Eugene (a.k.a. TrackTown, USA)
This road trip has been absolutely amazing! I really enjoy discovering and exploring new places. Honestly, I think the biggest challenge this time around has been adapting from quiet, scenic environments to noisy, crowded cities. Not complaining, mind you, just observing that my mindset switch seems to slow down as I get older!
After exploring the wild, rugged beauty of the Oregon Coast, we headed inland to visit Eugene and Portland. Since I had never been to either city, I was eager to see what each had to offer. My main reason for stopping in Eugene was the University of Oregon campus. I’ll always be a Vol and a Longhorn, but I’ve long admired the Oregon Ducks from afar. When we arrived on campus that Saturday, I expected it to be quiet. Instead, as we turned the corner near the famous Hayward Field, we found it packed with fans. Knowing the NCAA Championships were still a couple of weeks away, I was surprised to learn the crowd was there for the state high school championships. It was a fun surprise to see so many people coming and going around the event, and all the cheers coming from inside the stadium.
Knowing that I planned to return to campus for a walkabout a couple of days later, I decided to head to the football stadium—one of my favorite things to do, if you’ll recall! Little did I know it was about a mile-and-a-half walk over the river and through the woods to get to it! I promise I’m not exaggerating. But the whole area is so beautiful and, much like in Austin, many people were spending lots of time outdoors engaging in various recreational activities—biking, hiking, etc. So the long, beautiful walk to the stadium ended up being a nice surprise. The baseball stadium is also on that far end of campus, next to the football stadium, and it just so happens that the Oregon baseball team was one of the NCAA Regional hosts and were playing that evening, so of course we crashed some tailgates!
It also turned out that even though it was almost June, the college students were still in classes, with graduation not taking place until June 15. So when Maisie and I returned to campus on Monday, students were scattered about, rushing to class or studying on a quiet bench. Many enjoyed seeing Maisie and loved on her (of course!). It really is a beautiful campus, mostly because it is just so green and lush! Lovely courtyards, humongous evergreen trees, and a laid-back vibe completed the picture.
You may remember from some earlier blogs that when given the chance to enter a stadium of some sort, I’m all over it. Even if I have to jiggle loose a padlock, or sneak through a not-quite-closed gate! So when we returned on Monday, I found such a gate at the aforementioned track stadium. Maisie and I took our own self-guided tour :D. Noone seemed to care, LOL. In case you don’t know, Hayward Field is a world-renowned track and field stadium on the Oregon campus. Affectionately known as the heart of "TrackTown USA," it is one of only three World Athletics Class 1 Facilities in the U.S. You’ll see in some of the photos the iconic ‘Hayward Tower’, a massive nine-story landmark tower at the main entrance, which features an observation deck and floors dedicated to celebrating the university’s Olympic gold medalists. I didn’t want to test our luck, so we just admired it from the outside :D.
We also had to check out a few funky Eugene-ish things, starting with a farmer’s market downtown. It reminded me a lot of old-school Austin; lots of tie-dye, organic produce, jewelry, glassworks, pottery, art. It felt like the old Pecan Street Festival back in the late 80s and early 90s (IYKYK – If You Know, You Know)!
Next we were off to the Eugene Scottish Festival. Because … why not? And what a hoot it was! I was fascinated by the Highland Games demonstrations—if you’ve never seen them in person, I encourage you to check them out! They also had Scottish fare, music (bagpipes, of course, and more), and even a real Highland cow. My family’s heritage is almost entirely Great Britain, as was Michael’s, so it was fun finding items with our family name, tartan and crest. I even found a booth that will pull up the history of a given Scottish name, and print that out along with the crest. My mom had done a tremendous amount of genealogical research—mostly before the internet was available—and when it came time to name our second child, we used her research to find a name on her family side. Lo and behold, “McKamey/McCamey” was the name of her Great (x5) Grandmother!
We also participated in a dog parade at the festival, because … well, again … why not?!
The City of Roses
Our next new city to explore was Portland. According to sources, Portland, Oregon is famed for its quirky, eco-friendly culture, stunning natural beauty, and progressive arts scene. It's a paradise for foodies, bookworms, and outdoor enthusiasts, boasting a world-class craft beverage industry, massive urban parks, and the famous motto "Keep Portland Weird." Sound familiar, Austinites? (They do admit “borrowing” that phrase from Austin.) I found so many parallels between Portland and Austin. Boasting similar populations in their respective metropolitan areas (Austin recently bumped Portland out of the top 25 of city sizes in the U.S.; sorry!), Portland’s habitants are much more packed in, making it feel a bit more crowded. The downtown area is much like any other large city. Interestingly, almost half of Oregon's population resides within the Portland metro area.
Though much of downtown Portland is relatively flat, the foothills of the Tualatin Mountains, more commonly referred to locally as the "West Hills", pierce through the northwest and southwest reaches of the city. AND THE PARKS! Y’all, the urban forests contained within the city limits are truly remarkable.
Portland is also known as the “City of Roses” – the city’s mild climate and fertile soil create an ideal environment for cultivating a stunning variety of roses. We hiked up through Washington Park, a veritable mountainous jungle(!) just southwest of downtown. It houses The International Rose Test Garden, established in 1917, which covers 4.5 acres with more than 10,000 rose plantings of 600 varieties. Ten thousand! And they were SO beautiful (understatement of the century).
Statue Photo (above): Since 1912 the Royal Rosarians have served as the Official Greeters and Ambassadors of Goodwill for the City of Portland. The statue marks 100 years of service to the City of Portland in 2011. Wearing their white suits that have not changed in a century, they tip their straw hats to salute visitors. The Royal Rosarians have traveled worldwide spreading their slogan, “for You a Rose in Portland Glows.” Who knew?!
After tooling around downtown and spending a fair amount of time in the rose garden, we toured the Nob Hill neighborhood (much like Hyde Park in Austin, where we once lived), swung by Lewis & Clark College (because, YES, I know one person who attended college there, so couldn’t leave it out!), then hung out in the charming neighborhood of Lake Oswego about 7 miles south of downtown. Our campground was also really pretty, sitting right on the banks of the Willamette River and providing fantastic sunsets.
We also spent a whole day exploring many of Portland’s parks. So green, so lush, so incredibly beautiful. Many with views for days:
Powell Butte Nature Park + Mt Tabor Park
Tomahawk Island
Pittock Mansion and Pittock Acres Park
Council Crest Park
The most visible mountain peak from Council Crest Park was Mount Adams, 75 miles away with an elevation of 12,276 feet. A Yakama Indian name for Mount Adams is påtu which means “snowy peak.” I was glad for clear skies so we could see it from many vantage points around the city, in all its glory.
The Columbia Gorge
Downtown Portland straddles the banks of the Willamette River—which flows north through the city center and separates the city's east and west neighborhoods. Less than 10 miles from downtown, the Willamette River flows into the Columbia River, the fourth-largest river in the United States, which divides Oregon from Washington state. The Columbia Gorge presents the greatest concentration of high waterfalls in North America, and I felt quite blessed to see more than a few. In fact, some of my “BSS” (Bible Study Sisters) recommended this area specifically, and I was not disappointed!
Horsetail Falls: One example of the many types of waterfalls whose plunge pools and tributary streams provide habitat critical to the survival of many species.
Multnomah Falls: Millions of years ago, explosive volcanoes, grinding glaciers, powerful floods and the uplifting Cascade Mountains formed the Columbia Gorge. In addition to continuous erosion from the Columbia River, landslides, mudslides and rock falls, Multnomah Falls carves its own unique “footprint” through layers of rock.
Not-so-fun-fact: On Sept. 4, 1995, a 400-ton rock slid from the face of upper Multnomah Falls and dropped 225 feet into the Falls upper plunge pool. Weighing as much as a school bus filled with concrete it sent a 70-foot-splash over the Benson Bridge—drenching a wedding party.
Upper Falls: 542 feet. Lower Falls: 69 feet.
Skamania Lodge
My BSS friend Jo Ann highly recommended I check out Skamania Lodge. And wow, what a treat! A luxury resort along the Columbia River Gorge, it has its own golf course, a number of outdoor activities for guests including zip-lining, axe-throwing, a ropes course, hiking, spa services, and even serves as a wedding venue. In addition to the lodge, you can rent a treehouse (yes, please!), enjoy a glamping experience, or rent a cabin or villa. I was enamored with this gorgeous spot and only disappointed that I didn’t have more time to spend there. Perhaps I can come back some day (after robbing a bank, but, whatever ;-).
Timberline Lodge/Ski Resort + Mt. Hood
I just had to find a way to get closer to the majestic Mt Hood after viewing it from a distance throughout the week. I discovered Timberline Lodge, a product of FDR’s New Deal, built in 1936 and 1937. It has been said to be the most significant historic structure in the state of Oregon; unemployed workers, artists, and craftspeople on the rolls of the Works Progress Administration worked with the US Forest Service and representatives from the local construction trades to construct this monumental ski lodge in just 22 months. It was built as a Federal Arts Project, and as “a place for the people to recreate and celebrate their lives here in the Cascade Mountains.” Maisie and I joined another couple and hiked around the ski slopes, some with a bit of snow still on the ground :D. Ahhhhhh.
I’ve really just begun my journey through the Pacific Northwest, and I’m excited to continue on! So far, it is everything I had hoped it would be. The variety of landscapes is pretty mind-boggling, the thread between them being the lush greenery, evergreen trees and fern forests. Next we’ll be heading up into Washington, with several national parks on the agenda along with the Seattle area.
As always, I really appreciate your prayers for safe travel :D.