Americas

The mean streets of Portland

Posted on April 22, 2014 by holidaymistake

Calm before the storm.

We were in Portland as we had got our hands on tickets to the sold out soccer game between our Seattle Sounders and their arch-rivals, the Portland Timbers. Our seats were apparently in the designated area for visiting fans and would be full of the Sounders supporters club; the Emerald City Supporters. The ECS is a drunken lot that wave huge flags, have a beer in each hand and are led by a glorified cheerleader with a megaphone; he leads his minions in songs and chants that taunt the opponents and spur their team to victory, or so they think.They drive us nuts, but it’s a love/hate thing because we love making fun of them.

We were supposed to enter a specific gate at the stadium, designated only for Seattle fans. Why? For our safety? Are we going to get beaten up by Portland fans?! No way. Portlanders are so laid back they are almost catatonic.

It was raining so we entered the first gate we came to and the ticket checker said, “You’re supposed to go in the special gate, but I’ll let you in anyway”. So we walked down the stadium corridor full of Portland fans; and no spontaneous riot erupted when they saw two Seattle fans on their turf. We did not have to dodge neither bottles or roundhouses flung our way. Instead, a Timbers fan approached us and said, “thanks for coming down to see the game here in Portland.” This was the second time that happened that day.

There was a low fence separating the Seattle fan area from the rest of the stadium. As we passed through this gate, the security guards said that once we entered we would not be allowed to leave until the game was over for safety reasons; give me a break!

We managed to find a seat and the keeno fans were already in full swing, waving flags, chanting, and drinking beer. It was just before noon and the inebriation level was already high.

Go Sounders!

The game was everything a rivalry game should be, fast-paced and aggressive with lots of goals; although unfortunately Portland had scored most of them! With only five minutes left, the score was 4-2; Seattle was down two goals. But in one of the best comebacks I’ve seen, our team managed to score two goals to tie it, and the game ended in a draw. The Portland fans were stunned, quiet, and undoubtably pissed. Perhaps now they were ready to crack some Seattle fans skulls?

Unfortunately the officials thought so; they made all the Seattle fans stay in their seats for a full half hour after the game ended. Did they think Seattle fans were going to be set upon by a mob of Portlanders. I can just see it; a mob dressed in vintage from goodwill, on fixie bikes, with dumb facial hair hurling ironic insults our way.

We finally exited the stadium and onto the mean streets of Portland. We had a few Timbers ‘hooligans’ mouth off to us as we walked by; “That was a crazy game,” and “That was a great comeback, Congratulations!”

Terrifying.

Categories: Portland, OR - April 2014 | Tags: football, Portland, Seattle, soccer, sounders | 1 Comment

Super Bowl

Posted on February 10, 2014 by holidaymistake

Waited in line for the train ticket, herded onto the train like cattle, waited in a chaotic long line to get into the stadium. Champagne problem! We were going to the Super Bowl and nothing was going to dampen our spirits; we were ecstatic! We maneuvered through the boisterous crowd of eighty thousand and found our seats at the very top, the last row. We were on the fifty yard line and had a surprisingly great, birds-eye view.

Chris, Helen, Courtney and Darren; Representing the 12th man.

The game went our way from the beginning, it could not have gone better and it kept the pre-game obnoxious Bronco fan next to me quiet. It was a welcome change, as most of the Seahawks games this season have been nail-biters. Not the most competitive Super Bowl, but as a fan of the team on top, it was the best Super Bowl ever. It was all but over in the third and we could start to relax and celebrate. We were in full party mode when the game ended and headed down to the field to watch the trophy ceremony. The Bronco fans were gone and we were surrounded by Hawks fans dressed head to toe in blue and green.

Gametime!

Shortly after the game ended we were told to stay in the stadium because of the long lines at the train station. We wandered around for about an hour but got bored quick, all the shops and food stands had closed. The line for the train had hardly shortened, but we got in the 2 hour queue anyway. Considering the circumstances the crowd was orderly and in good spirits. We finally got back to Manhattan about 1:30 am and were exhausted, but no matter; for we were smiling from ear to ear.

Victory!

Categories: New Jersey - February 2014 | Tags: 12th Man, Seahawks, Seattle, Super Bowl | 1 Comment

Super Bowl bound?

Posted on January 30, 2014 by holidaymistake

It’s late night Wednesday, four days till the Super Bowl and we have to make a decision. We have been going back and forth for a few days now, but time is running out.

The plan is set, waiting to be implemented; we just have to commit, all in, with no regrets. What is the motivation to fly across the country, spend gobs of money, for one sporting event? We could spend it with friends at home on the couch eating every form of chips and dips known to mankind. Much more comfortable than sitting in nose bleed seats in freezing conditions far from home.

The answer is simple; it’s the Super Bowl, dummy and we are not immune to the draw of the cult that is American Football. It’s bragging rights, because you are going to tell everyone you know, “I went to the Super Bowl”. It’s a bucket list event, something that you will never forget.

It’s a chance to visit NYC. Ever since I was a child visiting my sister in the Bronx, I love going to New York. Plus two of my oldest childhood friends live in NYC and it has been way too long since I have seen them. Our beloved Seahawks are in the Super Bowl. It’s our duty as Seattleites to go. “Lets do it.”

Who were we kidding?, from the beginning we both wanted to go bad. We got the plane tickets before going to bed. We will be taking the red-eye to NYC the following day, less than 24 hours away. Up early the next day, I’m off to get as much work done as possible and Helen is going to hunt for Super Bowl tickets; By 10 am success! Helen finds and purchases tickets for the game, 12 hours until we fly. The rest of the day is a chaotic blur trying to get everything together before we leave. I finish packing moments before the cab arrives. We get to the gate as they are loading the plane. We find our seats and settle in, both exhausted. I fall asleep before we are airborne. Go Hawks!

Categories: New Jersey - February 2014 | Tags: 12th Man, Seahawks, Seattle, Super Bowl | Leave a comment

Bump in the night

Posted on January 6, 2014 by holidaymistake

We stayed at the Andrew Jackson Hotel in the French Quarter. An old hotel in an historic building; all the rooms opened up onto an open-air courtyard, and like most of the French Quarter, was rumored to be haunted.

It was stormy, with heavy rain and wind, we were woken up in the middle of the night by drunken hotel quests returning from a night on Bourbon Street. As we faded back to sleep, we heard some strange noises we attributed to the stormy weather.

Andrew Jackson Hotel Courtyard

We were soon woken again by the noise; it was not the wind: it was coming from the shopping bags in the corner of the room.

I turned on the light and slowly approached the bags and gave them a kick. A small gray mouse shot up vertically, landed and darted behind the dresser.

We called the front desk, got dressed, changed rooms. We left our luggage in mouse-room to pack in the morning; it was, after all, four a.m.!

Categories: New Orleans, LA - January 2014 | Tags: mouse | Leave a comment

Second line

Posted on January 4, 2014 by holidaymistake

The New Orleans Jazz Funeral procession has roots in traditional West Africa dances, with a tinge of voodoo. Brought to New Orleans by slaves, large traditional dances were held in Congo Square and were often squashed by various white leaders of the city. These illicit dances evolved into the famed Jazz Funeral during the early 1900’s and has since morphed into The Second Line; basically a neighborhood parade, half jazz march, half Soul Train ramble around the city.

Community groups mobilize friends and family, organize large marching bands, obtain a permit and plan the route through the city. This route is only announced the night before, a top-secret tradition. The parade can last hours, travel many miles, and have numerous pit stops. The parade this Sunday afternoon was slated to start at noon at the downtown Hilton. As we approached the hotel, we realized this wasn’t going to be your typical parade; There were already two large trailers with oil can smokers selling BBQ, and plenty of coolers full of beer and soda.

Double-barreled urban BBQ trailer

Outside the lobby doors, the rag-tag band milled about, instruments in one hand, beer in the other. The crowd of locals started to build up; they parted at the entrance of the hotel, forming a corridor with some holding a thin rope to keep the front row rabid fans at bay. The band slowly got organized and started to play, a funky up-tempo loud jazz. The Parade Marshals emerged from the hotel one by one strutting their stuff and throwing down dance moves, gliding and jiving: the crowd went nuts!

Sunday Best.

The funky, dancing Parade Marshals.

Within a few minutes the crazy parade was on the move. Dancing marshals first, band second, crowd third, two guys with large beer-filled coolers next up, all followed by our police car escort.

Follow the music.

Refreshments on the go.

The parade snaked through town picking up followers along the way, stopping occasionally for a hoe-down; the band would stop marching, and start to play crazy loud; everyone was dancing and jumping around. Then the parade suddenly headed down a side street and stopped at a small intersection for a longer break, the first of many along the route.

Only in NOLA.

There was a small bar on one corner and a few ‘bar cars’ parked in the street. One of these was doing brisk business; a guy with his pick-up, liquor bottle lined up on the roof of the cab. He had a wad of cash in one hand and a megaphone in the other, taking orders and furiously making cocktails in plastic cups; Only in New Orleans.

Yes.

Categories: New Orleans, LA - January 2014 | Tags: second line parade | Leave a comment

New Years in New Orleans

Posted on January 2, 2014 by holidaymistake

Preservation Hall looked like an abandoned, derelict building from the outside: no windows, clapboard siding, rusted wrought-iron door. We were attending the New Year’s Eve party at this storied New Orleans Jazz Club. In the heart of the French Quarter, Preservation Hall has been entertaining whiskey swilling patrons since 1961. We were looking for a New Orleans-style New Year’s and this seemed perfect.

Once through the door, there is a long hallway with old wooden theater seats on one side, on the opposite side, an open doorway. We walked through it, into a dimly lit room with a few old posters hung crooked on the stained wooden-panel walls. There were a few tables up-front and a small drum kit and piano in the corner. So this is where the band plays? It looked more suited for homeless squatters.

So Glamorous.

The hallway spilled out into a traditional creole open-air courtyard, with huge palm trees and tropical foliage. Best of all, the open bar was located at the end of this garden oasis. However worst of all, there was a cold snap in New Orleans this week, the coldest in twenty years; lower thirties and raining. We had packed shorts and t-shirts; turns out it’s actually ten degrees warmer in Seattle; we got screwed.

The music started and we crowded into the small room, not twenty feet away from the band. It was an interesting crew on stage with two tubas, drum-set, piano, trombone and musicians joining in with all forms of instruments and rhythm. As you can imagine, they kicked ass. Everyone was moving, jiving, dancing; including the band. The tuba players were in constant motion, swinging their instruments around without missing a beat; blasting out bass notes you could hear in your chest. With a sazarac in hand and cigarette smoke in the air; we were definitely in New Orleans. It has a timeless feel; this exact scene has been played out in this dilapidated room for decades.

We ran outside to Jackson Square, just in time to see the fireworks explode over the Mississippi at the stoke of midnight. Celebrating with the friendly citizens of New Orleans, the damp weather was not dampening anyone’s mood. Afterwards, we headed back in to see the band’s final set, before a short walk to our hotel, dodging the inebriated revelers celebrating the arrival of 2014.

Midnight!

Categories: New Orleans, LA - January 2014 | Tags: fireworks, jazz, new years eve | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving in Paradise

Posted on November 30, 2013 by holidaymistake

This year we weren’t up for the traditional thanksgiving; we went with an unconventional holiday celebration. We were itching to get out-of-town and so we rented a small cabin in the mountains just outside Mt Rainier National Park. It had snowed up there recently and the weather forecast was for sun. We drove through the evergreen forest at twilight; the cold winter sun set long shadows over the road, the small towns seemed deserted on this thanksgiving eve. It was dark by the time we pulled up to the cabin.

The next morning was beautiful, full sun; the sky was a washed-out blue, almost white, ice blue. There is only one road open in Mt Rainier during the winter, the road to paradise. Paradise is at the base of Mt. Rainier with a grand old lodge, visitor center and is the jumping off spot for climbing Rainier. The roads winds through old growth pine, climbing to sub alpine along rugged-boulder filled rivers. The road ends in the snow and Rainier at 14000 ft looms massive in front of you, We took a short hike in the snow; truly a mountain paradise.

On the way back to the cabin, we turned up a dirt-logging road to look for our Christmas tree. We purchased that allows you to cut down a tree in the state forest for $5. We bumped along the road looking for a suitable tree, we didn’t even have to leave the car, a drive-thru tree farm. We saw a nice sized tree just off the side of the road; unfortunately it appeared to be in the middle of an illegal dump site, with trash strewn about. Climbing over discarded tires, even though we were actually cutting it down, it almost felt like we were saving it from a toxic fate. We wrestled the tree on top of our car and tied it down; which was actually a bit of a chore as the tree was over twelve feet tall.

We then drove to Elbe,(population 29) and had thanksgiving dinner in an old rail car converted into a restaurant. I had the traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings, not bad considering I was eating on a train. After dinner we went to a local watering hole, which was surprisingly busy with Elbians sharing a potluck dinner. We headed back to the cabin early to sit in the hot tub looking at super bright stars in the clear mountain sky; I can’t think of a better way to spend thanksgiving; paradise indeed.

Thanksgiving dinner with a Rainier beer in a train

Categories: Mount Ranier, WA - November 2013 | Tags: Mount Ranier, thanksgiving, train | Leave a comment

Bad hair

Posted on May 30, 2013 by holidaymistake

On the fifth day of the ten-day solo kayak tour, only able to rinse off in the frigid ocean, my hair had now turned into a living form or perhaps had something living in it.

Day 5: my hair is starting to gain volume

Day 6: my hair begins to take on chameleon-like powers, imitating the landscape around it.

Day 7: ? !

Day 8: Medusa

Day 9: Getting nappy; dreadlocks forming

Day 10: A little drizzle added to the wet and wild look

10 days. 70 miles kayaked. 0 showers.

It’s odd what you up do to keep amused when you’re alone for ten days.

Categories: San Juan Islands, WA - May 2013 | Tags: bad hair, camping, kayak, San Juan Islands | Leave a comment

All teenagers are dumb

Posted on May 25, 2013 by holidaymistake

Tried to get on the water early to catch slack tide, but I was a little late. No problem, the tide was with me flowing like a fast-moving river through the shallows and tiny rocky islands just off of John’s Island.

It was a rather large ten foot tide on this morning; a lot of water on the move and I had to concentrate on the unpredictable tidal flow. Up ahead I noticed what I thought were two oddly shaped dorsal fins in the water. Turns out it wasn’t fins; it was the ears of a deer trying to swim across the one mile wide channel during this large tidal transfer. Clearly he had no chance.

stranded!

Miraculously he did somehow manage to scramble onto the last small rocky island; too bad for him it was a flood tide and his island would soon be underwater. He was a young buck with small nubs for antlers. What was he thinking? I guess teenagers are the same throughout the animal kingdom.

Categories: San Juan Islands, WA - May 2013 | Tags: camping, deer, John's Island, kayak, San Juan Islands | Leave a comment

Safari island

Posted on May 20, 2013 by holidaymistake

Break camp, pack kayak and on the water by 8am. The tide was favorable and the weather always better in the morning as the southerly wind builds as the day grows. I crossed Spieden Channel at slack tide to avoid the swift currents that plague the area on ebb and flow tides. Spieden Island has a colorful history like many islands in the San Juan archipelago. These islands, far from Washington DC authority, were populated with the independently minded or those on the run; Civil war vets, rum runners, families, farmers.

Spieden Island was bought in the ’70’s by the Jones brothers, who were taxidermists from Seattle. The brothers renamed the island Safari island and they imported exotic animals from around the world. They then spent their free time with friends hunting these imports. Sadly they were soon shut down.

It is said that the animals still roam the island, but I’ve seen the island from afar before, and didn’t believe the rumors.

But, as I now approached the steep grass shores of Spieden Island, I immediately saw a herd of animals; Small deer with white spots like oversized bambis and a large group of scruffy looking goats, looking a little out-of-place on the steep grassy knoll above the shoreline. Rumors could be true!

Wildlife

deer?

A few miles past ‘Safari Island’, I cruised the long harbor of Stuart Island to my spot for the next two nights. I set up camp at the end of Reid Harbor and wandered the dirt path to the historic lighthouse on the other end of the island. I walked past the one-room schoolhouse built in the late 1800’s and the old town cemetery with tombstone names like Littlewolf. The lighthouse and massive lightkeeper’s house was on turn point with sweeping views north to Canada.

lightkeeper’s “cottage”

Cemetary

With safari island and its strange inhabitants far in the distance and with dusk approaching I started a fire. The fire started easily with the sun-baked driftwood from the beach.I usually have problems starting fires which is strange, since I was a little pyro when I was young.

Pyro

End of a stunning day.

Categories: San Juan Islands, WA - May 2013 | Tags: campfire, camping, goat, kayak, safari island, San Juan Islands, spieden channel | Leave a comment