Historic Downtown Gresham

About a year ago we went to see a gingerbread house display at the Gresham Historical Society.

https://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2021/12/gresham-oregon-christmas-at-historical.html

We saw all sorts of interesting art nearby, many of them coming from the Gresham Outdoor Public Art project.

https://www.greshamoutdoorpublicart.com/

The next three posts will go over GOPA locations, including a convenient route. In the process we found a lot of art beyond the what was included on the map. This post is about that.

There was a nice sense of the history. The best example might be at Jazzy Bagel, which apparently nods to the area's historic jazz festival, but also honors its building history with a mural depicting the old Rexall pharmacy.

It does not stop there. Inside there is more art on the jazz theme...

... and outside a bike rack celebrating the music.

Plus, there are bagels.

There is a lot of food available along North Main Avenue. For the places we have been, like The Local Cow, we have found a fun atmosphere, and good implementation of a theme.

History can be honored in more ways than one, like this stack of old yearbooks.

First hearing of The Local Cow, I thought it might focus on dairy products. In fact, it focuses on the beef part of the cow, though cheese is usually represented.

You would not have to go far for a dairy treat. iCandy right next door has ice cream, then Frenzi Frozen Yogurt is less than a block away, and Umpqua Ice Cream is right next to Jazzy Bagel.

We have barely scratched the surface of the food available in downtown Gresham, but close together you can find pizza, Chinese, Thai, Lebanese, Mexican, pub fare, and comfort food. Sugar Cubed isn't really a restaurant, but is has baked goods.

You can probably find something to eat there, or to take home.

Then there is the art that you find as you walk along. Yes, there are the items featured in the GOPA brochure, but there is more. There are other murals that aren't listed. There are these posts.

My eye was caught by posts featuring a Northern Flicker and a Wilson's Warbler. Those are birds that show up in my yard occasionally, but not often. When they come, are they coming from Gresham?

My real point, though, is a thought that perhaps art begets are. Hey, here are these cool things, that gives me an idea.

But it can also be reasonable to say that Gresham is a nice place to hang out.

Accessibility: The streets are navigable and the places that we have been in seemed to be okay for navigation, but there are many places we have not made it to. It may not hurt to call ahead if you have interest in a specific restaurant.

COVID: There sure was not a lot of masking, however most of the places do have outdoor dining, which probably helps more in warmer, drier weather.

https://greshamoregon.gov/

Portland -- 1927 S'mores Company

How good do artisanal s'mores sound to you?

You will notice the sign says "gourmet s'mores", which is also a reasonable designation. However, at this shop they make their own graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate ganache, so this goes far beyond assembling quality ingredients.

If that sounds stuffy, remember there is also the use of small blow torches.

There is a bit of a rustic cabin feel to the store, but there nonetheless are no sticks over open flame; these are torch-fired.

The graham cracker is anointed with the ganache, after which the marshmallow is well-toasted, flipped over, and toasted on the other side.

Then squish!

Wet wipes are included in your basket, which are more practical than mere napkins when dealing with roasted marshmallow.

There is an option to add in other flavors, like marionberry or peach. We stuck with the classic s'mores, but regular customers seem to experiment more, and have strong opinions about the combinations.

I do not, because (I admit reluctantly) I am not that into s'mores. I am very into hot chocolate, though, and the peppermint hot cocoa was delicious. Notice the toasted marshmallow skewer on top.

Hot chocolate can be made with whole or oat milk.

That is the thing, of course, tastes and styles vary.

So that brings us back to the original question: how good do artisanal s'mores sound to you? Your answer lets you know if this is the destination you desire.

Accessibility: While the inside of the store is navigable, the door could potentially be tricky for someone in a mobility device, and a long line would make indoor navigation harder.

COVID: The line can be busy and there were not many masks, so that is not great. There are to go, cart, and catering options that can be viewed on the web page.

https://www.1927smores.com/

Columbia River Gorge: Bonneville Dam

We visited Bonneville Dam a bit late in October, knowing we were at the tail end of the season for seeing fish.We still got to see some.

That is the underground portion of the fish ladder. It is beautiful from above, and I can watch running water for a long time, but from above you are unlikely to spot fish.

That may be completely different at the peak of migration. As it was, we still got to see salmon at different life stages, which were helpfully drawn out.

We even got to see the teeniest (pre?) baby salmon. Those little pink balls are not gravel.

Most of the displays focus on the salmon.

This was at least true at the Bradford Island Visitor Center, where we spent most of our time.

It is worth noting that the overall site is large, including two powerhouses, a lock, a spillway, and there is a visitor complex on the Washington side.

It is easy to forget how big the site is, though the signage is generally helpful.

As the site is operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers, there is a car check as you enter, looking for guns and drones. I did not take a picture of that guard booth, but here is an old one from WWII.

As Bonneville Dam was the primary source of power for the Portland shipyards, there were military concerns about sabotage.

Most of the historic displays focus go farther back, with information about the dam's namesake, Captain Benjamine L.E. Bonneville, early fur traders, and Native Americans.

Outside, as you view the impressive scenery, there is information about local wildlife, and the sudden shift in climate as it goes from the temperate rain forest of the Willamette Valley to semiarid Eastern Oregon.

As an obvious school field trip destination, you can see the many different types of field trip experiences. I don't remember my class ever coming, but my sisters' class did.

Observing the scenery, it was impossible not to think about the 2017 Eagle Creek fire and the pointless destruction, much of which is still visible. It is still breathtakingly beautiful.

Accessibility: The Visitor Center has four levels -- all with elevator access -- and accessible bathrooms. There are also wheelchairs that can be used at the entrance, and I appreciated that there were sharps disposal containers in the bathroom.

COVID: No, other people were not wearing masks. I am getting tired of typing that, where I have almost thought it was not worth tracking anymore if precautions are no longer being taken by any site. However, there was this sign:

I don't know that wearing a mask makes me a hero, but I will keep doing it and I will keep reporting on the risk until that risk seems to be gone. (Or until it just becomes a communicable disease risk because there are competing plagues.)

https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/bonneville/