Tag: https://traveloregon.com/

America, Countries

A dark sky at night is Oregon’s delight

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We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars.. happen Oscar Wilde should have visited America’s west coast where a dark sky at night is Oregon’s delight.

Who knew? Well we do now after our pals out West shared the good news with us.

That a 2.5-million-acre area of southeastern Oregon has just been certified as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary by DarkSky International, making it the world’s largest Dark Sky Sanctuary to date. 

Now it’s worth remembering that everything is bigger out West and The Sanctuary in Let ‘Er Buck state is approximately one-half the size of New Jersey.

Stars align

Light up: Warner Valley Overlook. Pic by Joey Hamilton/Travel Oregon

Within the Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary (OOIDSS) are the unincorporated communities of Adel, Plush, Summer Lake and the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.

As well as a portion of the Fremont-Winema National Forest, nearly 1.7 million acres of land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Summer Lake Wildlife Area, nearly 80,000 acres of state-owned rangeland, and the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway.

‘This four-year collaboration brings together so many of the elements we try to achieve in regenerative tourism,’ said Bob Hackett, Executive Director of Travel Southern Oregon.

‘It not only elevates the destination experience for visitors to Lake County and opens up opportunities for local businesses, but it also helps agencies and residents steward their lands in ways that celebrate a legacy of starry night skies for generations to come.’

You are not alone

Shooting stars: Falling Stars Lake County. Pic by Sharon Theall

This unique geography we’re told is home to an array of wildlife, including American pronghorn, bighorn sheep, sage grouse, white-tailed jack rabbit, and migratory birds navigating the Pacific Flyway.

The region is also culturally significant and is home to a 13,000-year-old human occupation site.

While dispersed within the OOIDSS are hot springs, wild horses, private rangelands, ranches, and cattle… so you’re never alone!

Education and outreach efforts here have included: Stargazing & Natural Night Skies Webinar Series, screenings of the film Saving the Dark and tri-county library access to Night Sky Adventure Kits.

As well as dark sky gatherings, local dark sky videos, educational exhibit tables, dark sky presentations and workshops, and library programs as well as partnering with the neighboring Idaho Dark Sky Alliance for events. 

Reach for the sky

Starry, starry night: Milky Way Lake County. Pic by Sharon Theall

The Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary now joins more than 210 Places that have demonstrated robust community support for dark sky advocacy and strive to protect the night from light pollution.” Learn more by visiting www.darksky.org/conservation/idsp.

So there you have it, a dark sky at night is Oregon’s delight.

And ours too from Dublin through LA to Portland on a round trip with Aer Lingus from €739

So maybe check it out with the rest of the world as we celebrate International Dark Sky Week next week (2-8 April).

And reflect on both good (Mount Teide in Tenerife) and more challenging experiences (food poisoning in the Sahara Desert in Morocco).

And plan on getting out to Oregon to the big country.

 

 

America, Asia, Canada, Caribbean, Countries, Europe, Food & Wine, Ireland, Oceania, UK

The ten homes of whisky

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It’s the golden seal every country strives for, to be the home of something… so where are the ten homes of whisky?

You’d probably not to be surprised at the top five.

And so it’s more of a case of shuffling that pack to see who is tops.

The next five though is a bit more surprising.

So on this World Whisky Day join me for a distillery tour.

But do me a favour please, don’t ask about distilling or the mashing process.

It just holds us up on our way to the sampling.

Scotch Wahey

Fergie’s dram: Sir Alex’s bottle in his cabinet near Aberdeen

Scotland: And the reach of Scotch (just whisky in Scotland) became clear when the distillers held a whisky-tasting in Barbados.

Now we can blind you with science and stats… 44 bottles of whisky are exported from Scotland every year.

There are five designated whisky regions… Cambeltown, Highland, Lowland, Speyside and my own fave Islay.

They’re all heavenly and 

But my No.1 is Laphroaig. It’s so peaty, just like a bowl of water in an ashtray but stick with me here.

After all you have tried haggis.

United Nips of America

Mark of a whiskey drinker: Kentuckian Mark, Cath and Mum

USA: And, of course, when the Scots left home they took their whisky and its secrets with them.

And adapted it to the new world of America and went on to produce nectar such as Kentucky’s Woodford Reserve bourbon.

But US whiskey isn’t restricted to the Deep South… branch out to Oregon.

Where Westward Whiskey have released a reimagined single malt for World Whisky Day.

Green, malt and gold

The oul’ sod: The oldest distillery in the world

Ireland: And Teeling only made it into our Barbados tastings.

While Bushmills lays claim to being the oldest distillery in the world, established in 1608.

They were also responsible for the extra ‘e’, well the Irish are the masters of using two words when one will do, and more letters too.

Land of the Rising Suntory

Made in Japan: Suntory

Japan: Now this is a love story that drams are made of.

And is the result of a relationship between a Japanese chemistry student at Glasgow University Masataka Takaretsu and Jessie Roberta Cowan.

Masataka had been dispatched by the Settsu Shuzi liquor company.

A love Suntory if you will.

Maple leaf

We’re in the Club: Canadian Club

Canada: Right, we’re told that Canadian whisky has its origins not in its big Scottish diaspora.

But because the natives, the First Nations, got a taste for what they called the traders’ firewater.

It was a meld of rum and ‘high wine’ which developed into Canadian whisky, of which Canadian Club is the most recognised.

Sikh beatha

Basket of goods: Indians love their whisky

India: Or Sikh of life, my twist on the uisce beatha which is Gaelic for water of life and is what Scots call their favourite drink.

And long may the Indians keep up their love affair with whisky which they have been producing since 1948 since Amrut entered the market.

More than half of all whisky drinkers in the world come from India. 

Wizards of booze

Bonzer: Aussie whiskey

Australia: And we should have come to expect this with our ne’er-do-wells sent over there as convicts.

Specifically Tasmania is whisky haven with the best Aussie whiskies Sullivans Cove, the best Single Malt at the world awards, and Lark based there. 

A Swede whisky

That way, Sweden

Sweden: Now here’s something you don’t get at your local Ikea with your meatballs but should.

Mackmyra was Sweden‘s first distillery and the Swedes got it right first time, winning the First Edition Gold Award in 2013.

The Isle of Tai

Gold standard: Taiwanese whiskey

Taiwan: You see what we’ve done there. Yes, Taiwan‘s connections with the West probably plays its part here.

Kavalan whiskey won the World’s Best Single Malt at the awards in 2015 and the island’s distillery produces 9 million bottles a year. 

Ja beauty

Dram busters: Germans on the whisky

Germany: Now some of us have ripped it up in Germany at the Oktoberfest where it’s lager obviously but also schnapps chasers.

The Germans though are open to everything and they have around 250 distilleries and around 130 of them are focused just on whisky production.

So, on this World Whisky Day a big Slainte to the ten homes of whisky.

 

 

 

 

America, Countries, Culture, Food & Wine

Oregon and a Gallery of Rogues

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I’d miss the flight, stuck in the Westward whiskey tasting room and lounge in Portland Airport, but I’d be happy to… to toast Oregon and its Gallery of rogues.

Our pals at Travel Oregon put on a Happy Hour for us yesterday as they looked forward to opening up their doors again.

Map it out: Oregon

And British Airways are looking at direct flights from London Heathrow to Portland in 2022.

And, of course, provided us with the tools to join in… a hamper with Westward whiskey and Rogue Hazelnut Beer.

Get the picnic glasses out

Now Oregon being The Great Outdoors the locals holster up and throw their Pendleton rugs over their shoulders.

Love is a rug

So when in Portland do like the Portlanders and lay your rug out on an open field and picnic with that other household we’re now allowed to meet.

A word or two about Westward Whiskey… they’re only multi-award winners at last year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Bottle it up: Westward

Founded in 2004, Christian Krogstad came to whiskey from beet and wine.

And when he rocked up there were only three dozen craft distilleries in the US… now Westward are among more than 2,000.

Let ‘Er Buck

As they say (and remember I’m holstered up here albeit with a rug) ‘Let ‘Er Buck’

You old Rogue you PtI

So that’s your whiskey chaser, or the American Whiskey Elevated cocktail, the recipe which they sent ahead), let’s talk beer.

Rogue nation

We have Rogue founder Jack Joyce (and I’m detecting an Irish flavour in his name here) he rented his Ashland premises from Mohava Niemu.

Jack had dropped in out of a snowstorm to Mo’s Chowder in 1989.You old Rogue PtII

By the time he’d left he had rented out her garage and large vacant space to set up Rogue Ales Brew Pub with two stipulations…

To feed the fishermen because they sustain us.

And to put a picture of her naked in a bathtub above their bars as she always wanted to be above a bar.

I’m now off with my Rogue Hazelnut Beer to the tub for a wash and a selfie.

I’ll place my rubber duckies sensitively around me!

LET ‘ER BUCK