Happy Travels: April 13, 2011---Lunch and Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill

We were scheduled to have lunch with our relatives on a river cruise this noon, but the lunch was called off. The cruise boat was out last evening and landed on a sand bar. They called Karen and said the coast guard was coming to get the boat off the bar in the Willamette River. The river is running very fast and is fairly full because of all the rain in the area. Instead a lunch on a boat we went to an Indian restaurant and had Indian food. That makes Thai, Indian and tomorrow night we are scheduled to have Chinese food. We have enjoyed the taste of each different food and would try the Indian and Thai food again. Those kind of tastes do not come in Mercer County, Ohio.

After lunch Mark went back to work and the three of us (Karen, Walt, Marge) went to the Willamette Heritage Center at the Mill. It is a museum which shows the Textile Industry in Oregon. Karen and I spent some time in the gift shops and Walt was to meet us in the Cafe. Well, the cafe closed after we enjoyed some cold tea and talked about all kinds of things. After the cafe closed we went through the shops again and finally we waited for Walt at the front door. Time passed and we were wondering if he was coming or would be much longer. After I called him we still waited for another period of time. When he came out of the museum he was followed by the docent who had given a tour. The docent said his tours usually were scheduled for 1 and 1/2 hours and he could still talk some more. That is what he did when they came back to the front door. He was very interesting and talked about all of his experiences in life.

When we go for Chinese tomorrow evening we will certainly have a good time catching up with our friends who live in this area. They are farmers who we have met over the years. We will be glad to touch base with them again.

Pictures from the mill......

A picture of the building were the textiles were made. They had weaving looms and all kinds of machinery in the building.

The Jason Lee House--leader of the Methodist Mission to Oregon - circa 1841. Four families originally lived in this house. This significant home served as a meeting place for the region's Provisional Government and as an early post office.The Lee house was moved to this site from north of downtown in 1965.