McMenamins Memories

We decided to take a day to tour Edgefield, also known as the Multnomah County Poor Farm.  McMenamins has taken this 1911 property and turned it into a destination resort.  During the Depression, this farm was home to 600 poor people.  It sat on 330 acres, allowing the able bodied people to raise food for themselves and other county institutions.  They had their own power plant and fire station.

Now, it is home to a restaurant, lodge, golf course, vineyards, a brewery, winery, distillery, gift shop, pool hall, a spa, the Gorge Glashaus, a pottery place and a large vegetable garden.  They make their own coffee and use the vegetables and herbs from the garden in their restaurant.  This is a place that would suit everyone's needs!

Jerry, Sandy and Don are ahead of me as they walk up to the Distillery Bar and Pub Course Clubhouse.

Here you can sip a whiskey, brandy, gin, coffee liqueur or spiced rum that is made on site or you can opt for one of their famous brews.  This is where people also sign up to play some rounds of golf.  Lots of golfers were walking out with clubs, golf balls and newly poured glasses of beer.  There were some mighty happy guys out there!

During the distillery tour, you could even snatch a taste of the most recent batch of liquor by putting your finger under the pour spout, like Don did.  Unlike the other distillery we toured in Denver, there are no complimentary shots offered here.  

This was one of the many flower beds sitting among the vegetable beds. It did attract a lot of bees, good for cross pollinating the vegetables and fruit trees.

You name the vegetable or herb and I think they had it here! The quarter acre organic garden provides not only the vegetables and herbs used in their Black Rabbit Restaurant, it also provides all the fresh flowers in the Main Lodge.

I got a kick out of this pumpkin that grew into the wire fence.

This building was used as a cannery and meat packing place in 1937.  Now it houses the McMenamin's largest brewery.  

One of the more interesting stops was at the Gorge Glashaus, where the on site artisan worked her magic with blown glass.  Boy, was it ever hot in this little shed, even though one side was completely open.  Maybe it had something to do with two ovens running at 2100 degrees!  That day, she was working on a glass made specifically for a customer sitting on the bench by us.  I never realized how much work went into a hand made glass.

Okay, so where do we go to next??

Jerry had to pose by the Jerry's Ice House Sign.  This stone lined room was used for cold storage before there was refrigeration.  It is rumored that escapees from the Rocky Butte Jail would hide out here in the 1930's and 40's.

When I think of "halfway house", I think of a place for recovering alcoholics or drug users. This little Halfway House is half way between the Winery and the Brewery!  It now houses a pottery shop.

The Little Red Shed reminds me of a Hobbit House since it is snuggled in with various plants and the roof is covered with ivy. Cozy, isn't it?  When this was a poor farm, it served as an incinerator shed.

Near the large amphitheater is a Jerry Garcia Sculpture.  The bronze sculpture is over 7 feet tall and appears to be a funky looking tree trunk from farther back.  However, we inspected this very closely and found there were many little faces and creatures incorporated into it!

Here are some of the things we found.  I have no idea of why there were so many Egyptian items included, but there must be some meaning behind them when the artist sculpted this.  I've got to say, this was the most interesting piece of sculpture I have ever seen.