The A-to-Zs of Central Oregon: Q is for QUILTS

From the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

This week we're talking about QUILTS! Central Oregon is crazy for quilts, and the area is rife with ultra talented fiber artists and delightful fabric shops. 

Photos from Mount Bachelor's Quilter's Guild

Photo by Russell Lee

History of Quilt-making in Oregon

Quilting in Central Oregon is largely linked to our pioneer history and the early western settlements. As more and more European-American settlers made the long journey across the country, quilting was a way for pioneer women to provide art, connection, and warmth for their families and friends. 

The pieces reflected a variety of themes: the landscapes around them, the stories of their local heroes, and stories of their own lives. These functional objects often became an opportunity for expression. 

If you want to read more about the history of quilting in Oregon, definitely check out the book Quilts of the Oregon Trail by Mary Bywater Cross.

THE SISTERS OUTDOOR QUILT SHOW

Did you know that the largest quilt show in the world happens in Sisters every year during the second week in July? It's an amazing event, and thousands of quilt-enthusiasts and casual admirers alike travel from all over the world to attend! 

The mission of the SOQS is "to educate the public about the art, skill, and heritage of traditional and contemporary quilts and fiber arts, while enhancing the cultural vitality of the community of Sisters and Central Oregon."

The Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show (SOQS) started in 1975, and became a non-profit organization in 2005. The Quilt Show Day is always on the second Saturday in July, and people hang their quilts from fences and walls all over town. This event has always been free, and Quilt Show Day attracts roughly 12,500 visitors. Since the normal population for Sisters is only about 2,500, this is quite a big day for this little town!

The nonprofit associated with this event organizes classes and workshops to be taught the week before the Quilt Show Day. Check out their 2018 lineup here, and keep an eye out for information about the 2019 SOQS!

Photos from the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show

On Quilt Show Day, hundreds of quilts are displayed from all over the world. These "show-and-tell" exhibits are from first-time and amateur quilters, displayed at various sites throughout the town of Sisters. The exhibitors range from age 10 to age 92!

Many of the quilts on display can be purchased with a portion of the proceeds supporting SOQS, a 501(c)3 non profit organization which produces the annual, free, Quilt Show and fiber arts activities year-round. 

The A-to-Zs of Central Oregon: P is for the PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

One of the best-known, most-romanticized west coast hiking routes is the Pacific Crest Trail. Well, did you know that the PCT runs right through Central Oregon? 

THE ROUTE

The Pacific Crest Trail traverses the entire span of the west coast in the United States, with starting points at both the Canadian and Mexican borders. It passes through the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Hikers are welcome to hike smaller portions of the trail on day-hikes, but there are thousands of hikers that make the full 2,650-mile-long journey. The trail features some of the best features of the western landscape: gorgeous desert, the glaciated expanses of the Sierra Nevada, deep forests, and the breathtaking views and volcanic peaks in the Cascade Range. 

Mount Hood, from the Pacific Crest Trail

THE START OF THE PCT

Catherine Montgomery, the "Mother of the Pacific Crest Trail" 

Clinton Clarke surveying the early trail

In August of 1920, Fred Cleator wrote "I am beginning to think that a Skyline Trail the full length of the Cascades in Washington & Oregon joining a similar trail in the Sierras of California would be a great tourist advertisement.  For that matter it might be continued thru British Columbia and up the Alaska highlands.  This is a future work but it would be fine to plan upon."

Fred went on to map the route of the "Oregon Skyline Trail," which would be the first iteration of the PCT. 

In 1926, Catherine Brown (an avid hiker and one of the founding faculty members of Western Washington University) was the first to propose a hiking trail running through California, Oregon, and Washington. Washington State Forest preserve and with it they built the Catherine Montgomery Nature Interpretive Center. 

If Catherine Montgomery is the mother of the PCT, then Clinton Clarke is definitely the father. This private, reserved man took up the cause of the PCT in 1932 at the ripe old age of 59-- that was pretty darn old back then! He was responsible for the first physical maps related to the PCT's route. He planned and executed the trail's meandering path through peaks, valleys, desert, forests, and plains.

Throughout the next decade, the PCT was fully routed and explored. In 1935, Clarke planned and executed the first Pacific Crest Trail System Conference in order to both plan the trail, and to lobby the federal government to protect the trail.

After years of lobbying, physical toil towards the trail, and with lots of interruptions due to war and economic strife, the Pacific Crest Trail was designated at a National Scenic Trail in 1968. 

THE PCT IN CENTRAL OREGON

Three-Fingered Jack

Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument

The Central Oregon stretch of the Pacific Crest Trail is often a favorite for thru-hikers. We actually have the Pacific Crest Trail to thank for two of our guides: Courtney and Jason! These two Naturalist Guides loved the Central Oregon stretch of the PCT so much, they decided to move to Bend solely based on the beauty of the landscape. If you join them on a tour, be sure to ask them about their hiking experience! 

There are some pretty amazing trails running through the wilderness of Jefferson Park, and along the striking features of Three Fingered Jack (fun fact: it's a shield volcano!). There are definitely some amazing options for day hikes in the area. In fact, we just lead a custom hike for a group that wanted to hike a portion of the PCT near Odell Lake!

If you think you might be interested in incorporating the PCT into one of your adventures, definitely reach out to Courtney-- who happens to also be our group tour coordinator! 

The A-to-Zs of Central Oregon: O is for OLD MILL DISTRICT

Courtesy of the Oregon History Project

Photo by Jenny Furniss

SHOPPING, DINING, EVENTS, AND LOCAL HISTORY!

This week we're talking about the Old Mill District. This is one of Bend's most well-preserved historic sites, and one of the most popular tourist destinations for shopping and eating in Bend. You can stroll along the idyllic Deschutes River while purchasing a pair of hiking boots from REI, enjoying a coffee at Strictly Organic, sitting down to sip wine at Naked Winery, or tucking into dinner at Level 2. 

Next door at the Les Schwab Amphitheater, there are a host of excellent performances all summer long! What's better than listening to live music next to a river, with a sweeping mountain background? Check out their great outdoor lineup for the rest of the season! 

A BRIEF HISTORY

We talked a bit about Bend's rich logging history in a previous post. The Old Mill District is indeed the site of two previous lumber mills: the Shevlin-Hixon Lumber Company and the Brooks-Scanlon Lumber Company. Both of these mills opened in the early 20th century, and shut down by the early 1950s due to unsustainable forestry practices. 

PRESERVATION 

Courtesy of TrainWeb

Courtesy of the Old Mill District

The shops and restaurants in the Old Mill District are more than meets the eye. In fact, there are nine restored buildings in the Old Mill! For example, Bend's REI is housed in a building made up of two historic buildings: the Brooks-Scanlon powerhouse and fuel building. This is the building that supports the iconic triple smokestacks!

THE SMOKESTACKS

According to the Old Mill District, two of the three smokestacks were originally erected in 1922, at a towering (pun intended) 206 feet from the ground. The third stack was added in 1933, standing at 201 feet tall.

These smokestacks stood on the original Powerhouse building that-- after a renovation and remodeling in 2004 and 2005-- houses REI today. 

THE OLDEST BUILDING IN THE OLD MILL

Courtesy of the Old Mill District

The oldest preserved building in the Old Mill District is the "Little Red Shed," which used to house the mill's fire equipment. Today, it houses the fine art business DeWilde Art Glass. Fun fact: DeWilde is responsible for the stained glass circular "Bend" logos you'll see hanging in dozens of windows around town! 

AWARD-WINNING DESIGN

This project is simply stunning, and should definitely be visited in order to be appreciated! For their attention to detail and immense efforts in preservation, the Old Mill District is the only project on the west of the United State to win a national 2017 Excellent on the Waterfront Award from the Waterfront Center, which seeks to commend designs that are sensitive to local bodies of water.

The Old Mill District was also a finalist for the Urban Land Institute's 2016 Global Awards for Excellence. Since 1936, the Urban Land Institute aims to commend designs that use land responsibly and create sustainable, thriving communities worldwide.

Bill Smith, the developer responsible for much of the current Old Mill District (as well as Black Butte Ranch) earned a Lifetime Achievement Award in the 2014 Building a Better Central Oregon Awards for his efforts to restore the old lumber mills.