Downtown McMenamins Passport Page Complete!

Here we go, chipping away at another page.  Matt, outside the 23rd Avenue Bottle Shop.  This shop is newer than our Passports, but we still had to get the stamp.  This place can meet all of your McMenamins-related alcohol needs.IMG_5022

Across the parking lot from the Bottle Shop is McMenamins Tavern & Pool.IMG_5023

Onward to Hoyt, where we found the Ram’s Head.IMG_5024

A quick stop at the Blue Moon.IMG_5025

Then a long walk to the Market Street Pub where we got our last stamp and waited for a table so we could get our burger.IMG_5026

Here’s our completed page.  We got our Mission Theater stamp when we went to the alien abduction movie last spring.IMG_5027

And here’s my burger.  And oyster crackers came with my clam chowder!IMG_5028

I noticed that the lamp wasn’t going anywhere.  It’s screwed to the tabletop.IMG_5029

Our McMenamins Passport day in Washington

Laurie made the plan.  The plan was to get all of our Washington stamps for our McMenamins Passport.  We were game, so Laurie and Burt picked us up early on Saturday morning.

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These two pages will be done by the end of the day.  Plus one more.

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Whilst on the road we found a McMenamins friend.  The back of the truck advertises the Passport.

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There’s this part of I-5 where the vista opens up and all of Seattle is before you. And if you miss that shot, you end up with something like this one.

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We drove on past Seattle to our first stop, the Mill Creek Pub.  As you can see, Matt and Laurie are letting us know which stop it is.  The customer in the window and the waitress waved so they could be in the picture, but by the time I took the picture, they had gone back to ordering.

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Our first stamps of the day.  We were apparently the fourth group to come through today. And it was just after 11.

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Remember our truck friend?  We found him again at Anderson School!

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The newest property was our second location.

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Because the hotel opened after we bought our passports, we had to have a grid stamped and then we made our way around the property collecting our stamps.  Along the way we saw:

Fun groupings of light fixturesIMG_4977

This might be the answer to the photo scavenger hunt (Don’t worry, the question changes weekly.  By the time the post goes up, this won’t be the answer.)IMG_4978

A Tiki-themed restaurant.IMG_4980

The very pretty pool, which we couldn’t have swum in if we tried.IMG_4981

Stamps collected, we got our swag. I got the bag, Matt got the lunchbox.IMG_4982

Our third location.  Seattle’s Six Arms.IMG_4983

Commentary about the state of the Seattle Times.IMG_4984

Queen Anne Pub meant we completed our page and we stopped to collect our prize:  a free burger!IMG_4985

What’s that mysterious object peeking through the trees?IMG_4987

The usual McMenamins table detritus.IMG_4986

Our fifth location of the day was the Spar Cafe in Olympia.IMG_4988

I really liked the interior of this location.  That’s a copper-topped bar!IMG_4989

Here we are at our final location:  the Olympic Club.  Which is not in Olympia, but Centralia.  Regular readers of The Orange Door might remember our trip to this property in 2012. IMG_4990

And here’s our swag:  a t-shirt. I got the official shirt (in blue).  Burt, Matt and Laurie opted for different shirts. I think it’s fun we all ended up with different ones.

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Here is our completed Anderson School passport page.IMG_4993

Here are our completed pages 24 and 25.IMG_4992Eagle eyes will note that page 24 isn’t really done, because I don’t have the stamp for McMenamins on the Columbia.  But fear not, we popped in right before we crossed the river, so Matt and I could officially complete our pages.

We’re just over halfway through.  Watch for the next big day of McMenamins driving with Laurie and Burt, where we achieve Roseburg, Corvallis, Eugene and Salem all in one day!

The last Breakfast

For five years, our friends Laurie and Burt have been hosting Breakfast once per month in their home.  They live less than a mile away, so Matt and I have attended regularly.  Free food!  We’re good at that.

Today is, alas, the last Breakfast.  I brought a Gingerbread Man friend along, so you will see him in these photos.

This is Burt and Laurie’s house, which I love.  Partially because Burt and Laurie live there, but partially because it’s a very old house (for Portland), has a really awesome fireplace that came around the Horn, and also because you can see how the house grew as time went on.

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Laurie and Burt always have a variety of beverages, including coffee, hot chocolate, orange juice and water.  Because this was the last Breakfast, there was also champagne to make mimosas.

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Laurie poses with the food.  There are always scrambled eggs, feta cheese, potatoes, vegetarian sausage, bacon and fruit.  Plus either pancakes or waffles and some small sugary bready thing like mini cinnamon rolls.  It’s a great spread. Laurie’s nephew and his mother also are enjoying breakfast.

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Burt is the pancake/waffle man.  His pancake/waffle job keeps him in the kitchen, but he pops in and out while things are cooking.

IMG_4881It’s been fun to have five years of breakfasts.  I will miss the second Saturday food and conversation.  Thanks Burt and Laurie!