Step into the Past at Port Townsend

It was supposed to be Seattle. With its strategic location on Puget Sound and a strong possibility of becoming the western terminus for the new transcontinental railroad, Port Townsend was destined for fame and fortune. Many were convinced it would become the biggest and busiest port on the West Coast.

Water Street

Captain George Vancouver, while sailing around the north Pacific in 1792, was one of the first to observe the excellent location at the entrance of Puget Sound and noted the “safe and spacious harbor” in his ship’s log. He named the spot, Port Townsend after his friend, the Marquis of Townshend. The town was founded in 1851 with high hopes of becoming the New York of the West. And, for a while, Port Townsend prospered by shipping Washington timber down the coast to a booming San Francisco. Sailors, sea captains, and speculators kept the downtown commercial district hopping; while proper families built their stately Victorian mansions on the bluff above. Times were good and bound to get better, but the Panic of 1893 led to a sharp economic downturn and the anticipated railroad never arrived. Seattle soon eclipsed Port Townsend to become the preeminent Puget Sound port and metropolis. Folks moved on in search of better prospects and the town languished for decades. The fancy Victorian homes were chopped up into apartments and many buildings in the downtown stood empty for years.

In the 1970s, the town was “rediscovered” by counter-culture folks and artists drawn to the town’s off-the-beaten-path and inexpensive lifestyle. Developers and architecture aficionados also took notice. Downtown commercial buildings were revitalized, and abandoned Victorian houses renovated and reinvented as bed and breakfast inns.

Today, much of the town is a designated a National Historic Landmark. Its location at the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula makes it a logical gateway to that area, and the town’s handsome architecture, shops, boutiques, restaurants, and pubs attract over one-million visitors annually.
Port Townsend is a good place to visit on foot. While you can drive there (about 100 miles north of Olympia), it’s more fun to arrive via the Washington State Ferry from Keystone on Whidbey Island.

 The fare is a bargain at $2.75 ($1.35 for the over-65 public) as a walk-on passenger and the scenic, 35-minute ride provides a good look at Puget Sound and its wooded islands. The ferry terminal is right downtown, making it easy to explore without a car. Grab a walking tour map from the Visitor Center and begin with a stroll down Water Street. While items in the boutique and gallery windows may catch your eye, be sure to look above the first story for a closer inspection of the impressive brick and cast-iron facades of these commercial buildings. Stop in at Elevated Ice Cream Parlor (631 Water St.) for a cone of homemade, Swiss Orange Chocolate Chip ice-cream before heading up the bluff to Uptown Port Townsend.

Starrett House

Here you will find a residential area dotted with well-preserved, historic houses and churches, most dating back to the 1880s and 1890s. Not to be missed is the Queen Ann mansion called the Ann Starrett House (744 Clay St.). Built in 1889 by George Starrett, a prosperous carpenter and architect, for his wife, this spectacular structure cost $6000. It now operates as a hotel and appears to be for sale (probably for more than $6000).

While a number of homes have been converted to inns or bed and breakfasts, most are private residences. The Rothschild house, at the corner of Jefferson and Taylor, is one property open to the public. Operated as a museum by the Jefferson County Historical Society, it provides a good glimpse of the life of a wealthy town merchant. Twice a year, several other homes open their doors to the public during the Victorian Festival in March and the Historic Homes Tour in late September.
Port Townsend celebrates its maritime heritage each September with its annual Wooden Boat Festival. The event, held this year from September 9 to 11, is the largest in the U.S. with nearly 300 wooden boats from schooners to kayaks.

Baker City's Grand Hotel

This week, a film crew from the Japanese TV show "Unbelievable" will be in Baker City, Oregon. The show, one of the most popular in Japan, has over 15 million viewers; and the Geiser Grand Hotel in the center of town will be featured in a special on the 10 most interesting spots on the planet. Huh?

According to the show's directior, "it's authentic, you feel real history everywhere, and it's so beautiful".  Apparently he has a fondness for the restaurant's rib-eye and remembers his first paranormal encounter with one of the hotel's ghosts.  Well, at least he is spot-on about the history and beauty!

A little over 100 years ago, Baker City was the third largest town in Oregon after Portland and Astoria. It had a larger population than Spokane, and was bigger than Boise.  The town began as a watering hole and resting place for weary travelers on the Oregon Trail. West of here, were some of the most challenging parts of the transcontinental trek: the Blue Mountains, Cascades and Columbia Gorge. In 1861, gold was discovered in nearby Griffin Gulch and Baker City was transformed into a mining boomtown. A second gold rush in the late 1890s, led to more development and the town soon earned the moniker, “Queen City of Mines.” Home to 10,000 people, it was a raucous place with the usual collection of saloons, brothels, gambling houses, and dance halls, but it also served as a cultural oasis and center of social activity for Eastern Oregon. There was an opera house, several elegant hotels, fine restaurants, and many lovely homes.

Once the mines played out, Baker City settled quietly into its role as a commercial hub serving the agricultural, ranching, and timber communities of the region. In the late 1980s, the Bureau of Land Management chose a site on the top of Flagstaff Hill, about five miles east of Baker City, to build its National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. The new museum attracted over a half-million visitors in its first two years of operation and led to a renewed interest in Baker City’s historical heritage. Modern facades were removed from most of the downtown business buildings revealing the original brick and stone, and a restoration renaissance was underway. Today’s Historic District, one of the largest in Oregon, includes over 100 buildings.

One of the most successful projects was the remodeling of the Geiser Grand Hotel. Originally named the Warshauer House, the property was built in 1889 at the height of the region’s gold rush by local businessmen Harry and Jake Warshauer. It featured such rare amenities as electric lights, baths, plate glass windows, and an elevator (the first in Oregon), and was designed to attract business travelers from across the nation. Ornate mahogany woodwork and crystal chandeliers contributed to its reputation as the finest hotel between Salt Lake City and Seattle. The hotel’s 1905 Christmas dinner menu offered caviar, sea turtle, demitasse of clam bouillon, English pheasant, suckling pig, lobster, and chocolate éclairs with rum sauce, an impressive selection for eastern Oregon one-hundred years ago.

Over time, the property fell into disrepair and after the cast of the movie, Paint Your Wagon, stayed here during filming in 1968, the hotel closed. Pigeons took over the third floor and, at one point, the building was dubbed The Great Pumpkin thanks to a coat of orange paint.

Preservationist and developer, Barbara Sidway, assumed the daunting task of restoring the 30-room, Italian Renaissance Revival hotel to its former glory. It reopened in 1997 after an $8 million renovation that has earned many awards and accolades for its authenticity.

Rooms feature crystal chandeliers from a palace in Venice, ten-foot tall windows with views of the town and mountains, antiques, gilt mirrors as well as modern amenities. The most sought after room is the Cupola Suite located in the turreted, clock tower. The dining room, popular with locals as well as guests, is highlighted by the largest, stained glass ceiling in the Northwest. Visitors are welcome to look at the public rooms and visit the small hotel museum in the lower level.

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.

Tillamook Forest Center

Mention Tillamook Burn today and the image of a charred, grilled cheese sandwich might come to mind. However, 77 years ago, it meant one thing: fire.
On a hot, dry day in August, 1933, a wayward spark at a logging site in the Coast Range west of Forest Grove, Oregon, set off an intense inferno. Fueled by strong winds and low humidity, the raging fire burned over 250,000 acres and destroyed 12-billion board feet of prime, old-growth Douglas fir in one week. Smoke darkened the skies from Portland to Astoria, charred needles rained on the coastal town of Tillamook, and ashes fell on decks of ships 500 miles at sea.

The fire set off a six-year jinx with reoccurring fires in 1939, 1945, and 1951. Collectively they became known as the Tillamook Burn. In 1948, Oregon voters approved $12 million in bonds designated to restore the fire-ravaged forests. These funds initiated one of the largest reforestation projects ever undertaken. For the first time, helicopters were used to drop millions of seeds. School groups, volunteers, forest workers, and prison inmates planted over 72 million Douglas fir seedlings, much to the delight of the local deer and elk population. Burnt wasteland began to transform to a lush, green forest, and in 1973, the area was dedicated and renamed the Tillamook State Forest.
The tragedy of the fire and the success story of the reforestation come alive at the Tillamook Forest Center on Highway 6 about 50 miles west of Portland, and 20 miles east of Tillamook. Opened in 2006, the center sits in the middle of a narrow gorge along the Wilson River. The building uses many recycled and green materials, and eco-friendly building techniques. For example, the water pond outside collects rainwater to cool the building, flush the toilets, and fill the fire-sprinkling system.

A visit to the center should begin with a viewing of the award-winning film, “Legacy of Fire.” Through dramatic film footage, photographs, and interviews, it tells the story of the Tillamook Burn in a riveting and fascinating 15 minutes. In the museum, interactive exhibits, artifacts, oral histories, and life-size displays convey the past, present, and future of the forest and highlight both the natural and human history of the region.

In the rear of the building, an attractive, pedestrian suspension bridge spans the Wilson River and provides access to a number of hiking trails. In the front of the center is a replica of a forest fire lookout tower similar to the one that first spotted the fire in 1933. A climb up 72 stairs leads to the top of the tower where interior displays show what life was like for fire spotters in the early 1900s.

The Center, owned and operated by the Oregon Department of Forestry, is free of charge and offers an active program of interpretive events. It makes a worthwhile stop on the way to the ocean or as a day trip destination.

Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge: Birders Paradise

Swimming in circles

If you think you have noisy neighbors, pity the poor mallards, herons, and red-tailed hawks living year round at the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge. They are about to receive a visit from tens of thousands of Cackling/Canada Geese, Tundra Swans, Sandhill Cranes, and assorted waterfowl as they stop here on their winter migrations along the Pacific Flyway. When the Corps of Discovery overnighted here in November, 1805, Captain William Clark complained in his journal that he couldn’t get a wink of sleep thanks to all the geese, swans, and ducks: “…they were immensely numerous and their noise horrid.”

The refuge, located in the flood plain of the Columbia River about 10 miles downstream from the Portland/Vancouver metro area, covers over 5000 acres of marshes, wetlands, and woodlands. It was established in 1965 partly as a result of the devastating earthquake in Alaska the prior year. The area around the Copper River Delta was lifted over 6 inches, severely altering the only summer, nesting habitat of the dusky Canada goose. To save the breed, efforts were made to protect their winter habitats along the Columbia River and in the Willamette Valley.
The refuge is divided into several areas, but the most accessible are the River “S” and Carty units, both near the small town of Ridgefield, Washington. To reach the River “S” unit, follow Interstate 5 north of Vancouver to exit 14. State route 501 leads west 2.5 miles to Ridgefield; turn left on 9th Avenue at the flashing school zone sign. It’s approximately one mile to the wildlife refuge sign on the right. A graveled, one-way road provides a scenic, four-mile loop through wetlands and forests. In winter, visitors are not permitted out of their vehicles except in a few areas, but there are numerous pull-offs and wide spots in the road for viewing wildlife. Between May and September, hikers can enjoy spotting songbirds, woodpeckers, and herons along the easy Kiwa Trail.
To reach the Carty unit, return to route 501 and turn left into downtown Ridgefield, a charming town and ideal place for a coffee warm-up. Follow Main Avenue a short distance north of town to another refuge sign on the left. This area is only accessible by foot and includes a short climb over an arched bridge across railroad tracks. On the other side, is the recently completed Cathlapotle plankhouse.

For thousands of years, people as well as birds have inhabited this area along the lower Columbia River. In their journals, Lewis and Clark described a large, prosperous Chinook village here called Cathlapotle and documented over 900 inhabitants and 14 plankhouses. These long, cedar buildings were central to the Chinook culture and provided a place for sleeping, cooking, working, and celebrating. The explorers met and traded with the natives and camped nearby on both legs of their journey.

To commemorate this historic event, volunteers have built a full-scale, Chinook-style, cedar plankhouse to serve as a classroom for interpreting the natural and cultural heritage of the area. It took over three years and 3500 hours of volunteer labor to complete the 2800 square-foot building and it is the only Chinook-style plankhouse replica in existence. Since it is staffed by volunteers, the building is open only periodically. To view their calendar, check the website  to confirm open hours. Even if the building is closed, it is still interesting to view from the outside. Near the plankhouse is the trailhead for the Oaks to Wetland Wildlife Trail winding a little over two miles and passing lakes and a wide variety of habitats.