Goodbye to Oregon

Amazing how fast two months can go. We had so much fun here at Champoeg we hope to come back next year.   Not only was this the perfect spot for us to be close to all of our friends, but especially D'enne, Michael and grandson Matthew.  Being here allowed us to attend Matthews graduation from 1st grade to 2nd grade.

Building the blue bird house

We also had Matthew come and stay with us a couple of times.  The Park has so many things going on, Deane and Matthew took advantage of Blue Bird day to put together one of the bird houses.

One of the most fun things we did with Matthew was to visit the new Evergreen Air Museum water park.  What a hoot! How often can you climb stairs to a 747, enter a water slide and zip down into a pool?  http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/waterpark/

Our stay here at Champoeg has been not only fun, but informative.  I have only lived in Oregon for about 12 years, but have talked to so many who grew up here and never knew this areas history.  Did you know here in the park, where the town of Champoeg once stood, is where the first vote to form a government in Oregon was taken?  The result of the May 2, 1843 vote (52-50) set up the first provisional government for Oregon, and ensured we would be part of the United States and not Canada.

We highly recommend a visit to this park and hear the history from one of the costumed interpretive hosts.   They will walk with you through the museum and tell you the story of the area from the Kalapuya Indians to the Hudson Bay Company and the big vote, to the paddle wheelers that floated the Willamette River carrying passengers and grain to Portland and Eugene.

Traveling Man Deane

Deane had a great opportunity while we were hosting here, to participate in the First Annual Summer Solstice Cemetery Saga, sponsored by the Friends of Champoeg.  This tour took participants to two historic cemeteries, Champoeg and Butteville, to hear stories of the times and people who were the first settlers to this area.  Deane,  dressed as a travelling man,  was a guide on one of the buses, telling stories as he led his group through the cemeteries where they met some of the pioneers and heard their stories.  One of the stories told was about Daniel Boone's great-grandson whose family had immigrated to Oregon, the ferry he ran across the Willamette River for about 20 years, and how he was murdered.  Did you know that Boone's Ferry Road is actually named for him?

As we get ready to head to Belfair State Park in Washington for three months, we have made a change to our schedule for this fall.  We have taken advantage of an opportunity to host in the RV park we like so well in Mesa Arizona.  So, instead of hosting back here in Oregon, we will head back to Mesa in October until April next year.  We would love to see you..... come visit us this winter and get out of the rain and cold.