The Chehalem Valley, Hwy 99 to Hwy 47

Jeffrey Butts

This past weekend was a glorious one for weather. My favorite seasons in Oregon are the spring and fall. Those are the times when good weather weekends are an occasional and special treat. On Sunday, the temperature was in the high 60's and the 914 was begging to be driven. And so it was that after all of the day's chores I was preparing to sweep out the garage when Stephanie said to me, "Why don't you do the garage another day and just go for a ride?" Why not, indeed?

Here then follows one of those short (it was late afternoon) trips that rate high on the satisfaction scale for sports car roads. I left my home and dropped down onto Scholl's Ferry Road (Oregon 210) heading west. If you are coming from some other part of the Portland Metro area, the exit for Scholl's Ferry is readily accessible from Northbound Hwy 217 at the Washington Square Mall. Turn left at the signal. If you are coming southbound on Hwy 217, take the Progress Exit, left at the signal, cross the overpass and turn right at the next signal onto Scholl's Ferry Road.

Follow Scholl's Ferry Road west, out of the suburbs. Within a few miles the road forces you left (south) and you should follow the signs towards Newberg. This intersection is called Groner's Corners, named for the builders of the two houses on the west side of the intersection. John Groner built the white wooden home with the nut dryer behind it in 1880. Across the street, on the south side, is a nice brick Georgian. The home, built by Ferd Groner (no, that is not a typo for Fred, his name was Ferd) in 1936 has a beautiful garden. A couple of summers ago I stopped in the driveway, on the west side of the house, and asked if I could take a photo of my car in front of the flowers with the home in the background. None too friendly, the owner said no, giving no justification. According to my local history books, Ferd brought the first horseless carriage to the Scholls community. I guess his love of cars did not stay with the family because I think that the home would have made a wonderful backdrop for a car picture. Continue down the road to the south and you pass the Groner School and the Tualatin River. At this point, Peter Scholls, for whom the community is named, built the ferry that gives the road its name. It was later replaced with a toll bridge. A little further on, you cross Baker Creek, where Scholls built a sawmill.

The next intersection is with Oregon 219, which comes in from Hillsboro. Continue south (straight) and follow the signs towards Newberg. This road is perfectly suited for a car like the 914. The pavement is very smooth. On the Tualatin Valley side of the Chehalem Pass (elev 1200+ ft.) corners range from 40-60MPH with the occasional hairpin. The road is a little tighter going down the Newberg side of the hill. The Tualatin Valley side has some spectacular views of the Cascade Mountains. Drive into Newberg, past George Fox College, and then turn right (west) at the first stop light, which is Hwy 99W.

I really like Hwy 99. It was the main north-south highway before the Interstate highway system began and it is populated with many towns like Newberg, some smaller and some larger. Several summers ago, I drove 99W as far south as Eugene. It is still possible to get the flavor of what it was like back in the early 1950's. On weekends, like this one, there was a lot of traffic. It was late afternoon and the majority of it was coming home from the coast, and the gambling, but westbound the going was good. The road alternates between two and four lanes. If you imbibe, there are as many wineries along this stretch as you will find in the Napa-Sonoma Valley in California. My recommendation would be the Sokol Blosser winery (www.sokolblosser.com) just west of Dundee. Often the host of summer concerts, and occasionally the location for Kelly Sweeney's birthday parties, it has great wines, and an excellent gift shop.

Next along the highway is Dundee, a town with a speed trap reputation that dates back to the depression. Proceed carefully through town and continue west. Outside of town, stay on Hwy 99W towards Lafayette, skipping the turn towards Dayton. Between Lafayette and McMinnville, watch for the signs to turn north onto Hwy 47.

Once again, you have a wonderful sports car road, well paved and made for easy top gear cruising. Be careful of the county sheriff though, they have radar and are at work seven days a week. Carlton, (originally Carl Town) is the first community of any significance along this highway. Built in the mid-1870's, this was a railroad town. The town hosts Carlton Fun Days in June, a time of picnics and parades. Dave Allen and I attended one year and had a blast. The downtown area still has the original train depot although it is now used for commercial purposes. The photo shown on the left was taken on Main Street and shows the architectural style of the downtown area.

Slightly further on is the town of Yamhill. I'd recommend a lunch stop at Zippy's, along the main drag (180 S. Maple). True enough, the owner is a friend of mine, but the store and its history are good. Mike Hart grew up in this community. I knew him when he was stationed at the Aloha Fire Station. His wife had started the pizza business there in Yamhill originally. The first location was two doors north of the current building and is still marked by lettering on the window. She also ran a free library out of the store. They bought the business at the south end of the block a few years later. It had been a general store, a bar, and gosh only knows what else. The bar is backed by a wonderful piece of furniture (I don't know what you call it, just one of those things with mirrors that are always behind bars), that came around the horn on a sailing ship. There are video games to keep the youngsters occupied. Above and to the rear of the dining area there is a wagon and other farm implements that came from Mike's barn. You can eat at the bar, at the tables inside, or in nice weather, outside too. Prices are reasonable and the food is good.

Instead of continuing on Hwy 47, turn right (east) on Main Street onto Hwy 240. This road bobs and weaves its way back towards Newberg. Stay on Hwy 240 and watch for the signs for the Chehalem Airport on Dopp Road. Don't expect to see a lot of activity. This day I could not even tell where the airport is (it is on the east side of the road.I think). Turn right at the next intersection onto North Valley Road. This road skirts along the south side of the Chehalem Mountain. In a few miles, a stop sign will mark the intersection of Hwy 219. Turn left and re-trace your route back to the Tualatin Valley. An alternative route would be to stay on Hwy 47 as you leave Yamhill and travel back up past Gaston and Forest Grove, eventually intersecting Highway 26. Hwy 47 North of Hwy 26 goes into Vernonia, a trip I have described in other writings.