Washington Park & Hoyt Arboretum

Washington Park & Hoyt Arboretum

The urban parks that border the western edge of Portland's downtown, which includes Washington Park and the Hoyt Arboretum, are arguably the greatest urban parks you'll find in the United States. I'd go as far as saying that they are among the greatest world-wide. Portlanders really are fortunate to have what could almost be considered a wilderness within walking distance of the very core of downtown Portland. These parks and their proximity to the city are one of the very first characteristics of Portland that I fell madly in love with when I first visited years ago.

If you look at a satellite overhead view of Portland you cannot miss the massive swath of forest that butts up against downtown to the west. This dark green swath contains several of Portland's greatest "attractions," including the Oregon Zoo, Rose Test Garden, Japanese Garden, Vietnam Memorial, Washington Park, Hoyt Arboretum, an amphitheater, a children's museum, an Audubon Society learning center, and a French-Renaissance style mansion with great panoramic views of the city below and volcanoes in the distance. Believe it or not, this area is also home to nearly 100 miles of hiking trails.

Hiking trail inside Washington Park

That's right, the massive swath of forest that butts up against downtown Portland contains nearly 100 miles of hiking trails. Forest Park contains roughly 70 miles worth, Washington Park contains 13 miles worth, and the Hoyt Arboretum has 12. You could literally spend your morning browsing the shelves at Powell's Books downtown, and within one hour of leaving Powell's on foot you could be deep within a forested wilderness (in much of Forest Park there is little to no evidence or reminders that you are on the fringe of a downtown area, let alone in a city... in fact, it feels as though you are far from any city). And people wonder why I love Portland so much...

Now, this large green forested swath I keep bringing up is cut into two main sections by one of Portland's main thoroughfares, Burnside Road. North of Burnside lies Forest Park, a much wilder and pristine place containing a network of legitimate hiking trails. South of Burnside lies the more civilized, manicured, "park-ish" Washington Park, Hoyt Arboretum, and Oregon Zoo. South of Burnside you are, for the most part, in a park. North of Burnside you're in a forest. It is this park-like section south of Burnside that I will post photos from in this blog entry, specifically Washington Park and the Hoyt Arboretum.

First up, Washington Park. Here is a little info:

When the first 41 acre section of Washington Park was purchased in 1871, residents thought it odd to label the heavily forest hills beside Portland, which were infested with mountain lions, a park. However, today the park has grown to roughly 410 acres and is more than likely cougar-free. Washington Park contains the Hoyt Arboretum, the Oregon Zoo, the International Rose Test Garden, the Japanese Garden, and more all within its limits. The Rose Test Garden, which is especially fragrant and gorgeous for a few months of the year when the roses are in bloom, contains more than 500 varieties of roses. Just north of the Rose Test Garden is an amphitheater that hosts free concerts during the summer months. Outside the the summer months, the grassy seating area becomes a great place for groups of friends, readers, couples, and sun bathers to lounge. The Japanese Gardens and the Oregon Zoo are the only entities within the park that charge a fee for entry; and both are well worth the money. Washington Park also has tennis courts and an archery range. It is easily possible to spend about an entire day within the confines of Washington Park. About the only thing that it is missing is a legitimate place to grab a bite to eat (there is an overpriced snack-cart, but that's it). But then again, Washington Park is a wonderful place to have a picnic.

International Rose Test Garden in Spring right before the roses bloom

Hiking trail connecting Washington Park to Hoyt Arboretum - Portland, Oregon

a very "Portlandesque" vehicle in a very "Portlandesque" park - Washington Park - Portland, Oregon

Hiking trail inside Washington Park - Portland, Oregon

the entrance to the Japanese Gardens - Washington Park - Portland, Oregon

Statue inside the International Rose Test Garden - Washington Park - Portland, Oregon

All Aboard to the Oregon Zoo - Washington Park - Portland, Oregon

All Aboard to the Oregon Zoo - Washington Park - Portland, Oregon

Next up, the Hoyt Arboretum. Here is a little info:

Founded in 1928, and located only 2 miles west of downtown Portland within the limits of Washington Park, the Hoyt Arboretum contains roughly 1,100 different species of trees that grow within the park's 187 acres. Like I said above, the park also contains roughly 12 miles worth of beautiful hiking trails. Many of the specimens of tree you'll find within the arboretum have a metal nameplate nailed to the trunk for labeling and identifying purposes. The arboretum is open and readily accessible year-round.

Here are some photos taken from within the Hoyt Arboretum.

Having developed a thirst for a local IPA and some outstanding pub grub, I decided it was finally time to spend my Groupon at Spints Alehouse on NE 28th Ave, one of my favorite locations for consuming calories in the city. Spints Alehouse defines itself as serving "German cuisine lightened with local farmer's produce, unique locally-inspired cocktails, wines, and German and local beers." How could I not buy a Groupon for this? I happen to love both German and local food and beer, so setting my sights on Spints was an easy decision.

Not only am I a big fan of the atmosphere inside this bar, as well as the location of the bar on NE 28th, but I had one of the best meals of my whole life here. No joke. I decided on the beef cheek prosciutto and dumplings off their small but diverse and mouth-watering menu. It was absolutely outstanding. I'm no food blogger, so I'm not going to wax-poetic on the "juxtaposition of flavors," but just take a foodie's word for it: it was wicked delicious. And it got even better. To wash it down, I had one of the best IPAs I've ever tasted: the Boneyard RPM, made in Bend, Oregon. I have consumed many of the Northwest's finest IPAs (arguably among the best worldwide) and Boneyard's RPM was easily one of the most flavorful and refreshing. Many of the pubs you go to in Portland (that aren't breweries themselves) have the usual IPAs on tap: Ninkasi, Lagunitas, and Bridgeport. These are outstanding IPAs (especially the Bridgeport, in my opinion) but it is nice to see something different for a change. Some of the smaller brewers, after all, are the ones making the best IPAs in the state (but then again, some of the larger ones, like Rogue, not only make some of the best IPA around but also typically brew several different IPAs at once!, so let's not forget about them!).

Spints Alehouse was a wonderful way to end my day of hiking in an urban park. And to get an idea of how conveniently close Washington Park is to the rest of Portland consider the following: after leaving the parking lot of Washington Park I had to drive through the entirety of downtown, cross a bridge, and proceed another 28 blocks to the east. I made it to Spints in probably about 12 minutes. If I had decided upon a restaurant in Portland's trendy Northwest District (aka Nob Hill) or posh Pearl District, it would've only taken about 5 minutes. That's how close Washington Park / Forest Park is to the rest of the city. This is what makes Portland truly unique: within 30 minutes time you can go from a hike within deep woodlands to a seat at the bar at an avant garde gastropub.

I love this city.

Here's a few mouthwatering shots from Spints Alehouse:

Spints Alehouse - NE Portland - 28th & Flanders

a pint of Boneyard IPA (Bend, Oregon) at Spints Alehouse - NE Portland - 28th & Flanders

Beef cheek prosciutto, homemade dumplings, spring onion, rabe, and fresh kale flowers - Spints Alehouse - NE Portland

Day Trip: Astoria, Oregon & the Wreck of the Peter Iredale

Astoria, Oregon

&

The Wreck of the Peter Iredale

the Hwy 101 bridge at the mouth of the Columbia River connecting Oregon and Washington - Astoria, Oregon

My wife and I decided to take full advantage of an 80 degree day in April by heading out to the coast. We were both itching to spend a few hours on a beach, and neither of us had ever seen the Wreck of the Peter Iredale before, so we decided upon Fort Stevens State Park and the wind-blown, salty coastal town of Astoria, both located in the northwestern corner of the state of Oregon, where the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean smash together.

We arrived in the area at around lunch time and both agreed that we were craving clam chowder. We found just the place: Charley's Chowder and Coffeehouse (see bottom of blog for details). The clam chowder was awesome! Not too thick, not too thin, very fresh tasting clams and seasoned just right. We were also thrilled to see a basket of oyster cracker packets on each table. Charlie's serves it all: ice cream, espresso, chowder, fish & chips, burgers, fish tacos, salmon burgers, shrimp cocktails, unique vegetarian options, everything. It has outdoor seating too. The interior feels a lot like an old soda fountain / ice cream parlor, even though in reality I think it may have been an old garage (in Oregon, some of the best food is served in buildings that were once garages).

It was a perfect way to start the day. Here are a couple photos from Charlie's.

The menu-board at Charlie's Chowder and Coffeehouse - Astoria, Oregon

a bowl of "Astoria Clam Chowder" at Charlie's Chowder and Coffeehouse - Astoria, Oregon

After lunch we decided to stretch our legs after the long car ride and walk around town for a bit. Astoria is a very unique place. I've seen a significant chunk of this country and I can safely say I've seen nothing quite like it. Nicknamed "Little San Francisco," it does have a sort of San Franciscan feel to it. steep hills dotted with Victorian homes, gritty-salted-weathered buildings, many of which look outdated, fishing equipment strewn willy-nilly on wharfs and piers and docks, a colossal suspension bridge towering over the town, small green mountains in the foggy distance, the squawk of gulls and bark of sea lions, the odor of fishing industry and marine exhaust fumes in the air, massive cargo ships docked out in the water, and even a vintage trolley that chimes along the piers.

Astoria has some very unique history of its own. Lewis and Clark landed here in 1805, ending their journey. They spent the winter here before heading back home in 1806. Shortly thereafter John Jacob Astor (1763-1848), a mulch-millionaire investor, arrived in what is now Astoria to establish a fur trading post here in 1810, making Astoria the oldest American settlement west of the Mississippi. Astor even commissioned novelist Washington Irving (best known for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle) to write a book about the area; a book Irving aptly named Astoria. Astoria didn't become incorporated until 1876, but once it did, it attracted a surge of immigrants, the bulk of which were Scandinavian. Decades later, Astoria's once booming economy would suffer a few significant blows (see below). But today, Astoria is slowly starting to bounce back, ranking tourism and a growing arts scene among its successes. (Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the blog for my views on Astoria today and what I think it can one day become).

The bottom line is this: Astoria is rich with history and situated in one of the most beautiful corners of the United States. It has small, coastal town charm with amazing potential to become something like Oregon's Carmel-by-the-Sea. (more on this later)

Here are some shots from our walk around downtown Astoria.

One of Astoria's icons - the Liberty Theatre

Downtown Astoria, Oregon

Downtown Astoria, Oregon

a garbage can decoration paying homage to Astoria's history as a cannery town

Astoria Coffeehouse & Bistro, one of Astoria's best places to kill a couple hours

Downtown Astoria, Oregon

the Flavel House - Astoria, Oregon

The County Jail made popular by the movie The Goonies - Astoria, Oregon

After exploring downtown, we went up to the iconic Astoria Column on a hill high above the town. It was built in 1926 by the Astor family, the namesake of the town, to represent Astoria's history. It is wrapped in murals like a barber pole. A spiral staircase will bring you about 125 feet to the top. The view from up here is fantastic and diverse. You can hardly make a trip to Astoria without at least stopping up here for a few minutes. That being said, you probably won't find any actual Astorians up here, mainly visitors and tourists. But I've never, in the several times I've been to the Column, experienced a crowd or trouble finding a parking place. It can be very peaceful up here.

the Astoria Column - Astoria, Oregon

The view looking south to Saddle Mountain from the Astoria Column

the Astoria Bridge and the mouth of the Columbia River as viewed from the Astoria Column

After soaking in the views from the column it was finally time to descend back down to sea-level to soak in the sun on the beach. Oregon's coast is covered in long, wide sandy beaches. I don't think I'll ever sit upon them all in my lifetime, and that's just the northern section of the coast, let alone the rest of it. Today, however, we set our sights on the Fort Stevens State Park to see the Wreck of the Peter Iredale, the skeletal remains of a ship that wrecked itself ashore in 1906. (more below)

There is something strikingly interesting about Oregon's beaches which you will either love or hate: they are "highways." Yes, back in the early twentieth century, when the automobile craze was putting nearly every family into vehicles making them much more mobile, the Oregon Coast become the place to take a trip in the new automobile. At the same time, Oregon's coastline was in danger of being bought up by developers and turned into private land. So, Governor Oswald West quickly found a loophole and deemed Oregon's coastline a "highway" therefore keeping it open to the public. What does this mean? You guessed it: you can actually drive your vehicles onto the beaches.

The ability to drive your car onto the beaches is both really cool and really horrible at the same time. As a previous owner of a Jeep Wrangler landlocked in the Midwest, I only dreamed about one day doing something as cool as driving it out onto the Oregon Coast, with the crashing waves, the mountains in the distance... I mean how bad ass would that be right? But reality isn't a Jeep advertisement. The reality is that something is greatly taken away from your beach experience when a vehicle goes rolling in front or behind you. It just doesn't feel right. Plus, recent debates are springing up about the harm that vehicles on the beach can do to birds and other wildlife. Plus, come on!, lot of vehicles leak oil or other fluids. To be honest, with all the environmental buzz going on in the world today, especially within the very eco-friendly state of Oregon, I'm surprised that the state government hasn't banned vehicles from the beaches.

But then again, I have never driven a vehicle on a beach before. I sure there is something really neat about driving your truck out onto the beach, parking it against the bluff, and tailgating right there on the sand, just a stone's throw from the waves. Plus, especially for the people who grew up near the Oregon coastline, driving your vehicle out on the sand is probably a bit of a pastime, a nostalgia. People have been doing it for about 100 years.

That's enough about the beaches.

Not far from the shipwreck is the very northwestern tip of Oregon state: a massive rock jetty (called South Jetty) right where the Columbia and the Pacific officially meet. This area, known as the Columbia Bar, is notoriously dangerous and hazardous to seafarers. The mouth of the Columbia is located within an area known at the Graveyard of the Pacific. Stretching from Tillamook Bay all the way up to Vancouver B.C., the Graveyard of the Pacific is laden with shipwrecks, mainly due to the combination of rugged coastline and unpredictable, potentially violent seas. There are a select few "bar pilots" (basically experts captains who have mastered ship navigation and thoroughly understand the waters out here) who make about a $200,000 annual salary to guide ships across the bar. In fact, the Flavel House (see photo of the Queen Anne style mansion above) was owned by a man who did just that over a century ago. George Flavel was one of the first bar pilots and, not coincidentally, one of Astoria's first millionaires.

Here are some photos of the Jetty and the Fort Stevens State Park beach.

the South Jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River - near Astoria, Oregon

View of one of Fort Stevens S.P.'s beaches from the South Jetty

a lifted Jeep parked out on the beach at Fort Stevens State Park near Astoria, Oregon and the mouth of the Columbia

This brings me to The Wreck of the Peter Iredale. On a pitch black and foggy early morning in October of 1906, a steel schooner shipwrecked on the Oregon coast just south of the mouth of the Columbia, where it was headed. Nasty winds and choppy seas pushed the ship to shore when visibility was at a minimum. (Astoria, by the way, is notorious for receiving almost paralyzing fog some days, especially in winter) Nobody was killed, but the ship was obviously not going anywhere. Over 100 years later, it still hasn't gone anywhere. Much of the ship was sold for scrap, and until recently the masts were still attached, poking up into the sky, but were later removed for the sake of safety to the growing number of visitors the shipwreck was receiving.

Below are some BEFORE and AFTER shots of the Peter Iredale.

BEFORE

Here is what the Peter Iredale looked like long ago when it beached ashore:

Photo credit: http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/_files/_doc_files/
Wreck%20of%20Peter%20Iredale%201906%20FSDM.jpg

Photo credit: http://static.atlasobscura.netdna-cdn.com/images/place/the-wreck-of-the-peter-iredale.10298.large_slideshow.jpg

AFTER

And here is what remains of the Peter Iredale today, otherwise known in tourist brochures as The Wreck of the Peter Iredale:

The Wreck of the Peter Iredale - Fort Stevens State Park - Astoria, Oregon

Tired and hungry from soaking up a lot of sunshine, my wife and I decided to grab some dinner before leaving. I was mulling over the possibilities in my head when BAM!! it hit me: Rogue Ales and Public House at Pier 39 in Astoria. If you come to Astoria and you like good beer you absolutely must make a point to stop at Rogue Brewery. Not only does Rogue make some of the most quality and delicious beers you'll ever imbibe, as well as serve some of the best pub grub, but the brewery is located on a fricken DOCK. That's right, you have to drive your car out onto a wooden dock, which makes all those wonderfully clunky "plankety-plank" sounds you'd expect driving a 2,000+ pound vehicle onto a dock (one of my favorite sounds). The views out the window of the cargo ships and the mountains in the distance are outstanding. You cannot help but feel like a salty old sailor when you belly up to the bar here. Rogue's brewery here in Astoria may be my favorite pub of all time. It is very hard not to completely fall in love with this place, especially if you love pubs, hand-crafted ales, and maritime nostalgia. In addition, at Rogue my wife and I had one of the best service experiences of all time. The server was immensely hospitable and really knew beer without being remotely pretentious about his knowledge of the stuff. As I write this blog entry right now at home I have a burning wish that I was at Rogue in Astoria this very moment.

After a couple beers and some excellent food, we agreed we weren't in a huge hurry to leave Astoria. First, we took a quick walk through the Bumble Bee Cannery museum on Pier 39 a few planks over from Rogue. It is open to the public and a quick 5 minute walk through the museum will give you an idea of what it was like working in the cannery when Bumble Bee was headquarters here during Astoria's boom years.

A few docks to the west of Pier 39 and Rogue Brewery lies a collection of docks that attracts massive, barking sea lions. This has become a little tourist attraction in itself. I have never visited Astoria without these docks being covered in lounging sea lions. A sailor smoking a cigar was walking up from his boat and said to my wife and I "go ahead down on the docks if you want to get a little closer... just don't get too close they might charge at you.... me, I hate these damn things." They bark, growl, smell horrible, and have very dog-like faces. They are beautiful creatures in a belchy, couch-potatoey sort of way. They are the Homer Simpson of the animal kingdom.

After barking at the sea lions my wife and I called it a night and made the journey back to Portland. Here are some photos from the end of our day at Rogue, Pier 39, and the sea lion docks.

Rogue Brewery out on Pier 39 - Astoria, Oregon

Inside Rogue Brewery at Pier 39 - Astoria, Oregon

a pint of one of Rogue's IPAs @ Rogue Brewery - Astoria, Oregon

The tap list at Rogue Brewery in Astoria, Oregon

Out back behind Pier 39, where you can sip your espresso drinks from Coffee Girl, one of my favorite coffeehouses of all time, and how could it not be when you have this as a patio?

Walking around in the Bumble Bee Cannery Museum at Pier 39 in Astoria, Oregon

Astoria, Oregon

Sea lions lounging on the docks - Astoria, Oregon

Astoria, Oregon

Sea Lions lounging on the docks - Astoria, Oregon

Sea Lions lounging on the docks - Astoria, Oregon

My thoughts on Astoria:

One thing I can't help but wonder while walking around Astoria is what this town must have been like in its heyday. As a lover of quaint small towns, I cannot fathom a small town that would've been better to call home than this one during its heyday.

Astoria's economy has, unfortunately, suffered a blow since its heyday. Not only has Astoria become almost completely overshadowed by Portland and Seattle as a shipping port or prime location for industry and commerce, but the very industries its economy had previously depended on, namely fishing, canning, and lumber, saw devastating decline over the years. Bumblebee Seafood, which used to can salmon and provide thousands of jobs in Astoria, began withdrawing from the area in 1974 and was completely gone about 5 years later. About a decade later, Astoria's largest employer, a plywood manufacturer, closed its doors and shut down. This, in turn, forced the railroad companies to discontinue service out to Astoria. The town received three major blows to its economy in under 20 years time.

Walking around Astoria today you can plainly see that the economy has yet to fully rejuvenate. Far from it. There are many empty storefronts and buildings downtown and the area does have an undeniable "outdatedness" to it. Astoria seems behind on the times in many regards.

But... Astoria has promise and potential.



Every time I come here I feel as though the arts scene has grown since I last visited, that the area is becoming more and more appealing to young people, that it is finally getting that edge it needs to draw people out of Portland and Seattle. Astoria has the potential to become an Eden for hipsters, the DIY crowd, microbrewers, coffee roasters, avant garde chefs, artists, writers, sculptors, poets, musicians, vegans, meat-smokers, beatniks, hippies, bicycle mechanics, distillers, small business owners, seafood-centered gastropubs, used bookstores, headshops, record shops, food cart pods, and second-hand clothing boutiques. I feel like the only thing keeping half of Portland from picking up and relocating to Astoria tomorrow is Astoria's general lack of many of the things listed above as well as a shortage of apartments and lofts.

But many of these things are moving into Astoria slowly but surely. You can get a great hand-crafted ale in Astoria. You can get a great cup of coffee in Astoria. You can spend an hour kicking around a used book shop or do a small but quality art gallery crawl. Some great food is starting to sprout here and there if you know how to look for it. Astoria has some of the most beautiful historic architecture on the entire west coast. The potential to turn this town into something like Carmel-by-the-Sea or Nantucket is great. All it is going to take is a risk: if restauranteurs, small-business owners, brewers, artists, coffee roasters, etc take a risk by setting up shop here, then Astoria's dream of reestablishing itself as a boom town might be a reality.



Maybe Astoria will one day evolve into this artsy, hip, beautiful little love-child of Portland and San Francisco? I certainly think the potential is there. Astoria's economy needs some work, many of its facades need a make-over, and it is in need of a youthful and vibrant crowd to lease its salty old structures and turn them into hip pubs, avant garde restaurants, modern galleries, cheapo brew-n-views, funky clothing boutiques, artisan food/seafood shops, etc. I truly love this town, partly for what it is now, and partly for what I know it could become in the future.

Additional Info:

Charlie's Chowder and Coffeehouse
1335 Marine Drive
Astoria, Oregon 97103
(503) 325-2368
http://www.yelp.com/biz/charlies-chowder-house-astoria

Astoria Coffeehouse and Bistro
243 11th Street
Astoria, Oregon 97103
(503) 325-1787
http://astoriacoffeehouse.com/

Rogue Ales Public House
100 39th Street (Pier 39)
Astoria, Oregon 97103
(503) 325-5964
http://www.rogue.com/locations/locations.php