“Life deserves to be remembered” I just heard that quote on a PBS program and it hit home with me.
It is difficult to visit everything that Salem, OR, offers to visitors. This was our last treat before heading east:
The Mission Mill Museum is located downtown Salem across the street from Willamette University. The museum is a collection of three houses, two built for Methodist missionaries and one built for a successful early Salem settler. The houses have been restored to reflect the era. The Methodist missionaries sailed from New York Harbor around the Horn to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) and on to Fort Vancouver, a trip of about 8 months at sea.
The Lee House, above, and the Parsonage were built in about 1848. They are restored to reflect the era, including some authentic pieces from those who lived in the houses.
The tour are led by docents in period clothing and personalities. It was fun to hear Cloe’s personal stories about the early days in Salem, OR. The Methodist missionaries came to the Salem area to “educate” the Calapooya Indians. Unfortunately, (fortunately) the missionaries failed in their main mission and so turned their focus and energies to educating the missionary children in the settlement. The new mission was much easier for them to achieve, and still-operating Willamette University is one symbol of their success.
We also toured the remains of Thomas Kay Woolen Mill founded in 1889 on the Mission Mill Museum site. It was powered by the Mill Creek Millrace which was the sole source of power for most of its active years.
The displays illustrated the austere missionary life in early Salem, and even 40 years later, working in the Woolen Mill was a hard life! I realized how lucky we are living today.
Yesterday, we drove the Columbia Gorge, I-84, route from Portland toward Boise, ID to see our two wonderful, above-average grandchildren, smile!
While we were driving east on I-84, I received a text from my sister, Diane saying she and Roger were just leaving the Boise, ID, RV park traveling toward Portland. I figured we wouldn’t drive far enough of our 475-mile journey to meet up with them that evening. We had reservations at Pioneer RV Park, in Hermiston, OR, about 200 miles into the journey. I was thrilled to receive a another text telling me they had made reservations there too!
It was so nice to see Diane and catch up on their travels since they left the blistering temperatures in Lake Havasu City.
Notice the size of their rig. We ate dinner in their rig as they have so much more room than our shoe box—but ours is easier to park!
Chance meetings with family and friends is one very special aspect of RVing! Last year, while traveling south on I-5 in Oregon, we met Diane and Roger at Seven Feathers Casino at noon (they were headed to Coos Bay, OR) and my parents, at 6 pm. at the Klamath River Rest Stop just inside California. We chatted for 30 minutes and they went on to a hotel. Two family contacts—in one day—several hundred miles apart. These chance meetings are a possible due to instant communications. Cell phones and broadband internet connections do enrich the RV lifestyle.
I had to take this photo at the rest stop this morning of this poor car being skewered by a kayak. I didn’t want to follow them down the Interstate--just in case their arrow fell out, whoops!
On that note, I will close for today. We are splurging at the Boise-Meridian RV Park for three nights starting tomorrow to see our Grandkids! The temperature is starting to climb and the next week might be a bit tough for our tender soles! We will head back to Oregon on Sunday taking our time to visit a few tourist attractions along the way of I-84, weather permitting.
Enjoyed reading about your trip, and so glad that you got to connect with your sister. Have a great time with the grands, and stay cool.
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