Spur Of The Moment Trip 06/27/09

Good Rat Kelly L. suggested GR Ron and I go out to lunch on Saturday. He wanted to show us a couple of McMenamins I had never been to. Driving through St. Helens we headed to Cornelius Pass.

We stopped first at the McMenamins Rock Creek Tavern. The tavern burned down in 2002 but was rebuilt in the same style as the original. Two old barns in the area were dismantled and the wood was used in the new construction. The tavern features some wonderful stained glass including some antique panes that frame the kitchen entrance. A beautiful ceramic-tile fireplace salvaged from Portland's historic St. Francis Hotel occupies one wall of the building. It is believed that this 1925 fireplace is the work of the same craftsmen who created similar pieces for Timberline Lodge. You'll also find a Round Oak wood stove, vintage tin signs, black and white photos of the area from the teens to the 1940's and art work including mushrooms in various forms.

Ruby (beer) was on our minds when we first arrived but we were talked into trying a seasonal loganberry brew called Purple Haze. Although similar to Ruby we all agreed we preferred the former. For the second round GR Kelly L. tried the Rubinator, a combination of Ruby and Terminator Stout. I'd never heard of the Rubinator until GR Patricia had one on a recent GR Trip. Although I didn't order one GR Kelly L. allowed me a small sample and I must say I would give it a go next time.

After lunch we drove the five minutes or so to the McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse. This is a large complex with a number of buildings and outside wedding meadows, groves and glens. We missed looking at the Italian Villa-style house which sits next door to the main pub, Imbrie Hall, so I have a good excuse to go back.

Imbrie Hall opened in 2001 and features a gallery of artwork and some intriguing architectural relics and oddities. There are huge columns from Portland's old Washington Hotel, which support massive beams from Port of Portland's Terminal No. 5 and wall posts and headers out of a barn near Forest Grove. There are rafters salvaged from Portland's Blitz-Weinhard brewery and wide planks from Seagram's old distillery in St. Louis. From the loft is a view of the kitchen and an unobstructed perspective of a cookline in action.

There were two weddings going on while we were there and one of them was using the Octagonal Barn so we didn't get to look inside. This former milking parlor with a central feeding bin is now used for festive concerts, parties and other social gatherings for two-legged friends.

The White Shed is a very small rustic pub next to the Barn. Originally it was used as cold storage for milk freshly retrieved from the adjacent dairy barn. Today it's a cozy place for a whisky or (heaven forbid) a cigar.

The Brewery was closed by the time we got there but is open for viewing earlier in the day. Also of note is Big Red, a colossal ceramic torch commissioned by George Lucas who wanted dramatic lighting along the two-mile long driveway leading to his Skywalker Ranch in California. Plans for his torch-lined entry fell through and now it serves as a beacon for the tired and hungry masses who come in search of comfort, sustenance, and good times.

The smaller cozy feel of Rock Creek intrigued us the most and we agreed that we liked it better than the sprawling Roadhouse. Both are worth checking out though. It was a grand afternoon worth repeating very soon.