Are there any worthwhile natural history museums in Oregon?
Dave Thompson
actually the best way to describe it. Maybe something like Dinosaur National
Monument in Colorado? I know there isn't much outside of Denver and L.A.
outside of the east coast but maybe there's something in Washington. Maybe
SF or Sackatomatoes? Anything driveable?
Art museums and history museums are also a big interest. What is Portland's
art museum like?
Do the universities house worthwhile collections?
Baloo Ursidae
Hash: SHA1
The Fri, 18 Apr 2003 21:51:39 -0700, Dave Thompson <dav1...@wdmdx1.com> wrote:
> I've been to OMSI and it was really bad considering the price. Pathetic is
> actually the best way to describe it. Maybe something like Dinosaur National
> Monument in Colorado? I know there isn't much outside of Denver and L.A.
> outside of the east coast but maybe there's something in Washington. Maybe
> SF or Sackatomatoes? Anything driveable?
You do realise that OMSI isn't a natural history museum, right? Fully
expanded, it's Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Far cry from
natural history.
> Art museums and history museums are also a big interest. What is Portland's
> art museum like?
The High Desert Museum near Bend. Lots of stuff throughout the
Columbia River Gorge and along US-26.
Museums tend to be somewhat boring. Instead of paying admission and
driving a couple hundred miles to see something old, dead and natural,
pull a pack together, get an Oregon Gazeteer and go hike some of the
lesser known trails. There you'll see some old, natural stuff that's
still alive and the USFS doesn't charge camping fees on unimproved
sites (bring a backpack water filter and camp near a lake or stream).
- --
.''`. Baloo Ursidae <ba...@ursine.dyndns.org>
: :' : proud Debian admin and user
`. `'`
`- Debian - when you have better things to do than fix a system
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Charlie
"Baloo Ursidae" <ba...@ursine.dyndns.org> wrote in message
news:10507391...@ursine.dyndns.org...
I agree with Baloo. This beautiful state of ours is far better that a museum
by far but if your looking for a taste of history, go to the Apple Gate
trail near Medford. As a child, every year the schools would have a field
trip through the historical towns in Jacksonville that were built in the
1800's. Pretty cool and the knowledge you walk away with is unbelievable.
Fun for all ages too. Have fun!
Charlie
"The one and only Richard Cranium" (aka Dick Head)
gatt
"Dave Thompson" <dav1...@wdmdx1.com> wrote in message
> I've been to OMSI and it was really bad considering the price. Pathetic is
> actually the best way to describe it. Maybe something like Dinosaur
National
> Monument in Colorado? I know there isn't much outside of Denver and L.A.
> outside of the east coast but maybe there's something in Washington. Maybe
> SF or Sackatomatoes? Anything driveable?
Yeah. We held a battle robot competition last week at the Pacific Science
Center, which is right under the Space Needle and next to the rock museum in
Seattle. They have the whole IMAX/Laser show thing (Dark Side of the Moon
and The Wall) and a pretty cool animatronic dinosaur exhibit plus a huge bug
exhibit. Not sure if it's worth the drive all the way up, but it's on the
way to the Boeing restoration facility in Everett. :>
-c
gatt
Portland's
> > art museum like?
>
> The High Desert Museum near Bend. Lots of stuff throughout the
> Columbia River Gorge and along US-26.
Yeah. All of the Oregon Trail museums are great. Portland's Art Museum is
pretty cool; depends on what exhibits are there. My wife and I tried to go
to the Oregon historical museum downtown today but it's closed through
September for remodelling. There's a good collection of local books and
posters in the museum's gift shop which is still open.
One REALLY cool thing to do is go on board the Maritime Museum's steamboat
downtown. It's cheap and you have pretty much all-points access to the
boat including the Captain's quarters, the engine room and the pilot house..
-c
Tracy
news:va2ssn8...@corp.supernews.com...
I agree with Charlie & Baloo...
If anyone wants to learn about the history of this beautiful state, just get
out and do some exploring. I've taken my boys to several different
locations around the state. They'll read through the pamplets left at each
site and I'll take pictures. We observe, explore, and learn together. This
state holds a lot of history, and its beauty is breath taking. The painted
hills, the lava beds, the waterfalls, etc... get out and explore. There is
so much to see and learn.
Tracy
~~~~~~~
http://www.hornschuch.net/tracy/
*** spamguard in place! to email me: tracy at hornschuch dot net ***
gatt
"Tracy" <ni...@merlins.place> wrote in message
news:IjCoa.543301$L1.159028@sccrnsc02...
> I agree with Charlie & Baloo...
>
> If anyone wants to learn about the history of this beautiful state, just
get
> out and do some exploring.
I disagree. Without visiting a museum to educate yourself, you can't know
that the dimple in the terrain you're looking at is the Oregon Trail or
understand the contribution that the Chinese made to Oregon's heritage. You
probably won't learn about the Missoula Flood which created the Gorge unless
you read it from a book or learn about it from a museum. It would be
difficult to understand the native culture, how important Celilo Falls was,
or the worth of a hidden petroglyph when you find it.
There are ghost towns whose existence is a mere dimple in the landscape but
by going to the library and sorting through the archives, you can read the
words of a woman who witnessed a hanging there and hear her describe the
town and what role it played in the development of Oregon. Based on
research work and THEN hitting the trail, my wife and I have found old gold
mines and even explored a little of some of them. We had to go to a museum
to find out what the ruined equipment was, how old it was, who had built it,
how incredibly dangerous it was to operate, and how it worked.
You might not know that Mt. Hood erupted shortly before the Lewis and Clark
expedition or that that was once a cabin at the summit or that you could fit
every single human being in the world in the crater of Mt. St. Helens and
not fill it up.
Exploration without research allows you to do nothing more than speculate on
what it is that you've found.
Here's the trick: On the rainy days, explore the museums, absorb the
knowledge and take notes. Go to Powell's or a library and get reference
books and maps. Make plans. On the sunny days, hit the road and head
directly toward the places that you've researched and that interest you the
most.
When you get there, you'll find that it's not just a house on a hill, for
example; it was the base hospital for Captain Phil Sheridan. Or, it's not
just a hill with a few trees on it; it was a massively important battlefield
for the Modoc or Imnaha indians. Or that most of the people that travelled
along the trail you're standing in, among the manzanita and brush, didn't
ride wagons, they walked, and they had probably already worn out their
shoes.
On the other hand, it would be a shame to waste a sunny day in a museum.
-c
Tracy
news:s5Doa.10493$yO5....@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
>
> "Tracy" <ni...@merlins.place> wrote in message
> news:IjCoa.543301$L1.159028@sccrnsc02...
>
> > I agree with Charlie & Baloo...
> >
> > If anyone wants to learn about the history of this beautiful state, just
> get
> > out and do some exploring.
>
> I disagree. Without visiting a museum to educate yourself,
Did I say to not go to any museums?
I for one have gone to a few with my boys throughout the state. Every
single one at any park we've visited, and then some. I didn't say "stay
away from the museums". I said to get out and do some exploring.
Examples would include the museum by the Newberry Lava Cast Forest just
south of Bend. I wouldn't have known about the museum if it wasn't for the
trip we went on to the lava bed. There is a small museum at Silver Falls
State Park (aka Silver Creek Falls), and there is a lot to learn there.
There is information at the John Day Clarno Unit near Analope. It isn't a
museum, but it is very interesting information on the John Day Fossil Beds.
My boys, and myself, spent over two hours at the World Forestry Center last
fall when the Ansel Adams prints were on display there. They had much more
than just the exhibit on display.
Anyways - other than the World Forestry Center, all other musems and
information I've tripped onto came about from just getting up and going out
exploring. It shouldn't matter if you start at the museum or at a site.
The important thing is to get out, enjoy yourself, and learn. :-)
gatt
"Tracy" <ni...@merlins.place> wrote in message
> > > I agree with Charlie & Baloo...
> > >
> > > If anyone wants to learn about the history of this beautiful state,
just
> > get out and do some exploring.
> >
> > I disagree. Without visiting a museum to educate yourself,
> hate to snip your response... but
>
> Did I say to not go to any museums?
No, but you agreed with them, and they said to basically skip the museum and
go out exploring.
> Anyways - other than the World Forestry Center, all other musems and
> information I've tripped onto came about from just getting up and going
out
> exploring. It shouldn't matter if you start at the museum or at a site.
> The important thing is to get out, enjoy yourself, and learn. :-)
Indeed.
-c
Tracy
>
> "Tracy" <ni...@merlins.place> wrote in message
> news:yvDoa.544047$L1.159365@sccrnsc02...
>
> > > > I agree with Charlie & Baloo...
> > > >
> > > > If anyone wants to learn about the history of this beautiful state,
> just
> > > get out and do some exploring.
> > >
> > > I disagree. Without visiting a museum to educate yourself,
> > hate to snip your response... but
> >
> > Did I say to not go to any museums?
>
> No, but you agreed with them, and they said to basically skip the museum
and
> go out exploring.
That's because I'm that type of person myself. You won't find me
researching before I go out exploring. I like to just get out and do
things. If I wait around until after I read about it, then it won't happen.
So I have to agree with them - there is a level of excitement in just
getting out there and skipping the museums.
> > Anyways - other than the World Forestry Center, all other musems and
> > information I've tripped onto came about from just getting up and going
> out
> > exploring. It shouldn't matter if you start at the museum or at a site.
> > The important thing is to get out, enjoy yourself, and learn. :-)
>
> Indeed.
exactly... so no one is wrong, but everyone is right. It just depends on
what type of person you are.
gatt
"Tracy" <ni...@merlins.place> wrote in message
> That's because I'm that type of person myself. You won't find me
> researching before I go out exploring. I like to just get out and do
> things. If I wait around until after I read about it, then it won't
happen.
> So I have to agree with them - there is a level of excitement in just
> getting out there and skipping the museums.
That's what we do when we run out of ideas. One geeky thing I did is find
Celilo Falls with my depth finder. We cruised up the river and explored the
islands until the wind came up and the swells kicked our ass. Ended up on
the north beach of Miller Island stranded like Gilligan. In the middle of
the night while we were walking around we saw a sign saying not to screw
with the artifacts in the area. They didn't even bother to give us a clue
what might be there, just told us not to screw with it. We looked the whole
next day and found nothing but some old fence rails and cattle bones. Saw
a picture in a book today that looks exactly what the island would have
looked like if it was completely covered in livestock being herded onto a
steamboat. Guess that's what it was.
Anyway, we'd have not given a damn if we hadn't found it by accident. Found
a petroglyph down next to The Dalles Dam, too.
-gatt
jackn...@webtv.net
You don't have a clue as to what is buried in eastern oregon.
Do you know about telegraph island or hat rock? Not to mention
Blaylock island...
If the right people contact me, i will be more than happy to show them
where to look...
gatt
<jackn...@webtv.net> wrote in message news:27102-3EA3C90D-257@storefull-
> Do you know about telegraph island or hat rock? Not to mention
> Blaylock island...
It's Blalock, but I haven't been there yet. I'm not so interested in
artifact collection, just ruins and photographs although finding artificats
is always cool. Found some stuff on the trail through what is now the
Boardman Bombing Range recently and found some pieces of broken plates right
over by an old watering hole.
What do you know about BI and those places as they exist now? BI is mostly
underwater now, isn't it?
-gatt
ufo muse
nyc....where it belongs.
remember it came from outer space. Omsi is not just a joke its a
financial disaster. Ive heard that it has impoved but the people who
told me that are certified retarded.
ALIEN LUNCH Any One? Accept no immitations.
Charlie
"gatt" <ga...@juggFUerbot.com> wrote in message
John Lienhart
"gatt" <ga...@juggFUerbot.com> wrote in message
Try the John Day fossil beds, Bend lava caves, Oregon Caves.
Dave Thompson
"John Lienhart" <Jo...@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:WaUra.31$Dp2....@news-west.eli.net...
Slightly off topic but I found something amusing concerning "fossils". Your
post reminded me of it and you might get a chuckle out of it.
http://informationcentre.tripod.com/boot.html
gatt
Your
> post reminded me of it and you might get a chuckle out of it.
>
> http://informationcentre.tripod.com/boot.html
I saw a book at Powell's that showed a Neanderthal or some similar skull
with a bullet hole through it and even though it didn't say it outright, I
got the distinct impression it was trying to reeducate me somehow.
Bush did it.
-c
David
"gatt" <ga...@juggFUerbot.com> wrote in message
news:oL4sa.6070$XF5....@nwrddc03.gnilink.net...
Larry Caldwell
Agreed, OMSI is a waste of time. It's sad, because 40 years ago they had
really interesting and educational exhibits. My grade school used to do
field trips to OMSI, the Zoo and the Forestry Center twice a year. It
was really sad when the Forestry Center burned. The old log building was
a piece of Oregon history all by itself.
The Horner Museum at OSU has a really interesting natural history
collection, including a sutureless skull. It has been closed since 1995,
though I hear they have found a new home at the old Copeland Lumber. I
hope they open it again some time this decade.
There is a maritime museum and natural history museum in Astoria. If you
want to get up close and personal with the fresnel lens from a
lighthouse, that is the place. There are some good Indian displays too.
There is a pioneer and natural history museum at Champoeg that is worth a
visit.
The Hatfield Marine Science Center at Newport has public displays.
Definitely drive to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument on Highway
26.