Steve and Terrie were the first to introduce us to an eclectic Pacific Northwest brewpub chain called McMenamins. Created by two brothers in 1983, the chain is known for good handcrafted beer, interesting décor, custom artwork, RC Cola, tater tots, an annual UFO Festival, and mediocre service.
Some McMenamins restaurants are in strip malls; others are repurposed historic buildings. Some restaurants merely serve food and beverages; others are compounds that include hotels and spas and pools and firepits. A few locations have movie theaters; one venue in Portland is an iconic concert hall with a super fun ballroom floor on springs.
Each location has its own personality and décor while maintaining a consistent vibe and brand identity. McMenamins are always casual, mellow, friendly, and cozy. They are a tiny bit edgy and a whole lot quirky and just hip enough to be both cool and accessible. McMenamins are great spots for light chit chat, heavy-duty life conversations, a spontaneous meal out, and treating out-of-town visitors to something iconically local. Clearly a Woodhaven favorite.
Back about 16ish years ago, on one of our trips to visit Steve and Terrie, we stumbled on the idea for a fun contest. We decided to see who among us – including Steve’s proximate aunt and uncle – could go to all the McMenamins locations first.
Rob and I confidently suspected we had a decent shot at winning. Despite living in California, we often drove to visit Steve and Terrie…passing a number of McMenamins locations along the way. Plus we’re both maybe a tiny little bit competitive. And Rob likes to drive.
McMenamins locations span from as far south as Roseburg, Oregon near the California border to as far north as Mill Creek, Washington past Seattle. As far east as Bend, Oregon in the middle of the state all the way to the Pacific Ocean in Lincoln City. Overall about 375 miles north-to-south and 175 miles east-to-west. These days there are 62 McMenamins locations. I’m guessing back when our contest started there were about 45. So quite a bit of ground to cover but totally doable. Especially if one is retired.
The rules of our contest were simple. We had to visit each location and purchase something to consume. Could be a meal, could be a drink, could be a snack. Proof of our visits was the honor system (yeah, we’re competitive but we’re also pretty trustworthy). I’m almost certain each of us had the same McMenamins Locations brochure in our glove compartments to track our progress. Because this was the early 2000’s and there weren’t fancy gadgets like smart phones and McMenamins apps and Google Maps. And the prize for visiting all the restaurants? Bragging rights.
The contest was humming right along, Rob and I gleefully snagging the northern-most locations while on a “Should we move here?” trek around Seattle (the answer was a resounding “no.” Seattle is lovely without a car. With a car…a nightmare.). Rob and I were certain that once we finally moved and settled into Woodhaven, it would only be a matter of weeks before we would road trip around our new geography and win the contest. We smugly knew we had this in the bag.
Unfortunately, we have some smart and crafty friends.
Terrie knows us well…and is herself a touch competitive. While Rob and I were in California busily packing boxes and arranging for utilities to be turned off and insurance to be transferred, Terrie swooped in, drove all around the Pacific Northwest, and rightfully earned her title as The Winner. Dang it!
Inspired by the fun and drama of it all, Steve’s aunt Sue decided to write a letter to the McMenamins headquarters to tell them about our little contest, figuring they are just local and hometown enough to get a kick out of our dedication and fandom. Indeed they did!
The fine McMenamins folks wrote Sue back, expressing admiration and appreciation for all of us and a special congratulations for Terrie. Included with the letter was a celebratory gift certificate for Terrie to enjoy dinner and a night at a McMenamins hotel. WOW! Do they rock or what?!
Fast-forward about 10 years. We hear of this new program McMenamins has come up with. It’s called The Passport.
For $30, you buy a little booklet that really does look like a US Passport. It has a blue cover and an ID page for your photo and pages for each McMenamins location. The game is to trek to each McMenamins and get a stamp in your passport as proof of your visit (no purchase necessary).
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| Each location has its own arty stamp. So creative! And colorful! |
Some locations only require one stamp; others require 5-10 stamps to make sure you scope out all the little bars and theaters and spas. You get prizes as you go along, like a free burger or appetizer (tots!) or a branded t-shirt or tote bag. You can also earn gift cards by having “Experiences” like attending a movie or playing a game of pool or touring their winery or ordering a beer flight.
And the prize when you finish your passport? You become something called a Cosmic Tripster. Groovy!
As a Cosmic Tripster, you get booze at Happy Hour prices for a year, 3 nights at a McMenamins hotel, a free ticket to a concert of your choice, a special t-shirt and pint glass and key chain, and attendance at an exclusive blow-out celebratory party. Oh, and bragging rights.
Rob and I bought our McMenamins Passports in 2016 and got our first stamps on December 6th at the Gearhart restaurant/hotel/golf course on the Oregon Coast.
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| Remember when I had dark hair?? Wow, becoming Cosmic Tripsters took longer than I realized. |
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| At last! We turned in our passports at Kalama Harbor Lodge but actually finished them at the Elks Temple in Tacoma. If you aren't a local, no worries. Just enjoy the cosmic tripsteriness of the photo and swag. |
My goal-oriented inclination was to race around the Pacific Northwest and fill our Passports in a matter of a few months. Rob tamed me and insisted on a more leisurely, exploratory pace. Bless him.
By taking our time, I focused more on the discovery than on the goal. The McMenamins Passport game was directed travel, a quest to explore new places, and an excuse to leave the house. I loved hunting down new locations, learning some history, driving roads I didn’t know existed, visiting towns I would otherwise not bother to stop in. It really was a hoot of an adventure and I’m sad it’s over.
On The Quest to complete my Passport, I learned some history about the Portland music scene in the 1970s-90s. I found secret rooms filled with black lights. I was in awe of the creativity of building small bars behind secret doors. I saw "The Princess Bride" in a movie theater instead of a living room for the first time ever. I ate a lot of tater tots. I discovered a favorite salad. I noshed along rivers and sipped beverages in college towns. I spent the night in an old schoolroom. I played pinball for the first time in years.
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| McMenamins hotels are often built with secret rooms hidden in hallways. Enter and you are treated to trippy artwork lit in psychedelic black lights. |
We accumulated quite an array of free souvenirs on our quest to become Cosmic Tripsters. The McMenamins folks know how to swag. Among the free prizes we collected: 3 t-shirts each; 2 tote bags; 4 beer pint glasses; a lunch box; a stuffed black rabbit (their red wine is called Black Rabbit); a stuffed man in overalls with a hammer for a head (their Pale Ale is called Hammerhead); 2 beer growlers; a corkscrew; a bottle opener; a key chain; and at least a half-dozen other McMenamins tchotchkes I have forgotten because they have become such an integral part of Life at Woodhaven that I don’t notice them anymore.
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| Just a smattering. We are clearly either fans or employees. |
As Rob and I stamped around the PNW, we kept wondering if Sue’s letter to the McMenamins folks back in 2004 was the inspiration for this unique scavenger hunt. Last weekend we finally found out.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the congratulatory Cosmic Tripster Party. I figured a lot of people would be wearing the official “You Made It” t-shirt and there would be some food and beverage. I was right on both counts.
Our Party was held last weekend, just a couple days after a water pipe burst at the party locale and flooded part of the historic hotel. Fortunately, the party venue was the outdoor concert grove that has hosted acts like B.B. King, Paul McCartney, Barenaked Ladies, Ziggy Marley, and Jason Mraz. It was a beautiful, dry evening that didn’t require long sleeves.
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| These Cosmic Tripsters made their own Ruby costumes in honor of the friendly witch who represents the fruity Ruby Ale made from raspberries. |
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| The party was kicked off by this festive New Orleans-style jazz band strolling through the venue. |
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| There were probably about 2000 people in attendance; this grassy area was just one part of the venue. |
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| 62 locations later, we finally discovered Rob likes...and even prefers?!?...the Cajun tots over the regular ones. D'OH! |
Rob and I spent about three hours at the party. We walked around, got a few commemorative stamps, and stood in line for swag that was mostly sold out by the time we got to the cash register. We chatted with a dear friend who is on her third Passport who explained that the free hotel stays are rather addictive. I noted that the Cosmic Tripster demographic is largely middle-aged earthy hipsters with just enough disposable resources to traipse around two states in search of free beer glasses and tater tots.
We felt totally hosted and appreciated at the party. We got our choice of free food from a variety of food trucks (I got a Pork Belly Cuban sandwich; Rob got a cheeseburger). Free McMenamins adult beverages were flowing, making the atmosphere quite spirited by the time we left. Music blared and strangers easily became friends with a shared love of McMenamins.
About an hour into the festivities, the two McMenamin brothers and their families took the stage. They greeted us, thanked us, and toasted us. And then they stuck around for photos and chit chat.
This was it! We would finally find out if our goofy little contest with Steve and Terrie and Sue and Max over 15 years ago was the beginning of this quirky and highly merchandised game.
Sidling up to Dan McMenamin, I innocently asked, “How did you guys come up with the idea for the Passports?”
Dan seemed excited to answer. He said they had been thinking about it for a few years and wanted to come up with a fun way to get their customers engaged.
“People would write to us and tell us they went to all of our locations and we thought, ‘Well, now what? How do we celebrate that?’ That was maybe 10 to 15 years ago. So it took awhile to figure out the program.”
People, you say? People wrote to you and told you they went to all of your locations? Maybe 10-15 years ago? And you wanted to help them celebrate?
NAILED IT!!!!
YES! Steve and Terrie and Sue and Max – we ARE indeed the inspiration, the muse, the genesis of the wildly fun and increasingly popular McMenamins Passport game!!! GO US!!! WE ROCK! Quietly, off to the side, in a booth in the corner without any fanfare because we’re all introverts and really don’t want much attention.
Nevertheless, I think we should meet soon to celebrate our brilliance. Perhaps over burgers, beer, and of course, some tater tots.
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| Dan is very tall. And pretty friendly. And not quite aware of the epicness of this photo. |
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