The Fruit Loop Tour is a scenic loop drive through orchards, vineyards, and farm land of other various uses. We passed fruit stands and working farms, quaint farming communities, horses, cattle, and alpacas. We stopped and bought Bing cherries and pear cider, which we enjoyed during the drive, but could have loaded up on peaches, plums, Gravenstein apples, blueberries, hazelnuts, alpaca yarn, all kinds of jams, jellies, syrups, and relishes, or antiques. Bosc pears will be ripe enough to pick in another week or so. Living here affords residents with magnificent views of orchards, vineyards, and, of course, Mt. Hood every day.
Our favorite farm, though, was Lavender Valley, our last stop of the day. Here we found an idyllic spot with lavender fields as far as the eye could see, with a gazebo right in the middle; a gift shop with a lazy black lab outside, and a chemists' lab inside for mixing products containing lavender oil; a 90-year-old proprietor's mother who sells her original oil paintings in the shop; and a totally relaxing ambiance.
Halfway through the "loop", we vectored off and drove up Mount Hood to Timberline Lodge. Built by the WPA in 15 months beginning in 1937, this ski lodge and inn is owned today by the National Forest Service and is still in use. But its beauty is appreciated by as many tourists as skiers. Featured in the movie, "The Shining", it is a magnificent piece of architecture. Using locally found (Douglas fir timbers and basalt stones) and recycled (railroad ties forged as andirons, old tire chains refashioned as fireplace screens, old telephone poles carved into newel posts) materials, and out of work carpenters, craftspeople, and artisans, it is a testament to hard work and found materials. Art work abounds, from paintings, to wood and linoleum carvings, to mosaics and sculpture, all in a rustic mountain setting of fir trees and year-round snow. The dining room features excellent Northwest cuisine and an eclectic menu, featuring local and seasonal foods. Jeff was taken with the place, and remarked that his brother, Jules, would love seeing it on his next visit to the area. I took far too many pictures of art and architecture...
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