Las Vegas is synonymous with lots of things, most notably neon.
And the city’s Neon Museum has saved and now celebrates the neon signs of the past in a wonderful outdoor site.
One of the newest additions is a sign for the entrance of the Dunes Hotel and Casino, which opened in Las Vegas in 1955, was hailed as the “Miracle in the Desert” and offered extravagant shows, luxurious dining and over-the-top amenities.
(Exterior of the Dunes Hotel and Casino at night in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 5, 1958. Credit: Las Vegas News Bureau.)
The Dunes Hotel closed in 1993 and was imploded to make way for an even more extravagant hotel, The Bellagio.
Now the restored Dunes entrance sign is on view at the Neon Museum, which includes an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard; the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant! Jackpot” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non- operational signs; the Boulevard Gallery outdoor exhibit and event space; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby.
The museum’s collection also includes 15 restored signs displayed as public art in downtown Las Vegas.
Love beer? Here’s what happens to harvested hops
We took a tour of the Morrier Ranch hops farm in Yakima, Washington to see what happens to hops once they’re harvested from the field.
Yakima farms produce about 75% of the country’s hops and October 4 is Yakima’s Fresh Hop Ale Festival, a beer festival timed to the hop harvest that includes music, food and fresh hop beers using hops just off the vine.
Stuck at the Airport joined Condor Airlines on a flight from Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to celebrate the fact that the airline’s new Airbus A330neo aircraft – sporting the airline’s new striped livery – is operating on this route.
The German leisure carrier will soon have a fleet of all-new efficient, environmentally friendly Airbus A330-900neos serving all its long-haul North American destinations. And the inside of the planes, especially the business class cabin, is getting well-deserved raves.
We loved our business class seat, of course, but also the fact that the striped theme shows up in many places – but not too many places – inside the plane, from the slippers, the eye mask & the blankets in business class to the lavatories, air sickness bags, and even a special beer.
Seeking stripes? Condor’s new Airbus A330neos they’re currently being phased in on flights to/from Seattle (SEA), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), Las Vegas (LAS) and Toronto (YYZ).
Next summer, you’ll see Condor’s striped livery showing up also in Phoenix, Portland, Baltimore (BWI), Boston, Minneapolis, Anchorage (ANC), Fairbanks (FAI), Vancouver (YVR), and Edmonton (YEG).
Vaccinated and mindful of the evolving advice on traveling to places beyond our kitchen, we load up the car and drive from Seattle to Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley Food Trail, including Corvallis, Albany, Philomath, and other towns.
A leisurely, self-guided meander to farm-to-table restaurants, locally-focused wineries, breweries, and distilleries, and to farmers markets, museums, and other charming spots seems just the ticket for our first easing-out-of-the-pandemic road trip.
So, we say yes to an invite, restock the dop kits, air out a duffel bag, pack way too much for a 3-day trip (our packing skills are so rusty!), and hit the road.
A few of takeaways before we share photos and some details about places that welcomed us so warmly:
It did not happen in an instant, but we are delighted at how easy it is to morph from scared, stay-at-home-people to the curious, tell-us-more, lets-do-it travelers from ‘before.’
The CDC’s new, relaxed guidelines on masking and social distancing came out just as we got in the car. We heard lots of grumbling and “we’re not sure yet what we’ll do” comments from restaurants and attractions. But each place was trying to be mindful of the safety of their staff and guests.
The people out there hosting, making, cooking, serving, offering entertainment, and doing all that it takes to reopen the world to travel are working so very hard and so many businesses are not out of the woods yet. I’m rooting for them all.
(Our trip was hosted, but all comments and opinions, are our own)
Eating, drinking, tasting, touring
We did focus on tasting and touring food-focused places. But we did squeeze in visits to a few museums, including the new Corvallis Museum and, on our way down, the Abbey Museum at the Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, OR, which is home to one of our favorite items; the World’s Largest Hairball.
We could stretch it a bit and say this is food-related: the hairball was discovered inside a pig at a Portland meatpacking plant many years ago. The meat inspector on duty that day declared the hairball the largest he’d ever seen. It may have lost some heft over the year, but today it weighs in at over 2 pounds.
Each place has a great story and wonderful products and the staff at each site shared heartwarming stories of how supportive their communities have been during the pandemic and how these venues are welcoming tourists now.
Sky High Brewery – Beer Tasting
Deluxe Dining
Executive Chef Danielle Lewis at Castor
We were wowed by the cocktails, the wine, the dishes, and the dedication of the staff at Castor (Corvallis), which offers locally sourced and locally inspired dishes. Our chef’s choice meal included pea & farro salad, shrimp & grits, and a rhubarb bar – among other dishes.
We were charmed, well-fed, and educated by the staff at Eats and Treats Cafe (Philomath), a gluten-free eatery (but don’t tell anyone) known for its BBQ, hearty breakfasts, and desserts.
And we were honored that Sybaris Bistro in Albany created a special menu for our small crew. This unique and very welcoming Northwest Bistro also leans heavily into local sourcing and we dined on with nettle soup, cracker-crusted halibut cheeks, asparagus ice cream with the freshest new strawberries, and warm rhubarb brown betty.
Owner Lynda McHenry at Eats and Treats CAfeJaenel and Matt Bennett of Sybaris BistroThat nettle soup
Farm visits
Our Mid-Willamette Food Trail tour included stops at two farms.
Lilliputopia is a tiny-but-mighty 4 acre farm in Monroe, OR that uses dry farming to grow fruits and vegetables without irrigation, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. There’s also a petite-but-packed farm store on site.
Leaping Lamb Farm & Farm Stay, in Alsea, OR, is on land originally homesteaded in 1862 and is now a family farm that welcomes visitors for tours and stays. Owner Scottie Jones answered all our questions (even the stupid, city-people ones) and let us hold these 5-day old lambs!
Opereted by HMSHost, the more than 1,600 square-foot full-service restaurant and bar is located at Concourse A by gate A15.
A local favorite, the Christian Moerlein Brewing Company opened in 1853 in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. The new Christian Moerlein Malt House Taproom at CVG brings a taste of the brewery’s heritage to the airport with both handcrafted brews and a menu that includes meat and cheese boards, salads, burgers, and other beer-friendly entrées.
Among the Christian Moerlein’s signature craft beers being served in a setting reminiscent of Cincinnati’s celebrated 19th century beer gardens is a special new brew called JET CVG.
Here’s the brewery’s description of the JET CVG beer:
It’s a German-style Schwarzbier beer that “jet” black in color with a light mouth feel and clean lager taste. It pays tribute to Cincinnati’s German brewing legacy featuring Old World Pilsner, Munich, Caramunich II, Carafa III, and Chocolate malts as well as German Hersbrucker hops. Aroma and flavor are a combination of roasted malts, slight coffee, and hints of tobacco.
Like beer? Or just a cool place to grab something to eat when you’re stuck at the airport?
There’s now a brew-pub restaurant at Denver International Airport (DEN) with its own on-site brewery.
The new venue is called Tom’s Urban Kitchen and Tivoli Brewery and its located at the Westin Denver International Airport, just off the airport’s outdoor plaza.
The brewery portion of the restaurant is franchised by the Denver-based Tivoli Brewing Company, which has roots reaching back to 1859. At DEN, Tivoli will brew Jet Indian pale ale as an airport exclusive.
As a nice touch, students from Metropolitan State University of Denver who are pursuing degrees or certificates in brewery and brewpub operations will be working in the airport brewery.
While this is the first restaurant with a brewery at DEN airport, Tom’s Urban Kitchen and Tivoli Brewery is a well-known brand wih four other locations, including Portland, Los Angeles, Connecticut, and Las Vegas.
“Colorado is a paradise for craft beer lovers, and we wanted this amazing, signature space within the Westin Denver International Airport to reflect the Colorado experience with a brewpub that offers exclusive homegrown beverages and a taste of local Denver fare,” said airport CEO Kim Day.
This DEN-brewed beer and brewery will no doubt be a great addition to the “Beer Flights” beer garden the airport hosts each September out on plaza between the Westin and south entrance to the Jeppesen Terminal. That event coincides with worldwide Oktoberfest celebrations and features some of Colorado’s top micro-breweries and brew masters.
Year-round, there are plenty of other places at DEN airport to grab a craft beer, including New Belgium Hub, the Boulder Beer House Tap House and in many restaurants and bars, including Root Down.
Have a favorite place to drink beer at Denver International Airport? Let us know.
