Driving into historic Brownsville, Oregon put a huge smile on my face. I first saw the movie Stand By Me as a teenager, and I had read the Stephen King novella The Body even earlier. This coming-of-age story of four boys navigating adolescence in the small town of Castle Rock (Maine in the novella, Oregon in the movie) really moved me. I’ve seen it dozens of times in the intervening years and Brownsville was where it was filmed. The whole town felt so familiar to me and it really is a quintessential small town and the perfect location for the movie to have been filmed in. I loved just walking the streets and taking it all in and I had a beautiful day to be there. I went to Pioneer Park and watched some young people playing baseball which was fun (the park was the scene of the pie-eating contest in the film with locals used as the extras in the scene). I enjoyed a great lunch at Randy’s and dinner at the Brownsville Tavern and just really enjoyed my visit. I even sat in my van and watched Stand By Me while I was there. I’m not the only person who visits Brownsville because I’m a fan of a 40 year old movie. They even have an annual festival to remember and celebrate the film. If you’re ever cruising through Linn County, pop in and have a look around. It’s a wonderful town full of wonderful people and I’m sure they’ll be glad to have you. Enjoy these photos from Brownsville, Oregon which will always be Castle Rock to me.
