Its summer time, and that means its time to worship everyone's favorite summer refreshment...BEER! And there is no better place to do that than Portland, home of the more craft breweries than any other city (I am totally pulling that fact out of thin air, but look it up, I bet its true). I think the plethora of beer festivals and tasting opportunities are one of Matthews favorite parts of summer! So far he has been to a couple on his own, and a few weekends ago we went to the Fruit Beer Festival with some friends. We had a great time tasting funky, fruity beers, and we have been looking forward to the next beer tasting event.
We didn't have to wait long before it was time for the Organic Beer Festival this weekend. The event takes place in Overlook Park in Portland, and its so pretty out there - with a great view of the city from the hilltop:
I don't like driving there, and would never ever want to live in the city, but for some reason I absolutely love Portland neighborhood sidewalks. Is that weird? Perhaps, but I love them anyways. Maybe its because I grew up in a neighborhood without any sidewalks. Maybe its the beautiful trees and flowers that line them. Or maybe its the way that little girls look so innocent and happy running down them:
This festival is totally kid friendly; they have a kids craft section set up and probably most important - unlimited free root beer for kids! And not crappy root beer either - it was real craft brewed stuff. The kids must have gone back to refill their cups 4 or 5 times.
Once we tore the kids away from the root beer stand, we walked around and explored the park. Daddy and Rowan took a ride on the beer bus together:
How cool is that? Under each seat is a pair of peddles, and when you buy a seat on the "Brewcycle" you tour around the city, powered by everyone peddling along while chatting and enjoying a nice cold beer. Only in Portland! Another cool invention we saw - another bike turned beer drinking station. It has a keg on board, and the guy rents it out for parties:
Matthew and I enjoying the sunshine and beer (picture courtesy of Killian):
We took a break from beer tasting to sit on the grass and enjoy the band that was playing. The kids had brought some Lego's to keep them entertained, and with them they set up their own little stage and band:
We sat around soaking up the sun, music and great atmosphere for a while, until all the beers had been tasted, and the kids couldn't handle one more minute of sitting still. As we wandered towards the exit, this little sign caught Matthews eye:
No. He. Didn't.
Oh yes, he did:
I didn't want a bite. I thought it was the most disgusting sounding thing ever. I shook my head and pursed my lips. I made gagging sounds. But in the end, the kids and Matthew coerced me into trying it. And you know what? It was gross. Ick. Ew. Disgusting. I think its the first thing that I have ever eaten that had bacon on it that I did. not. like. Only a deep fried Twinkie could possibly be worse. But Matthew and the kids took great delight in the ooey gooey mess, and declared it Awesome, with a capitol A. Which just goes to show that I have all the taste in this family!! ;)
We didn't have to wait long before it was time for the Organic Beer Festival this weekend. The event takes place in Overlook Park in Portland, and its so pretty out there - with a great view of the city from the hilltop:
I don't like driving there, and would never ever want to live in the city, but for some reason I absolutely love Portland neighborhood sidewalks. Is that weird? Perhaps, but I love them anyways. Maybe its because I grew up in a neighborhood without any sidewalks. Maybe its the beautiful trees and flowers that line them. Or maybe its the way that little girls look so innocent and happy running down them:
This festival is totally kid friendly; they have a kids craft section set up and probably most important - unlimited free root beer for kids! And not crappy root beer either - it was real craft brewed stuff. The kids must have gone back to refill their cups 4 or 5 times.
Once we tore the kids away from the root beer stand, we walked around and explored the park. Daddy and Rowan took a ride on the beer bus together:
How cool is that? Under each seat is a pair of peddles, and when you buy a seat on the "Brewcycle" you tour around the city, powered by everyone peddling along while chatting and enjoying a nice cold beer. Only in Portland! Another cool invention we saw - another bike turned beer drinking station. It has a keg on board, and the guy rents it out for parties:
Matthew and I enjoying the sunshine and beer (picture courtesy of Killian):
We took a break from beer tasting to sit on the grass and enjoy the band that was playing. The kids had brought some Lego's to keep them entertained, and with them they set up their own little stage and band:
We sat around soaking up the sun, music and great atmosphere for a while, until all the beers had been tasted, and the kids couldn't handle one more minute of sitting still. As we wandered towards the exit, this little sign caught Matthews eye:
No. He. Didn't.
Oh yes, he did:
I didn't want a bite. I thought it was the most disgusting sounding thing ever. I shook my head and pursed my lips. I made gagging sounds. But in the end, the kids and Matthew coerced me into trying it. And you know what? It was gross. Ick. Ew. Disgusting. I think its the first thing that I have ever eaten that had bacon on it that I did. not. like. Only a deep fried Twinkie could possibly be worse. But Matthew and the kids took great delight in the ooey gooey mess, and declared it Awesome, with a capitol A. Which just goes to show that I have all the taste in this family!! ;)