Things to Do in Portland: McMenamin's Edgefield

Although Edgefield manor was built in 1911, it hasn't exactly been a weekend getaway location for that long. Originally built to serve as the Multnomah County Poor Farm - the manor was a place where residents raised pigs and farmed the land in a self-sufficient operation. It was run this way until the 1960's when it was turned into a nursing home which eventually shut down in the 1980's. You can get to Edgefield if you travel out from Portland on Interstate 84 East, take exit 16 and follow the signs to McMenamin's Edgefield. An exact address is 2126 SW Halsey Street in Troutdale, OR, 97060.

In 1990, McMenamin's bought the rundown facility from the county and began renovations of the historic manor. It eventually opened up as the Edgefield property that we have today. The original manor house was converted to a historic hotel - which if you've ever stayed at an Edgefield property is an experience in itself. McMenamin's likes to purchase old properties like this - manors, historic buildings, schools (like the Kennedy School), and convert them into hotels, while keeping their original uniqueness intact. Although the manor is now a hotel - it is very much like the original building just now with private rooms. Most of the rooms share community bathrooms, and each room and all of the halls are painted with rich murals depicting the unique history of the manor and people that lived there.

Besides just the cool place to sleep - Edgefield has a number of different attractions and things to offer. Edgefield has it's own brewery where they brew Mcmenamin's own line of beers including the popular Terminator Stout and Ruby Ale. They also have a winery that you can visit and wine taste - featuring grapes grown on the grounds. As if that weren't enough - the Mcmenamin's distillery is now open at Edgefield where you can sample a number of spirits.

Movies are shown nightly at Edgefield where you can sit and enjoy a beer. And during the summer you can catch one of the many concerts that are held at Edgefield's outdoor amphitheater. All sorts of acts from local bands to national acts touring stop and play Edgefield. G. Love and Special Sauce as well as Death Cab for Cutie were a few of the bands that played there last summer.

During the day you can also try one of the two golf courses located at Edgefield. You don't even have to bring your own clubs as you can rent clubs from the clubhouse for a dollar a piece. Of course you'll only need 2 clubs, a pitching wedge and a putter as the longest hole on the two courses is 80 yards. The pitch and putt courses feature a 12 hole course and a longer 20 hole course. Though they are short, each hole can be difficult as they are very hilly and if you happen to miss the green, you've probably lost your ball in one of the many thorny blackberry bushes that surround the course and the grounds.

Also located on the grounds is a spa featuring couples massages as well as a saline soaking pool that is open till 11 p.m. for guests. It's a great way to relax and finish up the night before heading to one of the many restaurants or pubs located on the grounds. The Black Rabbit Restaurant is the signature restaurant on the grounds, though you have many choices. One of the great things about the restaurants is that they feature as many of the freshly grown veggies and herbs that are grown in the many gardens around the manor. So many of the dishes are seasonal depending on what is being grown and harvested at the time.

So if you're looking for something different to do in Portland, hop on I-84 and head west about a half hour to Troutdale and you'll see the signs for McMenamin's Edgefield where you're sure to find something to please everybody along for the ride.