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Sweet + Spicy Pear Recipes
A Stylish Airstream Makeover
The Business of Timber
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November | December
volume 83
When in Ashland for the holidays, let Larks Home Kitchen Cuisine do the cooking. (photo: Neuman Hotel Group)
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New Ways to
Holiday Don’t want to cook this holiday season? Create new traditions instead with these Oregon experiences written by Jean Chen Smith
ne of my favorite holiday memories is the year my husband and I got married and moved into our first home together. It was during the holidays, and we were inundated with boxes of belongings that needed to be sorted through and unpacked. It was a little overwhelming to say the least. Both bogged down with corporate jobs that consumed our days and sometimes nights, there was almost no time to organize our home, much less cook and prepare for the festivities of the season. Both our families were situated far from our new home, so we did not have plans of visiting for Christmas anyway. On the spur of the moment, we decided to take a break from the stress of unpacking and booked a three-day getaway at an adorable bed and breakfast that offered a full holiday dinner. We were able to enjoy a beautifully decorated property and a traditional meal, and even meet the owners and other guests. It was truly one of the best times we have ever had. When we returned refreshed and relaxed, the boxes seemed much less daunting. This year, if you want to skip the process of preparing and cleaning up, and if you are up for doing something unconventional, look no further than our list of some of the best places to spend the holidays.
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2023
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Logs and forest define Oregon’s westside, which provides 90 percent of the state’s timber harvest, mostly from private lands.
THE STATE
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WHY IT MATTERS WHO OWNS OREGON’S FORESTS written and photographed by Daniel O’Neil
OF TIMBER
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2023
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northwest destination
A nice change of pace at Whistler is slowing down to smell the snowdrifts.
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northwest destination
Whistler, B.C. With Whistler’s Cornucopia festival, food and wine are in the spotlight before—and after—skiing
Justa Jeskova/Tourism Whistler
written by James Sinks BREATHTAKING OUTDOOR adventure—particularly once the snow starts flying—is always on the menu in the wonderland of Whistler, B.C. A two-hour drive up the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver, the renowned luxury resort is an all-year attraction and a winter recreation mecca, and home to the neighboring, gondola-connected peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb, a former Olympics venue and the largest ski area in North America. Zigzagging through powder is only one of the tantalizing main courses here. You’ll also find dogsledding, alpine zip lining, luxury spas in the chalet-style village, snow shoeing, and even ski jumps and a bobsled track. Between and after, it’s the sort of place where you can work up some serious hunger. Luckily, it’s also a place where they take food seriously. And come November, the resort’s international restaurant scene is the center of attention. Before ski lifts open for the season, which occurs each year on the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Whistler hosts the ritzy Cornucopia festival, focused on pursuits of the palate-pleasing sort. It is both a celebration and exploration of the culinary bounty of British Columbia, said James Walt, a cookbook author and the executive chef at three top-tier local eateries, specializing in French, Spanish and Italian fare. “It’s a time for the winemakers and restaurants to shine,” said Walt, who arrived in Whistler in 1997 in his 20s and is now a de facto Cornucopia celebrity, hosting happy crowds for events at his Araxi, Il Caminetto and Bar Oso restaurants. During Cornucopia, most of the dishes are designed based on the wines being served, and that leads to some experimenting and discovery, including a locally sourced duck dish that found its way onto his permanent menu, he said. Founded as a weekend affair twenty-seven years ago to help fill rooms during the quiet fall shoulder season, Cornucopia now stretches eleven days with bustling draws like sommelier-led themed dinners featuring local and international wines, stage shows where chefs prepare dishes in front of audiences, and both informal and black-tie events. The sessions attract private chefs and restaurateurs from afar, brewmasters and distillers, culinary media, and foodie and wine-tasting tourists. NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2023
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