Memorial Day Monuments

For many, Memorial Day signals the beginning of summer, the kickoff of white shoe season, the Indy 500, Oregon winery open-house weekend, and yet another federal three-day holiday. However, it is important to reflect on the history and significance of this day that honors the men and women in the military services who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Soldier's Monument, Lone Fir Cemetery

Originally known as Decoration Day, the holiday’s beginnings are a little fuzzy depending on a Yankee or Confederate perspective. At the end of the Civil War, in May of 1868, Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, General John Logan, officially proclaimed May 30 a day of commemoration, and flowers were placed on the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Southern states refused to follow the May 30 tradition and had their own Confederate Memorial Days. By the end of World War I, the observance was expanded to include fallen soldiers of all wars and in 1971, it became officially known as Memorial Day and observed on the last Monday in the month of May.

The Portland area features a number of war and veteran memorials, many of them tucked out of the way, others in public areas but largely ignored. The oldest monument honoring the war dead is in Lone Fir Cemetery on 26^th SE, between Stark and Morrison. The Soldier’s Monument, near the center of the cemetery, was dedicated in 1903 to the veterans of the Civil War, Mexican, Spanish, and Indian Wars and is typical of that era, a bronze soldier with flag standing on top a stone pediment. The cemetery, dating back to 1846, is final home to over 200 Civil War veterans.

Lownsdale Square, Portland

Another pedestal-soldier style monument is located in downtown Portland in Lownsdale Square at the intersection of SW 4^th and Main. Unveiled in 1906, Soldiers Monument is dedicated to Oregonians killed in the Spanish American War. The tall, granite obelisk is topped by a bronze replica of an infantryman of the Second Oregon U.S. Volunteer Infantry. At the base of the statue are two Howitzers used at Fort Sumter at the start of the Civil War.  One points north; the other south.

Across the Willamette River, in the Rose Quarter, stands the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This indoor arena with its unusual glass design was built in 1960 and dedicated in 1961 to the veterans of World Wars I and II. Two black, polished granite slabs inscribed with the names of the fallen sit at a lower level on either side of the main entrance.

Korean War Memorial, Wilsonville

Many veterans of these two wars are interred in the Willamette National Cemetery located east of I-205 (one of many Blue Star Memorial Highways in Oregon) on the flanks of Mt. Scott. The largest military cemetery east of the Mississippi, it covers over 300 acres and the beautiful, hillside setting provides panoramic views of Portland. Several Medal of Honor recipients as well as former Senator and Governor Mark Hatfield are buried here along with nearly 150,000 veterans and their family members. Korean War veterans are honored with a large granite monument listing the names of the 283 Oregonians lost in that conflict. South of Portland, in the city of Wilsonville is another memorial honoring Korean War vets. Located in the Town Center Park, the 94-foot long pink granite wall also lists those servicemen killed.

Vietnam Memorial, Washington Park

Probably the most striking of all Portland’s war memorials is the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial in Washington Park, between Hoyt Arboretum and the World Forestry Center. Set in a verdant bowl surrounded by tall trees, the monument was dedicated in 1987 to the more than 700 men and women who died or remain missing in action in that conflict. A spiral path follows the contour of the bowl and is lined with several curved granite walls representing the years between 1959 and 1976. The names of those lost are engraved on the stone along with information about the history of the war during that time period and news from the home front here in Oregon. The “news” runs the gamut from the notable to the nonsensical and provides a provocative contrast to the war and the lost lives.

Vietnam Memorial, Washington Park

While flipping your burgers and grilling your hot dogs this Memorial Day, take just a moment to remember that freedom is never free; or, better yet, take a bouquet of flowers to one of these monuments

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.

Washington County Wineries

Western Washington Co. Vineyards

With the last vestiges of fall color still holding on in what has been a long and spectacular autumn in the Pacific Northwest, it's a perfect time to visit some of the wineries in Washington County. West of Portland and part of  the famed Willamette Valley Appellation, it is the closest winegrowing region to the city and has a long viticulture history, fabulous views, scenic rural roads, and offers a more intimate, laid-back, tasting room experience. If you have only visited large, high-profile California wineries, you are in for a big surprise.

Highway 26, also known as the Sunset Highway, is the main road heading west from Portland to the Coast, and a good route to begin a wine tour of Washington County.  Exit 61 offers an interesting choice. To the south, Shute Road leads into the 21^st century, high-tech complex known as the Silicon Forest. To the north, Helvetia Road leads into a country side of rolling pastures and wooden barns; looking not unlike it did in the late 19^th century when Swiss immigrants settled here. They named their crossroad community Helvetia, the old Roman term for Switzerland, and turned the fertile land into farms and dairies, some still operated by families of the original homesteaders.

Helvetia Tavern

A short distance north of Highway 26, Helvetia Road dips under a railroad trestle and on the other side is the bright red and green trimmed Helvetia Tavern. Formerly a country store, it is now a popular burger and beer joint and the jumbo, plate-sized hamburgers often appear on lists of Best Burgers in the Portland area. The interior has a homey, rustic feel with wooden floors and a décor featuring baseball caps and beer signs.

Beyond the tavern, the road makes a sharp turn to the west. On the right is Bishop Road with a sign pointing to Helvetia Winery and Christmas Tree Farm. The graveled, washboard road heads uphill passing the Pacific Crest Alpaca Farm where several hundred, purebred alpacas graze, gambol, and generally enjoy their sweeping view of the Coastal Range.

Helvetia Winery

Nearby is the Helvetia Winery, probably the only one in the world that doubles as a Christmas tree farm. Jacob Yungen operated a farm and winery here in the late 1800s when the area was known as Grape Hill. A century later, John Platt and ex-Congresswoman Elizabeth Furse purchased the farm and began growing wine grapes on the southern slopes, eventually opening their winery in 1996. The tasting room is located in the old Yungen farmhouse where, on weekends, visitors can enjoy samples of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir. A comfy back porch for lingering over wine, a lovely cottage garden with picnic tables, and a dozen or so dogs add to the rural charm. And, of course, Christmas trees are available for sale along with the wines.

If you purchase a tree, you must make Shafer Vineyards your next stop. Back on Highway 26, exit at Highway 6 and turn south on Gales Creek Road. Harvey and Miki Shafer began growing grapes at their pretty Gales Creek Valley farm in 1973. Like many growers who begin by selling grapes to local wineries, they took the familiar path to making their own wines and by 1981, celebrated their first crush. The 34 acres on south-facing slopes include Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurtraminer; and you are likely to find a wide array of these varietals being poured at the tasting room bar. To decorate that Christmas tree, be sure to check out Miki’s Christmas shop offering a large assortment of high-end holiday ornaments and collectables. A shaded picnic area and gazebo offer a fine view of the valley and vineyards.

Vineyard views from Tualatin Estate Winery

Return north to the small town of Gales Creek and turn east on Capshaw Hill Road to Tualatin Estate Winery. At the end of a series of gravel roads, Tualatin Estate is not easy to reach, but it’s well worth the effort if only to enjoy the pastoral view of vineyards while sipping a glass of chilled, sparkling Muscat. A former tree nursery, the site was chosen by Californian Bill Fuller in 1973. Fuller had an enology degree from University of California-Davis and had worked for Louis Martini Winery in the Napa Valley for a number of years. He came to Oregon seeking good vineyard land and selected this south-sloping spot and began planting white wine grapes. In 1997, the winery was purchased by Willamette Valley Vineyards and now all the winemaking operations have moved to their facility in Turner, Oregon, near Salem. Wines include Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Late Harvest Gewurtztraminer, and the spectacular sparkling Muscat. There’s a lovely shaded picnic area with a great view of vineyards and distant hills.

David Hill Winery

From here, continue east on Capshaw Hill Road to Thatcher Kansas City Road and south to David Hill Road and David Hill Winery. The cheerful, lemon yellow, white-trimmed 19^th century farmhouse is the perfect setting for a tasting room in one of Oregon’s oldest wineries. In 1883, German immigrant, Ernest Reuter, homesteaded here and planted grapes on the surrounding hillsides. At one point, there were eight wineries in the area and it was known locally as Wine Hill. Most of the vineyards were pulled out during Prohibition and it wasn’t until 1965 when another pioneer, Charles Coury, was attracted to the farm’s grape growing potential. He established some of the first Pinot Noir vineyards in the northern Willamette Valley. Later, the winery experienced a number of changes of ownership, becoming Reuter’s Hill Winery, then Laurel Ridge. In 1992, Milan and Jean Stoyanov bought the property and undertook an extensive renovation of the farmhouse and winery. They chose the name David Hill to honor an early Oregon pioneer. The surrounding vineyards are planted in Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay and Gewurtraminer. When leaving the winery, head uphill a short distance above the tasting room for a classic view of vineyards, forests, and farmland. Return via David Hill Road to Highway 47 and head south. In the little town of Dilley, follow the blue directional signs to Montinore. At the end of the oak-lined lane is a southern-style mansion where it would not be at all strange to see Miss Scarlet in her hoop skirt standing on the columned porch sipping a chilled glass of Riesling. Built in 1905 by John Forbis, a former attorney for Anaconda Copper in Montana, the ranch was named Montinore, a contraction of Montana in Oregon.

Montinore

 With over 585 acres producing 40,000 cases, Montinore is one of the largest Oregon wineries. Owner Rudy Marchesi combines traditional wine making with biodynamic vineyard management to produce highly regarded Pinot Noirs, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Muller Thurgau. The tasting room’s large picture windows offer an expansive view of the vineyards and the friendly staff will pour your choice of five wines for $5.

While not techically in Washington County, but too close by to miss its special fall foliage view, is Elk Cove Winery. From Montinore, continue south on Hwy. 47 to the small town of Gaston and turn west onto Olson Rd. for about three miles. The tasting room at Elk Cove offers stunning vistas, some equally stunning wines, and a mounted Roosevelt Elk head over the bar.

Vineyards at Elk Cove

There are more than two dozen wineries scattered about Washington County and almost all have tasting rooms. For a good map of the region showing the little, country roads, links to wineries, a video and suggested driving tour check out this informative web site sponsored by the Washington County Visitors Association. It also features nearby restaurants, accommodations, and other area attractions.

And Now for Something Totally Different

You're in dowtown Portland, you've spent the entire day Christmas shopping and still haven't found the perfect gift....great! It's time for something totally different. While you might not think of museums as shopping destinations, you'll be pleasantly surprised at the unique and interesting selections of gifts at museum shops.

If jewelry is on your list, the Portland Art Museum offers a wide selection of unusual pieces not found in department stores. In addition you will find an array of colorful scarfs, unusual neckties, notecards, calendars,art books. and artifacts from Africa, Central America, and Asia, even a sushi-themed iphone cover.

Still looking? Walk across the street to the Oregon Historical Society. The Mary Mark Museum Store offers an extensive collection of Northwest books and Native American-themed, handmade jewelry, accessories, household goods and clothing. There's a good selection of Portland t-shirts and the ultimate stocking stuffer, a tube of wild huckleberry lip balm. Check out their online photo shop where you can order prints or instant downloads of over 1650 historical prints, some by the region's most famous photographers.
For kids and budding scientests, young and old, the OMSI gift shop's gadgets, gizmos, games, and kits make an exciting alternative to the run-of-the-mill toy store selections.
Musuem admission fees are not required to visit any of these shops, plus, your purchases provide profits for running the museums' important programs and exhibits.

Albertina Kerr Center: A Holiday Tradition

Where can you go to enjoy a holiday lunch with friends, shop for gifts, and know that everything you spend goes to support programs benefiting some of the area’s most vulnerable citizens? Many have already discovered this popular, seasonal tradition at the Albertina Kerr Center. The Center’s programs serve severely abused children, families in crises, at-risk teens, and adults with developmental disabilities.

Beginning life almost 100 years ago as the Pacific Coast Rescue and Protective Society, the Center has changed its name and function several times, but was largely known for its years as an orphanage and nursery. Alexander Kerr, of canning jar fame, was an early financial supporter, and his new bride, Albertina, was particularly concerned about the needs of children. In 1911, after the birth of their first child, she contacted typhus and died at the young age of 21. In her honor, Alexander Kerr donated the family home in west Portland to the agency to be used as a respite and day care shelter for single mothers and their children. It was named the Albertina Kerr Nursery Home. The need for this service was so great that the nursery soon outgrew these quarters and a much bigger one was required. With Kerr’s financial help, a large block at 424 NE 22nd Avenue near the corner of Sandy Boulevard and Glison Street was purchased, and in May 1920, the cornerstone was laid for a new nursery.

The Georgian-style brick building served for almost 50 years as an orphanage and respite care center for infants and pre-school children. Over time, however, the philosophy of child care evolved away from institutionalization to programs encouraging foster home care and adoption. In 1966, The Oregon Welfare Commission essentially banned orphanages and the nursery closed its doors in 1967.

The beautiful building, now listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings and an official Portland Historical Landmark, fell into disrepair and became a neighborhood eyesore. However, a group of enthusiastic volunteers and board members created a plan to renovate the Nursery and establish a restaurant, gift shop, and resale shop to help fund the center’s works. The businesses were opened in 1981 and became an immediate success. Today, Albertinas’s Restaurant, Kerr Gift Shop, and Kerr Economy Jar occupy the entire first floor of the building with the agency’s administrative offices located on the second floor.

The cheery dining room of Albertina’s evokes the ambiance of an English tea room with its floral wallpaper and wrap-around windows. Three course, gourmet lunches including a soup or salad, entrée, and dessert are offered with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal, Oregon-grown produce. Smiling volunteers serve the meals while others model fashions from the thrift shop during lunch. Set menus are posted months in advance on their web site, www.albertinakerr.org. Reservations are a must and can be made by calling 503-231-0216. Albertina’s serves lunches Monday through Saturday at two seatings: 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. The gift shop, conveniently located at the entrance to the restaurant offers an array of interesting gifts and handcrafted items. During the holidays, it is stocked with charming Christmas ornaments and decorations. The shop also sells Albertina’s Exceptional Recipes, an excellent cookbook featuring recipes of the most requested dishes served in the dining room. Down the hall is the Kerr Economy Jar, a consignment shop offering high quality merchandise including antiques, china, glassware, jewelry and other vintage collectibles. Also on the grounds, is the Kerr Thrift Shop where gently-used household goods, books, and clothing provide some great bargains.

The shops as well as restaurant are staffed by volunteers and all proceeds, even tips, go to support the center’s programs. That way, every gift gives twice; once to the recipient and once to the center’s clients.

The 4 T Trail: Portland's Unique Urban Excursion

The 4 T Trail is an only-in-Portland experience offering visitors and locals an opportunity to enjoy the city’s urban forests and extensive public transit system. The namesake four Ts include: trail, tram, trolley, and train.



Climbing to Council Crest

 The trail, which is well signed, begins at the Oregon Zoo train station. After crossing noisy Highway 26, the path proceeds uphill through thick fir and alder forests to Council Crest, the highest point in metro Portland.

Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier from Council Crest

On clear days, you have a four-volcano view including Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Rainier. The trail leads downhill where you can follow city streets (Fairmount and Gibbs) or continue on the Marquam trail through a fern-filled, forested ravine concluded by a steep uphill climb. Both routes end at the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) campus. The total hiking distance is roughly four miles.





The tram connects OHSU with the South Waterfront


Round tram signs mark the route to Kohler Pavilion (espresso and bathrooms) where you board Portland’s newest form of public transit and the second of the Ts, the tram. Head to the north side windows for spectacular views of downtown Portland and the Willamette River bridges. Connecting the campus with the new South Waterfront area, the aerial tram travels 3300-feet and drops 500-feet in elevation in three minutes. It’s as good as Disneyland and absolutely free of charge for the downhill ride.


Great views of Portland from the tram.



At the base station, usually waiting for passengers, is the trolley, the third T. Upon boarding, you will need to purchase and validate a ticket (good for two hours).

The trolley winds through the Portland State campus and down 10th St. Exit at 10th and Alder. If you have worked up at appetite at this point, try some of the food carts across the street, or for something more elegant, there’s Jakes Grill at the same intersection.

The third T, trolley.

The train takes you back to the beginning of the hike.

One block south, at 10th and Morrison, board the train (MAX, red line in the Beaverton direction) and ride this fourth T a few stops to the Washington Park station. At 260-feet below the surface, it is the deepest transit stop in North America! An elevator whisks you to the top, where you emerge back at the Oregon Zoo, completing the full circle.

U-Pick 'Em Season

It's a time-honored tradition for many Portland families to pack up the kids, buckets, and baskets, and head out to Sauvie Island for some berry picking. This bucolic, agricultural oasis is only ten miles northeast of downtown Portland, but it could be a million miles away.

Sitting between the Columbia River and Multnomah Channel, the island is a mix of farms (mostly), wildlife refuges, and beaches. There are several U-pick places to chose from including Sauvie Island Farms, Kruger Farms, and Sauvie Island Blueberry Farm. In addition to berries, peaches, corn, cucumbers, and other summer fruits and veggies are available for picking. There are no better tasting berries than ones you pick yourself, and it's especially rewarding to take a baggie of berries from the freezer in February and remember the sunny, warm day of berry picking. A friend of mine from Denver had her first  picking experience here in Oregon, and was amazed to discover that blueberries actually had a distinct flavor! Have a berry good time!

City of Roses

It’s June and the City of Roses is gearing up for another Rose Festival, another Grand Floral Parade, and another year of celebrating the city’s best known flower. When locals and out-of-towners want to stop and smell the roses, they generally head for the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. But, Portland has another rose garden; one that is older and bigger, but not as well known.
Located in the Piedmont neighborhood in North Portland, Peninsula Park is bordered by Rosa Parks Way on the north and Ainsworth Avenue on the south with Albina and Kerby forming the east and west sides. The inspiration for the park was the City Beautiful Movement of the early 1900s, a nationwide effort at urban revitalization aimed at making cities more attractive and appealing places with parks, recreational opportunities, and community pride. While Portland lacked the industrial blight of older, Eastern cities, it was experiencing a period of rapid growth and expansion and prime for some urban development. The city responded by hiring the Olmsted Brothers, the premier landscape architects of that time, to visit the city and develop an open space and park plan. Their contributions continue to be enjoyed today in many of the city’s most popular parks- Forest, Washington, Laurelhurst, Sellwood, Mt. Tabor, Westmoreland, Peninsula and others.

The 16-acre parcel of land designated for Peninsula Park was purchased in 1909 for $60,000 and, according to the Department of Parks and Recreation, was formerly the site of a roadhouse and horse racetrack owned by businesswoman Liverpool Liz. When completed in 1913, the land was transformed into an outstanding example of a neighborhood park of that era, and included a community center with swimming pool, children’s playground, and Portland’s first public rose garden.
The two acres devoted to the garden were laid out in a formal, classic, European-style with symmetrical rows, neatly trimmed boxwood hedges outlining the flower beds, brick pathways, and a large water fountain and pool in the center. The sunken garden was situated six feet below street level and contained nearly 9,000 roses representing 65 varieties. The official rose of Portland, Mme. Caroline Testout, was cultivated here and can still be seen growing in the garden. This deep pink rose was extremely popular at the turn of the century. After World War I, the city planted 10,000 of them along 20 miles of street ways; thus earning the moniker, City of Roses.

Overlooking the garden is an ornate, octagonal band shell built in 1913. It served as the setting for patriotic rallies during World War I and is now a popular venue for summer weddings and concerts. The last of its kind in Portland, the building is a National Heritage Historical Structure and official Portland Historic Landmark.
When the rose garden first opened in 1913, it was an immediate hit and received over 300,000 visitors in the first year. Floral enthusiasts made it the home of the annual rose show. In the meantime, the city with the support of the American Rose Society was developing a rose test garden in Washington Park on Portland’s west side. When the International Rose Test Garden opened in 1917, rose festival activities moved there leaving Peninsula Park’s lovely garden to enjoy its quiet, neighborhood ambiance.
While on the eastside of town, another place to view an outstanding assortment of roses is in the Ladd’s Addition Rose Gardens. This urban, residential neighborhood in southeast Portland off Hawthorne Avenue was originally laid out in 1891. While most of the area streets are on a grid system, the Ladd’s Addition consists of diagonal streets extending outward from a central park. At each of the four compass points are diamond-shaped rose gardens with a total of 3,000 plants.

Not in Portland, but another charming rose garden on the eastside is the Sara Hite Memorial Rose Garden located on Kellogg Creek Road in the southeast suburb of Milwaukie, across from the Milwaukie Senior Center. With over 450 rose bushes in neatly manicured beds, the garden also features a lovely gazebo, large brick plaza, and plenty of benches for stopping and smelling the roses.

Portland's Pittock Mansion

He was 75 and she was 65 when they built the ultimate Oregon retirement house. Sitting on 46 acres, 1000’ above sea level, near the center of Portland, this grand manor served as home to one of Portland’s most influential businessmen, Henry Pittock and his wife Georgiana.
Pittock immigrated to Portland in 1853 by way of the Oregon Trail, and worked his way up from lowly printer’s apprentice to owner of the Oregonian, the state’s largest newspaper. Additional investments in pulp and paper mills and real estate provided the Pittocks with the necessary resources to splurge on an opulent, new mansion appropriate to their station in life. Construction began in 1912 and the Pittocks, along with one of their daughter’s family, moved into the $350,000 house in 1914.

Built in the French Renaissance Chateau style, the exterior’s rounded towers, cone-shaped roofs, and massive sandstone walls create the appearance of a sturdy fortress, ready to ward off any unwelcome invasions from Forest Park. The house was situated to take advantage of its sweeping view of the city of Portland, Columbia and Willamette Rivers, the Cascades, and, on a clear day, five volcanoes.
The interior in dominated by a grand marble staircase that winds continuously from the basement to second floor. The 16,000 square feet include 22 rooms filled with furnishings and artworks representing a mish-mash of styles: Victorian, English Jacobean, Turkish, Renaissance Revival, and Arts and Crafts. Of special note, are the plasterwork, light fixtures, painted ceilings, and wooden floors. For its time, the house contained a number of state-of-the-art features still sought after today including a central vacuum system, indirect lighting, intercoms, and a fancy shower with multiple sprayers.

The Pittocks’ offspring occupied the house until 1958, when it was placed on the real estate market. The Columbus Day storm of 1962 inflicted serious damage to the property, blowing over trees, knocking out windows, and damaging the roof. Subsequent leaks destroyed some of the wooden floors and finishes. When it looked like the property would be sold to a developer with plans to raze the house and subdivide the acreage, the city of Portland with the help of private donors stepped in and saved the house in 1964. After extensive repairs and restoration, the house was opened to the public as a museum operated by Portland Parks and Recreation and the Pittock Mansion Society.
Through mid-July, the museum is hosting a special exhibit "At Home in Portland 1909-1914". These were the city's development boom years and the exhibit features promotional materials designed to sell property in the new neighborhoods of Laurelhurst, Eastmoreland, Kenton, Portland Heights and the Ladd Addition. It also examines different architectural styles in the new Portland including Revival, Arts and Crafts, and Prairie Style.

Where Rhodies Rule

It’s that time of year when large clumps of pink and purple flowers begin showing off in front yards throughout Pacific Northwest neighborhoods. Our mix of moisture, mild weather, and acidic soil, make this region a Rhododendron paradise.
The plant’s diversity is amazing. With a native habitat ranging from 19,000’ alpine meadows in Nepal to tropical regions in Northern Australia and the wind-swept coast of Scotland, the rhododendron exhibits a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. The blooming season can extend from early January to mid-summer, but April and May are the peak times for most of our local plants. Fortunately, there are a number of outstanding public and private gardens in the Pacific Northwest dedicated to this species.

Best known in the Portland area is the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden located in the southeast section of the city, between Reed College and the Eastmoreland Golf Course. Once an overgrown, abandoned patch of brambles and brush, the garden was co-founded in 1950 by the Portland Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society and the city Parks and Recreation department. Today, its seven acres include winding paths, a spring-fed lake, waterfalls, bridges, and a wide variety of birds and waterfowl. With over 2500 rhododendron, azaleas, and companion plants, the garden offers a dazzling display of color this time of year.

 I visited the park today and many of the plants are displaying their full glory while others are still thinking about it. Happening this weekend (Saturday April 6) is the Early Show and Plant Sale. Check it out.

Portland's Japanese American Historical Plaza

With Spring so early this year, it's almost time to check out one of Portland's most spectacular floral displays....the 100 blooming, Akebono cherry trees lining the north end of the Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Their beautiful double pink blossoms form a brilliant floral canopy, and are a welcome harbinger of spring, marking the end of a long, gray winter.

 The trees, planted in two parallel rows, were a gift to the city from the Japanese Grain Importers Association and decorate the waterfront side of the Japanese American Historical Plaza.

Dedicated in August, 1990, to the memory of Japanese Americans deported to internment camps during World War II, the Plaza extends along the Willamette River and Naito Parkway between the Burnside and Steel Bridges. This award-winning park was designed by landscape architect Robert Murase, himself an internee at age four. It was the first memorial to the Japanese interment in the country and was funded and promoted by the efforts of the Oregon Nikkei Endowment and Portland businessman and real estate developer, Bill Naito.

The main entrance from Couch Street is framed by two large copper columns, each depicting carved images of the Japanese American history in the Northwest. The one on the left shows an elderly man holding a child; the right one features children on a train to an internment camp and a mother and child guarded by a camp sentry.

Beyond the columns, a collection of large boulders follows a serpentine line next to the river walkway and cherry trees. The stones are carved with poems written by Lawson Inada, a professor of English at Southern Oregon University, and touchingly tell the story of local Japanese Americans. Some of the stones are broken, some shattered to represent the disrupted lives of internees. One large boulder lists the names of the different internment camps and another one displays a plaque with the Bill of Rights, an ironic reminder of the laws designed to protect the rights of all citizens. Not far away, is a plaque with a copy of the official Congressional apology to each of the 60,000 surviving Japanese American internees signed by President Reagan in 1987. At the far end of the Plaza, near the foot of the Steel Bridge is the Friendship Circle. Two tall stainless steel columns soar from a circular garden, celebrating the Portland and Sapporo, Japan, sister city relationship.

West of the Plaza is the neighborhood known today as Old Town, but it was once the center of a thriving Japanese American community called Nihonmachi, or Japantown. At the end of the 19th century, large numbers of Japanese workers immigrated to the Pacific Northwest to work in farms, orchards, salmon canneries, and railroads. By 1905, more than 25,000 called Portland home. A bustling, business community developed in this area with its own newspaper, grocery stores, theaters, shops and restaurants.

All that came to an end on February 19, 1942 when President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066 directing the military to incarcerate all persons of Japanese ancestry on the West Coast. Portland families were sent to what had been the Pacific International Livestock Expo Center and from there to various relocation camps scattered throughout remote, rural areas of Idaho, Wyoming, and California. Japantown never recovered, and as one of the poems engraved on a stone in the Plaza reflects: Just over there was our community. Echoes! Echoes! Echoes!

Today, the history of the local Japanese American community is told at the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center located at 121 NW Second Avenue, between Couch and Davis Streets in the old Merchant Hotel. Its exhibits, artifacts, and photos highlight the experiences of first generation immigrants called Issei, the development of Japantown, and the forced internment during World War II.

A Visit to the Poor Farm

If tax preparation has left you feeling it's time for a visit to the poor farm, there’s one close to Portland uniquely suited for those taxpayer blues. It even boasts of a brewery, distillery, and winery all within walking distance.

Edgefield, located in Troutdale, about 20 minutes east of Portland, is the lovingly restored, reincarnation of the old Multnomah County Poor Farm. Begun in 1911, the farm provided a refuge for the county’s indigent population.

At its peak in the 1920s and 30s, the farm operated a dairy, cannery, meat packing plant, and was successful in providing enough food to feed its nearly 500 occupants as well as the county jail, hospital, and juvenile facility. The extensive grounds included the brick main building where the residents lived, as well as many service buildings and barns.
During World War II, the population increased with the arrival of sick and wounded soldiers. But, the boom times after the war, along with changes in the social welfare system signaled the decline of the poor farm. Caring for its growing elderly and sickly population created a shift in focus and the farm was renamed Edgefield Manor in the late 1950s. Over time, the land was leased to a local farmer, the dairy herd sold, and the main lodge became a nursing home.

The cost of upgrading the aging facility was too much for the County, and residents were moved into private facilities with the last one leaving in 1982. The empty buildings soon became a popular target for vandals and graffiti artists. Eventually, the County concluded the structures were dilapidated beyond repair and should be razed.
The local historical society challenged this decision, thus setting off years of bureaucratic battles. Finally, the farm was listed in the National Register of Historic Places, saving it from destruction, but not from continuing deterioration.
In 1988, the McMenamin brothers, owners of several pubs and breweries in Oregon, toured the facility, saw its potential, and bought it from the County for $500,000. It took years of renovation and reconstruction to upgrade the property to its current grandeur.
Today, Edgefield is the crown jewel of the McMenamins’ microbrewery empire. In the Main Lodge, the old dorm rooms have been converted to over 100 bed and breakfast rooms ranging in price from $30-$175. The men’s dining room is now the Black Rabbit Restaurant, while the women’s dining room is the ballroom, a popular venue for weddings.

To remove some of the institutional feel of the building, the walls, doors, and even exposed pipes are covered with paintings by local artists. A walk down the corridors is like a visit to an art gallery. Whimsical murals run the entire length of the third floor and reveal the history of the farm as does the mural surrounding the Black Rabbit restaurant. Free guided tours help sort out the symbolism and tell the tale of some of the more colorful guests.
The old Power Station has been converted to a cozy pub serving hamburgers, and other pub fare. A sampling of six beer varieties, some produced at the brewery next door, is available. Beverages and food may also be ordered in the adjacent 125-seat movie theater for a “brew and view” experience.

In front on the main lodge, is a three acre Pinot Gris vineyard. These grapes as well as tons of other Northwestern grapes are crushed here annually to produce 18,000 cases of wine. The winery, located in the former infirmary, provides a cozy seating area for tasting wines amongst the fermenting tanks.

If that isn’t enough to do, there’s the distillery bar, beer garden, golf course, herb and vegetable gardens, massage studio, and gift shop. The overall atmosphere is very casual and guests are encouraged to wander and explore.
The property is ideally located at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge with its spectacular vistas, waterfalls, and hiking trails. If a tax refund is on the way, there’s plenty of temptation in the antique shops, outlet mall, and galleries in nearby Troutdale.