Where Sasha Went

The Gordon House – Silverton, Oregon

Visiting the Gordon House in Silverton Oregon reminded me how much I live Frank Lloyd Wright designs. I am not sure when my love of architecture surfaced or why I feel so drawn to all things between 1910 and 1940. In my opinion all the best buildings, books, art, fashion and architecture happened during this period. That isn’t to say I don’t adore literally every other time period. Some might call me wishy-washy, I call it an ardent lover of all things.

Regardless Frank Lloyd Wright falls safely in that most beloved time period. I don’t love everything he is designed, but his background, inspirations, darkness, the mysteries and the murders that seems to follow him around make for a fascinating study.  The more I look into his life, and the things that have occurred surrounding his work the harder it is to stop digging. And it is difficult to deny even if you don’t agree aesthetically with his work, that he was a genius. Creating several well known architecture movements and schools. Inspiring countless future artists and leaving behind a legacy of over 1,000 buildings, 400 of which stand today.

Unisonian architecture was the last of his movements. An attempt to create homes for middle class America that were specially designed to give you everything you need inspired by and for the surroundings of the home. Every house he designed was unique, and it didn’t stop with the building but continued in every detail of the house including furniture. But to design for the middle class rather than some of his earlier clients meant a much simpler house. Not that it came cheap, according to our tour guide this house would have cost 500,000 – 600,000 to build today.

The Gordon House is the only Frank Lloyd Wright building in the state of Oregon. It was designed for a retired couple for their specific piece of land on the Willamette River. When the house was designed it was too pricey to build for the couple, so they waited. It was built after Lloyd Wright passed away. And the couple lived in it for the rest of their lives. When the property was sold to its second owner they didn’t want the house.

They were going to tear it down. But word got out and soon wheels were in motion to save the house. Long story short, it was mapped, moved and rebuilt at its current location at the Oregon Gardens in Silverton.

You can tour the building now, and the docents who conduct the tours are just lovely. So knowledgeable and passionate about the house and all aspects of historic buildings.

The tour lasts about an hour and is plenty of time to learn about and enjoy the home. Though I didn’t really want to leave I was ready to move in. Those floor to ceiling windows on both sides of the main living space made me swoon.

Every aspect of the house was designed with a very specific purpose. I wish I could properly recall everything we learned but you should definitely go to The Gordon House. It is amazing to be in a place where so much intention was put into every detail.

To learn more and tour the house the you must visit the website and make reservations. Tours of The Gordon House are conducted several times a day but in small groups. Since the house isn’t all that large they keep the groups small so you can more easily maneuver around. The house is also open for a variety of events, and can be rented for your own special event. They also allow rentals for overnight stays occasionally. All proceeds back to the foundation that keeps the house in good repair.

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Mossie Tour – Dingle, Ireland

The fourth day of hiking I decided again to not. Due to the terrain of the trail I thought it best to not risk tearing up my feet anymore. Many years ago when I first started traveling the way this day unfolded probably would have terrified me. But the great thing about traveling is you get used to uncomfortable situations and the unknown really fast. So instead of being sad or anxious I just ran with it.

The tour offices close early in Dingle (after my group showed up). I was pretty much standing outside the doors when the tourist office opened the next morning. I asked if they had a tour that I could get on last min, any tour. They said maybe, but the guy needed three for it to be worth it and I was only one. Check back at 11 was the answer.
I sprinted back to the hotel (mind you while Dingle is small these two places are on the opposite end of town). I packed my own bag for a day of hiking but with my new sneakers instead of my boots. I grabbed my sack lunch. I used the ‘bat phone’ to set up my ride for 3pm, I took screen shots of directions to our hotel and directions to a couple of things in town in case my tour fell through and said good-bye to my group. Later when I stopped back in the tourist office there was a french couple that wanted a last min tour as well but needed a third. Perfect! Off we went.

Our tour guide was Mossie and it was a wonderful day. He gave us a quick history of the Irish English conflict during the Tennent farmer years and showed us Burnham House which was the home to Thomas Mullins, 1st Baron of Ventry.  Mullins was one such land owner, not kindly favored by the Irish. It is now a girls school so we didn’t get to go in.
Mullins had removed a lot of old land markers and grave stones when he took up residence in the area. When he was removed and the land returned to the native Irish, stones that were found were placed in his yard. The language is read bottom to top, and the stone pictured above was a grave stone. However, there is no grave to mark where it sits today and the site like many is lost to time.

After the Mullins house we went back in time to the Pre-Romanesque period and visited some Clochan sites, more known as Beehive huts. Not the same that were filmed in Star Wars, those were replicas not originals. They were modeled off those on Skellig Island. Skellig is a UNESCO site and to film in the huts would have been too risky. However some exterior shots were taken on the island. My head in the picture above is covering Skellig. At the site we visited we got to see a complete hut, and were given a lot of history and information around usage. And I got to hold a baby lamb.

After the huts we drove along the coast toward the Blasket Islands. The coast line was just gorgeous.

We made our way  past the Blaskets to Dunquin. Dunquin is the most westerly settlement in Ireland, the Blaskets are the most westerly bit of land in Ireland. The area is Gaelic speaking first, and English is learned as a second language. The view-point below is over looking a ridge to the far left where the Star Wars sets were built. And little did I know it at the time, the next day I would be hiking all through this area.

We learned that the majority of the archeological sites are actually on private land, rather than state-owned property. So most sites that you visit will require payment. This is normal and helps farmers pay for the upkeep of the area. So if you ever find yourself in the area and someone asks you for 3 Euro to see some ruins, chances are they aren’t there to fleece you. It is well worth the cost to see some of these amazing sites.

The last site we visited before returning to Dingle was the Gallarus Oratory. Little is known about the churches origins. It is thought to be dates to the 12th Century. It was discovered in 1756 by Charles Smith. The small church has a doorway and a small window facing west and east respectively. Over the window is a couple small outcroppings that are thought to have once held candles. Next to the church is a flat pile of rock and a headstone, archeologists found human remains here but again little is known about them.

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Wonderful Ireland Walking Holiday

Traveling is a very unique thing, you have to balance how far out of your comfort zone you are willing to go, with the kind of creature comforts that will ultimately keep you sane while your whole world is turned upside down. Traveling is wonderful and adventurous and important to  knowing ourselves and enjoying life, but it is also hard and scary. So knowing what you want out of the experience and what you can handle are very important when booking travel.

If you do not want to spend 8 hours a day walking through the middle of nowhere or if you do but you want to rough sleep in the wilderness then Wonderful Ireland Walking Holidays is not for you, and that is absolutely okay. But if you want to see things off the beaten path, get a lot of fresh air and exercise but you also want the safety net of an emergency out in case anything happens then read on my friends.

Wonderful Ireland Walking Holidays offers several self guided walking tour vacations throughout Ireland. We chose the Dingle Peninsula tour which is 112 miles split up between 10 days of walking. Some of my group did the whole loop, I however opted for the shorter trip. I started with my group and then left after 5 days of walking. The company offers a variety of options for the peninsula from 3-10 days.

Included in the cost of the tour is airport/train station pickup and drop off. Booked rooms which include breakfast and sack lunches. Luggage transfer from inn to inn so you don’t have to carry your bag with you. Maps, guide-book, emergency cell phone, and hiking poles if you want them.

I wound up hurting myself on day two, so I can attest to how helpful and kind the individuals at the company are. I called on what we took to calling the “bat phone” the morning of a day of hiking, they organized a private ride for me from one town to the next. They showed up on time and I didn’t have to pay for the ride as it was included in the tour price.

The accommodations that were booked for us were above and beyond our expectations. Every single inn was clean, comfortable and the owners incredibly kind.  The food was exceptional every night and the sack lunches exactly what one would need for a 14 mile hike. As an added bonus every place we stayed had wifi so we could connect with our people back home and let them know we had made it to each town safe and sound.

Our bags were always waiting for us when we got to the next inn, clean, undamaged and undisturbed. Not that we were expecting anything less, but I do know people worry about others handling their personal property and there was never an issue with this group.

We were given a packet of very detailed instructions to go along with our maps. Not only is the trail marked to help guide you but the instructions provided down to the turn precise directions to keep you on track and keep you from wondering if you were headed the right way. They were detailed enough that never once did you have to worry that you might have taken a wrong turn. We spent the entire trek feeling confident we wouldn’t be lost or trespassing and that we would be safe the entire trip.

I cannot recommend the tour group enough. The owner is incredibly kind and helpful. He will answer as many ridiculous questions as you can throw at him and do so with a smile. Never once did we feel confused, worried or unsure of ourselves from inquiring about booking the tour all the way to being dropped back off at the airport on the way home.

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