Silverton, Oregon, caught my attention as one of the most charming small towns I’ve ever visited. If you know me, you know I have a soft spot for small towns, and Silverton has plenty to offer. My visit this time was centered around the Christmas Market, which I had first heard about during my last quick trip here.
Silverton, with a population of around 10,000, is known for its natural beauty, claiming the famous Silver Falls State Park as one of its highlights. The Trail of Ten Falls is a 7.2 mile hiking loop in the park that takes you past, as the name suggests, ten unique waterfalls. See my Multnomah Falls blog for my previous trip to the park.
What makes Silverton even more special is its collection of murals. There is a self-guiding walking tour to explore them, each mural highlighting a part of Silverton’s history. While I didn’t complete the entire tour, I tried to absorb as much as I could.
My favorite mural was the one about Bobbie, known as “the Wonder Dog”. Bobbie’s story is nothing short of unbelievable. On August 6, 1923, Bobbie went on a road trip east with his family, Mr. and Mrs. Brazier. One day while in Indiana – August 15, to be exact – Mr. Brazier took Bobbie with him to fill up with gas. At the gas station, Bobbie encountered a group of aggressive dogs. Mr. Brazier fully expected Bobbie to take care of things as he always did and show up back at the house. However, Bobbie never showed. Mr. and Mrs. Brazier traveled back to Silverton heartbroken without their beloved Bobbie. The entire town of Wolcott, Indiana, knew that if Bobbie was found, he was to be returned to Mr. and Mrs. Brazier.
Exactly six months later, Mr. and Mrs. Brazier’s daughter, Nova, caught sight of Bobbie in downtown Silverton. When Bobbie saw Nova, he practically bowled her over with excitement! Bobbie had traveled over 2,800 miles to get back home. Over the next few weeks, it is said that every major newspaper in the country covered Bobbie’s story. Fan mail poured in from people elated to hear about Bobbie’s return home, many commenting about seeing him along his way. Although his entire route is still unknown, this helped to validate the route Bobbie took. Many loving families took Bobbie in for a few days to a few weeks at a time along his journey.
Bobbie was such a celebrity that he earned himself a medal and a jeweled harness from the Oregon Humane Society. Bobbie was the inspiration for a book titled “Bobbie, a Great Collie,” and a silent movie named, “The Call of the West.”
Prior to his death at only six years old in April of 1927 (the vet said that Bobbie’s trip had aged him ten years), Bobbie became a father. The Brazier family kept one of the puppies as their own, naming him Pal. Over 200 people attended Bobbie’s funeral, illustrating just how huge of an effect this devoted collie had on the people of Silverton. In 1932, the town of Silverton hosted what would become an annual pet parade to honor Bobbie, led by his own son, Pal. This parade is the oldest continuous pet parade in the nation, all in honor of the wonder dog, Bobbie.
Other Silverton murals highlight historical events such as 9/11 as well as some of Silverton’s more notable residents. Norma Jean, known as Silverton’s Sweetheart, was a friendly and outgoing local who worked at the diner, played classic rock tunes on the juke box, and made everyone feel special. Don Pettit, a NASA astronaut from Silverton, has traveled into space three times! He has also conducted experiments with water droplets in space and has captured stunning photographs from space. He has an infectious enthusiasm for space and science, and he shares this passion through videos and social media. Then there’s Keith D. Kaser, who is known as “Silverton’s Own Unique Citizen” as well as “The Walking Man.” He was a well-known figure in Silverton, known for being an historian, weather forecaster, street cleaner, conversationalist, and auto mechanic.
After some exploration in Silverton, my friend, Katie and I met up for pau hana (or happy hour, for those not familiar with the Hawaiian term), and a visit to the Christmas Market. We decided to start at a tiki bar called Graystone Lounge. It was a bit of a dive, but that’s just how we like them. It was decked out for Christmas and served festive drinks, setting the perfect tone for our visit to the Oregon Christmas Market at the Oregon Garden Resort.
The Christmas Market, an annual tradition, celebrates the holidays with a dazzling display of over a million lights. A walking path led us through various themes, from traditional Christmas scenes to the Krampus. Some scenes simply displayed flowers or Oregon ideas, such as the Bigfoot. There was even a snowless sledding hill that, of course, we tried, fire pits, food and craft vendors, live music, and adult beverages. It was well-worth the visit, and my two-night stay at the hotel included passes to the market for both of us.
During my time in the area, I explored the Oregon Garden, visited the Gordon House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, learned about alpacas at Marquam Hill Ranch, and made quick stops at … and … Winter is not the most ideal time to visit the Oregon Garden, but it was easy to imagine how beautiful it is other times of year. A couple of things that last all year, however, are another tribute to Bobbie and a hobbit house.
If you haven’t heard of Frank Lloyd Wright, don’t worry – neither had I (but impressively, Katie had!). He is a world-famous architect, known as “the father of modern architecture.” In 1957, at the age of 89, Wright designed the Gordon House, a fascinating piece of architecture that offers a glimpse into Wright’s innovative designs. Wright passed away in 1959, having completed 460 projects and leaving behind over 600 additional designs. The Gordon House is conveniently located with the Oregon Resort and is free to observe.
The alpaca farm turned out to be smaller than I had envisioned, but it was an enlightening experience. Jennifer, the owner of the
Marquam Hill Ranch alpaca farm, shared with me how her journey into alpaca farming began. It all started when her son suggested she needed a hobby, and alpacas seemed like a fascinating choice. Jennifer provided me with a crash course in alpaca facts. I was surprised to learn that alpacas were introduced to the United States as recently as 1984. What’s more intriguing is that alpacas hum, a unique behavior I hadn’t known about. They also use spitting as a means of communication, which, as you might guess means, “leave me alone.” Alpacas, while undeniably cute, tend to keep to themselves in a relatively small personal space. Trying to approach and pet them can be quite challenging. Fortunately, Jennifer’s familiarity with her alpacas allowed her to introduce me to one that I could cautiously touch, just enough to feel its soft fur. Jennifer’s farm, which she started in 2005 with only five alpacas, has since grown to accommodate somewhere between 70 and 90 of these intriguing creatures. The ranch also houses a small gift shop, offering a variety of alpaca-related products for visitors to explore.
At the recommendation from Jennifer at the alpaca farm, I swung by Bauman’s Farm and Garden and Willamette Valley Pie Company on my way home. Although I just did a walk-through at each place, both were great recommendations. Bauman’s Farm was much bigger than I anticipated, complete with a garden center, deli/coffee shop, bakery, shopping area, and kids’ playground. The difficult thing about being a travel nurse and visiting these places is that I have to be REALLY good about not buying all the cute things because I don’t have a place for them! The Willamette Valley Pie Company, located in the cane berry capital of the world (I had never even heard of cane berries!) provides homemade pies and other desserts that are made from all natural ingredients and farm fresh fruit. They are a family-owned and farmer-operated business, and you can just feel the love that they have for what they do as soon as you walk in their doors. Everything looked and smelled delicious, and I did leave there with an apple pie to give as a Thanksgiving gift :).
On my way out of the area, I made a slight detour to drive through Sweet Home, Oregon, just out of curiosity. It was cute. Sweet. And from there I made my home, ending yet another wonderful small-town tour.
