Audubon Society of Portland
By admin | August 1, 2008
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… Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Hiking, Museums/Educational | No Comments »
Sellwood Community Center
By admin | July 14, 2008
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! Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Indoor Activities | No Comments »
Fanno Creek Trail
By admin | July 12, 2008
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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. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Biking | No Comments »
Sellwood Pool
By admin | July 5, 2008
What’s to Love: I hope people who live near the pool don’t hate me for writing this article. Why would they hate me? It’s simple - they don’t want the best outdoor pool in Portland any more crowded than it already is! Actually, to think the Sellwood Pool is some top secret location known only to insiders is a bit naive. Everything you’ve heard (if it’s tremendously positive) is most likely true. We all know Sellwood Park is gorgeous, and the pool is the perfect extension for summer fun.
Topics: Parks Playgrounds Pools | No Comments »
Sunday Parkways - Roads Closed!
By admin | June 23, 2008
What’s to Love: This one is an obvious “no-brainer” - NO CARS!!! Well, there were some cars, but for 6 hours on Sunday, June 22nd in north Portland, a 6 mile loop of normally well-traveled roads was officially closed to vehicular traffic. This was the “Sunday Parkways” event and thousands of bikers, joggers, walkers, and rollerbladers enjoyed the freedom of the open road without having to worry about getting hit by a car. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Biking, Hiking | No Comments »
Peninsula Park
By admin | June 22, 2008
What’s to Love: A stunning park in north Portland, Peninsula Park offers the whole family something to do with both indoor and outdoor activities. The rose garden is certainly on-par with the rose garden at Washington Park. This is my favorite park in north Portland, and it’s definitely worth a drive or bike ride to get there. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Fountains, Parks Playgrounds Pools | No Comments »
Powell Butte - Mountain Biking
By admin | June 13, 2008
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What’s to Love: I moved to Portland from one of the best mountain biking cities in the country - Durango, Colorado. I used to ride endless single-track right from my doorstep, and I lived just blocks from downtown. I miss the Durango sunshine, but I miss the epic mountain bike rides the most. Within the city limits of Portland, Powell Butte is the best cure for “single track fever.” Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Biking, Hiking, Parks Playgrounds Pools | 3 Comments »
Memorial Park - Wilsonville
By admin | June 9, 2008
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What’s to Love: I visited this park twice with my son in June, 2008, and I know we’ll be back again soon. I was looking for a park with plenty of open green-space to launch our model rocket (see video below). I noticed that Memorial Park looked like the biggest park in the Wilsonville area, so we headed over to check it out. I don’t think I’ve ever been so shocked by the quality and design of a park. I highly recommend visiting this park! Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Biking, Fountains, Parks Playgrounds Pools, Wilsonville | No Comments »
Glowing Greens - Mini Golf
By admin | June 5, 2008
What’s to Love: Perhaps, you’ve seen the bumper sticker, “Keep Portland Weird!” I’m all for it, and this establishment sure helps make a strong case for Portland’s weirdness. It’s in a pretty unusual location - downtown in the basement of a building between 5th and 6th on Taylor. It has a pirate theme with glow-in-the-dark paint, which also adds a three-dimensional feel when glasses (supplied) are worn. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Indoor Activities | No Comments »
Brooklyn Park
By admin | June 4, 2008
What’s to Love: Brooklyn park is a (relatively) small neighborhood park in inner-southeast Portland. Mostly, this is your basic Portland Park with somewhat outdated play structures, slides, water feature, picnic benches, swings, merry-go-round, etc. However, there are a couple of interesting points to make about Brooklyn Park that might make you want to go out of your way for a visit. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Parks Playgrounds Pools | No Comments »
Salmon Street Springs
By admin | June 3, 2008
What’s to Love: Salmon Street Springs is located in downtown Portland right next to the waterfront. The fountain has some nice features including a circle of spraying jets operating in several different patterns. There is plenty of room to run around, even if you don’t want to get completely soaked. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Fountains | No Comments »
Cedar Hills Park
By admin | May 30, 2008
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What’s to Love: Cedar Hills Park is a quaint little park right off the very busy “Cedar Hills Boulevard” close to Beaverton. While the actual playground equipment is somewhat sparse, the park does have a few nice features that make it worth a visit. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Parks Playgrounds Pools, SW Cities | No Comments »
Leif Erikson Drive
By admin | May 28, 2008
What’s to Love: How many cities can claim an 11-mile stretch of dirt road closed to motorized vehicles that is located within a protected, urban forest? In that same forest, lies a 30 mile hiking trail called the “Wildwood” that sports a healthy amount of peripheral trails and loop-hikes. Well, if you live in Portland, Oregon, you’re incredibly lucky to have this amazing recreational resource called “Forest Park.” Leif Erikson Drive is the 11 mile stretch of dirt road running through the heart of Forest Park. It’s just a small piece of the Forest Park puzzle, but it definitely warrants its own post on Portland Family Adventures. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Biking, Hiking | No Comments »
Salmon Creek Park/Trail
By admin | May 26, 2008
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.” Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Fishing, Fishing Spots, Fountains, Parks Playgrounds Pools, Vancouver | 2 Comments »
Beaverton City Park Fountain
By admin | May 21, 2008
What’s to Love: Beaverton City Park is located right next to the city library. We visited on a very hot day when my son was around 3 years old. As you can see in the 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. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Fountains, SW Cities | No Comments »
Commonwealth Lake Park
By admin | May 18, 2008
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.
Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Fishing, Fishing Spots, Parks Playgrounds Pools, Wildlife Viewing | 5 Comments »
Tualatin Hills Nature Park
By admin | May 8, 2008
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 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… Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Biking, SW Cities, Wildlife Viewing | No Comments »
George Rogers Park
By admin | May 6, 2008
What’s to Love: George Rogers Park is located on the south side of downtown Lake Oswego. If you live in Portland, it’s worth the drive. This is definitely a “destination park” featuring hiking and biking trails, an easy-to-find Letterbox, an interesting historical past, a decent beach, tennis courts, big baseball field, and some of the nicest picnic benches and grills you’ll find in a park setting. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Biking, Hiking, Parks Playgrounds Pools | No Comments »
Burgerville
By admin | May 2, 2008
What’s to Love: I know I might catch some flack for putting a fast food restaurant on my site. However, Burgerville has clearly distinguished itself as a company with a local/regional focus on sustainable practices, which aligns well with our Guiding Principles at Portland Family Adventures. I remember an E coli outbreak in beef a few years ago. In response, Burgerville was “…the first fast food company to join Food Alliance and feature all natural, grass-fed Oregon Country Beef in all its burgers, Burgerville has a reputation for taking sustainability to the masses.” (source) Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Restaurants | No Comments »
Sewallcrest Park
By admin | April 28, 2008
What’s to Love: Another “pesticide-free” park in Portland! While that is an attractive feature at Sewallcrest Park, for my son it’s all about the “corkscrew slide.” Sometimes, he calls it the “curly slide.” Whatever your kids may call it, they will certainly be amazed by this old relic. When my son first saw this slide, he just looked at me and said, “Whoa!” Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Parks Playgrounds Pools | No Comments »
Mt. Tabor Park
By admin | April 27, 2008
What’s to Love: Mt. Tabor Park is another showpiece destination within Portland city limits. This park has it all - including stellar hikes, mountain biking, road biking, closed-roads on certain days/times, beautiful views, and at times…serenity. We have been going to Mt. Tabor park for years, and we still seem to find new nooks and crannies to explore. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Hiking, Parks Playgrounds Pools | No Comments »
Letterboxing Portland
By admin | April 27, 2008
What’s to Love: Letterboxing is like a treasure hunt, but you leave the treasure where you found it. The fun part is reading clues, hunting for the Letterbox, finding it, and then putting your mark in the register. This is done via rubber stamps - both in the Letterbox itself, and your personal stamp you bring with you. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: PDX Urban | 1 Comment »
Wilshire Park
By admin | April 26, 2008
What’s to Love: Wilshire Park is a quaint (NE) neighborhood park. It has a trail that rings the outside where people like to jog and walk their dogs. It’s also one of the friendlier dog-parks in Portland. We used to live in the Beaumont Village area of Portland and this was our local park. It’s probably not worth a trip from outer-southeast Portland, but if you’re in the northeast, bring the family by for some fun. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Parks Playgrounds Pools | No Comments »
Rose Garden Children’s Park
By admin | April 25, 2008
What’s to Love: This is arguably the best outdoor play structure in Portland. Although a bit dated in some spots, this incredible maze of ramps, slides, swings, seated rockers, etc…will keep you and your kids endlessly entertained. We’ve been taking my son to this spot for about 4 years now, and he still loves it when we’re there, and hates it when we leave. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Parks Playgrounds Pools | No Comments »
Lair Hill Park
By admin | April 20, 2008
What’s to Love: As you’ll see, I have plenty of caveats for this park. However, there is a BIG plus to this park - the grounds are totally pesticide-free! This is pretty impressive, because I could only find two other parks in all of “environmentally friendly” Portland that can carry that same title. Read the rest of this entry »
Topics: Parks Playgrounds Pools | No Comments »
Terwilliger Bike Path
By admin | April 20, 2008
What’s to Love: The Terwilliger bike path is (Chart House Restaurant toward downtown) a fun downhill ride for kids just getting used to their bikes. The path is totally separated from the road, which adds an element of safety. There are only a couple of uphill (slight) sections - besides that, this ride is all downhill.
Heading south from the Chart House/OHSU toward Capital Highway, Barbur Blvd, Tryon Creek and finally, Lake Osweo, this ride is a semi-epic journey for young bike riders! Besides a small section between Boones Ferry and Capital Highway, you’ll be on a wide, paved path the entire route to Lake Oswego.
Topics: Biking | 2 Comments »
Willamette Park
By admin | April 19, 2008
What’s to Love: Willamette Park sports a healthy variety of activities for the whole family. I found the entire area to be well-kept and clean. Recently, park personnel installed a new play structure, which was badly needed. As you can see in one of the pictures, it has a low-to-the-ground set of monkey bars, which is a nice find in Portland. However, For those of you who like old-school-playground-equipment (e.g., metal slides, teeter-totters, merry-go-rounds, etc.), don’t worry, they kept the old playground equipment down at the south end of the park. The new structure isn’t very big, but it’s adequate.
Topics: Biking, Parks Playgrounds Pools | No Comments »
Wilsonville Lanes
By admin | March 23, 2008
What’s to Love: My son and I stumbled onto Wilsonville Lanes by accident. We were in the parking lot of Bullwinkle’s Family Fun Center, and my son said, “Dad can we go bowling?” I replied, “I don’t think there is a bowling alley nearby.” At that point, I looked in the distance and sure enough, Wilsonville Lanes appeared. In this area of strip-malls and car dealerships, I didn’t expect much, but was pleasantly surprised.
Topics: Indoor Activities, Wilsonville | No Comments »
Waluga Park, East
By admin | March 8, 2008
What’s to Love: Waluga park (east off Quarry Rd.) has a quaint little playground designed specifically for kids 6 and younger. The playground has a structure for older kids, and one for younger toddlers. We just sort of stumbled onto this property by accident, and it’s worth a stop if you’re in the area. There is plenty of shade, a drinking fountain with really good water, a covered picnic area, and a paved biking path. Because it’s tucked into a wooded neighborhood, this park feels like it’s out in the country.
Topics: Parks Playgrounds Pools, SW Cities | No Comments »
Springbrook Park/Uplands Elementary
By admin | March 8, 2008
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.
Topics: Hiking, Parks Playgrounds Pools, SW Cities, Wildlife Viewing | No Comments »
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