2011-06-11 Oregon Garden
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Oregon Garden Saturday, June 11 We left the house at nine o'clock after we had our walk and breakfast. This put us into Battle Ground, Washington at eleven o'clock. That was plenty of time to explore the town, which is actually a suburb of Vancouver. A great expanse of shopping malls and a few restaurants and a produce market or two. We did stop at one and bought a few apples and drooled over a small butcher shop which cut their own meats and made sausage. We really could not buy any meat and keep it refrigerated with certainty while we were gone but we did consider swinging by on the way home for the ground lamb. At noon we drove up to the Rusty Grape Vineyard which surprisingly was at the beginning of a loop of Battle Ground vineyards. We were offered 2007 Syrah, 2009 Orange Muscat, Moto Rouge Rose (Sangiovese), Rosso Massimo (75% Sangiovese 20% Tempranillo 5% Charbono), and Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. We ran the gamut for the wine tasting which also included a platter of bread, olive oil with balsamic vinegar, prosciutto, and rosemary cheese. It made for a perfect lunch and we bought The Recession Red which was an undefined blend but we preferred over the other offerings. Rusty Grape Vineyard : Located in the scenic hills of Clark County Washington just east above Battle Ground, Washington. A casual atmosphere is what we promote and fine artisan wine is what we produce. Our passion and commitment to produce an exceptional wine is evident in our finished product but we truly enjoy a laid back approach to producing and enjoying wine with our family and friends. Rusty Grape is open throughout most of the year. Join us for a free weekend Wine Tasting, a Vineyard Tour, our Music & Art Events, our Wine Maker's Dinner, or Summer Movies On The Lawn. We're here to enjoy ourselves with friends and to spread our simple philosophy. We were very pleased with our Living Social coupon with Rusty Grape. We would do this again... with a nice coupon. It is a bit out of the way to go there on a regular basis but it was a very enjoyable adventure. We thought of going to the Farmer's Market up by Portland University but coming from the opposite direction threw us off stride and when we arrived we were face with heavy traffic trying to find parking for the annual university commencement exercises. We decided to hold out for another day. We continued on to Woodburn and the outlet mall. Woodburn Company Stores is the largest outlet center in the Pacific Northwest with over 85 stores representing big name brands. We set our with the intent to find Rockport shoes and did find walking shoes for both of us plus some sandals, which are her favorite, for Liz. With that accomplished we just browsed for other bargains. A pair of shorts at Under Armour for Liz, some athletic shirts and underwear for me at Hanes, and some knives at Kitchen Collection. Then we stopped at Sip Wine Bistro & Espresso for a glass of wine and panini sandwiches. 251 Then we drove to the Super 8 Motel to check in and scout the area for tomorrow's morning walk. Sunday, June 12 Our walk was absolutely lovely. Our plan was to walk to Centennial Park, a walk of two miles. The park itself wasn't impressive but the trip was. Most of the homes along the route were beautiful and charming. We enjoyed seeing how much land surrounded the houses. It was reminiscent of the size of the lots we saw in the older homes in Tennessee. And there seemed to be a type of “commons” in a neighborhood which centered eight or nine houses in addition to the extensive lots. There were many great homes but a classic structure along the route was the home built by the city's founder. Woodburn, historically a farming community, was founded by Jesse H. Settlemier in 1889. Woodburn was named for a slash burn that got out of control and burned down a nearby woodlot in the 1880s, after the railroad line had been laid through the area. The city was incorporated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on February 20, 1889. The Jesse H. Settlemier House is an 1892 Victorian/Craftsman Home located on nearly 3 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds. The backyard is surrounded by a hedge, and features a gazebo offering a private setting for an outdoor event during the spring, summer and early fall months. The House was recorded in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. After a four mile walk we returned to the Super 8 Motel for the “complementary Continental breakfast.” This was pretty simple. Coffee and juice, a basket of individually saran wrapped bagels or muffins, slices of bread for toast, and a bowl of cereal. We ate a little with the knowledge that we would have a lot more calories throughout the day. We thought we might find a bakery in Mt. Angel but were unable to locate one in the little German village. Then we drove on to find the Oregon Garden Resort and, once located, we drove into Silverton where we walked to the The Gathering Spot and had cappuccino and scones. Then we walked around the shops for an hour before we went back to the resort for Liz's spa appointment. We were too early to check in so we sat before the fireplace and read The Oregonian until one o'clock. Oregon Garden Resort The hotel boasts a main lodge, which houses meeting space for corporate meetings, family reunions, wedding receptions and conferences. The restaurant and lounge are also located in the main lodge. The restaurant features sweeping views of The Oregon Garden and the Willamette Valley beyond. Northwest cuisine and wines are highlighted on the restaurant menu and the lounge has live entertainment every evening. The main lodge is also home to Moonstone Spa our 252 full-service day spa. Our guest rooms are nestled in a series of buildings throughout the grounds behind the main lodge. Each building has six rooms, featuring fireplaces and private landscaped patios or balconies. Ample parking is available both at the main lodge and around the rooms. Pet-Friendly and accessible rooms are available at the resort. A heated outdoor swimming pool and hot tub are set behind the main lodge. As Liz signed in we were able to peruse the menu for lunch which we could share while she was having a pedicure or we could take a to-go package to have later. We decided this was preferred so we selected turkey salad finger sandwiches, a cheese platter, and Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon. We anticipated we would take the lunch to our room. Unfortunately, the room still wasn't ready so we returned to where we read the Sunday papers and had our box lunch there. Still, the room was not ready so we went down to the Oregon Garden to check it out. As we went into the entrance I showed the woman the entrance pass and she thanked me and tossed it in the trash bucket. I said that it was good until two o'clock on Monday and we wouldn't be able to come back without it. Another girl said she would be working tomorrow and would remember us. I said that was not correct. They dug around through the trash, reading out the names on a dozen tickets, before the first woman found our ticket alongside the cash register. Oregon Garden 253 The Oregon Garden welcomes visitors with more than 20 specialty gardens and features. You'll discover waterfalls, quiet ponds, fountains, a unique display of conifers, the 400-year old Signature Oak, a Northwest Garden, a pet garden, beautiful vistas and art. The Children's Garden is complete with an in-ground Hobbit house; a tree fort, furniture filled with colorful annuals, perennials and other kid-friendly plants. Kids should keep their eyes open for a new train display coming soon. A-Mazing Water Garden Axis Fountain Axis Garden Bosque Chez Garden Children's Garden Conifer Garden Green Roof Home Demonstration Honor Garden Lewis and Clark Garden Market Garden Garden The Northwest Garden Oak Grove Oak Grove Rediscovery Forest Rose Garden Rose Petal Fountain Sensory Garden Train Garden Tropical House Wetlands Display and Trial Gardens Ball Horticulture Display and Trial Garden Proven Winners Display and Trial Garden We walked through the gardens for an hour and then jumped on the tram to get an overall understanding of the total layout. We knew our room key would give us access to the park during daylight, non-operating hours so we looked forward to our morning walk tomorrow. We were very impressed with all the different areas but easy favorites were: (1) Lewis and Clark Garden is a living museum of the many botanical finds Meriwether Lewis and William Clark documented on their Corps of Discovery’s journey more than 200 years ago. (2) A 25-acre native Oak Grove with many trees more than 100 years old. The 100-foot-high Signature Oak is 400 years old and its massive branches touch the ground in several places. It has been designated as one of Oregon's "Heritage Trees". The first white oak took root an estimated 400 years ago, and now the grove's understory is being returned to its original pristine condition, as the Himalayan blackberry and other non-native species are being removed.