What happened to the Victorian Mansion?

When my family visited Winter Wonderland at Portland International Raceway, we tried to use our time effectively. We also had dinner at Denny's, where Mom got the Rudolph pancakes, and we decided to drive by the Queen Anne Victorian Mansion.

We weren't planning on going in, but we had passed by it many times and thought it would be nice to see it up close. There were always white lights bordering the elegant structure. Then we got there.

Was this really the right place? It wasn't even the same name.

Which didn't necessarily mean anything. The Queen Anne Victorian Mansion was how we always referred to it, but that didn't mean it was the official name. I'd never looked it up.

Also, this was the first time we'd come to the front of the house instead of the back. Maybe they were colorful in the front and all white lights in the back?

Still, it was hard not to wonder if there had been some kind of change in ownership.

There were so many colors.

There was a giant teddy bear, which was pretty demure compared to the inflatable octopus and candy-striped entrance arch.

You can still see the white lights bordering. Oddly, on Christmas we drove by on the way home from my brother, and I saw only the white lights again. The Miracle of the Million Lights closes on the 23rd; had it all been removed that quickly? Or was the back always the staid disguise of the garish front?

I don't know, but I think next year I'm going in.

http://www.victorianbelle.com/the-miracle-of-a-million-lights.html

Community Christmas Trees

Aloha

Aloha operates at the worst disadvantage.  In an unincorporated area that grew - at times quickly - without a very organized pattern, there is no municipal space. The location of the tree in Farmington Mall makes sense, as it is along the road linking the high school to one of its junior highs, and it is near the library. It may not be the only option for a civic space, but it is the most logical.

It is still a small space that can't be dressed up a lot.

Still, the lighting provides a social opportunity that was previously lacking, and the tree is nice to have.

http://www.alohabusinessassociation.com/event/aloha-annual-christmas-tree-lighting/

Bethany Village

This is commercial space as well, but it was built in a more prosperous time and place, and the design of the area created a good setting for an elegant display, which makes sense for the more upscale environment.

The tree is beautiful, and you are right by Bliss Bake Shoppe.

They do have a tree lighting, but the links have been removed. Obviously all of these trees have already been lit.

City of Beaverton

Here we have the resources of a city, and the setting of a park near a library, which gives more space to play with. This creates an electric wonderland.

One important design element is to have things that will look good during daylight as well as night. Many of the lights have a structure that can be appreciated in light, but I also appreciated this row of candy canes.

Long vistas are visually impressive and inviting for walkers. That worked well here, as well as the playground equipment that was in use. This was the display that you could spend the most time in.

http://www.beavertonoregon.gov/474/Tree-Lighting

Ultimately design choices have to take resources like space and budget into account, but there are many options available, and many things to appreciate about these holiday spaces.

Merry Christmas!

Winter Wonderland at Portland International Raceway

http://winterwonderlandportland.com/

I finally made it to the light display at Portland International Raceway. I really liked it.

There is an assortment of lights. Along with some elf/North Pole scenes, there was a section on the Twelve Days of Christmas...

presided over by Santa and his sleigh.

There were even some more religious scenes...

and more secular polar fun (that did seem to mix up what you would find at the North and South Poles).

I enjoyed going through the light tunnel.

After which we found dinosaurs, dragons, and sea serpents could all apparently coexist.

Lovely poinsettia.

Sadly, taking pictures from a moving vehicle in the dark does not produce my best results, but I had a good time.

There are lines, but as you arrive at the entrance they do a good job of having many lights to look at. I felt like it was handled well. Remembering that this is a fundraiser so that many of the people helping are probably volunteers makes that more impressive.

Proceeds go to the Sunshine Division, providing food and clothing relief to Portland families in need. Donations of canned goods are also accepted at the site.

You are supposed to turn off your lights while driving through the course, which can be difficult for some cars with sensor activated headlights. Rest assured that there are whole online forums with suggestions for this issue.

The Lights and Leashes night (for dogs and their humans) and the Bike the Lights night have already passed for this year, but the lights themselves continue through December 25th.

Gingerbread Adventures at OMSI

This wasn't quite what we expected, but it was still interesting.

We once went to a display that was fundraising for hunger. It featured elaborate gingerbread structures built through collaborations of architecture firms with bakeries and restaurants. This was similar, except with very little in the way of traditional structure.

The differences could be attributed to a focus on science. That was initially heard by us as focusing on earthquake resistance. I am thrilled with seasonal seismic safety, but this wasn't that either. So really it was science-fiction inspired, where the gingerbread mainly stood in for dirt. I am not sure how that related to science, but here are the individual structures.

Welcome to Portland, Mars, by SRM Architecture and The Nines/Urban Farmer: This depicts an airport for arrival on Mars. Then lots of red dirt and dust makes sense.

At that other exhibit (long ago at Pioneer Place), the McCormick and Schmick's (I think) one had a marzipan octopus (and a sleigh drawn by gummi dolphins), and this reminded me of that. I don't think Urban Farmer is known for their seafood, but for the home of the Departure Lounge an airport motif makes sense.

My favorite touches here are the Oregon-shaped Portland sign, the underground tram (I think it looks good, lots of airports do it, and if you are on Mars, a lot of things are going to be underground), and the little gingerbread man jauntily perched on the control tower.

Planet of Roses by ZGF Architects and Nel Centro: It shows an exotic garden and organic market.

I would not know there is a market if the sign hadn't mentioned it, so while very Portland, I don't think the execution was great. That being said, the terraces work as both a nod to the structure of the International Test Garden, and to remind me of how terraforming (which would not necessarily involve terraces, though you can use them to create micro-climates) would be a key part of Martian colonization.

This was not the only one that incorporated a tram, but it's a nice touch.

Portland Outpost Mars (P.O.M.) by MWA Architects and The Dessert Tray: This shows a yeti colony that pays tribute to their home of Portland.

If we get past yetis not originating in Portland - and no one else was going for realistic depictions of humans anyway- I like this one a lot. It reminds me of the Macy's building better than the one affiliated with the Macy's building.

That may not be intentional, as that shape could also be reminiscent of the KOIN Tower, but check out this Convention Center in-spire-ation.

The design was overall colorful and fun, making it a strong contender.

Ground Control to Santa Claus by LRS Architects and Nothing Bundt Cakes: NASA is helping Santa with a departure from Kennedy Space Center.

This is the one I ultimately ended up voting for. I liked the incorporation of Rice Krispie treats. I love the inclusion of the space shuttle with the external tank and rocket boosters, allowing the comparison and contrast with the position of the sleigh.

I also enjoyed the pen of backup reindeer. What really put me over the edge, though, was that there was a visible interior to the building, with licorice all-sorts as gifts. This won me over on both cleverness and attention to detail.

Marscape Superlife by Soderstrom Architects and Bon Appétit Management Company: This colony consists largely of domed living quarters, underground facilities, and tall communication towers.

 This one probably has the most realistic vision of how a colony would go, and it shows some ingenuity with the incorporation of rock crystals and apparently melted hard candies to give a colored glass effect. At the same time, it left me cold.

I think it was a combination of too much dirt, and some sense of it being off-balance. The gap between the two towers - both because of the distance between them and the difference in height between them and the lower structures - creates too much void. Appropriate for space exploration, I suppose, but it feels like this could have been better.

GingerTARDIS by Dangermond Keane Architecture and Délice Chocolate and Confections: Instead of future Portland, the Doctor comes to present Portland to battle Daleks.

This was another strong contender. While not very scientific, I thought it made the best use of gingerbread.

This came through in the rocky structures that don't necessarily look like a local part of Portland, but they are interesting and artistic. Maybe the fractured pieces stuck together is a concession to the difficulty of working with gingerbread, but they look good.

This was also true of the trees, and here we have the best Portland sign. Also, I just think putting a Dalek in a Santa hat is funny.

I'm sure someone will see it and be inspired to create a gingerbread tableau of weeping angels, which could be Christmas-y, I guess.

Gingerbread Adventures will be featured in the Turbine Room through January 2nd.

https://www.omsi.edu/calendar/gingerbread-adventures