The quilt barns represent an agricultural heritage, providing a connection each family has to the quilt and that the quilt has to their history. From inception to installation took about 6-8 weeks, and the quilters’ guild worked closely with the farm owners on design, colors and concept.  A lot of research went into identifying existing quilt designs which represent what the family wanted, and when none existed, an original design was  painted. Many are on farms over a hundred years old, with 10 on Century Farms which not only refer to their age but also the fact that they have been inhabited by one family all that time.

We put together a selection of our readers' responses to our earlier poll of Favorite Domestic Destinations. Here's to safe and fun-filled tours as travel to domestic destinations is slowly opening up.

The T-Boy Society of Film & Music’s first poll for 2021 is dedicated to favorite domestic destinations: Cities, Towns and Sites. We felt this would be an appropriate theme as traveling to domestic destinations is slowly opening up.

If you’re heading out on a West Coast road trip this summer, here’s some essential equipment to bring along for the ride. No, it’s not a dash cam or a multi-prong charger, but the two-volume Pacific Northwest Garden Tour and California Garden Tour by travel expert and garden enthusiast Donald Olson, published by Timber Press.

Farm History. Family History. Artistry. Bursts of color. Tradition. Community. Creativity. So many different celebrations of life represented by the bountiful wooden quilts that majestically drape almost five dozen barn doors illuminating the landscape of Tualatin Valley (Twal’ i-tin), Oregon (Oar’-i-gun) – yes, the semantics DO make a difference (at least locally…). The combination of personal history and rural tradition that find voice in these quilt blocks brings to life customs, folklore and artistic expression reminiscent of the whole Valley.

McMenamins Grand Lodge (Mic MIN i mins) in Tualatin (T’WAL-i-tin) Valley, Oregon (OAR-a-gun) – you get the idea – gives new meaning to the word funky – also whimsical and droll and quirky. Oh yes, and historic. But if you're looking for glitz or glamour – not to mention basic amenities such as a TV or a dresser – the hotel is not for you.