One Way to Portland
by MILTON REDBRIDGE
I was a little flummoxed when my dad asked me to drive his brand new Buick Enclave from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon. Don��t get me wrong, the thought of driving that hunk of luxury with all its gadgetry and wizardry was certainly appealing. It was just that my driving record up to that point was not what one would exactly label as clear, and I wouldn��t have expected such an offer from my stiff-upper-lipped father.
Dad had just moved to Portland to pursue some hot new business venture, and he didn��t have the time or inclination to drive the Enclave the 530 miles from San Francisco. Me, on the other hand, student on vacation with nothing but time. Not to mention the promise of a business-class return plane ride �C no brainer.
Next thing, I��m crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, perched like a prince in the sumptuous leather driver��s seat of the Buick Enclave with ��Born to Be Wild�� blaring from the Advanced Bose 10-speaker system. Nothing wrong with this picture. Hmmm, except for a few hours later when I picked up a $350 speeding ticket. ��Officer, I was momentarily distracted by the awesome sight of Mount Shasta, and also the sheer power of the Enclave��s 3.8l v8 engine got the better of me.�� Wonder what I said wrong?
Eventually I arrived in spectacular Portland, where I had the distinct pleasure of handing dad my thick pile of travel expenses with the yellow speeding ticket stashed safely in the middle. ��I��ll give these to Marjorie and have her cut you a check,�� was music to my ears. And imagine my joy when dad declared he was taking off the afternoon to spend some time with me in one of Portland��s most thrilling locations, the International Rose Test Garden! Naturally, I could barely contain my excitement.
Dad congratulated me on getting the Enclave to Portland in one solid piece and promptly placed himself in the driver��s seat, thereby letting me know that my tenure as driver was done. Then he launched into the role of docent and proceeded to give me a history of ��The City of Roses,�� and how the climate is ideal for growing roses yada yada yada. After viewing 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties, I have to admit, I actually began to appreciate the wonders of this unique bloom. And the insanely awesome views of Mount Hood and the Cascade Mountains were pure gravy.
Evening began settling in, and it was my turn to educate my father in the pleasures of Portland��s other world-renowned creation, microbrewery beer. With 28 breweries in the city, Portland is home to more of these wonderful enterprises than any other city in the country. Not wanting to frighten my father, I limited the tour to three of the most well-known establishments; Widmer Brothers, BridgePort, and Hair of the Dog. For those of you with an affinity for the occasional factoid, you might be interested to know that the Portland Oregon Visitors Association is promoting "Beervana" and "Brewtopia" as nicknames for the city. What��s more, in 2006, the mayor officially gave the city a new nickname: Beertown.
After our little beer session, dad decided it would be best to leave the Enclave parked downtown and take a cab back to his place. No argument from me; personally I��d had enough dealings with the long arm of the law.
The following morning, we retrieved the Enclave and dad dropped me at the airport. We hugged it out and I cheerfully made my way to the business-class lounge where I met Melanie. But that��s a story for another day.
Author Bio: Milton Redbridge is a history major at San Francisco State, where he is currently writing his thesis on the War of the Roses. Milton is also restoring an old Victorian with his fianc��e Melanie. For more information on the Buick Enclave visit selectbuickdealers.com.
