The Girls of YML Do Portland

Here we are with yet another installment of the hugely popular segment: The Girls of YML Do... [enter your city here]". We're here in Portland, OR on behalf of iStockphoto hanging out with the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, otherwise known as "Alties." Portland is just a beautiful city - I'm so thrilled Sly could come down and join me.

So it's the AAN national convention and let me tell you, these folks know how to put on a conference. For example (and IDG, I hope you're reading this):

1. Great breakfast and lunch served in the expo hall every day, with coffee/tea/sodas served 'round 3:00 (Yes I understand this would be quite impossible with a crowd the size of Macworld, but it's nice all the same.)

2. They publish a newsletter every day posting photos of events from the night before, and what's happening that day. It's not huge, just four pages printed on 11 x 17 paper and folded. Efficient. Some of the information in said newsletter includes (and this is a quote from today's issue): " Travel Tip: the AAN Fridge. Need a spot to chill your brews? Try an old AAN favorite - just fill your sink with ice, and toss 'em in!" There's even a picture in case the description isn't clear enough.

3. One of the vendor booths has a huge margarita and daqueri machine. I kid you not. They are handing out flyers that say "Drink while you think." The dude with the chocolates at his booth doesn't stand a chance.

4. The dude with the chocolates at his booth is this guy (see picture). His name is Gary Brisendine and the sign on his booth says, "The Bitter Single Guy." He's a relationship advice columnist.

5. Free wireless in the expo hall.

6. Last night they hosted a reception with free wine from local Willamette Valley wineries and beer from the local micro brewery, all in the Portland Museum of Art's outdoor sculpture garden. They even hired a band with dancers on stilts. Click the photo to see the movie; it's bizarre.

7. Tonight they've arranged for a big yellow school bus (called the Bar Fly) to take us on a tour of (wait for it)... PORTLAND'S STRIP CLUBS.

:::::just let that one soak in for a moment::::::

::::and maybe just a few more moments for maximum impact::::::

8. When asked what kind of special event I'd like to sponsor at this show, I jokingly told the coordinator that an iStockphoto wine tasting would rock. She made it happen. Two local wineries are participating. It starts at 4:15 today IN THE EXPO HALL RIGHT NEXT TO MY BOOTH.

See what I'm saying?!

So last night, after Sly and I had some delicious cocktails at the museum, we did a little quality shopping at the museum store then took a walk on over to a restaurant I had been to six years ago called Jake's. That's really all I knew about it, was the name, and it's special to me because one of my favorite drinks was born there: Crown with Diet Coke and lime. (The bartender accidentally put a lime in thinking I'd asked for it, which I hadn't. The combo was so good I've stuck with it ever since.)

What I didn't realize was that Jake's is one of the 10 most popular seafood restaurants in the country and it's 110 years old. Humphrey Bogart frequented this place for Thor's sake! What a nice surprise that was. Fantastic food (we had fresh, wild Alaskan salmon from the Copper River, flown in that day), a terrific wine celler and a really unique atmosphere. If you are ever in Portland, you've got to go. The name of it is Jake's Famous Crawfish.

On the way to the restaurant, there was another shop that made quite an impact on me six years ago that I had hoped to stumble upon again. It's called Spartacus Leathers and it's an, um, "specialty shop" of sorts. Lo and behold it was right where I remembered it - directly across from Jake's. After perusing the front room where all manner of "creative clothing" can be had, we signed waivers, provided ID, and checked our bags at the counter - then we were lead through chain mail curtains into the "inner sanctum" of Spartacus. Our eyes were wide as they fell upon two huge walls, floor to ceiling, of "devices."

There were purchases and that's all I am willing to say. We were given coupons so we're hatching plans for a return trip. They're open till midnight and I *think* we'll have time to fit it in after tonight's party and before the strip club bus leaves. We thought we'd take YML sponsor, Jean from SmileOnMyMac, with us :)