Filed under: Oregon
Last night we went to check out Creepy’s – an old town, clown, kitschy bar. It wasn’t busy but the bartender was really nice and the scenery was good. We visited a place next door, with some amazing velvet art. It was a good end to a fun day and great start to day three.
Today Lily and I went to The Grotto. The Wowser! It reminded me of my visit to Kylemore Abbey with Kate in January. It is a Catholic outdoor altar and sanctuary with daily Masses. Constructed in 1924, the sanctuary covers 62 acres, set both at the foot of, and atop, a 110 foot cliff. It is so peaceful with all of the moss and forest smells. It is, as one might guests pretty religious. There are outdoor sculptures for the Stations of the Cross, bas relief vignettes of the joyful and sorrowful mysteries, lots of statues and various shrines. The shrines come from different lands and are each cool, yet unique. There’s a small chapel (St Ann’s) with a few prayer pews and paintings with different renditions of Mary and Jesus; each also coming from different lands. I thought they were fascinating. And a labyrinth, which was very relaxing.
Also worth mentioning the number of trees that came down during a recent ice storm. There’s a picture of me below standing by the tree trunk to show how big the tree had been.
The most amazing part (maybe, but it was all so great) was the meditation overlook. The views of the mountains were spectacular and really the first time I was fully able to see the mountains. The overlook was built in 1991 by the family of Marilyn Moyer. I’m pretty sure we saw Mount Rainier in the distance.
I love the story of how grotto began…
The story of The Grotto begins at the end of the 19th century, with a young boy who learned that his mother lay near death after giving birth to a daughter. In tears, the boy ran to the little parish church in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. He prayed to the Virgin Mary for his mother’s life, promising that if she were spared he would one day undertake a great work for the church. Both his mother and baby sister survived, and the future Fr. Ambrose Mayer never forgot his promise.
We stopped on the way home at Mt Tabor on the way back. It was a quick look at some more views. Between Tabor and the Grotto, I’ve grown to really like the smell of a forest.
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