I think that pretty much everyone who lives in Portland is familiar with Sauvie Island. It is one of the largest river islands in the United States and just ten miles from the city. There are some wonderful farms here and a wide wildlife area. And a nudist beach, if that’s your thing. Our plan, on one of my last days in Portland, was to visit the farms that I used to frequent before I moved to Santa Fe. And to come back with lots of fresh fruit.
Oregon Peaches
I know we were at a peach farm in Hood River: https://roadtosuchness.comhood-river-an-escape-to-the-farm-loop/ and bought one of the best peach pies ever. But this was summer and the peaches of Oregon are the best ever. Just can’t get enough and I miss them now that I no longer live there. ( No more peach and blueberry cobbler making for me anymore). I wanted on this trip to enjoy as many as I could. So we stopped first at Douglas Farm u-pick https://www.douglasfarmu-pick.com/. It’s a good place to come in the Fall for apples, too.
Blueberries
Bella Organic Farm http://bellaorganic.com/ was our next stop for blueberry fields. It’s a big farm with lots of options. On this mid-week morning we went for blueberries in one section of their farm and later to another area to pick blackberries. From the parking lot they have an old school bus that takes you on a short ride to the blueberries. Unless you have a freezer, be careful not to get carried away and pick too many.
Blackberries
When we got back to the parking lot we went into the country store. There are all kinds of produce but I was intent on getting some jam. Jams, jellies, butters and wines are all made and sold by the farmers on Sauvies Island. Take your pick because there is pretty much everything. Plus a lot of things you never ever thought of. Try cherry wines, rhubarb wine, pumpkin ale and honeys. We decided to take the walk in the opposite direction to see how the blackberry vines were doing. And it just turned out that we were the only ones in the fields.
And it just turned out we were the only ones in the fields. It was heaven to have all the vines to ourselves, with the river and the mountains in the distance.
Not too much going on at this picnic/restaurant area. Especially since it was mid morning and with the Virus was putting a damper on everything. But I just love these Dr. Zeus trees! First time I have ever seen any outside of La Jolla, California.
Country Stores on Sauvie Island
One of my favorite places to visit on Sauvie Island is The Pumpkin Patch. https://www.thepumpkinpatch.com/. This is the place for U-pick strawberries in June, the best summer corn and an animal barn. The rest of the summer visit the market, the patio cafe and u-pick flowers. Then come back for hay rides and u-pick pumpkins in the Fall.
If you love being scared by dressed up psychopaths (also known on Sauvie Island as the local employees), then you need to visit in October. That’s when they have the corn mazes. You get lost in the corn mazes and scream a lot until you find your way out. It’s great fun. The best time to come is Friday and Saturday after dark. Because, of course, that’s when it’s really spooky! If you are with little ones, you can instead head for the pumpkin patches.
And So, Until Next Time, Sauvie Island
And check out the two other Oregon escapes we made in July. The first was to the Oregon Coast: https://roadtosuchness.comthree-capes-scenic-loop-oregon/. And the second to the Hood River farms: https://roadtosuchness.comhood-river-an-escape-to-the-farm-loop/.
