Monthly Archives: November 2011

View of the Oregon City Bridge from the historic Canal and Locks at Willamette Falls; photo by Jan Jackson

… runs rampant between Oregon City and West Linn. The Oregon City Bridge, built in 1922 to replace an 1888 pedestrian suspension bridge, is just downstream from the 40-foot tall Willamette Falls and the Willamette Falls Locks, the oldest navigational locks in the United States.

Willamette Falls is the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest and the 2^nd largest in the United States behind Niagara Falls. Lewis and Clark talked about the falls in their journals on their return trip (1805-06), though they didn’t actually visit them.

In 1873, to circumvent the falls and allow passage between the lower and upper river, the Willamette Locks & Canal Company built what today is recognized as one of the only seven operating canals on the National Register and the only one west of the Rockies.

Both the bridge and the canal and locks are presently closed for repairs. Though they are actively working on the bridge, The Canal and Locks at Willamette Falls (official name) are waiting for funding. It’s a pretty darned exciting thing.

Luv,

Sissy

… or, if you prefer the cornucopia, has its origins in Greek mythology. All these years (and believe me, there are enough of them that I’m embarrassed to have been so dumb so long), I thought it all started with the Pilgrims. No, no, no.

The word cornucopia means an abundant supply of good things of a specified kind. The horn of plenty, if you will, is the symbol of a goat’s horn overflowing with flowers, fruit and corn.

Now, for the Greek part.

When Zeus was playing with the goat Amalthea (Amaltheia), he accidentally broke off one of her horns. To atone for this, Zeus promised Amalthea that the horn would always be full of whatever fruits she desired. This became the cornucopia of the Roman goddess Copia, the personification of plenty. Other goddesses, including Fortuna and Pax, also held the cornucopia.

So, the cornucopia we had at Thanksgiving had two of the three ingredients – the fruit and the corn. Next year, it will have some flowers.

So smart, so late.

Luv,

Sissy

… is all laid out for you in Gail Hoffnagle’s book called Oregon Ice Creams & the Inside Scoop on Fun Things to See and Do (CreateSpace, July, 2011, $16.00 U.S.). A native Oregonian from Portland, Hoffnagle not only has scouted out the homemade ice cream places but she tells you about the fun things to do and see in-between cones.

1) Let’s say you are n 51^st Street in Lincoln City (old town of Taft to some of you), and you see a bright bubble gum pink shop across from Mo’s. That’s Eleanor’s Undertow Café and Ice Cream Parlor and they serve 16 flavors of Umpqua ice cream (plus homemade cobbler to put it on – smile).

2) Or what about stopping at that funny little K-R Drive-In in Rice Hill where the author warns you about ordering the large one (they are wonderful but they are huge).

3) Let’s say you are traveling on Highway 30 between Astoria and Portland and you get a hankering for Marion berries and ice cream. Well that’s easy, you would pull into the Berry Patch Restaurant in Westport.

4) And, did you know there is a new ‘resurrected’ ice cream company called Mt. Hood Ice Cream Company (www.mthoodicecream.com)?

This list goes on and on so the best thing to do is find a copy of the book. From one ice cream lover to another, Gail Hoffnagel did our homework for us. Got any ice cream lovers on your gift list? Then you have just solved the problem of what to get them.

Happy lickin’,

Luv Sissy

… Nope. You have the wrong Sam Hill. The good roads advocate of the Pacific Northwest Sam Hill (1857 – 1931), hadn’t even been born yet when the “Where in the Sam Hill” phrase came to life. According to Wikipedia, the phrase is purported to be a simple late-1830s bowdlerization with an unknown origin (bowdlerization – now there’s a word to look up – smile).

Our good-roads Sam Hill was a wealthy and accomplished railroad executive, financial manager, and investor active in a wide range of civic groups and fraternal organizations. He is well known for building the Maryhill Mansion and Museum just on the side of the Columbia River near Goldendale Washington, the Peace Arch on the US/Canada border in Blaine, Washington and is responsible for Oregon’s beautiful scenic Columbia River Highway.

A tribute to Sam Hill the road builder may be seen at the Women’s Forum at Chanticleer Point (take Corbett Exit 22 off I-84 and then at the top of the hill, take a left (go east) on Highway 30).

It is also where you get the amazing view of Vista House and the Columbia River (see my blog about the Million Dollar Outhouse – smile)  as it pours through the gorge. Take your camera. It’s a beautiful spot.

Go there.

Luv,

Sissy

… New York, Boston, Chicago and San Francisco already have Cheap Bastard Guides and  now we have one for Portland, Oregon. Author Rachel Dresbeck, who has written about Portland for a variety of publications (and teaches writing and literature at Portland Community College, University of Oregon and Oregon Health and Science University), did some fun things.

When she titled each section, she also added a fun quote.  Like on the Apartments & Accommodations section, added – “Home is the place where when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” – Robert Frost. Those are fun to read.

She gives all the details on Portland’s free and inexpensive places, but if there is a “catch” she tells you. Here are some examples:

The Artists Repertory Theater at 1515 SW Morrison St., make heavy use of physically fit volunteer ushers. The Catch? Ushers can see the show for free, but parking costs $5.

The Doug Fir Lounge at 830 E. Burnside St. is one of the best places to see live music showcased in Portland. The Catch? All shows are for those who are 21 and older.

Jeff Morris Fire Museum, Belmont Firehouse at 900 SE 35^th Ave., educates children and adults about antique fire equipment and other relics of past firefighting approaches. The Catch? While the museum is free, the hours are not consistent. Your best bet is to call ahead or check the website to plan your visit.

For everything including good eats, drinks, recreation, – even apartments and accommodations, a good place to start is the Cheap Bastard Guide to Portland Oregon (printed in the United States of America by Globe Pequot Press). And, at $14.95 (US), it makes a cheap gift Christmas gift too – smile.

Now, back to my hot rock for some more reading.

Luv,

Sissy