waiting for a shuttle bus in oregon city

After some bike maintenance and a super late start, we departed on route towards West Linn. Once in Oregon City we made a tragic discovery the pedestrian bridge was closed, leaving our options of biking back an hour + to Sellwood, or a hellish ride on the I-205 over the Willamette. Thankfully, we met a cyclist who told us of a free shuttle for pedestrians. So we loaded the bikes on board for the short jump over the water.

this climb was memorable

Once across, we finally made our starting point to Willamette Park. The ride started out with an insane climb up a mountain and at a certain point it was hard to contain my laughter for questioning why on Earth I was doing this. But we made it and cruised on down through some back roads to the Canby Ferry.

a ferry takes you to canby

As a cyclist, you ride the ferry for free and it goes all day! It was fun and a nice break from the climb. The sun was out and the weather was fantastic.

bricks and minifigs

Across the way we went into town. One downtown store advertised it sells “Bricks and Minifigs” (upon closer inspection it’s a lego store). We stopped for ice cream at Dairy Queen (eating turned out to be a big theme of the trip) and this was just the start.

history museum for anarchist commune in aurora

While the ride officially ended in Canby, the call of the open road was drawing us further down. We headed off track, down Highway 99 down towards Woodburn. 99 was less than ideal but the most direct route and we stopped briefly in Aurora, the site of an anarchist commune from the late 1800s.

We reached Woodburn at dusk. When most people bring up this town, they think outlets malls on I-5. Just a mile or two past that Woodburn is home to a burgeoning Mexican immigrant community. Due to the agriculture, the surrounding area is predominately Latino, and the entire downtown area is Mexican owned and operated, with a plethora of tacquerias, panaderies and cowboy shops. As two white guys on bikes loaded with camping gear, I imagined we looked other wordly. We rolled into town as festivities were winding down for Cinco de Mayo: a mariachi band was playing outdoors and there were a variety of food vendors. We decided to find an outpost to set up camp for the night.

After a haunting failed first attempt to camp behind a school (in which we received an offer not unlike the one detailed above), we rode around the perimeter of town until reaching an industrial zone where we set up shop. We then ran back through town to catch dinner, as by this time we were famished.

an amazing meal where everything was covered in mole

On a stroll through town we found a place that sells a bizarre smoothie concoction of corn, mayo, chili powder and milk. We skipped that, and the 10 taco deal for $8. If it wasn’t obvious by the mobs of locals inside, we decided on a tacqueria Cinco de Mayo. This cozy place served hearty portions of Oaxcan food. I’m not even sure I could identify everything on my plate, but the mole sauce was out of this world. We grabbed some late night Mexican pastries at another shop and hit the road.

top o hill is highly recommended

The following day we packed up and hightailed back to Portland. One highlight was a late breakfast at a greasy spoon, Top O Hill. They had to bring two plates because the food didn’t fit on one! I couldn’t recommend it more.

We got caught in some crazy hail storm on the way back but beat it back to Portland. At New Seasons we ate another incredible amount of food before calling it a day. All in all it was a memorable trip that made me excited about the summer and the continued prospect of bike camping. Next up: covered bridges. It should be E P I C.

Recently I joined my ol’ pal David Gracon for a bike trip to the coast. It was great! It was like our Tough Stuff bike/ film from last summer, all over again. Speaking of which, my essay about that tour was recently published in Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media. Check it out here.

I’m working two days a week at the farmer’s market for Groundwork Organics. Contrary to the picture on their homepage, they do not endorse child labor; they are great people! Excellent produce too!

I’m busy up to my ears with the Dill Pickle Club. In fact, most of my creativity is going to that organization, so if you want to keep up to date on stuff I’m up to, head here and sign up on the e-mail list.

Come the fall, I will be working on a new project with the Mental Health Association of Portland, administering a public art work dealing with mental health and criminal justice…a sore subject for the City of Portland these days.

Besides that, livin’ life. Who’s got time to blog when there’s so many things to do?

Where does energy come from? from In The Can Productions on Vimeo.

This past year I made a T-shirt as a tribute to James and the mistreatment of a 12-year girl who was shot with a beanbag gun for not paying her Trimet fare. Sales from the shirts raise funds for the completion of ALIEN BOY, a documentary Brian Lindstrom is making on the life and death of Chasse. You can still support this noble cause and purchase a T-shirt; however we are running out and will not likely print more.

What we’ve got left:
8 Small
14 Medium
1 Large

Pitch in and pick one up here.

Sarah Mirk and I recently made this short vid for Oregon History Comics. The video is to raise money to print a series of 10 comics telling little-known stories from our state and city’s history.

We’re using the social networking site Kickstarter to make the project possible. If you are unaware, Kickstarter is sort of an all-or-nothing fund raising site for grassroots projects. We have until May 31st to reach our goal of $2500 and we’re off to a good start — but we’re still about 25% off the goal with less than 2 weeks to go. We need your help in raising the remaining amount. If we fail to hit $2500 we sadly we get none of the money people have pledged!

Help out by contributing, re-posting and sharing with your friends! Check out the full details, along with updates, photos, a PDF of the first comic and full details here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dillpickleclub/oregon-history-comics/

Together, we can make this happen! The future thanks you!

I have a new T-shirt project I’m doing in conjunction with the Mental Health Association of Portland. A portion of proceeds from the sale of these shirts goes towards funding the completion of Alien Boy, a documentary on the life of James Chasse. Order shirts and more info here: http://iamjameschasse.wordpress.com

Check out the Alien Boy teaser:

Have a cause or project you need to promote and market? I’m pounding the pavement, looking for freelance gigs. Just finished designing a series of posters for the Northwest Institute for Social Change, and will be soon at work on a promotional vid for Team Colors’ Uses of a Whirlwind: Movement, Movements, and Contemporary Radical Currents in the United States (AK Press, 2010).

More than just a freelance designer, I am available for consultation, planning and implementing targeted media campaigns for individuals and non-profit, grassroots, social justice and community organizations. Services I can provide:

• Project planning and event management
• Marketing and media outreach
• Strategic communications
• Graphic design and video production
• Writing and editing
• Social media campaigns
• Fundraising campaigns
• Program evaluation

Click here for more on my past work experience; I’ll also be expanding an online portfolio for my freelance work soon.

Have a project in mind? Get in touch!

1. I’m back in Portland after 10 mind-numbing days of meditating. Hurrah!

2. Dara Greenwald and Josh Macphee have an incredible exhibition of activist art at PNCA (pictured above) that opens tonight, Feb. 4th. I had a chance to preview it; it’s mind blowing! The show is sprawling, staggering and looks something like a student occupation of the commons. Highly recommend.

3. Excited to check out Museum of Contemporary Craft’s Gestures of Resistance tonight. The exhibition “examines work by contemporary artists who focus on craft actions and create works that use craft to agitate for change”. It should be interesting to see how the show evolves over the course of its run, as the Museum will host seven artist residencies between now and June.

3. I’m giving a short presentation on a new T-shirt project this Sunday, Feb 7th @ Research Club. The event meets @ the Tribute Gallery (328 NW Broadway #117) at 1PM. The brunch intends “to create a context where active and interesting people can meet each other and talk about what they’re doing while having a little something to eat.” More on the T-shirt project in a bit…

4. Missed Ivy Lin’s film on the first Chinese burial ground and her search for missing remains of Chinese Laborers? There’s another one happening next Tuesday, Feb. 9th at UO White Stag Building (70  NW Couch St). 5:30PM reception, 6:00PM screening.