Fourth of July

The holiday gods blessed Oregon with perfect weather for the 4th of July weekend. I decided to get out to town for few hours, and headed east for the open roads of central Oregon. I was surprised with the amount traffic, I guess everyone felt like getting out of town too.

This time I took hwy 26, which takes you around the base of Mt. Hood. While the sun was out, the mountain air was cool and crisp, but as I drop elevation and headed closer to central Oregon it started warming up. While, it would have been nice to be enjoying a big celebration like in years past, getting out alone on the open road is a great way to celebrate too.

Ride around Mt. Hood was a shot of the mountain looking to the north.

Social distancing shadow.

Getting out

The dry weather has arrived in Portland just days after the summer solstice, hopefully our rainy June will be replaced with sunny days in July.

I did manage to squeeze one bike ride at the beginning of the month, I headed out of Portland in search of nicer weather in central Oregon. I was optimistic, so I headed east and managed to out run the rain. My luck held out the whole day until I was ready to cross back into Oregon at the Bridge of Gods. I got caught in one of the biggest, wettest rainstorm I’ve ever been in.

I got soaked! It was raining so hard the cars were pulling off the highway. I pressed on for the next thirty miles and was almost dried out when about ten blocks from my house, the Oregon weather gods emptied their clouds on me again.

I’m hoping to get out of town for another trip after the fourth of July, wish me luck!

Sun Valley

My Labor Day weekend was spent working in Sun Valley, Idaho. I headed up to Idaho to help my old friend Mitch Silver with his 32nd annual Labor Day auction. Situated on the grounds of the Sun Valley Lodge over 125 vehicles crossed the block over the two day sale.

It had been over a decade since I had last worked this auction, it was great to see some of my old friends from the car business, and laugh about the old days when we were much younger. The weather was perfect and the crowds filled the tent on Saturday to look at and bid on a wide range of collector cars. I’m looking forward to going back next year.

This beautiful Rolls Royce sold for $54,000.

The rare supercharged Studebaker sold for $34,000.

The super sized motor home sold for $125,000.

Dry Falls

I finally got a chance to hop on my motorcycle for a quick trip. I have missed riding my Kawasaki. But this weekend we were reunited again. I did a quick service and grabbed my backpack for a run up to Dry Falls, Washington which is about five hour northeast of Portland. Dry Falls is located in the Channeled Scablands of eastern Washington. The falls were created by the massive floods that engulfed eastern Washington during the last ice age. It an impressive site, and the amount of water that rolled over the area is estimated to be all the rivers in the world combined and multiplied by 10!

Dry Falls

Up through the canyon, 12,500 years ago I would be at bottom of the river, with 300 feet of water above the top of the canyon.

Selfie!

Okanagan Valley

Work and travel have kept me busy for the past couple of months, but the past week really was the cherry-topper! So what have I been up to?

I just returned from a five-day trip from the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. We went up for a wedding that took place right on Lake Okanagan in Lake Country. The next day, I was there to celebrate Canada Day too. Canada Day is July 1, so it was a super long weekend celebration that moved right into the Fourth of July.

The Okanagan really is an amazing place. It is the heart of BC's wine and fruit industry. It is lake and cottage country. Most of BC’s wineries and orchards surround Lake Okanagan, a spectacular 82-mile long lake.

Canadians take great pride in protecting their environment. The small towns we drove through dotted along the lake were pristine. Free of trash and graffiti, with main streets featuring well-kept storefronts, cafés, and long-time businesses. It was really refreshing to see and I am already ready and looking forward to going back for another restful vacation!

All dressed up for Sarah and Jason’s wedding in Lake Country

Property at Lock + Worth Winery and Poplar Grove Cheese overlooking Lake Okanagan

Sunset at Nichol Vineyard on the Naramata Bench

2018 Is Here!

My new year doesn't start on January 1st. It starts after I take down my Christmas tree. So 2018 started for me on the 4th this year. We spent the holidays here in Portland then headed north to Vancouver, Canada for New Year’s Eve.

Getting to Seattle from Portland usually takes two and half hours; but the Friday after Christmas, it took us over four hours to crawl up the I-5. We pretty much hit every rush hour from Portland out. It didn’t help that it was pouring rain that afternoon and into the night.

Though at the end of the road, we were rewarded with a bit of a getaway to our favorite hotel, The Sorrento. It’s a small boutique hotel built in 1909; it has a great vibe that the newly built ones just can't replicate.

The morning after our stay, we started our trip onto Vancouver. With all the other holiday travelers on the road, we were slowed to a stop at the Canadian Border. It took us a nearly two hours to cross that day!

Once in Vancouver, it was great to see all my friends and to celebrate with them over food, drink, and laughs.

La La Land

We've been busy with the end of yet another school year and the start of summer vacation. So far; we already have under our belt a girls' trip to Los Angeles, a couple of rides out to Eastern Oregon, our annual Fourth of July block party and fireworks, Sauvie Island berry-picking, and lots and lots of ice cream cones! I hope that you too, have been enjoying this glorious Portland sunshine!

Here's a video, made by my daughter Jo, of our SoCal trip with her BFF. I think she did a great job. Enjoy!

https://www.facebook.com/steverdorsey/videos/10156236559177656/

Bourbon Bonanza

Cheers! On the eve of New Year's Eve. We couldn't wait @JeffsBourbon @srdorseyauction #bourbonlove pic.twitter.com/WLifFvGG4W

— Ali Hui (@FoodWineFinder) December 31, 2016

We got into a little bit of bourbon over the holidays. While I'm not a huge spirits guy, I don't mind a good cocktail once in awhile. My co-writer for this piece, Al, enjoys a scotch on the rocks every now and again. So we tried a couple of new bottles and discovered a few gems.

Portland's own Burnside Bourbon paired perfectly with homemade Bananas Foster, continuing along with our steakhouse-themed Christmas dinner. Then we prematurely popped the cork on the Jefferson's Reserve a night before our official New Year's Eve toast. It was an amazing bottle; still lingering on the palette nearly an hour after our last sips.

A summer sipper that we have also enjoyed is Long Table Distillery's Bourbon Barrel Aged Gin. While not whiskey-based; with a hint of caramel and smoke, it's a great alternative for those who prefer clear spirits, but are open to a little more depth and complexity. It's only available at the downtown distillery in Vancouver, Canada. I would say well-worth the trek.

Ended a wonderful night with family with homemade Bananas Foster and soft-serve paired beautifully with local spirits. #MerryChristmas pic.twitter.com/69oamrargJ

— Ali Hui (@FoodWineFinder) December 26, 2016

Happy Holidays

With Thanksgiving turkey in the rearview mirror, it's a quick countdown to Christmas only three weeks down the road.

Waterwatch wrapped up this year's fundraising with a bang. Thanks to Nina Johnson for sharing her photography skills. Next year is already looking to be a Happy New Year filled with fun fundraisers. Good to have our loyal repeat customers back and a warm welcome to new clients joining our team. We look forward to starting the 2017 fundraising season right with a new-to srdorsey auctioneering not-for-profit group. Revving up in February and gearing down in November, there is still lots of availability remaining in the first and last months of next year's auction calendar. If you have a specific date in mind, best to get on the stick!

A couple of notable upcoming events is auction week in Arizona, January 18 to 22. You will see a record number of cars consigned this week in 2017, with seven auctions competing for your business. Even I have been eyeing a few auctions I may head down to. There are some worthwhile cars to bid on. Of course, don't forget to check out the first motorcycle auction of the year too.  Mecum returns to Las Vegas January 27 to 29. I'm planning to make it down there for at least one of those days.

So happy holidays to you and your families. Thanks for a tremendous 2016! I wish you all the best in the new year and am excited to see what 2017 has in-store for us all.

Happy Holidays

Here's a little Christmas cheer from our house to yours in the form of a photo collage. We baked to our hearts' content. I roasted a 5-boned, nearly 15-pound prime rib and served it with garden-grown horseradish. We paired that with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes from my folks' property and Pinot Noirs from the Willamette Valley. Leftovers transformed into steak and eggs for breakfast the next day and today, we're enjoying it as an overnight, slow-cooked beef and barley stew!

I hope you and your loved ones are having a safe and very happy holidays! Wishing you all the best of health and happiness for the coming year. See you soon.

Gobble Gobble

Wow. Can you believe it's that time of the year again? Turkey time!

We're all ready for company. Shopping is done. Pies are baking. House is tidy. Tables are clothed. I would have to say Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year. I love the tradition and the meaning. It's all about getting the family together and celebrating for what we are grateful with food and wine. And there really is so much to be grateful for in our lives.

We always do a big bird with mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce. The vegetables may vary from year to year. The sweet Hawaiian rolls never do. We always have pie - lots and lots of pie. There are five kinds on the menu this year. This year we're also having Oregon roses from Bergstrom and Winderlea with our meal. It'll be the last of the bottles that we brought back from the Willamette Valley, when we were there earlier this fall.

So whatever you celebrate and however you celebrate with your families, I hope that you enjoy happiness and good health this holiday season. Safe travels and full stomachs to all! Gobble gobble!