Oregon Escape June 2017 – Part I
June is a good month to escape the Tucson, Arizona heat so I returned to Oregon to see some cool sights. The trip covered a nice loop through Oregon’s rich variety of landscapes: Portland; through Tilamook to the raw Pacific coastline; back to the green Willamette Valley and Salem; on to the beautiful Cascade Range and picturesque Bend; climbing up Mt. Hood to the rugged craftsmanship of Timberline Lodge; winding along the Historic Columbia River Highway to sample the refreshing waterfalls and ferny paths; and back to Portland. Every step of the way I found friendly people, amazing scenery, traces of history, and a vibrant buzz of thoughtful development. Here are a few highlights.
Deschutes Brewery, Portland, OR
Deschutes Brewery for good beer, good food, good service. The imposing rock wall across the street is the Armory Annex that houses the Portland Center Stage theater.
Portland Center Stage Theater
Luckily, it was the first Thursday of the month when Artwalk provides open house tours of the art establishments throughout the Pearl District. I had an enjoyable conversation with the production manager of the Center Stage theater and samplings of art on exhibit in the galleries of the Pearl District.
Pearl District Gallery 1
Pearl District Gallery 2
Oregon Leather Company is an old-style business, a long-standing fixture of Portland and still going strong. The wonderful smell of leather and the structure of the old building were a pleasure to experience.
Oregon Leather Company
Scrap is a cool shop that sells donated art & craft supplies for your next creative project. Plan to lose track of time in here as you sift through the diverse assortment of materials.
Colored pencil heart at Scrap
Eclectic stuff inside Scrap
Scrap is located next to Portland Firefighters Park where “The Messenger”, a large bell once used to alert the town of a fire, is honorably housed.
The Messenger, fire alarm bell
Throughout Portland you’ll find public art and some playful sculptures like this one topped by a triumphantly revered, little golden bicycle.
Little Bikes, Big Fun sculpture
Many fine and artfully designed shops were accidental discoveries found while walking the downtown streets: Le Labo Inc for fine perfumes;
Le Labo Inc, rustic industrial decor
Nearby is Aesop Cosmetic & Beauty Supply and Shinola for watches and other tastefully designed Detroit-made wares;
Shinola of Detroit
John Fluevog for fantastical fine shoes;
John Fluevog shoes
Echo Audio for an escape into a land of vintage high-end audio components;
Echo Audio
I spent quite a long and enjoyable while with owner Joe Mueller in his handsome and finely decorated shop, Wildwood & Company, learning of his interesting transition to maker of exquisite bespoke fine clothing and objects for men.
Wildwood & Company bespoke menswear & accessories
And there were several more amazing shops such as Canoe offering refined items for everyday use; The Real Mother Goose with a broad array of beautiful, handmade wares; and The Joinery for masterfully rendered furniture in various select woods.
So many of these shops were found by simply walking the downtown streets with an open schedule and open eyes. The Rock and Roll Chili Pit restaurant was another such find where I had a nice conversation with owners Mark & Robin McCrary. Note that the knobs on the Flying V guitar that is the creative bar go to eleven.
Rock & Roll Chili Pit
I found Portland to be full of the eclectic assortment of shops and sights expected in a modern big city, but pleasantly, not accompanied with big-city tension and hustle. And since older buildings have been preserved, discovering fine examples of architectural detail was another rewarding feature of long walks downtown. The mood was laid back and casual, but there was also significant development activity that was obvious evidence of the city staying abreast of trending tastes. I’m looking forward to my next visit.
There is so much more to cover on this trip that I’ll leave that for a “Part II”. Below is a sampling of the rest of the trip.
The Oregon coast is simply beautiful and largely unspoiled. Spectacular weather yielded clear views from Cape Meares lighthouse and the mossy paths of Cape Lookout trail. Other sights seen on the trip: the Pelican Pub & Brewery in Pacific City, McMinnville, Salem, Suttle Lake lodge, Bend, Crooked River Gorge, delicious lunch at Timberline Lodge, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, many waterfalls along the Historic Columbia River Highway, and back to Portland.