THREE HOURS IN OREGON CITY, OREGON: Guest Post by Caroline Hatton at The Intrepid Tourist

The Willamette Falls in Oregon City, Oregon.

My friend Caroline Hatton, a children’s writer and frequent contributor to this blog, took these photos in Oregon City, Oregon, in November 2023.

Oregon City (red dot) and Portland (black dot), Oregon.

My husband’s French horn sounded stuffy and one of four valves clacked. So we took it to a respected French horn doctor, Kevin Blodget at Wally’s Music Shop in Oregon City. 

As a spot on the land, Oregon City is where the Willamette and Clackamas Rivers merge. As a spot in history, it was the end of the Oregon Trail, along which emigrants came in covered wagons from the Missouri River during the second half of the 1800s. On a map, Oregon City looks like an integral part of the urban amoeba stretching out from Portland.

Once the French horn was in Kevin’s expert hands for diagnosis, we went for a stroll along the nearby, paved, McLoughlin Promenade, on top of the volcanic basalt cliff that parallels the Willamette River. Soon we started seeing the horseshoe-shaped Willamette Falls (photo at the top of this post). They have long been a culturally important place for many Native American tribes. Today, both river banks downstream of the falls are crowded with huge, ugly, decrepit industrial buildings like I had only seen before in post-apocalyptic movies. This results from a history of hydroelectric power and paper production.

Back at the shop, Kevin reassured us that the horn’s rotors were aligned correctly and demonstrated how to use two different types of oil to lubricate the instrument’s plumbing. The horn sounded sufficiently decongested.

Mike's Drive-In, Oregon City, Oregon.

Before the afternoon drive home, I voted in favor of a quick, local-color lunch at Mike’s Drive-In, a couple of blocks away. Waiters no longer come to parked cars to take orders or serve food. Instead, scanning a QR code leads to ordering online and customers must go inside to pick up their food.

Mike's Drive-In, Oregon City, Oregon.

It was early for lunch and the restaurant was almost empty, so we decided to eat inside. No crowd meant no waiting for a table or food, no noise to interfere with quiet conversation, and a lower risk of assorted seasonal contagions. The menu included hamburgers and fried seafoods served in red plastic baskets, ice-cream, and 23 shake flavors. We asked what the most popular item was—fried pickles!—but couldn’t psych ourselves up to taste them. We had perfectly acceptable hamburgers and onion rings.

The Kaegi Pharmacy display at the Museum of the Oregon Territory.

After lunch, I wanted to see one more thing. It had to be the Museum of the OregonTerritory because it contains a historic pharmacy exhibit, something I can’t seem to pass up, due to some inexplicable fondness for old pharmacies. The display presents antiques from the Kaegi Pharmacy, founded in 1927 in nearby Wilsonville.

In the pharmacy display.

Of the hundreds of pharmaceutical jars, bottles, and vials, I took pictures of those that made me chuckle.

In the pharmacy display at the Museum of the Oregon Territory.

One bottle label identified the Kaegi Pharmacies, and a drawer was full of antique labels, similar to those in my parents’ 1960s pharmacy in Paris. Long before I was twelve, my mother had taught me how to apply the right amount of glue on the back of a label, how to center it between the two side seams of the glass bottles containing ethyl ether, or 70% ethyl alcohol, or glycerine, and how to make sure it was straight… if I didn’t want to have to soak it off and start over. She reluctantly approved my first batch despite the fact that no two labels were at the exact same height—but only after I argued that no customer would buy more than one bottle at a time, so why waste glue and labels? Later on, she showed me the preceding step: how to fill bottles, up to the (exact same) level (in all the bottles in every batch or else…).

In the pharmacy display at the Museum of the Oregon Territory.

My mother did know that nobody’s perfect and that it’s O.K. After all, when she was in Pharmacy School in 1940s French Indochina (now Vietnam), she famously could not detect the distinctive stench of Asafetida (also known as Devil’s Dung), the stinky gum from a plant’s roots and an herbal medicine used to treat asthma, cough, and, um… flatulence (farting). Yet my father fell in love with her anyway.

All text and photos, copyright Caroline Arnold. www.theintrepidtourist.blogspot.com

THE NEW ORLEANS PHARMACY MUSEUM Guest post by Caroline Hatton

The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum

My friend and fellow children’s book author Caroline Hatton visited New Orleans, Louisiana, in December 2017. She took all the photos in this post. For more information about her, visit www.carolinehattonauthor.com.

After I was born in 1950s Normandy and before I could walk, I caught my earliest glimpses of the outside world when I crawled to the floor-to-ceiling window of my parents’ countryside village pharmacy. Wicker shopping baskets came and went, heavier on the way back. Muddy rubber boots splashed by on rainy days. Across the Route Nationale and village plaza, the church bell clanged the hours away. I grew up playing and doing homework in the back room at the pharmacy, hearing pharmaceutical tales at the dinner table. Later, as a pharmacy school student, I worked as an intern at my parents’ pharmacy in Paris until I graduated in 1979. No wonder I simply have to see old pharmacies and collect photos of antique potion vials when I travel.

By 1979, such sights had disappeared from pharmacies in France.

The New Orleans Pharmacy Museum was no exception, especially since the pharmacist who first set up shop there in 1823, Louis J. Dufilho, Jr., was born in France—just like me! As a teen, he moved to New Orleans with his family and grew up in the family pharmacy. He went back to France and attended pharmacy school in Paris—just like me! He made history when he became America’s first licensed pharmacist.

There were none of these in 1979 France.

Today, the museum exhibits fill two floors. Guided tours are available. The courtyard can be rented for special events. In the 19^th century, additional buildings housed the family home, slave quarters, stables, and carriage house.

As a pharmacy intern in 1979 Paris, I once carried a doctor’s prescription to a leech shop to bring back “2 medium leeches” for a patient!

I used an identical item to compound prescription pills in 1979 Paris.

Upstairs at the museum.

A vintage poster for Vin Mariani (Mariani Wine), claimed that it fortified body and brain, and restored vitality. That’s not hard to believe, considering that it contained cocaine from brewed coca leaves. 

VIN MARIANI

POPULAR FRENCH TONIC WINE

Fortifies and Refreshes Body & brain

Restores Health and Vitality

What the museum info failed to disclose, though, is that Mariani Wine is the French ancestor of Coca-Cola. The story goes like this: after the French inventor of Mariani Wine (a chemist born to a pharmacist family) started marketing it in 1863 and achieved international success, in 1885, an American pharmacist by the name of J.S. Pemberton concocted a mere imitation, a “French wine of coca, ideal tonic.” Soon, Pemberton altered the formula, replacing the alcohol with cola extract and the plain water with fizzy water. A few years later, another American pharmacist, A.G. Candler, bought the formula and founded the Coca-Cola company. In 1903, cocaine was removed from the ingredients. And today, the French for Diet Coke is “Coca Light.”

AVILA ADOBE AT OLVERA STREET: The Oldest House in Los Angeles

Avila Adobe, Olvera Street, Los Angeles, CA

During the Christmas holidays we had guests at our house in Los Angeles, which inspired a round of visits to the city’s famous tourist spots. One day we went downtown to Olvera street, to eat lunch in one of the several restaurants that line this short street, and to get a glimpse into Los Angeles’s Spanish heritage.

While eating our lunch on the restaurant's outdoor patio, we were serenaded by a mariachi band.

After a delicious lunch of chicken mole, chili rellenos, and other popular Mexican foods, we browsed the shops and souvenir stands before visiting the Avila Adobe, a house built in 1818 by the Avila family. This was the town house of a prosperous local ranching family. The Avila family lived in the house until 1868. After that it had a number of uses including headquarters for the Commodore Robert F. Stockton during the Mexican-American war, as a rental to other families,  a boarding house, until it fell into disrepair and was condemned.

A child's room

 In 1930, the Avila Adobe was rescued and restored by Mrs. Christine Sterling, who also is responsible for turning Olvera Street into a Mexican style marketplace and tourist attraction. Mrs. Sterling lived in the house until 1963. The house is now part of El Pueblo De Los Angeles Historical Monument.

The family room where the family ate its regular meals. When neighbors and visitors called, they dined with the family at the big table.

The house is filled with furnishings that are similar to those that would have been there in the late 1840s when the Avila family lived there. As we toured the rooms, we got a peek at the kind of life they led. 

Early California music, singing and dancing were enjoyed at the Avila Adobe.

After a meal, guests would enjoy music.

The parlor was used to entertain important guests or for funerals.

The parlor, or sitting room, was rarely used. Exceptions included wedding receptions and baptismal celebrations. 

Ceramic nativity figures are displayed during the Christmas season.

And, because we visited during the Christmas season, a nativity scene was on display.

Visiting the Avila Adobe is free. For more information, go to www.elpueblo.lacity.org .

A DAY AT THE BEACH and MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO in Southern California

Mission San Juan Capistrano, California

Two weeks ago, when my family was visiting in Los Angeles, we wanted to get together with my brother, who lives in San Diego. We decided to meet half-way, at the beach in San Clemente, followed by lunch nearby in San Juan Capistrano and a visit to the Mission.

San Clemente Beach and Pier

We arrived at San Clemente at mid-morning and after parking our car in the lot just above the pier, followed the path along the beach and picked out a spot to spread our towels. It was a weekday, and the beach was not crowded despite the warm weather. The tide was out and the waves just the right size for boogie boarding. I got my feet wet as I walked along the sand, but the ocean in California is always too cold for me. I never swim–I leave that to younger family members. By the time we left for lunch, the morning fog had lifted and it was a bright, sunny day.

The Amtrak station at San Clemente is right at the beach.

After a tasty lunch at Ciao Pasta restaurant in San Juan Capistrano, we crossed the street to visit the Mission, taking the self-guided audio tour with the audio wands.

Lily pond in the mission courtyard

Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded twice, once in 1775, then abandoned and refounded in 1776. Mission San Juan Capistrano became the seventh of twenty-one missions to be founded in Alta California. Like the previous six missions, San Juan Capistrano was established to expand the territorial boundaries of Spain, and to spread Christianity to the Native peoples of California. For more about the history of this mission, click HERE.

Swallow nests, built of mud on the mission walls

For many people, the first thing they think of in connection with Mission San Juan Capistrano, is the swallows, which, according to tradition arrive on the first day of spring, or St. Josephs Day, and build their nests under the eaves of the mission buildings. On our visit, in August, we saw the empty nests but no swallows.

Statue of Father Junipero Serra outside the mission chapel. Saint Junípero Serra y Ferrer, O.F.M., was a Roman Catholic Spanish priest and friar of the Franciscan Order who founded a mission in Baja California and the first nine of 21 Spanish missions in California from San Diego to San Francisco, in what was then Alta California in the Province of Las Californias, New Spain. Serra was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 25, 1988, in Vatican City.

View into the chapel

The mission grounds are a historical site, providing a glimpse into what life was like in the early days of California. The mission grew most rapidly during the years between its founding and 1812, when many of the buildings were destroyed by an earthquake. After that it gradually declined and then in 1834 the Mexican government disbanded the mission system and the property was sold. The restoration of the mission and its grounds and its development as a museum were spearheaded by Charles Lummis who, along with other notable Californians, founded the Landmarks Club in the early 1900s to save the California Missions.

Covered walkway provided shelter from sun and rain

Today, as one tours the grounds of the mission one can see the rooms where the padres lived and ate, the soldiers barracks, Junipero Serra’s chapel, gardens, a cemetery, workshops and more. There is even a small library. I was interested to see that even in the early days, books played an important role in the life of the Mission. (See my recent post at my Art and Books blog.) 

Central courtyard

Beautiful gardens filled with flowers, fountains, and butterflies decorate the central courtyards. Surrounding the courtyards are mission rooms which are bordered by colonnades that provide welcome shade on a hot day.

Tallow cooking stoves melted animal fat for use in making soaps, for leather work and cooking.

The Mission continues efforts in preservation, with the help of donations each year. Although the Mission is owned by the Catholic Church, it is run by a non-profit organization. This means Mission San Juan Capistrano does not receive any funding from the Catholic Church, State, or Federal Government for operation or preservation. It depends entirely on the generous contributions of visitors and benefactors. With the help of the public, the Mission can continue to be a an inspirational historic, cultural, and religious site.

Getting there: We drove to San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano (about one and a half hours or so on the 405 and 5 freeways from West Los Angeles) but one can also take Amtrak from downtown Los Angeles. The stop in San Juan Capistrano is just a short distance from the Mission; the stop in San Clemente it is right at the pier.
More info: For hours, ticket prices and more information go to the Mission website: https://www.missionsjc.com/

BENICIA, CA: Art, History, and Small Town Charm on the Carquinez Strait

Benicia, California. Former Rail Ferry Depot

Recently, on a sunny afternoon in late August, I drove with friends from our house in Oakland for an afternoon visit to the small town of Benicia, California, located on the Carquinez Strait at the north end of San Francisco Bay. Once a military outpost, and for a brief time the capitol of California, the town is now known for its arts community and for its restaurants and antique shops.

Looking east from the parking area toward Mount Diablo (elevation 3948 feet)

The motivation for our trip was an event called “Paint Out”, a community art celebration and competition for plein air (open air) painters.

Plein Air painting by Susan Street

During the day the artists spread out around town with their paints and easels and set themselves at work depicting various local scenes. We spotted one artist painting a floral scene after we parked our car near the bayside park and later saw others painting views of the water and bridge. Then at 3:00 all the artists brought their work to a central gallery, where the art was exhibited, judges awarded prizes and refreshments were available to everybody.

Blown glass vase at Lindsay Art Glass

While we waited for the exhibit to open, we wandered along First Street, browsing in some of the many antique and gift shops and visiting an amazing blown glass gallery, Lindsay Art Glass.

Looking west from Benicia toward the 101 Bridge and San Francisco Bay

Although I had passed the exit for Benicia from the 101 Freeway many times, this was my first visit. I remember reading about the Carquinez Strait (which connects San Francisco Bay with the Sacramento River delta) in 1985, when a young grey whale swam into San Francisco Bay on his annual migration up the coast, and mistakenly headed inland instead of back out to sea. Dubbed “Humphrey the Wrong-Way Whale” his journey was watched by millions both in person and on television until he finally turned around and safely made it back to the Pacific.

The Arsenal

For many years Benicia was a U.S. Army post. The beautiful Arsenal building from the former Army Base is now offices and art galleries. Benicia also still has some elegant Victorian homes from its early days. A trip to Benicia is a pleasant day's outing from Oakland or San Francisco and a nice escape from the hurly burly of city life. I plan to go back!

NARA, JAPAN: The First Capital of Japan

Gate to Tadai-ji Temple, Nara, Japan

In July of 1995, I accompanied Art to the beautiful city of Kyoto, Japan, where Art was attending a conference. While he was at his meetings, I toured the city (on foot and by bus and subway) and joined several activities provided by the conference for accompanying people like me. One day I took a tour to the ancient city of Nara.

Nara was the first capital of Japan and dates back to the 8th century. The trip to Nara had been billed as an “excursion through the countryside” mainly because the drive took 45 minutes each way. We stopped first at a Buddhist Temple which houses the largest brass Buddha in Japan.  The pillars of the temple are trunks of cedar trees.  In one of them a hole about 15 inches across was cut and we were told that any person who could fit through the hole was closer to entering heaven. Two teenage boys in our group tried it and managed to slither through.

Stone lanterns along walk to Kasuga Shrine

Our next stop was at the Shinto Kasuga shrine, with 3000 plus ancient stone lanterns lining the walkway up the hill to the shrine. Each lamp represents a donation to the shrine.  Originally the lamps burnt oil. Now they are lit twice a year with candles.

Paper "fortunes" at Kasuga shrine, Nara

At the shrine we could buy our fortunes by choosing a numbered stick from a long cylinder–similar to a fireplace match–and then showing the number to the fortune seller. Each fortune is printed on a long slip of white paper–usually the fortunes are in Japanese but at this shrine you could get them in English.  The idea is that if your fortune is good, you keep it; but if it is bad, you tie it to some object near the shrine–usually a bush or branch of a tree–in hopes that the spirits of the shrine will neutralize the bad fortune, or at least dilute it.

We learned from our tour leader that most Japanese practice both Buddhist and Shinto beliefs, depending on the situation.  Shintoism is more connected with beginnings, so wedding ceremonies are usually in the Shinto tradition.  Buddhism is more associated with the afterlife, so funeral rites are usually Buddhist.

Shrines and temples offer a variety of opportunities to buy spiritual help.  Another way you can beseech the help of the spirits is by buying a wooden paddle.  You write your wish on the paddle and hang it up on a rack near the shrine.  Most of the inscriptions were in Japanese, but one we read in English at the Kiyomizu shrine in Kyoto said he hoped his girlfriend would love him again.  Apparently, a typical Japanese wish is to pass the entrance exam to the university.

Sika deer at Nara

According to the legendary history of Kasuga Shrine, a mythological god Takemikazuchi arrived in Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital of Heijo--kyo-. Since then the deer have been regarded as heavenly animals, protecting the city and the country. Tame Sika Deer roam through the town, especially in Nara Park.


Nara is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.