Spring 2024
As we were putting the finishing touches on this issue, I was reminded (again) of how much fun my job is. Working at a magazine like ours, filled with stories about people, is like taking a little trip into someone else’s world, many times over. As a writer, I got to step into the lives of Jasper Smith and Ella McCallion of Son of Man cidery for this issue. Not only did I actually step into their cidery in Cascade Locks for a bit, but they walked me through their journey over the past few years, starting with their first taste of Basque cider while dining out one night to where they are now, owners of the only cidery in the U.S. producing Basque cider exclusively — and winning awards for it. They got me inspired to visit Basque Country, but for the time being I’ll settle for enjoying Son of Man cider here at home. No complaints. Read our story about Son of Man starting on page 24.
Editing our writers’ stories also takes me into worlds outside my own, and I often end up on a deep dive into a subject I knew little about. It happened with Ruth Berkowitz’s piece on Amayah’s Café, located in Biggs Junction. I’ve known about Amayah’s from my windsports friends and from my subscription to Temira Lital’s weather forecasting site, where she often gives it a shout-out. But when I read Ruth’s story, I learned that the food truck’s location is very intentional — and it doesn’t have anything to do with the wind-chasers among us who stop there on their way home from a big day out east. You can do your own deep dive, starting with our story on page 16.
This being our arts issue, I got to connect with some of the artists on this spring’s Gorge Artists Open Studios Tour. We feature some of them beginning on page 33, where they each tell us a bit about their artistic journey and how they create their work. Learning their stories makes me eager for the tour, scheduled for April 26-28, where I hope to meet more of the amazing artists in our midst.
There are other stories in this issue that take us briefly into someone else’s world, including a piece about Nika Kermani of NK Studios in Bingen (page 50) and a round-up of new vintage and secondhand stores in the Gorge — which is ultimately a collection of stories about each proprietor (page 10). Then again, if you just want wildflowers and springtime hikes, we’ve got that, too (page 20).
Here’s to interesting people, deep dives and wildflowers. Happy spring!
— Janet Cook, Editor
