Portland folks love vintage stuff. And we love a bargain. Thrift stores, secondhand stores and garage sales are right in our wheel house. It’s just in out nature to enjoy secondhand stuff.

So, this weekend in Ridgefield, Washington about forty-five minutes north or Portland, is going to be pure heavy for the thrifty lover of second hand and vintage treasures. This community garage sale which offers forty-dollar tickets for early entry is a thrice yearly event that offers gobs of hidden treasures waiting for the right person to come along. Is that person you?

This accurately named community garage sale discharges thousands of products and has never ever disappointed me. Plus if you get the early bird entry, which I wholly recommend, your odds are fantastic that you will get that hidden treasure you’ve been seeking. Last year, I found a really cool gold pocket watch you know, one of those numbers with a chain. It works like a dream and I feel super cool when I have it o ...

Let’s face it. For we millennials, social security for retirement is an unlikely scenario. A recent article in USA Today said that, in order to retire at sixty-five, millennials would need to save half of their paycheck. Half. Who can live on half a pay check? I know I can’t.


With rent on the rise and with rental properties becoming more and more scarce as Portland experiences the constant population boom, there have to be other options. Throwing away $1500, $2000, and even more every month is only perpetuating the problem we millennials face with retirement. In many cases, it is less money to actually buy a home than it is to rent one. Plus, who wants all the limitations that come with renting property?


Purchasing is a smart choice in Portland, Oregon for many reasons. For one, housing costs are on the rise. While this may make the initial investment a little hard to come by, it also means that when you go to sell the home, you should be able to turn a tidy prof ...

Mexican restaurants in Portland, Oregon are a dime a dozen. Few are excellent, many are great, and a couple are just not good. As someone who loves Mexican food, this is a blessing for me and yet another perk of living in Portland, Oregon.

While Mexican food is probably the most popular Latin American cuisine, it’s far from the only one. But, as with the beer options here in Portland, therein lies a problem: Which Latin American cuisine do I choose?
One Portland (well, Oregon City, to be precise) eatery, Mesa Fresca, seeks to solve that problem.
Roy Galván, chef owner of Mesa Fresca, is a culinary tourist. He is well versed in many food cultures, but his specialty is Latin American cuisine. From the hurried streets of Mexico City to the high-altitude kitchens of Cusco, chef Galván is inspired by the culinary traditions of Mexico, Chile, Peru, and other Latin American countries. You may have had steak fajita tacos before (and I really don’t want to be your ...

Summer is just over a month old but it’s already starting to feel like it’s winding down. Back to School ads are prevalent on television and in stores, the days are just getting a little bit shorter, NFL training camps have started and the MLB all star game is well behind us. Yes, these are all signs of the impending fall and, while many are saddened by this, in Portland, the fun is just beginning.

Before the Summer is out, make sure you head out to the Oregon Coast. A drive through Portland into Hillsboro, up the jagged mountains of the Cascades and down into the valley floor and, before, a ubiquitous blue ocean, temperate temperatures and frigid waters that still beckon swimmers and surfers. Yes, Oregon has surfing. Great surfing in parts.

Also, be sure to hit up any of the numerous food and drink and music festivals peppering the area this summer. Portland is a hub of creativity and delicious food and creative libations and summer is a great time to keep abreast ...