote just a few hours on Saturday, we nonetheless made good use of our time and had our fill of all manner of chocolate and chocolate-related goodies.

Four local wineries offered tastes of red wine varietals and blends as well as sweet dessert wines that paired nicely with the baked goods and truffles on hand. Rogue Ales offered samples of their Chocolate Stout, and Organic Nation Spirits provided sips of organically produced vodka and gin — distilled right in Ashland. All of the companies represented at the festival are genuinely Oregon-based, and many hail from the southwest region; a heartening thought: I don’t have to travel far to get a chocolate fix or something delectable to go with my favorite vice!

I noted a couple of interesting variations on your typical chocolate decadence. Two vendors offered raw chocolate confections: no sugar at all, but sometimes flavors such as ginger or chiles were added. The idea, I guess, is to get the nutritional benefits of chocolate without those added, processed calories. And Missionary Chocolates out of Portland creates dairy- and gluten-free truffles; their creations are a feast for the eyes and the palate!

Several local restaurants participated in a Chocolate Dessert Competition, and this presented a nice opportunity to the crowd of sweet-lovers. Plates of the contested items were available at a silent auction, with proceeds to benefit a local food bank. Although we didn’t place a winning bid, it was great to see some truly extravagant presentations and make a note of a place or two where we might drop in for a special dessert some evening in the future.

Once we’d had our fill of chocolate (hard to imagine, I know, but it is possible) and the crowds, we took advantage of the sunny, warm, early spring afternoon and strolled Main Street for a bit of window shopping. Ashland is a charming town with plenty of fascinating shops which appeal to its flood of play-going visitors, and we’ve barely begun to plumb what it has to offer. I’m sure we’ll be back over and over again — especially if the chocolate is out!

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

I just learned that my original hometown airport — Portland International (PDX) — came in second in J.D. Powers and Associates’ 2010 North American Airport Satisfaction Study in the medium-sized airport category (10-30 million annual passengers). The study measured overall passenger satisfaction with six general factors: accessibility, baggage claim, check-in/bag check process, terminal facilities, security check and food & retail services. PDX came in just behind Kansas City International (MCI), with 733 points out of 1,000 compared to MCI’s 742. Aside from justifying my admittedly biased pride in my city’s airport, the study affirmed that other flyers appreciate most what I also enjoy about the facility: its food and retail offerings.

Oh, I also like the fact that Portland’s light-rail system, MAX, provides quick, convenient mass transit links to downtown and beyond; and the parking garage’s setup makes it easy to spot the open parking slots. Also, the overall design of the complex is both pleasing to the eye and functional; the arching glass canopy between the parking structure and terminal lets light stream in to the lush vegetation draping over the sides of the building while keeping visitors dry on those too-often rainy days. And I really appreciate the free Wi-Fi available throughout the site. But I admit that what I really look forward to when a trip to PDX is in the plans is the opportunity to visit some of my favorite shops and restaurants — anywhere, not just my favorite airport shops and restaurants.

Checking out the list of the airport eateries, it is clear that the managers have made a conscious effort to load the place up with popular, long-time local favorites rather than a slew of tired chain representatives. Rose’s Restaurant and Bakery has been a Portland institution for decades, offering up both New York-style deli foods and the most amazing, enormous desserts. The Beaverton Bakery since 1925 has also been serving up great baked goods, and their airport outlet also sells soups, salads and sandwiches. Samplings of local liquid libations can be had at Rogue Ales Public House and the Laurelwood Brewing Co.; the biggest problem for me is deciding which one of these many fabulous options I will enjoy during my limited time traveling through the airport.

While most of the restaurants and pubs are located beyond the security checkpoints, a number of the retail stores are not, so if I’m picking someone up or dropping someone off, I like to leave time to stop in for at least a quick browse if not some serious shopping. Again, some fine local institutions are represented here, most with well-deserved national and international reputations. The parents of both Columbia Sportswear and the Nike Store are Portland-area based with products sold world-wide. If you’re looking for gifts that speak of where you’ve been, the Made in Oregon shop has everything from the upiquitous t-shirts and caps to fine wines, gourmet foods, chocolates, jewelry and smoked salmon. I love meandering through the Oregon Pendleton Shop, letting my eyes rove over the fantastic variety of beautiful woolen blankets while my fingers trail across the soft wool plaid shirts and lovely shawls. The famous trade blankets first came off the looms in Pendleton in Eastern Oregon in 1909, and one of my most prized wedding gifts is a blanket from this venerable company.

My two favorite shops, however, I save for last (or, when time is short, they are my only stops). Powell’s Books is Portland’s legendary new and used bookstore, with the original store taking up an entire block downtown. The airport branch, necessarily smaller and lacking some of the aged charm of the original, nevertheless offers a generous assortment of gift items and new and used books — not just the ordinary NYT bestsellers but an eclectic and fascinating cross-section accompanied by interesting notes and comments from store employees (who are a very well-read bunch!).

The Real Mother Goose started up in 1971 and is a feast for the eyes. It is both gallery and retail shop, with the most stunning array of handcrafted jewely, art glass, ceramics, textiles, woods and exotic items I’ve ever seen in one place. My sister gave me a silver and turquoise bracelet from Mother Goose when I was 16, and I’ve been in love with the place ever since. You can spend a lot of money here or not very much, but you’re guaranteed to come away with something beautiful and unique.

I hope all your travels are swift and easy. But if you find yourself with extra time to kill at Portland’s airport, don’t despair. I think you’ll find you’ve got some very agreeable options for whiling away that time, and you might actually be glad for the opportunity.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

I’ve been looking forward to this weekend for quite a while. Not because we had any big plans or were going anywhere special. I just was anticipating a leisurely three-day weekend (more for my husband than for me, since working from home means my work days can often be indistinguishable from weekends and holidays), with Valentine’s Day and the start of the Winter Olympics adding fun and excitement to the mix.

This year we decided to forego a nice dinner out at one of our favorite places and instead create a nice dinner in for Valentine’s Day. I think I’ve mentioned before that Harry is some mean cook, so I’m anticipating a meal of coconut shrimp, wild rice and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and, of course, a bottle of wine or two. I’ll be contributing a yummy chocolate dessert — can’t have Valentine’s Day without chocolate! We’ll also take in a couple of movies this weekend (we each choose one, so there’s a nice balance) and just enjoy a few unhurried days together.

The weekend began with watching the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Games in Vancouver. Well, I will admit that I was reading a magazine and doing a few chores at the same time, as all of the coverage did not require my undivided attention all of the time. I did enjoy much of the visual spectacle, though. And, with the games being held here in the Pacific Northwest, we have an added interest in them. Having lived in the Seattle area and Washington state for two decades, we’ve visited Vancouver a number of times. It is definitely one of my favorite cities for it’s stunning setting, cosmopolitan atmosphere and cultural diversity. After observing all of the preparations over the last several years for this big event, it’s exciting to now see it all coming to fruition and to see the rest of the world’s reaction to this beautiful place.

I’ve always enjoyed both the summer and winter Olympics. I have very little athletic talent myself, but I really get drawn in to the various competitions and can’t help but admire and respect all the effort and sacrifice the athletes put forth to achieve their goals. A few peeves about the coverage, though. This one applies not just to the Olympics, but any sporting event: Please, do away with the pre- and post-event interviews with the athletes. The same old cliched questions are asked, and the same old cliched responses will be given. I like the pretaped background stories on the athletes’ lives, but not those stale bits that reveal absolutely nothing new.

I’d also like to to see the events in real time, not tape-delayed and broadcast during prime time (admitting that there may be options via satellite and such). For those of us living in the same time zone as the Games are being held, it would mean we don’t have to stay up ’til midnight to catch the finals of big events. I appreciate the editing which compresses time between preliminaries and individual performances, but too much manipulation takes some of the spontaneity and anticipation out of the viewing.

Finally, I just don’t like the participation of professional athletes, especially in the team events like hockey, basketball and baseball. I know all of the history, the political and economic reasons behind the change in the rules. I know that there are the Shaun Whites and Apolo Ohnos who have made a lot of money in their sports, too — more than most professional athletes in team sports. Still, especially in those team events, I think it makes for especially uneven “competition.” And who believes the 1980 Miracle on Ice victory would have been as sweet if the U.S. team had been loaded with pros? 

Ah, but enough of that. I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the rest of my weekend, and may you do the same.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader

Having grown up in Oregon just a few hours’ drive from the coast, a trip to the beach at least three or four times a year was something to which I grew accustomed, though never weary. My siblings and I spent the days building forts among the driftwood logs, hunting for washed-up treasures, building sand castles and sculptures, playing in the (cold!) waves and warming ourselves by a fire as we munched on s’mores. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love to sit and watch the waves rolling into the shore or crashing dramatically against the rocks, and I’ve never slept better than within the sound of the breakers and the scent of the ocean air.

There were a few times in my adult life when I found myself living far from the sea and unable to just hop in the car for a quick drive to enjoy its soothing presence. How I missed the long walks on the sand and the calm I felt with nothing but the sound of the waves and the wind in my ears! My girls seem to feel that same pull of the tides. Their favorite family vacations include our many trips to the beach; and even now, when Jenny comes home from college in Chicago, she always requests that we squeeze in a day or two at the coast.

Having just returned from a few days by the sea, I’m feeling the benefit of my brief stay there and reminded how good it is for me to make the time for those interludes of quiet. Although the weather can often be stormy and extremely wet at this time of year, this time there was barely a breeze, the temperatures were in the 50s, and the sun even peeped through the high, thin overcast on occasion. It gave me the chance to take  comfortable, long walks up the sand and pause for some lengthy stretches to just sit and watch the breakers rolling in. I’m never bored seeing how the water swells up and builds into a curling, green glass wall and then tumbles over in seeming slow motion into foaming, pounding surf. It offers an opportunity to empty the mind and think of nothing at all or a background against which to tackle some knotty problem without the interference of any other distraction.

So I’ve returned home to a week full of deadlines, appointments and obligations, but renewed in spirit, body and soul. And when life gets hectic, I’ll recall those peaceful moments by the sea until I can visit there again.

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader 

My husband and I have spent the last few days on the central Oregon coast, and whenever we’re in the area, there are a couple of restaurants that we always try to visit. One has been operating for several years, but the other has only come on the scene in the last two.

We stumbled upon Andaman Thai Cuisine in Lincoln City quite by accident about a year ago. It’s in an unprepossessing strip mall right off of Highway 101 in town. At the time we were just looking for a quick dinner; and considering the location, we expected no more than your typical fast, pedestrian Thai food. We were more than pleasantly surprised at the tasteful, soothing decor inside, the gracious warmth of the owner/chef and sometime server, and were really blown away by the beautifully presented and fantastic food.

Considering the state of the economy this past year and the difficult time eateries located on the tourist-dependent coast can have adjusting to the boom-and-bust flow of business there, we weren’t sure we would find Andaman still operating when we next returned to the area. But it seems that others have found their way there and are equally impressed, and we were pleased to drop in Thursday night for more delicious dining. Patay Kaplan greeted us warmly, brought us a fragrant pot of black tea with lichi and sweetened lightly with agave, and added a few crisp rolls of a coconut-flavored cookie. We enjoyed a couple of appetizers before digging in to our entrees. Every dish is artfully arranged, the flavors are unique and delicately balanced, and the food is piping hot (temperature-wise). Harry likes his dishes fairly spicey while I prefer to go more mild. I’ve found that can often equate to “bland” in many restaurants, but not here. One doesn’t sacrifice satisfyingly complex flavor when toning down the heat. We chose to take home a dessert from the adjoining Tigerlily Tea and Dessert Bar and were equally impressed with the beautifully constructed, layered confection. If only we could relocate this fabulous restaurant to our home town!

Located in Depoe Bay, a smaller community a dozen miles south of Lincoln City, Tidal Raves serves up fantastic seafood and an assortment of other dishes, many exhibiting a pan-Asian influence. Perched on a cliff just above the waves crashing against the rocks below, the restaurant’s bland, compact street side face belies the great views and warm, elegant dining room inside. We’ve always found the service to be friendly and efficient and the prices ($10 to $25 for entrees which include a choice of soup or salad) beyond reasonable, especially considering the quality and compared to the prices of other high-end restaurants in the area. Last night Harry returned to two of his favorite dishes: a bowl of smoked salmon chowder followed by green curry with halibut. He kindly shared a bit of each with me, and I can attest to the amazing flavors and rich textures of each. I chose the house salad with shrimp and wild grilled salmon with crab risotto — heavenly! We shared a dessert of a warm apple-pecan cake with a creamy caramel sauce and drove back to our room through the misty night completely warmed and satisfied.

While we are always up for trying new places in some of our old haunts, it’s always nice to know that we can also return to our tried-and-true favorites for a reliably great meal. 

– Patty Vanikiotis, proofreader