Lakewold Gardens: In Search of the Blue Poppy

Himalayan Blue Poppy

The vivid color of its petals has been compared to the blue of Paul Newman’s eyes. Rare and difficult to grow, this flower has earned the reputation as the “elusive butterfly of the garden”. It is indigenous to the sub-Alpine meadows of the Himalayan Mountains in Bhutan, Tibet, China, and Nepal; but, no need to get out your passport or pack your bags to see this marvelous plant. The Himalayan Blue Poppy’s taste for cool, moist summers; shade; and acidic soil means the Pacific Northwest is one of the few places outside its native habitat where the plant can thrive. Lakewold Gardens Estate, just south of Tacoma, bills itself as the spot “Where the Blue Poppy Grows” and is the best place to admire this pretty perennial.

The gardens consist of ten acres of manicured grounds surrounding a Georgian-style mansion on the shores of Gravelly Lake. Considered one of America’s great estate gardens, Lakewold features large collections of Rhododendrons (250 different species), Japanese maples (30 varieties), camellias, and cherry trees along with several gardens within gardens, sweeping lawns, European-inspired parterres, reflecting pool, and gazebo.

Brick pathway connects home and gazebo

The property was first developed in the early 1900s as wealthy Tacomans established summer retreats along the shorelines of a series of lakes south of the city. H.F. and Ruth Alexander, owners of the Admiral Lines, inherited the land, added additional acreage, and enlisted designers to create a fabulous estate and gardens that would capture the views of Gravelly Lake and Mount Rainier. The Olmstead Brothers, known for their work in public parks of Seattle and Portland, are credited with designing the brick walkway, perimeter fence, and gate.

Reflecting Pool

In 1938, the estate was sold to George Croydon and Eulalie Wagner. He was an established Tacoma businessman with ties to timber and coal production and she was a daughter of the Merrill’s, a prominent Seattle lumber family. With her strong interest in gardening and the arts, she is largely responsible for the look of the garden today. She was an avid plant collector, and added a sizeable collection of choice and rare plants, including the blue poppy, to the grounds.

Thomas Church, a nationally recognized landscape architect, visited the property many times between the 1950s-1970s and greatly influenced the garden design including the pool and teahouse. His emphasis on multiple vantage points and a free flow between the house and garden are observable today.

Upon her death in 1987, Mrs. Wagner donated the property to the non-profit Friends of Lakewold so the gardens could be preserved, maintained, and enjoyed by the public.

Visiting Lakewold seems more like an excursion to someone’s private estate than a public garden. The self-guided tour begins along the Circle Drive leading to the house through a forest of tall rhododendron. The Wagner House, built in the Georgian revival style, is also open to the public and serves as a popular venue for weddings and meetings. Beyond the home’s glassed sun room, an intricate brick pathway leads to the gazebo, or tea house. On both sides, neatly trimmed boxwood hedges surround topiaries and create parterres, small patterned gardens. Next to the rose-covered gazebo is an unusual, decorative swimming pool designed by Thomas Church. He is also responsible for the medieval inspired Knot Garden, shaped like a ribbon bow and filled with culinary herbs. Other “gardens within gardens” include a rock garden, fern garden, woodland garden built below a giant Douglas fir, rose garden and waterfall.

Knot Garden

A special bonus is the Garden Shop located in the original 1918 carriage house. It offers a unique selection of gardening books, tools, seed packets, and many of the rare plants seen in the garden. The Himalayan Blue Poppy is also available here but only once a year and for a few weeks in the spring. Needless to say, the limited supply sells out quickly.

The month of May is an excellent time to visit Lakewold when the spring bloomers, including the rhododendron, are at their peak. In late May and early June, the blue poppy shows off its spectacular blossom. The garden is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm and admission is $9 for adults, $6 for seniors. To check if the poppies are in bloom, call 253-584-4106 or visit their web site, www.lakewoldgardens.org.

Rattlesnake Grade: A Road to Remember

Oregon Highway 3 on its descent to the Grande Ronde River

On the map, Oregon Highway 3 and its continuation, Washington Highway 129, appear to be a direct shot across the upper right-hand corner of the state, connecting Enterprise, Ore. and Clarkston, Wash.  However, the reality of this road is quite different. Why else would the American Motorcycle Association designate it as one of the top 15 motorcycle rides in America? The 80-mile trip offers an enormous variety of scenery from snow-capped peaks, expansive canyons, pine forests, wide open wheat fields, a narrow river valley, ghost town, and enough twists and turns and plunging drop-offs to make a person dizzy. Fortunately, there is very little traffic.

Joseph Canyon Overlook

Traveling from south to north, the drive begins in Enterprise, the county seat of Wallowa County and, more important, home to the last gas stations for the next 65 miles. The road heads north through rolling prairie and ranch land with spectacular views of the Wallowa Mountains receding in the rearview mirror. Elevation gain transforms the scenery to pine forests, and around 30 miles from Enterprise is the Joseph Canyon Overlook. From here, the view spreads out forever across a network of steep canyons. The Nez Perce called the area Saqanma, meaning long, rough canyon, and made their winter camp here at the confluence of Joseph Creek and the Grande Ronde River in the protected canyon’s bottom.

To savor this remarkable panorama, continue a few miles north to the Rim Rock Inn, a restaurant offering indoor and outdoor dining with a million dollar view. Who would expect to find a turkey panini sandwich with sun-dried tomatoes here in the absolute middle of nowhere! A former stagecoach stop, the inn now has four tepees available for rent for adventurous types wanting to spend the night right on the canyon edge.

Flora Methodist Church

Beyond the inn is a road turning west marked “Flora” and well worth the six mile, roundtrip detour to this once thriving farming and ranch community.  Platted in 1897, the town was named for the daughter of the first postmaster and grew to a population of 320 by 1910 with a bank, general store, and newspaper. The Methodist Episcopal Church was constructed in 1898 and an impressive, 8-room school house added to serve the rural community in 1915. However, the area’s isolation and the economic realities of the family farm contributed to the town’s demise and by 1966 the post office closed, followed by the school in 1977.  Today, the town (population 7) consists of a dozen or so abandoned houses and buildings, an overgrown cemetery, and an endless supply of photo opportunities. The church and school with its striking bell tower stand next to each other on the north side of town, dominating the landscape. The school has recently been restored with the idea of converting it to a center for pioneer arts and crafts.

Flora School

Back on Oregon 3, just beyond Buford Ridge Road, look for a pull-off on the left side of the road.  Here is the first, and probably the best, glimpse of the road ahead and explains why it is so popular with motorcyclists. Layer after layer of barren canyon opens up exposing the highway as it snakes its way down to the Grande Ronde River. About half way down, a sign proclaims, Welcome to Washington, The Evergreen State. Of course, in the late summer and early fall the scenery is shades of brown without a tree in sight. At the bridge over the river is a welcome token of civilization, Boggan’s Oasis.  Along the banks of the river, it promises the world’s best milk shakes, tasty burgers, overnight cabins, good fishing, and a swimming hole. It’s an excellent place to freshen up before tackling the next challenge, the ten mile, twisty ascent to the top of Rattlesnake Pass. This is a workout for a car and it seems almost unbelievable that several thousand participants in the 2010 Cycle Oregon tour made this trek on bicycles!

Beyond the pass, the route opens up into a broad plateau, skirts the small farming community of Anatone before one last thrilling corkscrew descent into the town of Asotin on the banks of the mighty Snake River. If the drive was not sufficiently thrilling, consider continuing on across the river to Clarkston. Here, several outfitters offer trips down the scenic Snake River through Hell’s Canyon, the deepest gorge in North America. A smorgasbord of options including full day trips, half days, overnight stays deep in the canyon, and wine and dinner cruises. 

More photos:

Boggan's Oasis, a popular stop for cyclists

 

Leavenworth: A Town for All Seasons

What could attract over a million and a half visitors annually to an ersatz Bavarian village in the middle of Washington State's Cascade Mountains? Could it be the Maifest in May, the Accordian Celebration in June, Autumn Leaf Festival in September, Ocktoberfest, Christmas Market, Christmas Lighting Festival?  Everything is celebrated here from salmon to sausages to snow. The Arts and Entertainment Network honored it as The Ultimate Holiday Town, and as the Chamber of Commerce boasts, “There’s always something happening in Leavenworth.”

It wasn’t this way not so many years ago. In the early 1960s, the once-booming lumber town was in serious decline. The Great Depression, the sawmill closing, and departure of the railroad switching yards had left Leavenworth with an ailing economy and lack of jobs. As the town became more and more run-down, local business leaders and residents formed a committee called Project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement for Everyone) and turned to the University of Washington’s Bureau of Community Development for help in saving the community. A number of ideas were tossed around, but the concept of creating a theme town was the most popular. There were already several successful examples in the country including “Danish” Solvang, California, “Swiss” New Glarus, Wisconsin, and “German” Frankenmuth, Michigan. While Leavenworth had no single ethnic tradition, it did have an attractive alpine setting and the idea of creating a romanticized, Bavarian village seemed to be the best fit.

Architectural consultants were called in and the transformation took off. Downtown businesses were redesigned with half-timbered facades and embellished with Bavarian elements including window shutters, scalloped designs, flower boxes, and Germanic script. Great efforts were taken to make the town as authentic as possible; even Safeway and McDonalds caught the Bavarian spirit.

Today, tourists roll in by the busloads and the hills are alive with the sounds of oompah-pah, polka music and the ch-ching of cash registers. Leavenworth shines as an amazing success story in community improvement. While some critics consider it a bit too kitschy and way over the top, the concept somehow works. Visitors gladly make the 100-mile trek east from Seattle to experience a little bit of Europe without the ten-hour plane flight, weak dollar, and language problems.

Shopping is a big attraction here with dozens of specialty shops lining Front Street. Many stores stick to the German theme offering cuckoo clocks, music boxes, Hummel figurines, smoked meats and sausages, Christmas ornaments, and nutcrackers. There’s even a museum dedicated to the nutcracker with over 5000 of them, from the traditional, wooden toy soldiers to a silver-plated French courtesan.

Restaurants with names like King Ludwig, Café Mozart, Munchen Haus, and Der Hinterhof offer an opportunity to sample Bavarian cuisine washed down with German beers. If sausage, schnitzel, and sauerkraut are not to your liking, there are dozens of other choices as well.

Likewise, accommodations range from charming, Alpine-inspired bed and breakfasts to rustic cabins on the banks of the Wenatchee River. With so much variety, Leavenworth makes as excellent home base for exploring the Washington Cascades. 

When all the Bavarian gemutlichkeit becomes overwhelming, visitors can escape to the great outdoors. The surrounding Wenatchee-Okanogan National Forests offers over 2600 miles of hiking trails and there are several, easy nature trails in town along the Wenatchee River. Other recreational opportunities nearby include horseback riding, whitewater rafting, and fishing. Winter time brings downhill skiing at Stevens Pass, cross-country skiing, sleigh rides and snowshoeing.

With its many festivals, four season outdoor activities, and scenic mountain setting, Leavenworth has gone from down-in-the-dumps lumber town to one of Washington’s top tourist destinations in only forty years.

John Day Fossil Beds: An Oregon Treasure

As you drive through Eastern Oregon passing miles of arid, sagebrush covered hills, it is difficult to imagine the landscape was once a lush subtropical forest filled with banana, cashew, and fig trees and the home to rhinos, saber-toothed tigers, and pigs as big as buffalos. Millions of years ago, the region received over 100-inches of rainfall annually; today, only 14. How scientists know these facts and what happened to create such drastic changes are some of the stories that unfold at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

Located about 75 miles east of Bend in the John Day River Basin, the park consists of three units covering 14,000 acres. The fossil beds are some of the richest in the world and present an almost continuous 40-million years of flora and fauna. Their importance as a paleontological site led Congress to designate the area a national monument in 1975.

Condon Paleontology Center

A good place to begin a visit is the Sheep Rock Unit home to the new Thomas Condon Paleontology Center. Condon, a missionary pastor in The Dalles, had a strong interest in geology and was the first to explore and catalog fossils in the region in the 1860s. Half of the building bearing his name serves as a research center drawing scientists from all over, while the other half houses an excellent interpretive center. Using murals, actual fossils discovered in the John Day Basin, and other artifacts, the museum shows the evolving landscape from tropical to grassland to hardwood forest; the geologic events that triggered these changes; and the types of plants and animals that inhabited the land over the past 50-million years. A window in the lobby allows visitors to observe paleontologists working on fossil specimens.

James Cant Ranch House

Across the road from the center is the James Cant Ranch House, a former sheep ranch dating back to the early 1900s when wool was an important commodity in central Oregon. Exhibits tell the history of human settlement in the area from Native Americans to livestock ranchers.  Rooms look as they did 60-years ago, some with original furniture. Short trails lead to the John Day River and Sheep Rock Overlook offering a great view of the valley and the looming Sheep Rock Mountain. A short distance south of the center is the spectacular Picture Gorge on Route 26 and, to the north, is the Blue Basin where interpretive trails extend into the blue-green canyons.

Clarno Unit formations

In the Clarno Unit, about 20 miles from the town of Fossil, towering rocky pillars look more like they belong somewhere in the southwestern United States than in Oregon.  These cliffs of the Clarno Palisades were formed 40 million years ago when volcanic mud flows buried a forested landscape. Interpretive signs explain the volcanic action that created this environment, and the fossils of plants and animals trapped in time. From the picnic area, the short Trail of Fossils follows the base of the Palisades and provides a close up view of plant fossils in the rocks along the way.

By far, the most spectacular and colorful unit of the park is the Painted Hills area near the town of Mitchell. Here the bare, rolling hills are striped in vivid bands of gold, red, brown and black created by layers of volcanic ash containing different minerals. Over time, the ash was compacted and chemically changed into the colorful claystone of today. Two short walks in the unit are absolute musts.

 The Painted Hills Overlook trail is an easy walk along a ridge offering a variety of scenic vistas of the hills.

Painted Cove Trail

The nearby Painted Cove Trail provides a fascinating close-up examination of the textured, colorful hillocks.

Since the park’s units are separated by nearly 90 miles, it is wise to plan an overnight stay in the area. Towns and shade are few and far between so plan ahead and bring plenty of sunscreen and water.

Walla Walla: Well Worth the Drive

Vineyards south of Walla Walla

In Walla Walla, visitors can discover how a sun-bleached, arid corner of Eastern Washington developed into a world-class wine growing region, and learn the unlikely connection between measles and the establishment of the state of Oregon.

Whitman Historic Park

The town, one of the oldest in Washington, had long been on the trade route of a number of Indian tribes who gave it the name, Walla Walla, meaning “many waters.”  In 1836, Dr. Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa arrived to establish a missionary and convert the Cayuse to Christianity. While they were not entirely successful in creating farmers out of traditionally nomadic tribesmen, the mission thrived and became an important rest stop on the Oregon Trail. One of the wagon trains brought with it an epidemic of measles.  Dr. Whitman worked tirelessly to treat his patients and was successful with the white settlers, but the natives, who had no prior exposure or immunity to the disease, were decimated.  Nearly one-half the tribe died during the epidemic and the Cayuse could only assume the disease was a ploy to rid the area of the tribe and take over their land. With that in mind, a group attacked the mission killing Whitman, his wife, and twelve others. When word of the massacre reached Washington, DC, Congress acted quickly to create the Oregon Territory, the first in the West.

Seven Hills Tasting Room

Walla Walla went on to become a thriving, regional agriculture center best known for wheat, sweet onions, frozen peas, and the state penitentiary. It can boast of the West’s oldest college (Whitman College), first commercial bank in the Northwest, and oldest, continuous symphony west of the Mississippi River. With its attractive downtown, historical buildings, tree-shaded streets, and college campus, Walla Walla seemed more like a small town transplanted from New England. But, in the 1970s, things changed for this sleepy college town as it transformed itself into an important food and wine destination.

Gary Figgins was an avid home winemaker with local roots going back to 1905 when his Italian grandparents settled in the area. In 1974, he planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling grapes and created Leonetti Cellar. His wines were so successful that it soon became apparent to others that Walla Walla just might be the next Napa Valley. Today, there are nearly 100 wineries in the region and over 1800 acres of land planted in vineyards.

At first glance, the landscape of the Walla Walla Valley looks like an unlikely place for grapes to thrive; even a cactus would look more at home here. However, a number of combining factors make it a prime grape-growing region. The soil, deposited by the Ice Age Floods of 10,000 years ago, consists of loam, silt, loess and small rocks, providing excellent drainage for the vines.  Long sunny days and cool nights create perfect growing conditions, and the arid climate requires irrigation for controllable water management of the vines.

L'Ecole 41 Tasting Room

With so many wineries and tasting rooms to choose from, a visit can seem a bit overwhelming. The first step is to check out the comprehensive Winery Guide produced by the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance. It can be viewed online, picked up in local hotels and shops, or ordered at 509-526-3117.  Offering detailed maps and winery descriptions and hours, it makes planning a wine tasting route much easier. Most of the wineries are concentrated in several areas: west of town along U.S. 12, in the downtown area, near the airport, and south of town towards the Oregon border.

The burgeoning wine industry and increase in tourists have created a demand for fine restaurants with exciting menus and extensive wine lists. Several imaginative, young chefs from the Seattle area have migrated to Walla Walla and opened restaurants to fill that need. What other small town in Eastern Washington has wood-grilled octopus and wild boar lasagna on the menu?

Whitman Monument

Beyond wine and food, the town offers some pleasant shopping, art galleries, and walking tours of the downtown, college campus, and historic neighborhoods. A few miles west of town is the Whitman Mission Historic Site with a short film and museum telling the sad tale of the Whitmans. While the original buildings are long gone, a marked trail meanders through the mission site. On a small knoll, stands a monument to the Whitmans with an expansive view of the Walla Walla Valley.  One wonders what Marcus and Narcissa would have thought about the grilled octopus and $40 bottles of Syrah now available in their little mission town.

Zumwalt Prairie: High, Wide, and Lonesome

Zumwalt Prairie

Vast grasslands once covered much of northeastern Oregon, eastern Washington, western Idaho and on up into Canada until homesteaders plowed these under to create the great wealth of wheat, potatoes, lentils that make this region famous. However, there was a section in Oregon that was a bit too high in elevation (between 3300’ and 5000’) and a bit too remote for farming to be successful.

Young, red-tailed hawk.

The Zumwalt Prairie, located north and east of the town of Enterprise in Wallowa County, is the largest (about 200 square miles) tract of remaining bunchgrass prairie in North America. Its rolling hills run from bright green in the spring and early summer to shades of yellow and brown as the season progresses. With little sign of human habitation other than a few cattle ranches and plenty of abandoned farmsteads, the place is alive with wildlife including 3,000 elk, black bears, wolves, cougars, bighorn sheep and over 48 varieties of butterflies. The prairie is home to one of North America’s highest concentrations of breeding raptors (golden eagles, prairie falcons, northern harriers, kestrels and numerous varieties of hawks) as well as grassland songbirds.

In 2000 and 2006, The Nature Conservancy purchased 33,000 acres, or about 51 square miles, and has been working in partnership with various state agencies and local ranchers to manage invasive species, develop sustainable grazing practices, and protect animal and plant habitats.

Abandoned farm on Zumwalt Prairie

To visit the prairie, fill up your gas tank and follow Hwy. 82 east of Enterprise about three miles. Turn onto Crow Creek Rd. to Zumwalt Rd. and follow the signs to Buckhorn Overlook. The road soon becomes gravel, but is well graded and fine for most passenger cars. Be sure to stop and look back at the sweeping view of the snow-capped Wallow Mountains. There are a few trailheads off Zumwalt and Duckett Roads, and a trail map produced by The Nature Conservancy is available at the Forest Service center in the town of Joseph.

View from Buckhorn Overlook

Other than the beauty, quiet, and wildlife, the main attraction in the prairie is the Buckhorn Overlook. Located at 5200’, this abandoned fire lookout sits on the edge of the Imnaha River Canyon and offers a view that is nothing short of spectacular. The steep walls of the Cow, Horse, and Lightning Creeks lead into the Imnaha River Canyon and beyond that is Hell’s Canyon (deeper than the Grand Canyon), and beyond that the peaks of the Seven Devils in Idaho. And, the best part of savoring the view is that you will probably have it all to yourself.

Portland Markets

With the number of days until Christmas dwindling, shoppers seeking local and handmade items should take advantage of two remarkable Portland institutions: the Portland Farmers’ Market and Portland Saturday Market.

Saturday, December 17, marks the end of the season for the Farmers’ Market at the PSU Campus, and the last opportunity for snapping up locally made and grown products. Non-perishable gift ideas include jams and jellies, hazelnuts, smoked salmon, locally processed sausages and pates, vinegars, chocolates and bags of chestnuts for roasting on an open fire. There are always plenty of seasonal fruits and vegetables (a great mushroom selection), plants, and flowers. The market is open from 9:00am to 2:00pm

A tram ride across town ends at the Saturday Market at Ankeny Plaza and Waterfront Park. Since 1974, this outdoor market has offered shoppers an opportunity to buy directly from local artists and craftspeople. You’ll find a wide variety of unusual, one-of-a-kind gifts from jewelry, handmade fashions, bent spoon art, duct tape wallets to a catnip filled body pillow for your favorite feline. There’s always music and entertainment, and a food court with ethnic cuisines from all over the world. While usually open on Saturday and Sundays only, The Festival of the Last Minute runs daily until Christmas Eve at 5:00pm.