Roadside Attraction

A staple of any long car ride is the tourist trap. Here’s our guide to some of Oregon’s most curious ones.

Venturing Forth

Swearing he’d never be a banker like his father (and grandfather and great-grandfather), John Haines fled his office in the Wells Fargo Tower to kayak the world’s wild rivers and pioneer new paths in finance. Ten years after an accident confined him to a wheelchair, the city’s most daring banker has embarked on his greatest adventure yet: steering Mercy Corps’ efforts to prove loans work better than handouts to lift the destitute out of poverty.

By Ted Katauskas

The Grocery Store Cart

With her short story “The Grocery Store Cart,” Marian Pierce won the 2009 short fiction competition of the Wordstock book and literary festival. Chosen by Oregon writer Barry Lopez, this story won her $1,000 and publication in Portland Monthly.

By Marian Pierce

Mercy Corps In Action

In its newly built Portland headquarters, Mercy Corps opens the Action Center, a multimedia learning museum meant to further engage the public in the humanitarian organization’s mission to end world poverty and hunger.

By Alexis Rehrmann

Going Coastal

Portland Monthly Editor Brian Barker shares his pictures from his tour of Southern Oregon, and up Highway 101 along the Oregon Coast.

With contribution from Brian Barker

Experience the East

Portland Monthly editor Kasey Cordell takes us with her through Eastern Oregon.

By Kasey Cordell

Set Out for the South

Portland Monthly editor Rachel Ritchie shares pictures from her getaway adventure into Southeast Oregon.

By Rachel Ritchie

Charting Sam

Portland astrologer Shon Clark looks to the sky to see how the stars aligned during some of Mayor Sam Adams’ most famous (and infamous) days.

By Shon Clark

The Perfect Party

The party guests for this month: Kaitlin Inglesby, Megahurtz, Edwin Skaug, Larry Wilson, and David Wiegand.

Good Company

Business Facilities named Oregon as one of the top ten business climates in the United States. Let’s take a look into why we ranked so high.

By Kasey Cordell

Patterned Behavior

Portland Fashion Week judges named eventual Project Runway winner Leanne Marshall their top emerging designer in 2006. We take a look at the top five finalists for the award this year.

By Meghan Hilliard

Holy Water

Local beer brewers argue over politicians messing with their biggest ingredient—water.

With contribution from Brian Barker

Cash for Creativity

The National Endowment for the Arts was granted nearly $20 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Who in Oregon got a piece of the pie?

By Kasey Cordell and Victoria Nguyen

PDX Index: Fountains

Portland Monthly takes a look at local fountains.

By Meghan Hilliard

Shifting Gears

By Randy Gragg

Autumn Done Right

Here are the ingredients to a great autumn day in Portland: fresh food, good beer, great costumes, ghost stories, and a picnic under Laurelhurst Park’s Katsura tree.

By Elizabeth Buelow

Room Service

Stay in style this season with some of the city’s best garments.

Edited by Brett Glass and Jill SpitznassWith contribution from Peggi-Jane Jeung (Styling) and Katherine Ross represented by OMM Style (Hair and Makeup)

Go For Green

As we reach the colder winter months, those formerly ripe tomatoes are hanging on to the vine for dear life. Like local chefs, you can take advantage of the new bounty of green tomatoes.

By Martha Calhoon

Can It

The historically maligned beer can undergoes a craft brew makeover led by Colorado’s Oskar Blues Brewery. Will this trend spread to Oregon?

By Rachel Ritchie

Pope House Bourbon Lounge

The Pope House bucks the terrible stereotypes of the South fueled by “Free Bird” and NASCAR with its 40-plus brands of bourbon and impeccable surroundings.

By John Chandler

Oregon Chardonnay

By Condé Cox

Whole Hog

“Every part of the pig is edible, except for the oink.” This Spanish adage describes the wonderful creativity behind some of Portland’s best charcuterie extremely well as farmers twist classic Spanish techniques to make a prosciutto with a taste specific to Oregon.

By Mike Thelin

Specialty Rolls at Sushi Mazi

Chef Marc Suwansathien’s specialty rolls at Sushi Mazi such as the Super Rock & Roll are an orgy of Japanese fusion techniques, showing off a fondness for whimsy and over-the-top presentation.

By Martha Calhoon