1859 Sept | Oct 2012_opt

Around Oregon
72 hours
DAY
PADDLING • BREWERY • TAILGATING
It’s college game day on an autumn afternoon. The OSU campus is jumping
with excitement and anxiety as the Beavers pull on the pads to battle
rivals they really should dominate, if everything goes as planned in their
home stadium.
Before game-day rituals begin, head out for a serene fall paddle on the
lazy Willamette Water Trail. Corvallis lies along the 200-mile river trail
that flows north from Eugene to the mouth of the Columbia in Portland.
One of the oldest paddling paths in Oregon, the Willamette Water Trail
(willamettewatertrail.org) includes detailed descriptions of good put-in
and take-out points along the river. Peak Sports in downtown Corvallis has
rental recreational kayaks and canoes to accomplish the mission.
After all, most exercise is essentially an offset for “living large.” For the
past couple hours of paddling you’ve unwittingly worked that now-trendy
muscle group between the neck and knees called “the core.” Now it’s time
give a little back with a pre-gater brew or two before heading to the stadium.
Just down the street from Peak Sports is Block 15 Restaurant and Brewery
on Jefferson and 3rd Street. This brewery and restaurant is a showcase of
local and sustainable fare, with a portfolio of at least a dozen beers from
Northwest hops and a creative pub menu based on local meat and produce.
Some historians believe that tailgating began during the American Civil
War in 1861. From the back of wagons, people watched battles, ate and,
perversely, cheered on the soldiers. On November 24, Corvallis will revert
to its own “Civil War” with its 116th match against in-state perennial rival,
the Oregon Ducks. This year, the Beavers will try to muster a win on their
home turf in a series that the Ducks lead 59-46 (with ten draws) since the
rivalry began in 1894.
Under a sea of orange tents, burgers, dogs, sliders, beer and wine is a
tailgate tradition that precedes every home game. As game time nears, students,
alumni and locals, in one massive migration into 45,674 seats, become
a roaring sea of orange and, seen from Google Earth, a grand installation
of public art. As the din of voices grows, this century-old rivalry is once
again under way at kickoff.
CLOCKWISE Inside Block 15
Brewery in Corvallis. First
founded in 185, OSU was
then called Corvallis Academy.
Benton Hall, Oregon
State University.
1859 oregon's mAgAzine SEPT OCT 2012