Trip Report
After leaving SEHS parking lot on a sunny day, 25 enthusiastic Obsidians and friends traveled up I-5 through Salem across the bridge and onto State Hwy. 22 toward Dallas. After traveling about 10 miles, we stopped at the historic Harrison Brunk House, built in 1861 for $844 in gold. It is the oldest farmhouse in Polk County and was left to the Polk County Historical Society by the Brunk's grandson in 1974. Here we saw the original organ, a number of interesting collections, and furniture of historical significance as well as a rose garden, fragrance garden and tool shed.
We left the Brunk House and found our way onto 99W where we drove through farm country with many vineyards covering the rolling hills and a number of signs pointing to wineries. Our destination was Amity vineyards which we found up a somewhat curvy road to the top of the hill with a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside. Pat McElligott, manager of the Oregon Wine Tasting Room at the Lawrence Gallery, met us and served four kinds of wine. Myron Redford (no relation to Robert), owner, described growing grapes and the wine process.
We drove back through Amity and took the Bellevue-Hopewell cutoff road to the Lawrence Gallery and our lunch stop atop the Gallery. The restaurant had opened especially for us as they are ordinarily closed on Tuesdays and we enjoyed a green salad, half roast beef sandwich, coffee and homemade ice cream. Everyone then enjoyed touring the Gallery with paintings by a Lincoln City artist, Lisci Bahkonen, and pottery by Charles Glushoter.
We drove up Hwy. 18 looking for the Erratic (Glacial) Rock sign and never saw it, but fortunately Bill Eaton had been there before so knew where to turn. Bill also gave a short talk about the history of the rock and how it had arrived there during the Spokane Flood 20,000 years ago. There is about a mile walk up to the rock and when we arrived, we found a group enjoying a picnic on its flat surface.
We left the rock and drove back to 99W and the Peavy Arboretum and McDonald Forest, the OSU School of Forestry's Experimental Forest a few miles outside of Corvallis. Scott Kluempke, a forestry student and our guide, met us at the entrance and we had a wonderful description and tour of the whole area. All the ladies swooned over Scott and the group was undaunted by a somewhat perilous high section of the road where the bus had to turn around or back down. But it was worth it as the view was magnificent and we could see Albany, Corvallis and Philomath. This was a clearcut area and the forestry students had replanted so all the new trees were pointed out to us. We also saw Cronemiller Lake, the Logging Sports Competition Field, the Forestry Club Cabin and Forestry Properties Offices.
We drove home from Corvallis, arriving about 5:30 p.m. Participants were Bernice Ballaine, Beulah Barker, Helen Blemker, Ingrid Carmichael, Virginia DeMers, Jeannette Daletas, Vina de Broekert, Bill and Marjorie Eaton, Harriet Friday, Jan Gund, Gerry Haller, Jane Hilt, Beatrice Hill, Miki Hutchinson, Lillian Johnson, Mae Jackson, Lee McKee, Jean Rhoda, Ethel and Robin Steussy, Grace Smith, Virginia West, Fran Witzell and Bette Hack (leader).
