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As adventure-loving-parents, you must become familiar with Portland’s very own Joe “Metal Cowboy” Kurmaskie.  I can’t believe I just read my first book by Kurmaskie (Mud, Sweat, and Gears).  Where have I been?  I rarely do this on the site, but I want to encourage you all to order his book as soon as possible!  If you PayPal him directly at: mtcowboy@teleport.com, he’ll give you free shipping and the book for only $20!  That’s an incredible deal!

This book will inspire you to get up, get out, and have even MORE fun with your family.  His wife’s footnotes add to the outrageous, (at times) self-deprecating, bust-out-loud-laughing-humor.  I couldn’t put the book down, and I still can barely believe that any family has enough guts (or whatever you want to call it) to do what they did.  How did I finally stumble into the Kurmaskie circle?

There I was at a Portland biking event (Expo Center) with my two kids.  I was telling one of the event’s sponsors about my Portland Family Adventure website.  I went off on how the site has propelled me into travel writing, and how I’ve been able to have so many exciting adventures with my family.  The sponsor listened politely.  When I finished, he said, “That sounds great, but you gotta go check-out that dude over there – calls himself the Metal Cowboy.”

I quickly answered back, “Oh yeah, what’s so great about the Metal Cowboy.”  Actually, I didn’t really say that, but I was thinking it.  I was also thinking, “Metal Cowboy?”

The sponsor said, and I could barely believe what I was hearing, “That guy pedaled 4000 miles across Canada with his wife and 3 kids!”  What?  I made him repeat it to me again.  Yep…same thing I thought I heard the first time.  Wow…I had to go meet this guy.  Mud, Sweat, and Gears chronicles this amazing journey.  While bikes certainly make the story impressive, it’s really about how adventure can pull a family together.

So, I did finally make my way over to meet Joe Kurmaskie.  He is an engaging guy, which clearly stands out in his writing.  In a short conversation, I learned that he has written several books, biked across African nations, the Australian Outback, and across the USA with his sons and his father’s ashes.  I stood there in disbelief.  Really?  I had about a million questions I wanted to ask him, but he seemed more interested in my own kids, and listening to a story I told about my son Rhys riding Pedalpalooza when he was 3 1/2.  What a day…

Technorati Tags: family, cycling, adventure, kids, bikes, distance, Kurmaskie, Metal Cowboy

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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.

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“The Playground Gym provides kids with an environment that nurtures physical, mental and emotional development. Kids are built to play, and skills learned from physical activity combined with social interaction are the foundation of a healthy life. For many parents, its easy to forget the energy and curiosity that we took granted as children.” (http://www.theplaygroundgym.com/about/)

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A Portland Trail Blazer game is fun for the whole family! There are many packages and ticket options for families.

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The Department of Skateboarding is an indoor skate park in North Portland near the Rose Garden arena. They have kids’ lessons every Saturday morning from 9AM – 10AM. The kids who participate in the lessons get to stay until 1PM. Excellent for beginners!

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Pier Park is yet another excellent North Portland Park featuring an challenging 18-hold disc golf course, an outdoor skate park, and an outdoor pool! This destination park has a little bit of everything for the whole family. If you have yet to visit, I suggest heading up to St. Johns before the rainy season hits in North Portland.

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CW Carousel is located at the Jantzen Beach Supercenter.

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Ibach Park is located 15-20 miles south of Portland off I-5. It has an award winning playground with some interesting playground gear. The park is super clean and well kept.

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Columbia Park is located in the Portsmouth neighborhood in North Portland. It has one of the new water/spay features for kids to play in. It also has a nice indoor pool.

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What’s to Love:  Beaverton City Park is located right next to the city library.  We first visited on a very hot day when my son was around 3 years old. As you can see in the first video clip below, he was pretty spooked-out by the vertical row of spraying jets, so he just hung out on the fringes. I literally had to pick him up and run with him through the spray. This is your basic fountain with nothing too fancy, but it certainly can cool you off on a hot day. Plus, it’s a good fountain for all ages.

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What’s to Love:  Spielwerk has long been my favorite toy store in Portland.  The owners (Sonja Barclay & Stacee Wion) filled a stellar Sellwood location with Waldorf-inspired toys, games, tools, and art supplies.  Forget about the plastic junk you’ll find at places like Toys R Us – this is a Portland original featuring toys that you’ll hang onto for years and years.

Plus, you’ll feel good about supporting a local business like Spielwerk.  It’s obvious Sonja and Stacee realize the importance of building strong relationships with their customers and the community, which is why they host some inspired “werkshops” for kids and their parents.

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Safari Sam’s Jungle of Fun has Oregon’s largest indoor jungle-gym/playstructure. Your kids will have a great time running around in the jungle gym, playing 18 holes of miniature golf, and having fun with arcade-type games. It’s the perfect location for a birthday party. They also have a sports-gym that can be rented out.

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I don’t think it’s a big revelation to anyone that our incredible fall weather is winding down. At Portland Family Adventures, we had a very active summer. Since June 1st, we’ve published 34 articles, and experienced a 2500% increase in site traffic! We published two of our most popular articles “ Tips for Biking with Kids” and “ Top 10 Summer Activities.” In that same vein, I’m going to highlight some of our favorite rainy-day-activities. Although the outdoor activities may start to decrease, remember that Portland Family Adventures documents indoor activities as well.

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What’s to Love: Awesome indoor playpark! When I’m out investigating businesses that bill themselves as “family friendly,” it’s obvious that the majority of these businesses have good intentions. However, all too often, I’ve discovered the list of caveats to be as long as the list of good intentions. For example, your kids may have a great time somewhere, but exorbitant costs come close to driving you into bankruptcy! It’s definitely hard to find a place with high marks in a wide variety of areas (e.g., decent food, fair prices, accessibility, plenty of options for fun, low stress, etc.). Well, I’m happy to report that “Out of This World” owners Don and Linda Milford used their good intentions wisely, and absolutely nailed the indoor playpark concept!  This is without a doubt the best multi-use, indoor playpark in the greater Portland area. Here is why…

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What’s to Love: This is definitely one of the nicest climbing facilities I’ve ever seen. Part of the reason – it’s practically brand new. Many climbing gyms rent out old warehouses and build walls inside. The Portland Rock Gym was built from the ground-up with an aesthetically pleasing design both inside and out. The walls are high with what appears to be an infinite number of climbing routes and boulder problems. I’ve taken my son here on two occasions, and he loved it both times!

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What’s to Love: Surrounded by large-scale condo/housing developments that all look the same, Happy Valley City Park offers a bit of a reprieve from its chaotic surroundings. The park has some well kept athletic fields, green spaces, picnic areas/shelters, playgrounds, and even offers recycling receptacles! Sounds like a pretty decent park, but is it worth the 8-10 mile drive from Portland?

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What’s to Love:  Their message – “Audubon Society of Portland is devoted to the conservation of Oregon’s last remaining wild places.  Our first articles of incorporation written in the early 1900’s reflect this sentiment, ‘to use any and all lawful means for the protection of the wild birds and animals for the State of Oregon and elsewhere.’  We have taken this task very seriously over the years.”  ( source)  After seeing some injured birds live (falcon, owls, turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk), I believe their commitment.  However, I believe the Audubon Society is somewhat off the radar for family fun, but for me, it’s an absolute must for small children.  Here is why…

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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. 

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What’s to Love: Established in 1920, The Sellwood Community Center remains an important fixture in the neighborhood.  While a bit worse for wear, fans of Sellwood’s small-town-feel will ultimately enjoy the space.  The Center offers a plethora of programs throughout the year and a day camp program in the summer.  This small space has plenty to offer!

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This Trip Powered by Zipcar – Read More About Car Sharing

What’s to Love: After living here for the past 9 years and being an avid city biker, I can honestly say that Portland does deserve its reputation as one of the best biking cities in the country, if not the world. However, the more I start to bike with my 4 year old son, the more I realize that much of the best kid-friendly-biking exists outside the city limits. Sorry Portland, but the network of paved paths within the Tualatin Hills Recreation District rivals anything within Portland proper. Certainly, Vancouver, WA is also providing an impressive array of biking paths for its young bikers and families.