Knott's Berry Farm Hotel

 When booking our stay, I discovered that the room options included a Camp Snoopy Two Queen room. 

The way this differs from a Standard Two Queen is that the beds have Snoopy headboards, and they come with two plush Snoopy dolls. Hello! If you can have Snoopy headboards, why wouldn't you? But that was all I was expecting until we stepped into the hallway.

There is a whole wing on the second floor, of about sixteen rooms, and this is what you walk into.

In addition to the pawprints on the carpet, the entire hallway is lined with cutouts of the Peanuts gang rocking out, swimming, and playing baseball.

I can't tell you the joy it brought to our hearts.

You can certainly make a case that we are big kids at heart -- if we were not, we would not have booked the Camp Snoopy room in the first place -- but I am telling you that there are no regrets.

This was how we knew when we got to our room.

There was additional artwork beyond the headboards as well.

I can tell you that we got a really good anniversary package, where we also got a tote bag with two water bottles and a magnet, and where our park passes were included with our booking. 

I can tell you that the staff was friendly, there was an attractive lobby, and that there were amenities like a pool and sauna and restaurant, and all of those things would be true.

I can clarify for you (if you were wondering), that while the structure has been there for many years, it only became the Knott's Berry Farm Hotel (it started out as a Radisson) about ten years ago, a time when the park was going through a phase of getting back to its roots.

But mostly, I want you to know how delightful it was to walk into that hallway, see Snoopy, and feel that burst of joy.

https://www.knotts.com/knotts-berry-farm-hotel

100 Years of Knott's Berry Farm

I have more that I want to write about Washington Park (and other things) but this is a time sensitive issue.

Last week we visited Knott's Berry Farm for their 100th Anniversary celebrations, and those celebrations only continue through September 6th.

I am sure not everything will disappear, but they did do a fantastic job dressing up the park for its centennial, and it is worth checking that out.

We had gone to Knott's three times when I was a kid. Returning as an adult, it had switched to more of an emphasis on roller coasters. Well, except for Camp Snoopy.

I love Snoopy and I love roller coasters, but of my three favorite rides, only the log ride was left, and it felt like kind of a loss.

Then, for the 100th anniversary, they were bringing some things back.

The original Sky Tower K was coming back, and was a part of park renovations.

Soap Box Derby cars were back on display, available for pictures, and they even brought back one of the old race judges.

Most importantly, Knott's Berry Tales was back and better than ever.

I don't have any pictures from inside, because I was too busy shooting things. You put on 3-D glasses and shoot pies at images from the original ride.

The old animatronics were cute, but not very exciting. Bringing the characters back with some additions, fast-paced shooting, and a few surprise moves was a wonderful combination of old and new.

There is merchandise honoring the old, and you can even meet some of the old characters, but it has been updated in a way that works.

That is something that Knott's Berry Farm has been able to do very well: stay true to itself while continuing to grow.

We were very glad to get there, even for just a short visit.

Congratulations on a good century!

https://www.knotts.com/

Washington Park: Getting Around

I've made multiple trips to Washington Park, trying to get to know it better. Every time so far I have answered questions for at least two sets of people.

Usually it is something about the trains, and how to get there. However, last time I helped three different people asking about the Japanese Garden.

We were by that cute little park building by the Holocaust Memorial. Technically it is only about a mile, but it is easy to get turned around. Also, it is mainly up, and then once you get there, you have another hike up. It may be best to save your energy for the garden. (Plus, one of them did not realize there were multiple gardens.)

I directed them to the shuttle, as there was a stop nearby, and that would eliminate any confusion. 

The Washington Park Free Shuttle will take you to most destinations. 

https://explorewashingtonpark.org/free-shuttle/

Most of those stops are also covered by the Tri-Met Line 63 bus, which also links to downtown.

There are also many links that you can make via trails. Twice now I have ended up connecting to Bus 20 by leaving the park via Stearns Canyon, ending up at the Judge Stearns Fountain on Burnside. The second time it was totally on purpose.

It is worth pointing out that some of the trails can be confusing. It has been helpful keeping the maps with me. There is one for Washington Park in general, and on that focuses on Hoyt Arboretum.

However, there are some limitations. I suspect that some of the spaces are compressed to allow for the size of the park. Even if that is not the case, I know that the maps do not adequately reflect the change in altitude. I started from on the Wildwood Trail from Hoyt Arboretum, and even though it felt like I was going mostly downhill, I still found myself above the Japanese Garden, with quite a bit further down to go. (And the steepness is something; a lot of people had walking poles, and that's not a bad idea.)

It is worth noting that when trails intersect, there are guideposts showing you what lies in each direction. However, sometimes the different intersections can be confusing. Maybe the same paths cross more than once.

That can be part of the adventure. Sometimes I was not lost, but I ended up closer to something that I was planning on seeing a different day than to what I had planned that day, and plans changed. I still think there is a lot of benefit to having a plan, and some idea of where the points on the plan are in relation to the rest of the park.

Another fun option for getting around? Biketown rentals. 

But that is the point: Washington Park has lots of options, and taking some time to explore them is a great way of celebrating its sesquicentennial!

https://explorewashingtonpark.org/

Washington Park: The Holocaust Memorial

As I first approached the Holocaust Memorial, I thought I saw a violin under the lamp post. I looked around to see if there were an owner, maybe a musician.

As I got closer, I saw that the path was strewn with many objects, or bronze sculptures of them, but all damaged and in disarray.

Spectacles with one of the frames broken out, scattered pages... the detritus of lives interrupted and upended.

Then as you approach the wall, you begin to see the writing, with the explanation and the quotes.

The explanation is good, and has some points that perhaps are often not realized, but I think it is the individual quotes that make the strongest impression.

"All of us children were crying for our parents. A guard came over to us and yelled, "Stop all of your whining! See that chimney, see that smoke, smell that stench in the air? That is your parents!"

"The fear has never left me."

Soil from the camps was brought over to be a part of the memorial, but also, there is the story of Portland's connection to the Holocaust.

No one was taken away from Portland, Oregon, but some of those taken there had relatives here. They are listed with their relationships. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and parents.

The polished stone reflects brilliantly, but the trees and sun don't blot out the memories.

There is also a panel remembering Romany victims, and the presence of Portland's Roma population.

 https://www.portland.gov/parks/oregon-holocaust-memorial