What’s to Love: This site highlights all kinds of adventures. Granted, sometimes the “adventures” are more like cushy vacations or a walks in nearby parks. However, I want the site to feature a little something for every family. Every once in awhile, we kick it up a notch (e.g., Rock Climbing at Smith Rock, Free Riding near Hood River, Hiking Cooper Spur, etc.). The Tree to Tree Aerial Adventure Park (Gaston, Oregon) brings the level of adventure up SEVERAL notches, especially if you venture off 60 feet in the air to try their black course.
What’s to Love: Sunriver feels like a community built around 30+ miles of paved walking/biking paths. When you’re there, it feels like everything (i.e., the pools, the tennis courts, the homes, condos, etc.) was an afterthought to this incredible network of trails. Most of the time, these paved trails are completely separated from the roads, which adds an element of safety.
What’s to Love: After leaving Sunriver Resort, we decided to stop at the Lava Lands Visitor Center and check-out the awesome cinder cone – Lava Butte. Driving down 97, you cannot miss this 500 foot high volcano, which erupted 7000 years ago and covered 9 square miles with lava. If you want to get your kids’ attention, just say, “We’re going to drive-up a real volcano!”
What’s to Love: I’ve lived in Portland since 1999, and this was my first trip to Henry Hagg Lake. I was always concerned that it would just be a big scene with jet skis, motor boats, and a bunch of yahoos throwing trash all over the place. I was definitely wrong and we had a lovely time. I found the entire recreation area clean and a bargain at $5.00 for a pass. The lake offered up a fairly secluded beach with warm water for swimming and a bunch of activities for the whole family.
Free Fireworks on the Columbia River 30 minutes from Portland
Are you a bit intimidated by the 4th of July crowds around Portland? Perhaps, it’s time to try something different this 4th of July. Here is a note from our friends in St. Helens, Oregon.
Celebrate the 4th of July in Saint Helens Olde Towne on the majestic Columbia River, just 30 minutes from Portland.
The St. Helens Foundation puts on a free fireworks show every year from the south end of Sand Island, a 42-acre island in the Columbia River.
Enjoy the display from Columbia View Park or out on the water. Tour Twilight movie locations and do the Twilight Scavenger Hunt.
Festivities all day in Olde Towne include the Rapture of Scrapture competition. Show it, see it, sell it or buy it.
Enter the day of by bringing your sculpture made from salvaged material. Sculptures must be in Columbia View Park by 10 a.m. and are on display until 3 p.m.
$100 awarded in each of three categories.
Special Guest Anita Wheeler, a Traditional Quileute storyteller presents at 1:00 p.m. as the Experience Twilight Eclipse Release Party nears conclusion. Limited seating.
Purchase advance tickets. www.experiencetwilight.com
Entertainment for the whole family begins at 3:00 p.m. in Columbia View Park and goes until 10 p.m.
Stake out your spot early and order take out from Olde Towne’s many restaurants.
Tap Dancers, Belly Dancers, Bo Skinny and Backstage Pass
For lodging and camping information go to travelcolumbiacounty.com
NEW FIRE RESTRICTION ON SAND ISLAND
The St. Helens Foundation provides a fireworks display for citizens and visitors annually on the 4th of July.
In the interest of public safety, during site prep and the period when several thousand pounds of explosive ordinance will be on the island, the City of St. Helens will take the following steps:
1. Under the authority of St. Helens Municipal Code (SHMC) 8.24.100, Special Use Areas, the Public Works Director hereby establishes Sand Island as a special use area for set up and conduct of the Foundation’s annual fireworks display, from July 2nd through July 5th, inclusive.
2. As a special use area, no open fires of any kind will be allowed on Sand Island from 6:00 am on July 4, 2010 until 2:00 am on July 5, 2010.
3. As a reminder, per SHMC 8.24.050: “No person shall ignite or use any type of firework, sparkler, snake, model rocket, rocket motor, other form of explosive, or smoke-producing device or material in any city park or on any city docks, except for qualified pyro-technicians with proper city, state and federal permits and liability insurance who may use Sand Island to ignite fireworks.” This ordinance will be strictly enforced.
What’s to Love: If you’re wondering what “Freeriding” means, you might want to first check-out OPB’s feature from Oregon Field Guide. Basically, it’s riding a mountain bike through “technical features” setup along forest paths. These technical features can be something as innocent as a small bump. However, as one progresses further into freeriding, the “technical features” become narrow balance beams (far off the ground too!), teeter-totters, banked turns, and HUGE drop-offs. This is a popular form of mountain biking, and “Post Canyon” outside Hood River is one of the country’s premiere areas.
What’s to Love: Is one visit ever enough when the destination is Black Butte Ranch? After an incredible summer visit, we had to experience this premiere family resort during the Christmas holiday season. Surely, Black Butte Ranch comes alive during the festive holiday season. I imagined their properties and roads dusted with some light, fluffy, dry snow perfect for tooling around the resort on cross-country skis and quite possibly, sledding on some of the golf course hills. While the conditions were not quite like I imagined, the resort, and its surroundings, still delivered the best in family fun. We highly recommend taking a winter trip to this Central Oregon hot spot.
Hoodoo ski resort provides an excellent skiing resort for families with small children. There is also a great tubing hill called “The Autobahn.” While skiing at Hoodoo, book a family cabin at the Suttle Lake Resort. If your kids are 14 and older, you can stay in the actual Lodge at Suttle Lake.
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St. Helens, Oregon transforms into “Halloweentown” during the month of October. Visit on the weekend for fun activities for the whole family. Eat at The Klondike and The Plantation House restaurants, climb at The Vault Climbing Gym, and visit Jilly’s for some dress-up fun.
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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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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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Black Butte Ranch is a family resort located 8 miles outside Sisters, Oregon. There are a myriad of activities for the whole family including golf, swimming pools, bike trails and rentals, tennis, spa, fitness classes, and much much more.
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If climbing with kids at Smith Rock, I recommend Jim Albao of Chockstone Climbing Guides. Jim has over 18 years of experience and works well with children.
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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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The Children’s Course is located in Gladstone, Oregon and is a non-profit, public course aimed at teaching life skills to disadvantaged children through the game of golf.
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Rent a canoe or kayak at Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe Rentals only 100 yards from the boat launch into the Tualatin River. The river is very mellow and an easy paddle for beginners.
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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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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.
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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