Saturday, April 15, 2017

A day trip to Oregon City, Saturday, April 15, 2017

We visited the McLoughlin House Museum and the Barclay House.  They are part of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, but are some 27 miles south of the fort.  Fort Vancouver is in Vancouver, WA on the north side of the Columbia River.  Oregon City is in Oregon, on the east side of the Willamette River. 

McLoughlin was the first factor (or director) of the Hudson Bay Company's operations in the Oregon Territory in the 1800s.  At that time, the US and Canada exercised joint control of the land bordered on the south by San Francisco (California was then part of Mexico) and on the north by Sitka (Alaska was then part of Russia.  He ran the Hudson Bay Company operations until he was forced to leave - he had allowed too many Americans coming over the Oregon Trail to settle in the area.

After leaving Fort Vancouver, he settled in Oregon City at the Willamette Falls.  We toured his home which has been converted into a museum. Then we headed over to the Willamette River Greenway Trail.  They have made the former industrial area along the river into a park along the river.


The first things we saw as we approached the river were sea lions sunbathing on the docks.



Only the houseboat owners were allowed down on the docks, so we could not get any closer to the sea lions.


The city has signage to educate walkers about the history of the falls.




As we continued north along the river, we could see more improvements they have made for walkers, joggers and bikers on the paved recreational trail and viewpoints they have located there.


Continuing north, the recreation path passes through different park areas.




In one area, the fields were covered with snow - no, actually daisy like white flowers by the thousands.


It was a pleasant day outside for a walk.

On Friday, the day before our trip to Oregon City, Patty and I went to see 20th Century Women at Laurelhurst Theater.  It was a strange movie in which Annette Benning played the lead character of a 55 year old divorced mom trying to raise her 15 year old son.  She enlists the help of the 30 year old tenant in her old house that is being rehabbed.  And she also enlists a 17 year old young woman who is a friend of the son.  Very unusual movie, to say the least.  On our walk home, we noted that spring had sprung, with many plants in bloom, including this rhododendron and also encountered the Easter Flamingo.








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