Voodoo Dougnuts: The Magic is in the Hole

Photo taken by sha-put-ski from Flickr.

People often ask why anyone would stand in line from anywhere to 10 minutes to an hour, just for doughnuts.  It's because it is the BEST doughnut you will ever have hands down.  To most people it is hard to say which is the best, but the most famous one, and the one that is always sold out, is the Bacon Maple Bar, which is just a maple bar with two strips of bacon on top of it.
 
According to the “Bacon Goddess”, she too believes that the Bacon Maple Bar looks to be the best creation ever.

“I found the most amazing place... where doughnuts are more than just tasty snacks.  There was a voodoo doll doughnut, doughnuts with candy and cereal on them, doughnuts with grape sugar dust, a doughnut that looks like a blunt and doughnuts that look like naughty bits. And, yes, one doughnut even contains bacon!” blogged the Bacon Goddess.


Voodoo Doughnuts always draws in a crowd.  It doesn’t matter what time it is, there is always a line at all three of their locations.  They are located in two different places in Portland and have just recently opened up a new location in Eugene. 

Voodoo Doughnuts has been around since 2003.  The owners Kenneth “Cat Daddy” Pogson and Tres Shannon have been friends for awhile and wanted to start a unique and different business that was fitting for Portland.  When they first started Voodoo Doughnuts, none of them knew how to even make a doughnut, so they went down to Los Angeles to learn from the doughnut masters and learned how to make doughnuts from the ground up.

They are most known for their unusual doughnuts and their eccentric décor in all of their shops.  They are also known for their iconic pink boxes with their logo on the cover.  All over the outside bricks of the first Voodoo Doughnuts location, they are all painted gold with sparkles.  Then as soon as visitors walk inside they are instantly greeted not only with the smell of fresh doughnuts, but with the color pink.

Pink is their trademark color and is in all of their locations.  Also along the walls are giant plastic doughnuts, merchandise, and underwear inside a frame.  In ever location there are also chandeliers, randomly placed.


It has been known that once people have bought their doughnuts and have walked away from the building, people will offer money for your doughnuts.  They have also been featured in the new hit TV show “Grimm” and were featured on the Food Network.

The new Rogue Bacon Maple Ale.
Taken By Justeen Elliott

“Every time I go to any Voodoo location, as soon as I step out the door, I have at least two bums asking for doughnuts and when I’m walking down the street I have at least three people that are offering me money for my doughnuts because they don’t want to stand in line.” said regular customer Cheryl Davis, from Portland.

Voodoo Doughnuts has 44 different doughnuts available, in both regular and vegan.  If visitors are confused as what to get, why not get a Voodoo Dozen?  With a Voodoo Dozen they pick all of the doughnuts for you, which makes it easier for you and for them, as it saves the next customer’s wait time.

Some of the most random ones people will find there, apart from the Bacon Maple Bar, are the Voodoo Doll, the Gay Bar, and the Maple Blazer Blunt.  The Voodoo Doll is a raspberry filled voodoo doll with a pretzel through its heart.  The Gay Bar has all colors of the rainbow on it, aka fruit loops.  Finally, the Maple Blazer Blunt is a doughnut shaped like a blunt with maple frosting and red sprinkles on the side.  The Maple Blazer Blunt doughnut is basically a doughnut shaped like a cigar.

Not only do they sell doughnuts, but they also sell ale.  Rogue Bacon Maple Ale to be exact.  This is one of their newest creations and is based on their Bacon Maple doughnut.  They are starting to sell these at every Voodoo location along with at the Rogue Stores and on the Rogue Ale website.

One other thing that Voodoo Doughnuts does is they are ordained ministers.  People can get married at any of their locations.  The weddings cost anywhere from $25 to $5,000.  Wonder what the cake is like?  It’s a voodoo cake!

Have a special occasion coming up?  Then why not get a special order of doughnuts?  They have four packages, and they all cost $35.  They have a unicorn, where they place miscellaneous doughnuts around the decorated unicorn center piece.  They also have a cowboy, a robot, and a spaceship, where, much like the unicorn center piece, they place random doughnuts around them.

If there is something that visitors wanted to buy, that wasn’t available in the stores at the moment, then they can go to their website and order anything from a $5 gift certificate to women's underwear.

If you're still skeptical, why not go down and see for yourself what they are truly like?

At-a-Glance:
Open: 24 hours a day
Prices: 95 cents to $3
Service: Fast and friendly
Must Have: Bacon Maple Bar
Grade: A
Addresses: Voodoo Doughnut
                  22 SW 3rd Avenue
                  Portland, OR

                 Voodoo Doughnut Too
                  1501 NE Davis St
                  Portland, OR

               Voodoo Doughnut Tres
                20 East Broadway @Willamette Ave.
                Eugene, OR 97401

Destination: Japan

The view from the Enoshima Lighthouse Observatory. 
Taken by Justeen Elliott

A praying monk.
Taken by Justeen Elliott

Japan has many different attractions. The best ones near the southern part of the country would have to be the temples.

Since the March 2011 Japan tsunami, many people think that Japanese citizens are helpless and unhappy, but that is not the case.  It is actually quite the opposite. The people are still generally happy, friendly, and take pride in everything that they do.

It has now been months since the media began painting the picture of an entire country strewn with garbage in their narrow streets, that many people are suffering without work, and that the ancient temples are in ruins. Japan isn’t like that at all. They are doing as great as ever.
It has been a year after the devastating tsunami hit Japan and since then, businesses are thriving, the temples are always full of people, both locals and tourists, and trees are getting ready to bloom in the spring.

The Cosmo Clock 21 and the theme park next to it.
Taken by Justeen Elliott

According Jason Hedrick, a travel agent at Portland's Azumano, it is now safe to travel to Japan, and visitors actually help their economy recover.

"I believe that Japan is a safe country to travel to again," said Hendrick.  "Not only would traveling there help prove to others that it is safe, but it will also help their economy boom once again."

Walking through various businesses and malls, visitors can see that each business is full of all sorts of people.

A grave stone at the Hase-Dera Temple.
Taken by Justeen Elliott

The people are very friendly and will help tourists, even without being asked for help.  Whether they're locals, military, or citizens, they're always willing to help.

"Every time I see someone who looks like an American, or that looks confused, I always try and point them in the right direction, or if I'm able to, help take them to their destination," said local Yokosuka native Akina Del Rosario.  "Since I know how hard the train stations are, I try to help people as much as I can."   

There are three major cities near Yokosuka:  Kamakura, Enoshima, and Yokohama.

Kamakura has around 20 different temples. Two of the major ones are Daibutsu and the Hase-Dera Temple.

Taken by Kent Elliott

 Daibutsu's main attraction is the giant bronze Daibutsu statue. It was built in 1252, and the name means “Great Buddha”. For only 200 yen (roughly $4.00), visitors can climb inside to see what the interior of the statue looks like.

 The other major temple is the Hase-Dera Temple. This temple originally belonged to the Tendai sect of Buddhism, but eventually became an independent temple of the Jodo-shu sect.

The Cosmo Clock 21.
Taken by Kent Elliott

 Enoshima is an interesting place to visit. The Enoshima Lighthouse Observatory is there. The lighthouse on the island takes a couple hours to walk to, and along the way visitors may view various businesses, meeting some of the monks that are walking about. They might even pet some of the random cats that are lounging along the way. Once at island's peak, the view is breathtaking. Visitors can see for miles and miles, and if lucky enough to get there at dusk, they will have an excellent view of Mt. Fuji. The lighthouse has been around for well over a century, and is a new landmark on the highest point of Enoshima Island. It is 59.9 meters high, at only 119.6 meters above sea level.

The Enoshima Lighthouse Observatory.
Taken by Justeen Elliott

The most awe-inspiring attraction in Yokohama is the Cosmo Clock 21. The Cosmo Clock 21 was built in 1989 and is the world’s largest clock (369 feet). When it opened in 1989, it was the world’s largest Ferris wheel; it is now the second largest, behind the Singapore Flyer, in Singapore. The Cosmo Clock has 60 passenger cars, each capable of carrying eight people, and takes about 15 minutes to complete a full rotation.

The view from the clock is spectacular. Once at the top, visitors can see the nearby theme park from above. With the lights on, it makes the view so much more beautiful. If lucky enough to experience the ride when it is exceptionally dark outside, it is even more lit up than the usual breathtaking view.

It is safe to say that Japan isn’t still suffering after the tsunami and all of the recent earthquakes. They’re doing just fine.

 At-a-Glance:

How much?

Travel information.

Flights.

Good food.