Lake Oswego -- Willamette Shore Trolley

Seven years ago I wrote about an attempt to take a trolley tour that didn't work out. 

https://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2017/12/oregon-leaving-lake-oswego.html

It finally did.

One big help is that you can now purchase tickets online, and not having to just show up in hope. In 2017 they seemed to add that ability for the Christmas events, but they had all been sold out.

Selling out is still an issue, but another big help in this case was that they added a week so that people could view the fall foliage.

Perhaps encouraged by our recent visit to the Oswego Heritage House, we decided to go for it. 

You might think that seven years is a long time to wait, but that turned out to be a good move.

For the past five years part of the line has been under construction. This was the first time back on the full route, going to Bancroft Street in Portland.

One of our conductors stopped to take a photo of the historic moment.

The staff are affiliated with the Oregon Electric Railway Museum at Powerland Heritage Park. As usual they were helpful and enthusiastic.

It was also informative. We now know that the one house we have seen from a few different angles is built upon the remains of the Palatine Pump House, part of Portland's water system before it was moved to Bull Run.

If that makes part of its design seem less over the top, we saw many other houses that can only be explained by conspicuous consumption.

There have been some accommodations needed for having a trolley line going by (expensive) homes, but at least some residents seem to enjoy it.

Do take that "shore" part literally; sometimes it looks pretty steep.

We found it to be a fun way to travel and get the lay of the land.

Maybe some day we will be ready to try Elk Rock Garden again.

COVID: While the windows do open, they were closed and there were lots of riders. Assume you are going to be around people and mask appropriately.

Accessibility: I did not see anything built in for mobility devices. There are bench seats, with most configured forward facing but some side benches. However, at the end of the route to go back, everyone in the front facing seats needs to get up and slide the back rests across the seat, thus switching to forward facing in the other direction.

It does not seem like it would be great, but reach out to the company if you have questions.

http://wst.oregontrolley.com/

Lake Oswego -- Oswego Heritage House and Museum

We went and visited the outside of the house about ten months ago. I delayed writing about it because I wanted to get inside. 

While admission is free, the hours do not correspond well with the average working schedule (an issue for many interesting attractions). 

As we finished other Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory Heritage Trail locations, that concern became more urgent. 

I couldn't quite give up, and then I happened to check the events calendar. They were have "A Haunting History", where one could meet various ghosts from the area, and have access to the house.

While events are not frequent, there are some interesting ones, like a presentation on Oswego suffragettes scheduled for November 6th. 

That presentation corresponds with current (timely) displays.

The house was built in 1928 and became the home of the Oswego Heritage Council in 1999.

The archives preserve 22,000 items, including journals, press clippings, and artifacts.

For the haunted evening, we met with a drowned artist whose painting was hanging in the room, a quartet of grave robbers, and a woman who had spoken on behalf of women's suffrage when they were attempting to get it passed.

There was a wide range in how convincing the "ghosts" were, but it was a reminder that these are local people presenting local history.

One of the most impressive things was that after, when the audience was asking questions, how quickly the non-ghost council members were able to fill in details. Local historical societies rise and fall on the devotion of their members.

There was a bit of a wait, but there were refreshments and activities provided, including a scavenger hunt.

I was glad that we finally got to see, and in a pretty interesting manner.

COVID: It is very much inside, and I did not see a lot of masks besides my own. I did not see any special attempts at ventilation, so use caution, especially when it's crowded.

Accessibility: The front of the house does have steps, but entrance is from the West and accessible. Some of the passageways might be a bit narrow, but the bathroom was technically accessible. Not the best, but not the worst.

There is parking on site, but also overflow parking at the church across the street, as indicated by signs.

https://www.oswegoheritage.org/Heritage-House 

Milwaukie, Oregon: Davis Graveyard

I love Halloween decorations, and I am starting to see more elaborate ones popping up. 

That should make me happy, but at the same time, a lot of them don't have much art to them, becoming mostly just a bunch of plastic, sometimes including multiple 12 foot skeletons.

There was so much art and creativity at the Davis Graveyard.

First of all, just the apparent chapel and boarded up house and the many tombstones are a good start.

Then, as you take a closer look at the stones, there is an affection for actors and the characters they have played, showing humor but also tenderness in remembering them.

Then there are the unexpected touches. Is that a man in a rain slicker? Has he been there all along?

Okay, it's a mannequin, but it made you look.

We went to see the graveyard during the day, though there was still an eerie haze descending over it. So weird for Oregon in the fall.

There are other experiences available, including behind the scenes tours and classes and materials for creating your own tombstones.

There is also lighting at night. 

With a little creativity and training, you could take your yard up a notch. Don't bury those talents!

COVID: The graveyard can be viewed outside and there are virtual classes. Tours and other class options may take place inside.

Accessibility: The viewing area outside the gate is relatively flat and easy to navigate. I can easily imagine that becoming more difficult in the dark and with more traffic.

Going behind the scenes will also involve different terrain. 

As it was, I am glad we went during the day because navigation could be a little tricky, with lots of turns. Then we suddenly found ourselves in downtown Milwaukie without understanding how.

Spooky.

https://davisgraveyard.com/