What’s to Love: Despite being sandwiched-in between some nasty industrial businesses, Smith & Bybee Wetlands Natural Area is an excellent family-biking destination with several options for family fun. You may just need to hold your breath every now and then.
City folks just don’t understand what it takes to run a farm. Where does our food come from anyway? We are all detached from our food sources. Very rarely do city kids get a chance to visit a farm where they can actually feed animals, shovel manure, pick produce, clean stalls, and breath clean fresh air. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of time to kick back and relax and/or run wild at Leaping Lamb’s “Farm Stay.”
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Just take a look at some of the pictures I posted in this article – this beach speaks for itself. Of course, many amazing beaches can be found throughout the area from Newport to Yahacts. However, Driftwood beach resides close to a beach rental we’ve frequented over the past few years, and it holds sentimental value along with stunning natural beauty. I recommend a visit to this beach whenever you’re in the area.
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What’s to Love: The Pumpkin Patch Farm (a certified sustainable farm) on Sauvie Island is THE place to be during the fall season! For our family, it’s technically not autumn until our first trip out to see the best corn maze in the Portland area. As aerial views confirm, this Corn Maize is not just a bunch of meandering pathways through the corn rows but rather, a thing of artistic beauty! Plus, there are plenty of other activities to keep the whole family entertained.
Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center is a beautiful nature preserve about 2 hours from Portland. The Center hosts a plethora of educational programs for families.
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Horning’s Hideout is one of the best places to take kids fishing. They have rental gear available and it’s very inexpensive. The property also has some killer disc/frisbee golf and summer music concerts.
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Please visit
Kruger’s website for important information about the summer concert series. There is a chance that Kruger’s will not be able to obtain the necessary permits to hold the concerts. For those of you who attend, you know what a tragedy this would be! Public comment is vital at this time. Again, please see their website for more details.
What’s to Love: Kruger’s is by far my favorite farm in the Portland area, and in the summer it’s one of my favorite spots with the family. There are three things that make it hard to beat: 1) Don Kruger is such a friendly guy; 2) The berries are incredible and NOT sprayed, and the farm does not use chemical fertilizers or fungicides; and 3) In the summertime, this is THE best music venue in Portland.
Every Thursday starting in July the farm opens up the lawn to families and wild-dancing kids. The concerts have always been the highlight of the week for me and my family. It’s like being on vacation. Bring your Crazy Creek chair and/or blankets, a big picnic, and kick back and enjoy some great tunes! You’ll be set for the evening. Let the kids run wild in the berry patch or play frisbee in a big open field.
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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!
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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.
What’s to Love: In my opinion, Wahclella is the Columbia River Gorge’s most beautiful waterfall. I realize that’s a pretty bold claim considering all the great waterfalls. However, Wahclella’s massive canyon walls filled with lush-green vegetation will make you think you’re in Hawaii, and it’s only 40 minutes from downtown Portland. Spend the day, half a day, or even a couple hours, and you too will become a believer.
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What’s to Love: Cannon Beach is the “ace in the hole” when it comes to Portland getaways. It’s a clean town with excellent surrounding beaches, parks and camping. Plus, for a hefty price, you can usually find good food and lodging. It’s a bit predictable for us, but we always seem to stumble onto something new each time.
Many people don’t like the Disney-like-foot-traffic that plugs the walkways, restaurants, beaches, parks and playgrounds. Others think it’s a bit sterile and/or upscale for their tastes – they prefer a getaway with a little more character such as Manzanita or
Oceanside. While I like the gritty towns, I also like many of the upscale amenities that Cannon Beach has to offer. And, if you take the time, you will find that Cannon Beach has something to offer almost any visitor.
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What’s to Love: If you want to experience some great biking on safe, paved-paths, or play 15 holes of frisbee golf, then by all means head to Champoeg State Park. It’s well worth the 30 mile drive from Portland, even with gas being $4+ per gallon. It is also the perfect destination for a family camping trip, especially for first timers.
What’s to Love: When we moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1999, we couldn’t find affordable rent in Portland, so we ended-up in Vancouver. After hanging out in Portland, we realized that it was a much better match for us. Thus, we left Vancouver after about 3-4 months with a pretty unfavorable impression of the area. Indeed, Vancouver (the ‘couv’) takes quite a bit of punishment from Portlanders. However, in terms of outdoor recreation (specifically bicycling on paved-paths), Vancouver has many opportunities that mirror Portland’s excellent reputation as a “biking town.”
What’s to Love: Adventurous parents will love this hike – it offers a bit of excitement with some stiff climbs (short), steep drops (careful! No barrier), but it’s still pretty safe for most kid-hikers. At 2.7 miles round trip, the distance on this hike is just right for most family members. Plus, there are many options, if things don’t work out with the longer hike.
What’s to Love: What’s to love? How about my first “highlight video!” Wooohooo! I can’t believe I actually got this up and running finally. You’ll see most of my new posts with a short video clip. Anyway…Commonwealth Lake Park…hmmmm…weird place, I must admit. However, I don’t mean that in a negative way. As far as parks go, let’s just say it’s somewhat unique. Basically, it’s a man-made lake surrounded by an upper-middle-class neighborhood.
What’s to Love: Tualatin Hills Nature Park (THNP) can seem like Nike’s trail running course – it’s literally in the company’s backyard. I’m usually a bit leery of a “Nature Park” in the middle of a giant suburb. However, our visit to Tualatin Hills Nature Park was perfect! The weather was fantastic, the trails were immaculate, the biking was fun and just right for a 4 year old without training wheels, and the picnic area was relaxing and quiet. I invite your comments on this wonderful park. Read more…NOTE: Just visited again on March 5 – hadn’t been there for a couple of years, and it’s still awesome!
What’s to Love: For Willamette River access, Hebb Park cannot compare to the beauty and cleanliness of
Willamette Park, or
George Rogers Park in Lake Oswego. However, Hebb Park will certainly provide a more relaxed atmosphere with manageable crowds. Plus, if you’re looking for a casual fishing experience off a dock or the shore, this is a pretty good choice.
What’s to Love: My son and I stumbled upon this little gem while touring (outer) SW parks and playgrounds. We were headed to see “Springbrook Park,” but ended up pulling into Uplands Elementary School. We were pleasantly surprised by the awesome playground structures (see pictures). Lucky for us, there were two trailheads at opposite ends of the playground that led directly into Springbrook Park.
What’s to Love: Right off the very busy highway 99W in Sherwood, OR is a very pleasant surprise. The first thing you’ll notice when pulling into the Refuge is the beautiful new interpretive center. The interpretive center houses exhibits, restrooms, a small gift shop, a spotting scope, and some very helpful and friendly volunteers. Because of traffic, getting to this place can be a real pain, but it’s definitely worth the trip.
What’s to Love: This tiny, down-to-earth coastal town has maintained a great deal of integrity and local flavor despite being a popular tourist destination. The beach is gorgeous, there are plenty of rental homes for reasonable rates, and your family can walk along the streets without having to worry about traffic. There are several decent restaurants in town, but I prefer the little coffee shop (Brewin’ in the Wind) right next to the beach parking.
Your kids will love the tunnel cut right through the cliff – you’ll see it, and it’s well worth a stroll through to the other side where you’ll see some amazing sea stacks. If the tunnel is too scary, wait until low-tide, and the way should be clear to walk around the cliff alongside the water.
