Posts from — September 2009

I love cranberries.  With about 30 percent of West Coast cranberry farms located along the Southwest Washington coast, it makes perfect sense that we have The Cranberry Coast to visit.

I thought this area could be easily explored in one trip. I was wrong. There is a LOT happening in this part of the state. This is Part I.

Thursday Afternoon and Evening
We leave Vancouver on a one of those frying, triple-digit July days. As we pull out of Chehalis on SR6, after our ritual stop at the Dairy Barn for milkshakes, the Wachovia clock reads 100 degrees. By the time we get to Raymond in Pacific County, less than an hour from I-5, we are down to a cool, marine 67 degrees. The Cranberry Coast is looking good already.

The Elegant Russell House

4 p.m. An Elegant Bed and Breakfast in “The Oyster Capital of the World” Our host Beverley warmly welcomes us at the historic Russell House Bed and Breakfast in South Bend. Russell House is a stunning 1891 Victorian home, built by John Russell as a 25th anniversary gift for his wife, overlooking South Bend and the Willapa River. Beverley has graciously agreed to store our tent camper and kayaks in the backyard while we are exploring the area. We settle in to the Bay Room with its turret window seat and spectacular view of the river.

6:30 p.m. Well-worn tavern, good beer, succulent oysters. Beverley recommends two diners in town for great oysters. We start with dinner at Chester Club and Oyster Bar, which more than one person points out has been written about in The New York Times. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for us. A few older guys are hanging out at the bar, occasionally wandering out to smoke and greet a very popular dog in a pickup. When I taste my first oyster, I slap the table. It’s that good. Lightly battered and fried but not greasy. And it’s matched perfectly with Rogue’s Dead Guy Ale. I hope The New York Times was very, very kind to this bar. They deserve it.

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When we grew up in (dare I say it) the 1950s and 1960s, everyone knew everyone else on the block. Parents, kids, dogs, cats, no creature was overlooked. Barbeques and block parties were the norm. Now we often hear people say that they want to meet their neighbors but don’t quite know how to do it. It seems like many neighborhoods are designed for the least human contact possible. Drive into the garage, enter the house and there is no opportunity to even casually neighbor.

We are lucky that many on our street like to get together. Each year, we have a Root Beer Float Social on the patio for our neighbors. Twenty-five of us gathered on a warm Sunday in July. This was a multi-generational affair with the ages ranging from 9 months to 90+.

We always ask the proverbial question: What comes first – the ice cream or the root beer? We never seem to reach consensus on this question. We just keep pouring and scooping, scooping and pouring.

June 20 marked the 90th anniversary of A&W Root Beer, which started in Lodi, California. How lucky that A&W was the chosen brand at our party this year!

In the true spirit of Martha Stewart, here is your supply list if you choose to gather your neighbors for root beer floats: invitations (personally delivered, please), regular and diet root beer, regular and light vanilla ice cream, ice, straws, long spoons, glasses or cups, napkins, a pitcher of water for those few who don’t drink root beer, lots of good cheer. Buy plenty. We always end up with unopened ice cream and soda. This year’s recipient was Share House men’s shelter in downtown Vancouver.

Happy Birthday, A&W! Thank you for all those great root beet floats! And thanks to our neighbors who really make our neighborhood a great place to live!

Carol Johnsen and Bruce Bryant moved to Clark County in 2006 from North Hollywood where they designed logos and story openings for series like Frasier (remember the Seattle skyline?), Cheers and the X-Files, among dozens of shows and movies, and won seven Emmys for their work. They are principals of Bryant/Johnsen Media Design and own www.jumbobumbo.com , an online gift gallery. We spoke at Brewed Awakenings in Orchards.

ZEST: How did you get here?

Bruce: We were thinking Oregon. We lived in North Hollywood and started looking in Oregon and crept our way north including the Portland area. We went up north as far as Yelm. Our house had been sold. We had to get a place up here. Our Realtor showed us around and we got this place. We love it. Our focus was on the dogs. (They had four dogs and two cats.)

ZEST: What do you love about living here?

Carol and Bruce: We love the seasons, four real seasons. We love the dogs at the Vancouver Farmers Market and the dog parks. The dog park (Ross Complex Off-Leash Dog Park) is the best place. It’s a daily event now for us. There are all kinds of people there. People talk to each other. It’s the classic situation where I can name the dogs, I know the people but cannot name them.

Love the people, the different kinds of people. We like it that people are not all in one industry. There is a lot of community involvement and creative people. There is a good educational system.

The scale of Clark County – it’s just perfect. Portland is too big but it’s there if you want it. Having lived in LA, we are happy not to be in the big city.

ZEST: What is the best kept secret about SW Washington?

Bruce: It really is an animal friendly place. Our newest dog came from the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society in Washougal. Talk about a wonderful outfit! That’s a real bond for us – people who care about animals.

ZEST: Where is your favorite place to relax and play in SW Washington?

Carol: Tommy O’s. It’s good for vegetarians and has good happy hours.

ZEST: If you didn’t live here, where would you live?

Carol: Cambria California, near San Luis Obispo

ZEST: What is coming up in your lives that you are excited about?

Carol: We are going to be doing a Web site for an author friend, Paulette Callen, in New York. We just finished up a project for OPB.

ZEST: What would surprise people to know about you?

Carol and Bruce: People are surprised we moved here from LA. Every year we are here, we love it more.