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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2003)
I m ?wn J — M *[2 9 PACK UP AND GET OUT! A vacation that works Dream of never going back to your job? Here's a holiday to help. by T imothy K rause ager at the beautiful Oregon Garden in Silver- ton, about an hour south of Portland. This guy cracks the whip early. His team is already at work by the time 1 hop in the truck for an 8 a.m. cruise through the garden’s 240 acres. With New Yawk accent and East Coast salt, Al reminds me of comedian Dave Attell. It’s the day time version of Insomniac and we’re about to hit every bar—er, planting bed— this side of Salem. I slip him my business card, just to let him know of my ulterior motives as investigative reporter. He laughs— his lesbian daughter is gonna think it’s a hoot to see her old man writ ten up in the queer rag. We get coffee and drive to the highest view point. Al jumps out of the truck, giving me the Horticulture manager A1 Shay shows you what lay of the land. Short in stature but long on it’s like to be a professional master gardener words, he explains how the garden displays when you take a working vacation at the nursery specimens, processes Silverton’s waste Oregon Garden in Silverton water and serves as a destination for both ou usually take a vacation to get away nature nuts and strolling blue-hair bonnies. from your sucky stressful job, but a We stop by a trailer where I meet the guys— new kind of travel package actually mostly women, actually. Nearly all have gone to puts you to work...exploring that college for this sort of thing, putting my high career change you’ve been fantasizing about. school biology class to shame. I might plant Vocation'Vacations is a new concept devel petunias, but I’ve got nothin’ on these guys. It’s oped by 36-year-old gay entrepreneur Brian like they’re speaking Latin or something. Kurth. He’d been working a high-stress job May is a busy time at the garden because that just didn’t reward him deep down. You know, that gnawing feeling you get sitting in traffic three hours a day, wondering about life.7 Like you, Kurth knew there’s gotta be more. “It suddenly occurred to me to test the waters in one of my dream jobs while on vacation,” he says. He traveled five months, ending up in Port land, where he now lives his own dream, working for a local vintner while launching this new biz. Vocation Vacations lets people spend some hether you work hard or play hard, time shadowing a professional in the career of shuck it all at Breitenbush Hot Springs their choice and get a better sense of whether they to commune with nature au natural. really want to give up their cushy 9-to-5 job. Each Rustic, restful and gay-affirming, this peaceful month Kurth introduces a new package, such as retreat offers more than its holistic, earthy- chef, zookeeper or Portland International Raceway crunchy reputation might lead you to believe. worker. Available now are brewmaster, vintner Especially if you want to do nothing at all. and the one I experienced, master gardener. Two hours southeast of Portland, Breiten bush sits on a remote site in the Willamette pictured a meditative process, delicately prun National Forest. Tall forests, crisp air and rugged wilderness inspire deep thought, while the river's ing bonsai in a romantic greenhouse while rejuvenating sound softens the stillness. sipping iced tea, hardly soiling my snow-white gloves and certainly not breaking a sweat. What I Artesian hot springs supply three natural- got was a fun, raucous kx>k behind the scenes of a rock pools that face a meadow. A “medicine hybrid botanical garden/amusement park. wheel" offers four tubs of different tempera My mentor was Al Shay, horticulture man tures, along with a cold plunge. A natural- winter construction projects are still being completed even as new plantings arrive. Our chain gang weeds and waters, prunes and plants. They create a new path, replace a drain and use a backhoe to sculpt new terrain with rocks bigger than my car. As much as he disses the politics, A l’s job as master gardener is almost more brains than brawn. He’s the go-to man for what needs to be done. Yet, Al immediately transforms into arbo real ambassador to lead a tour of municipal tree huggers. Eavesdropping, I hear tree terms that mean something totally different to me— tight crotches, bound balls, trimming the bush...I never knew horticulture had such sex appeal! Now with better appreciation for a master gardener’s mix of management and mud, I can immediately think of at least one thing I’d rather use my hands for than pulling weeds. But the intimate experience of seeing what’s really involved, even for just a day, was a hell of a lot of fun and something I can’t wait to try again. I wonder if there’s a Vocation Vacation for gay bathhouse attendant.7 iguring out what you really want to do in life doesn’t have to be all work. Each Vocation Vacation package includes F comfy accommodations where you can kick back and take in nearby attractions. After spending the day tearing up the garden, for example, I slept soundly at downtown Silver- ton’s Water Street Inn. This old Victorian has seen its share of his tory, I’m sure, but it’s been beautifully restored by friendly innkeeper Sheila Rosborough and family. Five guest rooms feature private baths and other amenities, and you can walk down town to restaurants, art galleries, a movie the ater and shopping. (Yes, this all-American small town is in vogue for countryside charm; the Asian import shop Stone Buddha, for example, is owned by a lesbian couple.) A short drive away is the quiet and thoughtful Silver Falls State Park. This natural oasis features more than 25 miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding. The lush Canyon Trail par ticularly draws you past cool earthen walls, along the creek and through the woods past 10 magnif icent waterfalls, many of which you actually walk behind. In addition to day-use access, the park offers camping and RV space, cabin rentals and group accommodations. Guided horseback rides are available during the summer. Pets are wel come, but not on the Canyon Trail. J H For details about VOCATION VACATIONS call 866-888-6329 or go to uuw.wxxiaonwcaaons.com. Visitor information for the OREGON GARDEN is available at 503-874-8100 or uwui.oregongarden.org. The WATER STREET INN can be found at 503-873-3344 or uuw.thewaterstreetinn.com. Contact SILVER FALLS S ta t e P a r k at 503-873-8681 , ext. 31. Relax, it's natural Strip away the stress and soak In the hot springs scenery steam sauna offers yet another way to unwind. Breitenbush plays host to many events, but individuáis can visit fair a personal retreat, which includes access to daily well-being programs, B art C hurch, Breitenbush’s new gay director o f m arketing such as yoga. Other services include and events, says a visit to the hot springs relaxes the body and rejuvenates the spirit hydrotherapy, massage and reiki. Hiking trails wander from the campsite, con optional bathing areas, vegetarian meals and necting to ancient forests. no phones. JTJ A historic lodge now houses a library, func tion room and dining hall. Guests either pitch B reitenbush H o t S prings welcomes the boys-oniy a tent or choose a geothermal-heated cabin, Northwest Radical Faeries from Aug. 13 to 17 and some with bathrooms and some sharing a com die ghb-only Women in the Woods from Aug. 21 to mon bathhouse. 24. For details call 503-854-3312 or visit Other benefits (or caveats): clothing- www.breitenbush.com. 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