Gordon House in Silverton
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We left Rainier behind and rolled into Silverton, Oregon, where we camped at GeerCrest Farm, booked through Hipcamp. Hipcamp is basically like Airbnb for camping, where you stay on private land instead of a traditional campground. GeerCrest was established in 1847, and the original apple and pear trees were brought over by seed on the Oregon Trail. The current owner, Jeff, is a direct descendant of the original settlers. Aside from the fruit trees, the property has sheep grazing in the fields, ducks waddling around, and plenty of songbirds.
GreerCrest Farm
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On our first day in Silverton, we visited the Gordon House, the only Frank Lloyd Wright design in Oregon. Danny is a big Frank Lloyd Wright fan, and this is our second Wright house on this trip, the first being in Tallahassee. Built in 1963, it now sits at the Oregon Garden after being moved and restored to save it from demolition. It’s a beautiful example of his Usonian style with open, light filled rooms, built-in furniture, and big windows that frame the outdoors.
During the design, Mr. Gordon told Wright he didn’t find his chairs comfortable. Wright asked what he considered comfortable, and Mr. Gordon said the bench seat in his pickup truck. Wright measured it, found it angled at 15 degrees, and used that same angle for the built-in seating in the living room. We sat on it ourselves, and it was indeed very comfortable, plus it doubled as storage behind the back. That 15-degree angle theme was carried throughout the house, from the furniture to the trim.
Outside the house, we spotted a common garter snake stretched out in the shade by the wall. I think he was trying to cool off as much as we were. We arrived in the middle of a heat wave, with highs pushing 100 degrees during our stay.
To beat the heat, we found refuge at two Silverton spots with solid A/C: Oso for lunch and Silver Falls Brewing Company for dinner. We don’t usually eat out this much, but at those temps, the air conditioner was the main course and the food was just a nice side dish.
During the design, Mr. Gordon told Wright he didn’t find his chairs comfortable. Wright asked what he considered comfortable, and Mr. Gordon said the bench seat in his pickup truck. Wright measured it, found it angled at 15 degrees, and used that same angle for the built-in seating in the living room. We sat on it ourselves, and it was indeed very comfortable, plus it doubled as storage behind the back. That 15-degree angle theme was carried throughout the house, from the furniture to the trim.
Outside the house, we spotted a common garter snake stretched out in the shade by the wall. I think he was trying to cool off as much as we were. We arrived in the middle of a heat wave, with highs pushing 100 degrees during our stay.
To beat the heat, we found refuge at two Silverton spots with solid A/C: Oso for lunch and Silver Falls Brewing Company for dinner. We don’t usually eat out this much, but at those temps, the air conditioner was the main course and the food was just a nice side dish.