Page 2506 – The Source

Tasting the Forbidden Fruit: This weekend's Chainbreaker race offers a great way to see Skyline Forest

Michelle MercerMay 4, 2011January 4, 2023

The annual Cascade Chainbreaker mountain bike race is perhaps best known for providing a passport to forbidden fruit: private land, almost 33,000 acres of it, riddled with single track. Like Willy Wonka opening the factory gates, the Chainbreaker has effectively served as the single track equivalent of the Golden Ticket, providing participants with access to fantastic and isolated trail.
What many people don't know is they can go there anytime they like, at least during spring, summer and fall. But they might want to bring a topographical map, a compass and a strong sense of direction. The Skyline Forest, as it's now referred to, encompasses almost 50 square miles of undeveloped land northwest of Bend. Historically known as the Bull Springs Tree Farm, this huge chunk of land is the prize in a slow-developing transaction between the Deschutes Land Trust and the property's owner, Cascade Timberlands, LLC.

Outside

Ten Days in the Galapagos: Following Darwin's trail for a once-in-a-lifetime experience

Jim AndersonMay 4, 2011September 4, 2024

Did you know it is possible to travel from your home to the Redmond Airport, plunk one’s self in the innards of a Continental airliner at 6 a.m., and – with only three connecting flights – find yourself in Quito, Ecuador, at 9 p.m. that same day? It is. I did just that a couple of weeks back on my way to the Galapagos Islands.
Never in my wildest dreams of “things to do, and places to go,” did I think that some day, when I was over 80 years old would I set foot on what is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting biological and geological treasurers on planet Earth. But thanks to many, many friends, and three people in particular – Jay and Teresa Bowerman and my dear wife Sue – it happened.

Outside

Pretending to Like Soccer: How to fit in at a bar full of Portland Timbers fans

Mike BookeyMay 4, 2011November 22, 2023

Here's something you should know, especially if you plan on visiting Portland any time soon. They have a soccer team. And a real soccer team, at that. Not the jive-ass minor league, playing-on-Astroturf-with-baseball-dugouts-in-the-background sort of team, but an actual MLS squad with a big-name corporate sponsor emblazoned across the chests of its players and a real-life mascot who actually cuts logs in half on the sideline with a chainsaw.
They're called the Timbers and Portlanders love them. A lot. And unlike in other U.S. cities equipped with MLS teams, Portland fans actually watch their team. The games are sold out and last Saturday I couldn't find a bar that wasn't equipped with an audience of beer-in-hand, eyes-on-the-screen fans, many of whom were draped in the Timbers' yellow-on-green jerseys. Given that Portland is essentially a European city masquerading as a well-read mid-market American settlement, this enthusiasm fits well with their bicycle lanes and efficient mass transit.

Culture

Ocean's Five: Mixing heist and muscle cars, Fast Five delivers its intended punches

Morgan P SalvoMay 4, 2011January 4, 2023

My first and most pressing question going into Fast Five was how bad would it be? Well seriously, it's God-awful, but it does exactly what it set out to do, succeed in action movie formula. It stays out of the annoying range for the most part and just gives us requisite testosterone-fueled smash-ups, shoot-outs, car chases, over-the-top action and, of course, muscular cars and muscular dudes. Don't get me wrong, this is still a terrible movie, but you can nevertheless happily sit back, toss logic out the window and cram popcorn down your gullet for two hours.
This is director Justin Lin's third Furious installment and he lays it on thick with little flair for anything but loud shit, complementing the onscreen flare-ups with super dramatic musical explosions. Lin is adept at keeping the action formula intact: three big chase scenes, one huge fight sequence and a little love interest to keep everyone who came to get their money's worth happy. The production is set in Rio de Janeiro, so of course we see that same ol' Jesus statue more times than necessary.

Culture

Where's Your Helmet, Thor?!?

Source WeeklyMay 4, 2011August 12, 2024

Dear Owner and Operators of my local 7-11:
I'm writing to express my EXTREME disappointment in your current selection of “Thor Slurpee Cups.” As you may know, I'm wildly excited for this weekend's premiere of the feature film Thor – so much so, in fact, I intended on purchasing every Thor Slurpee cup you have in stock. Therefore, you can imagine my horror when I discovered that every one of your Slurpee containers depicted Thor… without his helmet.
WHAT… THE… CRAP? Do you realize what a colossal blunder you've made? Thor without his helmet is like Batman without pointy ears! Wolverine without pop-up knuckle knives! Wonder Woman without her camel toe!

Culture

The Age of Innocence: Disney's Prom is missing something, and it's called reality

Anne PickMay 4, 2011June 3, 2023

“A girlfriend of mine didn’t go to hers [prom]. Once in a while she gets a terrible feeling, like something is missing. She checks her purse and her keys, she counts her kids, she goes crazy. And then she realizes that nothing is missing. She decided it was side effects from skipping the prom.” – Iona in Pretty in Pink

For decades, Hollywood has been building up this idea of prom being the pinnacle of adolescence. The above quote comes from one of my favorite movies, Pretty in Pink, which back in the '80s solidified prom as a significant right of passage. Since that time, there's been no shortage of movies about the supposedly spectacular event. In Disney's Prom, the traditional (and perhaps accurate) images of sex, drugs and underage drinking take a back seat to teenage innocence.

Culture

Picking the Winning Lineup: BendFilm gathers together local cinephiles to narrow down the pack for this year's festival

Anne PickMay 4, 2011July 16, 2024

Come mid-October, have you ever been sitting in one of our local theaters and wondered to yourself how BendFilm chooses the independent films we get the privilege of watching during the festival? Contrary to what you might think, it's not through Hollywood movie magic, or based on the recommendation of little green fairies with projectors for eyes who simultaneously both project and watch each submitted film. As cool as that may sound for an animated short (don't steal this idea), that's not how it's done. Instead, BendFilm assembled a team of community members to watch and rate hundreds of submissions as part of their selection committee.

Culture

Charles Finn On: Preparing for Guests

Source WeeklyMay 4, 2011April 12, 2025

Good friends we don’t see often are arriving this evening for the weekend. There has been the usual flurry of activity: cooking and cleaning and the making of beds. A better quality of wine has been purchased than our budget normally allows, and a small grocery store of crackers and cheeses wait in the wings, ready to go under the knife in name of hors’ d'oeuvres. Meanwhile, sheets have been changed in the spare room and the pillows fluffed. Towels put out. Our friends are driving in from out of state and I expect they will be tired and hungry. In readiness, soup simmers on the stove and there is homemade bread rising in the oven. What last minute preparations we can make, we make. Everything else will have to do.

Food & Drink

The One about the Salty Samurai: TOMO gives us a lesson in imported beer and sushi on the south side

Amy BelasenMay 4, 2011November 25, 2023

I’ve learned some lessons about eating sushi over the past several years. First and most important, don’t trust Texas-style sushi – the oversized, unbalanced and less-than-fresh rolls. I also avoid all-you-can-eat sushi unless I can see the coastline from my seat. Happy hours, on the other hand, are a great way to sample different types of sushi. Finally, if you're going to have a drink, you've got some unique options. Many sushi restaurants offer an assortment of Japanese beers, warm and chilled sake, in addition to sake cocktails.
Half-price sushi at TOMO Japanese Restaurant on Monday night is yet another lesson: be in the right place at the right time. TOMO is the southernmost eatery in a family of restaurants that includes Szechuan, SOBA and Five Fusion, owned by siblings Di and Howie Long. Lined with green bamboo walls, a six-seat sushi bar and a private tatami room, TOMO is much more welcoming once inside. For slightly larger parties, if you can snag the tatami room, where guests sit on mats or pillows and eat from a low table, you're golden.

Food & Drink

Little Bites: 2011 Dining Guide Redux

Source WeeklyMay 4, 2011August 23, 2024

In our rush to finish the Dining Guide, we mistakenly omitted some of our favorite restaurants. And we wouldn't feel right unless we provided our readers with this important addendum to the Dining Guide. We encourage you to cut the following listings out of the paper and paste, staple, or tape them into the 2011 Dining Guide because it isn't complete without them. – the editor.
10 Below
Northwest Eclectic
10 NW Minnesota Ave. 541-382-8436. www.oxfordhotelbend.com $$-$$$. New American. If you're looking to get off the beaten path, look no father than this subterranean enclave of modern fine dining. The restaurant recently hired chef Brad Wood, formerly of the Bend Athletic Club, to lead its kitchen. Wood's experience and familiarity with the Bend dining scene should pay dividends for 10 Below, which is blessed with a great downtown location and ultra urban chic design aesthetic that's a welcome contrast to the myriad of steak houses and brewpubs that often define the local restaurant scene. While changes are no doubt afoot for the restaurant's menu under Wood's guidance, the menu currently leans on a combination of Northwest staples served with a local touch, such as the grass-fed Borlen beef filet with red wine demi glace and blue cheese crema. But don't skip over the appetizers, which include bacon-topped scallops with mushroom pancakes or the spicy seared ahi tuna with pickled ginger and cucumbers and wasabi. The Dish: Breakfast and lunch daily. Happy Hour 2-6 pm, 9pm-close. Dinner 5pm-close.

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