Subject: 1992 CON: The Portland Proposal
From: [email-masked] (Mark Morrissey)
Date: 18 Mar 92 02:50:55 GMT
Newsgroups: soc.motss

A Formal Proposal Regarding the 1992 soc.motss.con
                      A Bid for Portland, Oregon
                     Wednesday July 22 - Monday 27

This is a formal proposal to hold the 1992 soc.motss.con in Portland,
Oregon.  It is our sincere wish to share the unique culture and
environment of the Pacific Northwest with our friends on soc.motss.
Please come, you won't regret the choice.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the members of the pdx-motss mailing list for their
concerted effort in putting this proposal together.  Certain members
deserve special recognition: Bob (BBC) Donahue and Alan Batie for begining
the effort; Chris McCabe for coordinating the "Bars / Clubs" section; and
especially Fred Huntington for sharing his thorough knowledge of Portland
as well as his editing prowess.  Thank you one and all.

ABOUT THE CITY

Portland is a city of 430,000 with a metropolitan population of 1.5
million (including Vancouver, Washington) situated near the confluence
of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in northwestern Oregon.  The city
is a blend of old and new, urban and country in a setting which seems to
be just right.  Located at the northern end of the Willamette Valley,
the city is flanked on the west by pleasant hills and split in half by
the Willamette River.  The downtown and northwest areas of town are
wonderful places to shop, people watch, view the restored 19th century
architecture of Old Town or the new architecture for which Portland is
rapidly becoming celebrated.  The specialty shops in northwest mingle
with the restored brownstones to create a truly neighborhood feel.  The
core downtown area, unlike that of many cities, is a thriving and safe
pedestrian and retail district.  There are major upscale clothing stores
(Nordstrom's, Saks 5th Avenue), bookstores, specialty stores, theaters,
restaurants, and celebrated spaces (Pioneer Courthouse Square, Forecourt
Fountain, Tom McCall Waterfront Park).  Washington and Forest Parks in
the West Hills offer commanding views of the city as well as a quiet
escape from urban life.  Forest Park is one of the largest urban parks
in the continental US with recent additions allowing for the extensive
park trail system to be extended to the Oregon coast by 1995.  Mt. Hood
(11,239'), Mt. St. Helens (8363'), Mt. Adams (12,276'), and Mt. 
Jefferson (10,497') are all visible from the parks.

Portland's relations with the queer community are generally above
average.  The city administration is generally liberal and
queer-supportive.  There are a variety of gay and lesbian bars and clubs
as well as several queer newspapers: "Just Out", "Lavender Network", and
"Alternate Connection".  Additionally, Oregon long ago legalized sodomy as
well as all other noncommercial sex between consenting adults.  The
drinking age is 21, however, most establishments which serve food as well
as alcohol (e.g. brewpubs) can have minors on the premises until 9:00pm.
Microbreweries seem to flourish in the greater Portland area giving it a
reputation for some of the best beers in North America.

ITINERARY: SHORT LIST
 
        ***********************************************************
        Please note that we have several optional activities which 
        may appeal to a limited subset of the CON participants.  
        These activities are listed on the day of the activity with
        "optional" in parenthesis.  A more detailed description of 
        some events follows this abbreviated listing.
        ***********************************************************

Wednesday: Early Arrival

5PM--2AM:       Pre-CON event: Bagby Hot Springs.  Relaxing hot
                springs about three hours from Portland with a 45 minute
                hike to the springs. Bring a flashlight since the hike
                out will be in the dark.

Thursday: Welcoming, Introductions, and Orientation.

7PM--10PM:      OFFICIAL OPENING.
                Name tags and information packets will be available.

Evening:        Exploring Portland.

Friday:  Picnic, Exploring Portland, BBQ at Alan's.

6AM--7PM:       Day hike up Mt. Adams (12,276').  (optional)
                This climb is limited to 6-8 persons and is quite strenuous.

8AM--5PM :      Day hike in the Mt. Hood area.  (optional)
                Many possibilities including the magical Bald Peak to Ramona
                Falls loop which has spectacular views of the mountain.

11AM:           Picnic at Washington Park

Afternoon:      Activities around Portland include:

                o Walking tours of Portland.  Powell's book store
                  distributes a map showing areas of interest in the
                  downtown core area of the city.  Includes most of the
                  shopping area.  Does not include NW Portland (21st and
                  23rd streets) which has many small specialty shops.

                o Shopping downtown or at one of the many local malls.

                o Museums.  The American Advertising Museum (9 NW 2nd),
                  Historic Preservation League of Portland (26 NW 2nd),
                  OMSI (at the Portland Zoo off Hwy 26, 5 minutes west of
                  downtown), Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park), Oregon
                  Historical Society (1230 SW Park), Oregon Maritime
                  Museum (113 SW Front), World Forestry Center (at the
                  Portland Zoo).

                o Japanese Gardens.  Carefully designed to highlight
                  traditional Zen principles of simplicity and harmony. 
                  This area is quite spectacular as well as relaxing and
                  refreshing.

                o Pioneer Courthouse Square.  A great place to people
                  watch. A small amphitheater with a coffee shop on the
                  high side and Powell's travel book store on the low
                  end. Flanked by Nordstrom's and Pioneer Courthouse.

                o Tom McCall Waterfront Park.  Along the Willamette River
                  at the base of the downtown core.  Just 6 blocks from
                  Pioneer Square. Frolic in the fountain, rollerblade,
                  people watch, or just sit and enjoy lunch or the company
                  of friends.

                 o Powell's Book Store.  One of the two largest book
                   stores in the US.  With well over 1,000,000 books in the
                   main store at 10th and Burnside, Powell's is a great
                   place to browse or just read a book at the in-store
                   coffee shop.  Two blocks east is Powell's new technical
                   book store which is rapidly expanding its selections.

                o Winery Tours.  A map of the local winery's will be
                  included in your welcome packet.  In addition to tasting
                  several award winning wines, this tour will take you
                  into the very pretty rolling hills surrounding Portland.

                o Paddleboat tour on the Willamette.  This activity is
                  spendy, however, it is the best way to see this Portland
                  waterfront.

7PM:            BBQ at Alan Batie's house.

Saturday: Picnic, Expeditions, Special Interest Events

11AM:           Picnic at Rooster Rock - Columbia Gorge
                Many optional hikes in the Columbia Gorge.  Guidebooks and
                maps will be available to help sort out choices.  Rooster
                Rock is a half hour east of Portland at the west end of
                the Columbia Gorge.  There are areas for both clothed and
                non-clothed.  Only the BBQ area near the parking lot is
                wheelchair accessible, the beach areas are not.

                Expeditions around Portland

                Evening: Special Interest Groups.

                o Lesbian Potluck 
                  Coordinator: Doretta Schrock ([email-masked])

                o Bears: Note that we intend to coordinate with this
                  concurrent bear activity.

                  Quoted from "NW Bear":

                  Rooster Rock Run July 25-26 will be a special weekend
                  for the NW's Bear Population! NW Bears (Seattle) and
                  Cascade Bears (PDX) will be co-sponsoring a day at the
                  famous Rooster Rock beach, an evening of fun in various
                  Portland watering holes and a special combined Bear Hug
                  at CB's own play house.  The next morning there will be
                  a brunch at the PDX Bear club's favorite restaurant.
                  We'll let you know more about this event at a later date.

                o Dancing 
                o Pub Crawl - learn the ins and outs of microbrewery beer.
                  Can you say "hangover"? 
                o Local theater 
                o Jazz and Blues clubs

Sunday:  Traditional motss.con Dim Sum, Day trips, Dinner

1PM:            Dim Sum lunch in Portland's Chinatown.

All Day:        Visits to the Oregon coast.  (optional).
                Words cannot do justice to the Oregon coast.  The many
                capes and inlets lend a unique charm to this area.  There
                are relatively few areas where the beaches stretch into
                the distance, but rather there are areas where long
                stretches of beach are bounded by capes and coastal
                mountains.  Bring your camera and lots of film.  Keep a
                sharp watch for sea lions, seals, and otters.

		Fond farewells for those heading home (note: most flights
		to the east coast leave by 2pm).

7PM:            Dinner at Old Wives Tales, a lesbian-owned, glb-friendly
                restaurant.  Great place for vegetarian food.

Monday:  Mopping up

10AM:           Unorganized brunch for those still around.

Day:            Fond farewells to the last of our friends, whom we will
                miss so much.

ITINERARY: SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Wed (22) Early Arrival Bonus:  Bagby Hot Springs

Situated in the Mt. Hood National Forest three hours southeast of 
metropolitan Portland, Bagby Hot Springs is a fitting place for a
pre-1992 motss.con event.  With GLB-supportive volunteer caretakers and
a relaxed atmosphere, this is a beautiful place to renew acquaintances,
make new friends, view the night sky, and generally relax with friends.

Due to the length of the drive, a departure time of 5pm will be
required.  Therefore, a late dinner will follow a picnic format at the
springs.  Locals will be able to provide assistance for those people
seeking specialty food or beverages.  Plan to purchase your own food
unless special arrangements can be made.  There is a 30 to 45 minute
hike into the springs, so plan accordingly.  Please avoid glass and
excessive packaging as this is a scenic area.  Coolers can be provided,
but you will have to provide your own porters.

The drive is through the scenic Clackamas Valley along the Clackamas
River.  The return time will be about 2AM and the hike out will be in
the dark.  Please plan accordingly.

Friday (July 24th)

Mt. Adams Hike.  Mark Morrissey ([email-masked]) will be
coordinating this event.  Not for the casual hiker.  Knowledge of proper
ice axe use is required.  The only other requirements are hiking boots,
an ice axe and good sunglasses (99% UV protection recommended).  The
pace will be fairly quick as this is considered by most Portlanders to
be a two day hike.  Water bottles and some day packs will be provided. 
Boots and ice axes may be rented locally.  No snow until near the summit
although the descent will be one of the longest continuous glissades on
the west coast.  Views of Mt. Rainier and the Goat Rocks Wilderness Area
to the north, Mt. St. Helens to the west and the entire Oregon Cascade
Range to the south are available from the summit.  This is the largest
peak between Mt. Rainier in Washington and Mt. Shasta in California.

Mt. Hood Hiking.  There are many beautiful and scenic hikes on Mt.
Hood.  Joe Bonasera has agreed to organize this trip.  The actual
destination will be decided by the participants.

Picnic at Washington Park.  This park is located on the upper west side
just south of Burnside St.  Nearby are the Hoyt Arboretum, the Japanese
Gardens, the Portland Zoo, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
(OMSI) which will be featuring an exposition on Star Trek, the World
Forestry Museum, and Forest Park.  All this on the very edge of downtown
Portland.

General BBQ at Alan Batie's home.  Everyone is invited to rendezvous at
Alan's home for a relaxing BBQ.  This is a good time to compare notes on
things around Portland and to get ready for a fun and exciting weekend.
Arrangements will be made to accommodate vegetarian diets.  We intend to
rent a hot tub or two for this event.

Saturday (25th)--The Columbia River Gorge and Rooster Rock State Park

Rooster Rock State Park is located near the west end of the Columbia
River Gorge, a National Scenic Area.  The nude and queer sections are
located 10 minutes from the parking lot.  The dividing line is the
volleyball court.  Wheelchair access is limited to the BBQ area near
the parking lot.  The beach areas are not wheelchair accessible.

Women's Pot Luck.  Doretta Schrock will be hosting this event at her
home in Canby.  Canby is a short way out of Portland.  Please contact
Doretta if you need help in arranging transportation.

Sunday (July 26th)

The Oregon Coast.  Joe Bonasera will be coordinating day trips to the
Oregon Coast.  Lots of destinations for both day and overnight trips.
There are many beautiful places to hike, walk the beaches, visit quaint
coastal towns, etc.  The Oregon Coast features the Tillamook Cheese
Factory, where you can watch cheese being made (unfortunately, they've
automated it a lot in the last few years, and it's not as interesting to
watch any more).  Also, there's Mo's, perhaps the best clam chowder
anywhere.  Oswald West State Park is a beautiful park, named after the
Oregon governor who made the entire Oregon coast state property, keeping
it open to the public.  Near Astoria, one can walk up to the remains of
the Peter Iredale, one of hundreds of shipwrecks that have occurred near
the mouth of the Columbia over the years.  By the time of the CON, the
Oregon Coast Aquarium will be open; it will be a really great place to
visit.

SHOPPING INFORMATION

In addition to shops such as Nordstrom's and Saks, there are many small
specialty stores located in the downtown area.  Additionally, there is
an open air crafts market called "Saturday Market" which is open on
Saturday and Sunday.  A more complete list of downtown shopping areas
and the outlying malls will be made available in the CON welcome packet.

Things made/harvested in Oregon: Pendelton woolens, logger boots, Oregon
wines, microbrewery beers, Tillamook cheeses, and a whole lot more.

Shopping districts:

o Downtown Portland -- If you can't stand the mall experience this may
  be for you. Downtown Portland is clean, safe and compact, with a
  delightful mix of old and new architecture.  Everything from large
  department stores, to tiny specialty stores and art galleries.  Many
  restaurants and bars. Free bus service within a limited area.

o Lloyd's Center -- one of the early malls in the country, just
  remodeled, otherwise fairly standard (as malls are).  Across the river
  in NE Portland; easy access from downtown.

o NW 21st and 23rd Avenues -- Trendy small shops, restaurants, bars,
  etc. Like downtown, a pleasant pedestrian precinct.

o SE Hawthorne -- a down-scale version of NW 21st and 23rd, funky charm.

o Sellwood -- Antiques and a few good restaurants.  Located near Reed
  College.

Some unique experiences:

o Nordstrom's -- a Seattle-based chain that is becoming national.  Men's
  and women's clothing and shoes in a quality range from good to
  exceptional and phenomenal customer service (take things back for a
  refund a year later); prices to match.  We recently have a Sak's, but
  it's not at all clear that they are ahead in quality. You may see
  bumper stickers that say "I'd rather be shopping at Nordstrom's".  If
  you are hard-to-fit in shoes Nordstrom's is the best bet in Portland. 
  (Downtown, and major malls)

o Norm Thompson's -- An "outdoors store" (of the Harris Tweed and
  cashmere cardigan variety) that you may know through their catalog. 
  Again a Seattle-based chain and again high quality and high prices. 
  NW 21st and Thurman, about a mile from the NW 21st/NW 23rd shopping
  area.

o Powell's books -- a local mini-empire of stores.  The main store, NW
  10th and Burnside ("My Own Private Idaho" country), is one of the
  country's great bookstores.  A full city block, more than 1,000,000
  books, new and old.  Knowledgeable staff, well-organized, maps(!),
  onsite coffee-house (where you can take a book and read!).  Cruisy. 
  If you like bookstores this is not to be missed.  Also, at other
  locations, an excellent technical and computer book store (a few
  blocks from the main store, on NW Park) and a travel book store
  (Pioneer Square).  Portland is rich in bookstores, including gay &
  lesbian owned ones, but Powell's is the flagship (they have as good a
  gay & lesbian section as anyone in Portland).  Open to 11pm all nights
  except Sunday, when they are open to 9pm.

o Pioneer Place -- A fairly-standard mall, except for the three-story
  glassed-in atrium and being anchored by Sak's 5th Avenue, J. Crew,
  Nature Shop, Museum Shop, Sharper Image, Williams-Sonoma, etc.

o Yamhill Market -- produce store, take-out foods, artsy-crafty shops, etc.

BARS / CLUBS

Note that a detailed map showing bars/club locations will be provided
in your welcome packet.

o The Complex--The following three are internally connected by a hallway
  (no cover charge). 

  o Boxx's -- Stand and model men's bar. music videos, pool table,
    darts, $1 well drinks on Thursdays. 

  o The Brigg -- Men's dancing.  Popular/Disco Music, lights, etc. 
    Afterhours dancing on Friday and Saturday until ~4am. 

  o Fish Grotto -- Restaurant.  Unknown quality.

o CC Slaughters -- Country/Western Dancing, but not a heavy duty
  Country/ Western crowd.  Across the street from the Complex.  No cover
  charge.

o Scandals -- A quiet bar, mostly men, across the street from the
  Complex.  Microbrewery beers, pool tables and darts.  No cover charge.

o Silverado/Flossies -- Male strippers until ~2am and a small dance
  floor.  Open 24 hrs.  $2 cover charge.

o Dirty Duck -- Small leather bar.  Might be beer and wine only. (no
  cover charge).

o Eagle -- Leather Bar.  Pool and darts. What more can I say?

o Embers, $2 cover charge; two different experiences: 

  o Backroom -- Disco bar with many lights, large dance floor w/catwalk. 
    Equal mix of men and wymyn with some straight people as well.
    Afterhours dancing on Friday and Saturday until ~4am.  $1 well 
    drinks on Thursday. 

  o Frontroom -- Drag Shows

o Ray's Ordinary Bar and Grill - Small, quiet neighborhood bar.  Older
  crowd.  This is a nice little bar just down the street from the Embers
  (no cover charge).

o JOQ's -- Quiet neighborhood tavern out of town.  We believe they have
  beer and wine only (no cover charge).

o Starky's -- Quiet neighborhood bar and restaurant on the Eastside. 
  Decent Food.  Older crowd.  No cover charge.

o Choice's -- Wymyn's bar next to Starky's.  Sort of a rough place. Pool
  tables, darts.  No cover charge.

o TAC's -- Small, nice Restaurant/Bar downtown with piano, sort of mix
  between Starky's and Hobo's, but much smaller than either one.  No
  cover charge.

o The Eastside -- Two bars and a restaurant.  The food is very good at a
  good price.  The back bar is Country/Western with a dance floor.  The
  front bar is not Country/Western and is quieter with a Jukebox for
  background music.  Mixed crowd.  Pool table, darts.  No cover charge.
  Drink specials Monday-Thursday.

o Hobo's -- A very nice restaurant in oldtown.  Live piano player (they
  play better that way).  The food is good but over-priced (expensive).
  No cover charge.

o City Nightclub -- All ages queer dance club. Great music, funky queer
  atmosphere.  Most of the people there tend to look under 23.  $5 cover
  charge.

o Darcelle's -- Straight bar with Drag/Male Stripper shows nightly. 
  Cover charge.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

FOREST PARK:

Forest Park is 7.5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide with extensions which
will eventually extend the trail system to the Oregon coast.  The park
contains dozens of trails of varying lengths up to 25.5 miles as well as
scores of native species of birds and mammals which freely traverse the
more wild areas into the city forest.  Forest Park contains one of the
last remaining stands of old growth timber in northwest Oregon
(purchased by private citizens to prevent it being logged in 1991).  The
nearby areas of Germantown and Cedar Mill frequently are visited by deer
and occasionally a bobcat or mountain lion comes to visit.  This is a
great place to bird watch, take a stroll, hike, or trail run.  Mountain
bikes are allowed on certain fireroads and one road through the park
which is closed to motor vehicles.

A WORD ABOUT PORTLAND:

Taken from a recent Willamette Week article on transsexuals in
Portland: "Although the size of this group may seem small, what little
information [that] exists suggests that the numbers are above the norm
for the US population as a whole.  The reasons given for Portland's
abundance of transsexuals are many - a steady influx of new faces to the
city seeking new beginnings, a sizable lesbian and gay community and,
Christian  fundamentalists and skinheads notwithstanding, a populace
which generally  embraces diversity."

THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE:

The Columbia River Gorge has many beautiful trails with spectacular
waterfalls and lush vegetation.  The scenery is spectacular with trails
varying greatly in length and degree of difficulty.  

Hiking in the Columbia River Gorge

The following descriptions were shamelessly stolen from "35 Hiking
Trails of the Columbia River Gorge", "Exploring Oregon's Wild Areas",
"50 Hiking Trails in Portland and Northwest Oregon", and "62 Hiking
Trails in the Northern Oregon Cascades".

"Several worlds collide in the Columbia River Gorge.  In the west,
moss-covered rain forests cling to misty green cliffs.  A few miles
east, only scrub oaks dot a semiarid scabland.  And in between, a
colonnade of more than 20 major waterfalls separates the alpine meadows
of the Cascade Range from the mudflats of the Columbia River, nearly at
sea level.

In the midst of these colliding ecosystems is the remarkable Columbia 
Wilderness.  Although it lies a mere half-hour freeway drive from
Portland and overlooks a busy transportation corridor along the
Columbia, it remains delightfully wild, protected by a ribbon of
breathtaking 3000-foot cliffs."

A few representative hikes:

1. Beacon Rock Nature Trail.  Beacon Rock is a sheer faced hulk of
   columnar basalt rising 850 feet above the Washington side of the
   Columbia River a short distance west of Bonneville Dam and one of the
   most impressive and easily identified landmarks in the Gorge.  Although
   the climbing routes (rock climbing - mostly aiding) tax even the most
   skilled, the corkscrew trail to Beacon Rock's summit is moderately
   graded and made safe with catwalks and guard rails.

2. Eagle Creek. This moderate trail actually goes for 13 miles, but the 
   majority of the scenery in within the first 7 miles.  A steep drop 
   off the main trail leads to the twin pools of Punch Bowl Falls at the 
   2 mile mark.  Loowit Falls is visible across the narrow gorge at the
   3 mile mark.  Tunnel Falls (there is an actual tunnel behind the
   falls) is at the 6 mile mark.  Just above are a beautiful set of
   cascades and a dramatic unnamed waterfall.  As there are no further
   falls, most people turn around at this point.  Note that the entire
   trail is 26 miles roundtrip and Tunnel Falls is 14 miles roundtrip.

3. Multnomah Falls.  The tallest and most visible of the Gorge
   waterfalls, Multnomah Falls is a jumping off point for many short
   hikes featuring spectacular views of several waterfalls in the area.
   Multnomah Falls parking lot is between the east and west bound lanes
   of I-84 with the falls being visible to eastbound travelers.

EXTENDED EXPLORATIONS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST:

If you should wish to further explore the Pacific Northwest (PNW) in
conjunction with the CON, the organizers are willing to track down
whatever information they can for you.  Recommended side trips are (in
no order):

1. The Ashland, Oregon Shakespeare Festival will be in full swing. This
   town in southern Oregon is on I-5 and conveniently located in the way
   of people driving from California.  Cook's Tavern is a local "mixed"
   establishment.

2. The B&B's of the Olympic Peninsula.  Mark ([email-masked]) has the
   book "Bed & Breakfast Guide to the Pacific Northwest" and should be
   able to provide some guidance (the guide does not mention B&B's which
   are GLB friendly).

3. Beach camping on the Northwest coast of the Olympic Peninsula. (well
   worth the one day hike into this pristine area)

4. Exploring Seattle.  Make sure you take a night ferry ride towards
   Seattle across Puget Sound.

5. Mountain retreat: The Inn at Paradise on Mt. Rainier.  This inn is located
   at the 5000' level on the southern side of the mountain.  This is the
   jumping off place for most of the climbers.  Many nature walks and several
   active glaciers within a short walk.  Across the valley is the dramatic
   Tatoosh Range.  An alternate inn is at Longmire which is 20 minutes
   down the valley.  

6. Exploring the Oregon and south Washington coasts. (beautiful places
   for short day trips.  Lots of hotels and nice restaurants if you wish
   longer stays)

Should your extended travel plans include exploring the mountains of the
PNW (including beautiful British Columbia), Mark Morrissey ([email-masked]) 
is willing to share his library of guidebooks and maps of this region.
-- 
Alan Batie                             \      Some people believe they have
[email-masked]                    \     never met a gay person.
+1 503 452-0960                        / \    That's what we get for hiding.
45 28 59 N / 122 43 20 W / 440' MSL   /   \