Southwest Washington - Washington State - page 265

VISITOR INFORMATION For more information on this area, contact the
Southwest Washington Convention & Visitors Bureau, 101 E. Eighth St.,
Vancouver, WA 98660 ( & 877/600-0800 or 360/750-1553; www.southwest
washington.com), which operates a visitor's center in the Slocum House, Esther
Short Park, 605 Esther St.
VANCOUVER'S HISTORICAL ATTRACTIONS
The city of Vancouver, Washington, was one of the first settlements in the
Northwest and consequently has a long pioneer and military history. After the
British gave up Fort Vancouver, it became the site of the Vancouver Barracks
U.S. military post, and stately homes were built for the officers of the post. The
buildings of Officers' Row and their attractive, tree-shaded surroundings are
now preserved as the Vancouver National Historic Reserve . Within the
reserve, which is located just east of I-5 (take the East Mill Plain Blvd. exit just
north of the I-5 Interstate Bridge), you'll find not only Officers' Row, Fort Van-
couver, and the Pearson Air Museum, but also the Columbia River Waterfront
Trail. At the west end of this paved riverside trail, in a small park through a
walkway under the railroad tracks, you'll find the oldest apple tree in the
Northwest. It was planted in 1826.
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site It was here at Fort Vancouver,
a trading post operated by the British Hudson's Bay Company, that much of the
Northwest's important early pioneer history unfolded. The HBC came to the
Northwest in search of furs and, for most of the first half of the 19th century,
was the only authority in this remote region. Fur trappers, mountain men, mis-
sionaries, explorers, and settlers all made Fort Vancouver their first stop in the
Oregon country, which at that time also encompassed present-day Washington.
Today Fort Vancouver houses several reconstructed buildings that are furnished
as they might have been in the middle of the 19th century. Throughout the year,
there are a variety of living-history programs.
1501 E. Evergreen Blvd. & 800/832-3599 or 360/696-7655. www.nps.gov/fova. Admission (charged in sum-
mer only) $3. Year-round daily 9am-4pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Dec 24, 25, and 26, and Jan 1.
Pearson Air Museum A very different piece of history is preserved at this
small air museum on the far side of Fort Vancouver from Officers' Row. This air-
field was established in 1905 and is the oldest operating airfield in the United
States. Dozens of vintage aircraft, including several World War I-era biplanes are
on display in a large hangar, and there is an exhibit on the Russian plane that
made the first transpolar flight.
1115 E. Fifth St. & 360/694-7026. www.pearsonairmuseum.org. Admission $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 chil-
dren ages 13-18, $2 children ages 6-12, free for children under 6. Tues-Sun 10am-5pm.
EXPLORING OUTSIDE OF TOWN
In the town of Washougal, 16 miles east of Vancouver on Wash. 14, you can visit
the Pendleton Woolen Mills and Outlet Shop, 2 17th St., Washougal ( & 800/
568-2480 or 360/835-1118; www.pendletonmillstore.com), and see how their
famous wool blankets and classic wool fashions are made. The store is open
Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and
Sunday from 1 to 5pm, with free mill tours offered Monday through Friday at
9, 10, and 11am, and 1:30pm.
Twenty-three miles north of Vancouver, in the town of Woodland, are the
Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens, 115 S. Pekin Rd., Woodland ( & 360/225-8996;
www.lilacgardens.com). Between late April and mid-May each year, these gardens