The Toy Trains - This Saturday!
By admin | August 27, 2008
“The Toy Trains” do private parties and birthday parties! Please contact vinceschreck@yahoo.com to book the band. When appearing as a band for kids, Portland band “Vince Schreck & The Expendables” has become Portland kids’ band “The Toy Trains” playing the music of Dan Zanes, Lisa Loeb and other childhood favorites. In addition, they mix-in the music of the Beatles, Tom Waits, REM, John Prine, etc. The music is best suited for kids 8 and under, especially toddlers. Concerts are filled with wild dancing, rocking music, and a whole lot of fun for the whole family.
UPCOMING DATES - Mark your calendars and “Catch That Train!”
All Mississippi Pizza Pub shows will be $5 per family. Thank you for your support!
Saturday, August 30th at The Mississippi Pizza Pub. This show will be from 6 - 8PM.
Saturday, September 27th at The Mississippi Pizza Pub. 6 - 8PM.
Technorati Tags: The Toy Trains, Portland kids’ music, music for kids in Portland, family music in Portland, rock band for kids, Dan Zanes, Jack Johnson, Lisa Loeb, Catch the Moon, Mississippi Pizza Pub, Kennedy School, fun music for kids, Vince Schreck & The Expendables, toddler dancing
Topics: General Info./Homepage, Toy Trains' Concerts | No Comments »
Green Sprouts Festival!
By admin | August 26, 2008
The Green Sprouts Organic Baby and Family Festival is approaching fast! It’s Saturday, September 13 at Peninsula Park in North Portland. This is a MUST DO for families into the organic lifestyle. Portland Family Adventures will have a booth this year, plus Vince will be giving a workshop (3:30 - 4:15) based-on his article “Tips for Biking with Kids.”
During this workshop, Vince will be demonstrating several setups for biking with young children, and he’ll highlight some of his favorite rides. For folks who know little about the festival, click on the icon or link to learn more. Here is a blurb from their website.
“Green Sprouts is a fun, festive and educational one-day event for the whole family that celebrates and promotes the nurturing of life through nature. From pregnancy to childhood, parents can learn about and explore eco-friendly, community-involved, natural, and healthy options to raising their families.” See you there!
Topics: General Info./Homepage | No Comments »
Support the Oregon Zoo!
By admin | August 25, 2008
Friends,
I just received this email message from the Oregon Zoo. Portland Family Adventures is proud to lend its support concerning this important issue. We hope you will lend your support as well. Here is the text of the email…read on…thanks!
>>You know we have a great Zoo and that most of the exhibits are top notch. But not every exhibit is what it should be…a few are just old and outdated.
And one of the most outdated?
It’s not hard to find. It is a cage, with wire mesh. Built in 1959, it is plain, sterile, and was designed primarily for keeping clean.
And, it is home to some of the most intelligent and complex animals at the Zoo.
It’s where monkeys, chimpanzees, and other primates spend a lifetime.
Although the zookeepers work tirelessly to care for these complex creatures, there’s no running water, no forest canopy, no interactions with other animals; all conditions we’ve learned make a difference for the animals.
After 47 years, it’s the monkeys’ turn.
Measure 26-96 will provide a more humane exhibit for apes and monkeys (and polar bears, elephants, and hippos, go to www.OregonZoo2008.com to learn more). The rebuilt primate exhibit would fix clogged plumbing, improve air circulation, and provide larger and more natural indoor and outdoor spaces for chimpanzees, mandrills and other monkeys and apes.
After 47 years, it’s the monkeys’ turn for an updated, improved home - vote yes
on the Zoo Measure 26-96.
Topics: General Info./Homepage | No Comments »
Great New Invention!
By admin | August 25, 2008
Please take a moment to visit the “Bike Buddy” website. This is a very clever invention from some folks living in Hood River, Oregon. The bike buddy is a harness system that allows parents to hold onto their child while they are learning to ride 2-wheelers without the use of training wheels. While visiting their site, make sure you watch the demo. We are excited to have them sponsor our site for a limited time. If considering transitioning your child to a 2-wheeler, or your child is still riding with training wheels, this is probably $25 worth spending right now!
Topics: General Info./Homepage | No Comments »
Oxbow Regional Park
By admin | August 19, 2008
What’s to Love: One of my favorite things about writing these articles is the shocking surprises that often occur while on different adventures. The biggest surprises happen when I think a place is just going to be awful, and it turns out being the exact opposite. It’s happened several times this summer, and it definitely happened on my visit to Oxbow Regional Park. This park is a MUST visit during the hot days of summer! Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Beaches, Campgrounds, Columbia Gorge, Fishing Spots, General Info./Homepage, Hiking | No Comments »
Cape Perpetua Scenic Area
By admin | August 19, 2008
This Trip Powered by Zipcar - Read More About Car Sharing
What’s to Love: Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is just south of the coastal town of Yachats, Oregon. The scenic area offers many of the amenities of a state park including a campground with piped drinking water, flush toilets, fire rings, and tables, a visitor center offering interpretive programs, and plenty of picnic areas in the day-use area. While these features are a boon to the average visitor, parents will be pleasantly surprised by something else. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Beaches, Campgrounds, General Info./Homepage, Hiking | No Comments »
Car Free in Portland!
By admin | July 15, 2008
Due to the popularity of my post “Tips for Biking with Kids,” I thought I’d do a follow-up that focuses on a family living without a car in Portland…by choice! If you’re a family thinking about making a similar lifestyle change, or you’re simply interested in how a family can possibly live without a car, read-on and get inspired.
In October 2006, Michael Downes and Wendy Ashton moved to Portland, Oregon with their son Nathan Downes after living in Pasadena, California for 10 years. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: General Info./Homepage | 3 Comments »
Top 10 Summer Activities
By admin | July 3, 2008
Preamble: We’re just out of the starting block (officially) with summer, and I wanted to send along ten recommendations from Portland Family Adventures. These are some of our favorites that may or may not resonate with your family.
If you can recommend a trip, please comment below. Here are some perennial favorites from Portland Family Adventures. Oh yeah…I just realized that I left off my absolute favorite thing to do, which is attend Kruger’s Farm - Summer Concert Series! These concerts are every Thursday night (July and August) from 6:30 - 9:30 on the farm’s beautiful lawn. The concerts are VERY family-friendly (no dogs, no smoking!) with great sound and great bands! There is also plenty of food and drink available on the farm; however, picnics/coolers are welcome (NOTE: it’s against the rules to bring your own alcohol onto the farm). Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: General Info./Homepage | No Comments »
Tips for Biking with Kids
By admin | July 1, 2008
Introduction: You are a true Portlander, right? Let me ask you, are you ready to start biking with your kids? It’s one of the first things I noticed with our first child - in Portland so many parents share their love for biking with their children. If you’re feeling a bit of trepidation, I’d like to share some of advice - advice gleaned NOT from reading a bunch of biking websites, product brochures, listening to expert testimony, sales representatives, or even using common sense! Rather, this advice comes from putting hundreds and hundreds of miles on my bike with my son. Hopefully, this advice will get you up and pedaling with your kids. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: General Info./Homepage | 12 Comments »
Portland’s Best Parks
By admin | June 26, 2008
Well, the votes are in from our readers concerning your favorite Portland park. It’s not a surprise to tell you that Laurelhurst and Sellwood both top the list. Yes, these are beautiful destination parks, and we practically live at Sellwood park during the summer, especially with the incredible outdoor pool. Aesthetically, these parks are both hard to beat. However, I’d like to share a few of my personal picks in 10 categories that may not be on your parental radar.
**Attn Locals: Please share your comments at the end of the article. Then, write me (use the comment form) and tell me you want a free pass to Pump-it-Up or Pump-it-Up Junior. I’m giving them away to the first 10 people who both comment and respond. Please include your address, and I’ll mail them out right away. Thanks!
Topics: General Info./Homepage | 9 Comments »
Welcome to Portland Family Adventures!
By admin | May 3, 2008
Please, Click Here to Join Our E-Mail List
Do you want a $5 bike helmet? Who doesn’t?
I’d like to direct your attention to the following website with information on $5 bike helmets!!! These $5 giveaways happen at several events in the Portland area. These folks don’t just hand you a helmet and say, “Good luck!” They will take the time to get your helmet to fit right on your noggin! Plus, they are good quality helmets for ALL AGES.
The PFA Mission: Portland Family Adventures provides an easy to use, no-fee, searchable, and interactive website specifically for active families seeking both outdoor and indoor adventures in and around Portland, Oregon and surrounding cities.
Since starting Portland Family Adventures in November of 2007, we have seen substantial growth in our subscribers, site visitors and pageviews. If you’re interested in sponsoring our site, please take a look at the “Advertise with Us” page. We are looking specifically for vendors and/or guide services for outdoor adventures (e.g., rafting, rock climbing, mountaineering, etc.).
Since this is a site followed closely by parents - parents who often need a getaway from the kids - we are seeking sponsors in the spa, vacation rental, retreat, lodging, and/or hotel business.
If you’re a visitor, we invite you to browse the various categories in the left-hand menu. Perhaps, you may want to start with the most recent posts, or the right-hand menu (below the sponsors) that has our highest rated posts.
We welcome your comments about individual adventures. If you agree or disagree, please let the community know your thoughts. Finally, feel free to give each adventure a rating (5 stars being the best), so other users have an idea of where the community stands in relation to the review given by Portland Family Adventures. Thank you very much and enjoy the site!
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Topics: General Info./Homepage | No Comments »