Today, a trip from Portland to Government Camp takes about an hour. The road is paved, the grades are manageable, and the drive is routine. In 1903, it was anything but. The first car to Government Camp had a challenging trip.
The American Swiss Model Garden near Brightwood, Oregon, was once one of the more unusual roadside attractions along the Mount Hood Highway. Built in the early 1950s, it offered visitors a miniature alpine village set in the woods—complete with trains, gardens, and carefully arranged landscapes.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Mount Hood corridor had its own rhythm. Weekends weren’t quiet. They were loud, crowded, and alive with music. And more often than not, that music came from the Bo Cody Band.
a trip to Mount Hood was a full-day expedition. The road, built upon the bones of the old Barlow Trail, was steep, narrow, and often rutted beyond recognition. Depending on the season, it was either ankle-deep in dust or swallowed in mud.
Bill Lenz spent his life in the forests of Oregon, working with his hands and leaving behind buildings that still stand today. From the Zig Zag Inn to the Barlow Trail Inn, Bill helped shape the Mount Hood area at a time when everything was built the hard way — by hand, with simple tools, and a lot of determination.
