St. John's: Wonderwood Mini-Golf

Continuing with our Mike Bennett appreciation, we finally made it over to check out Wonderwood Mini-Golf.

One thing we had not made it to was an immersive adventure that had opened in 2022. 

https://portlandlivingonthecheap.com/wonderwood-mike-bennett/ 

This appears to be the same location and a lot of the artwork, but now repurposed as mini-golf.

It is not just mini-golf. There is also a cafe and an outside dining area.

This seems to go along with Bennett's interest in third spaces: places distinct from home and work. Community can often be sponsored in these spaces.

There are also story times and events.

There is an abiding love of Portland.

One incredibly helpful thing is that it has its own parking.

It was also nice -- since we are not in this area that often -- that it was easy to tell when we had arrived.

For the mini-golf itself, there were a lot of ramps, where you have to get the ball not just into the hole, but UP and into the hole.

I get how this can be practical for getting nine holes into a small space, but if you are not great at putting, having gravity working against you doesn't help.

We went on an unusually hot day, which may not have given us the best impression.

There are the animals that we adore.

Debating whether to run over to the cafe or to just play, we were advised it was not busy. In fact, three or four pairs came in behind us.

This would not have mattered so much if the group in front of us had not been five children and two adults juggling lattes. 

We should have had ice cream first.

Nonetheless, it appears to be a popular hangout, and that's all right.

COVID: It is indoors, and can fill up with people quickly. Wear a mask. It did not feel well-ventilated, but it was 100 degrees outside and I think that had an impact.

The best bet there may be hanging out in the outdoor dining area, the Dragon Alley. 

Accessibility: There are ramps, and there are no bathrooms. Navigation would be mostly okay, but actually playing the course and retrieving balls could be an issue. It is probably a little more difficult than many mini-golf courses, so plan accordingly. 

We are glad we went, but if we decide to golf again, it is going to be in winter.

https://www.wonderwoodsprings.com/

https://www.mikebennettstudios.com/experiences/wonderwood 

The Portland Aquarium

We have enjoyed the art of Mike Bennett before, with mentions four times on this blog.

We were excited to hear about a new project. 

Perhaps it is unfortunate that the name has many people confused, expecting tanks and captive animals. 

It hasn't been that long since Portland tried that, and it didn't go well.

Instead these are the plywood and paint animals with big eyes and overbites that we have grown to love.

 

Despite some cartoon elements, I was impressed with how recognizable the species were. That was definitely a goblin shark or a dumbo octopus.

It was clear from the features, but there was also a notebook provided, with pictures for comparison and notes from marine biologist Chanel Hason. 
 

The design reminds one of field research books. The presence of fun does not make the experience incompatible with an interest in science.

Hason works with sea otter restoration through the Elakha Alliance, and sea otters appear at various points throughout the attraction.

 One new development was the addition of plus to the gift shop. Yes, there are signs and stickers like previously, but the line is expanding and that's fun too.

I came away with a Gilly the Goldfish, an object of search in the adventure, and really cute. 

We were glad we went.

COVID: Everything is indoors. I stayed masked. It was not required but at least more encouraged than some places.

 

Accessibility: It's pretty navigable inside, with an emphasis on safety and traffic control. There is a step to get in.

 

https://www.mikebennettstudios.com/portland-aquarium 

 

Other reviews: 

https://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2022/02/portland-winter-light-festival-ends.html

https://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2021/01/winterland-pdx.html

https://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2021/07/washington-park-150-years.html

https://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2022/06/dinolandia.html 

 

Salem: Events at the Deepwood Museum & Gardens

This cannot be a full review of the Deepwood Estate, because we did not take the house tour.

I like the look of what appears to be a semi-detached sun room, so I am not opposed to returning and doing that.

We were able to tour the grounds while waiting for the event to start. 

In this case, what drew us was "Fragrance History Talk: Scents and Sensibility for the Victorian Age."

A former scent sommelier who is also a docent gave the talk.

She started with the language of flowers, "floriography", and why the language was important, especially for young ladies.

Often various flowers could convey different things, but when so much pressure was put on young ladies, perhaps some plausible deniability is helpful.

There were many samples, one of which allowed me to satisfy my curiosity about Chanel No. 5, along with some explanation of its development and rise in popularity.

We found the talk very interesting, and the Deepwood Estate make good hosts.

They made sure to have water and fans available, as well as having violet lozenges so we could experience another scent in a different way.

They also had placed various traps to remove the yellowjackets. Unfortunately, there was a resurgence, and they made a beeline for me.

I expressed concern and they drew more away with another trap, but I would have to think twice about attending something else outdoors, especially scent-themed. I seem to be overly attractive.

COVID: This is one advantage of being outdoors, but I did find another disadvantage. Use your best judgment.

Accessibility: There were accessible bathrooms and pathways, though there were also areas with steps. It should be possible for mobility devices to attend events on the lawn like this, but it might not work for the house tour.  

https://deepwoodmuseum.org/