Your guide to activities and fun things to do with your preschoolers, toddlers and kids in portland, OR

The Wheels on the Car Go Round and Round

June 15, 2009

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Making Tracks: Best places to watch trains

June 09, 2009

 

My daughter is a few years past her train obsession (she won't even admit that she used to insist her grandparents refer to her as "Thomas" and scoffs at me when I suggest going with her younger cousin to ride Thomas--Thomas? Who's that?) but I still know where to find a train on short notice in the Portland area.

--Holgate overpass that overlooks the Brooklyn Yards
You can get a nice glimpse of parked rail-cars, Amtrak and Union Pacific trains, retired engines, and there's a small engine shop where you can see some vintage trains. This is a great place for watching loading/unloading of containers of freight. If you drive by s-l-o-w-l-y, you can catch trains in action, or better yet, walk or ride bikes over the bridge.

--Eastbank Esplanade close to Steel Bridge
This is another destination that is bike, pedestrian, and stroller friendly. You can watch Amtrak trains cross over the Steel Bridge into downtown.

--Highway 84 East (towards Hood River
This is a great route for some prime train-watching out your little one's car window. The tracks are close to the road and continue along parallel for much of the drive.

--Highway 30 towards Linnton
Heading NW, there will be a large classification yard on your right-hand side. This is a good place for seeing a ton of trains!

--Oregon Zoo
Ride the Zoo train over to Forest Park and play on their awesome playground for awhile. (You could even take the MAX train to Washington Park first for an additional train bonanza!) The MAX station for Washington Park is especially interesting because it is 260 feet underground and is the deepest transit station in North America.

--Union Station (downtown Portland)
Even if you're not waiting to pick up incoming relatives, the Amtrak Train Station is a great place to visit with children! You can see the trains arriving/departing and take in the beauty of the historical architecture. The station was built in 1895 and is a nice, open area for little ones to stretch their legs.

--Portland Streetcars
Hop on the streetcar by Portland State University and continue down to the Main branch of the library. Make an afternoon of it by continuing on to Powell's books and Whole Foods for lunch.

--Ochoco Street by the Goodwill Bins
You can often catch sight of an engine or two if you camp out in the Goodwill Bins' parking lot in the late afternoon. My daughter was delighted to see an engineer relatively close up and hear thetrain's whistle. 1740 SE Ochoco St (near McLoughlin Blvd)

--Thomas the Tank @ Mt. Hood Railroad
As much as my six year old would like to deny it, she had the thrill of her life watching Thomas, the real Thomas! coming down the tracks! Buy tickets online for the next two weekends here.

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Summer Day-Trip Destination: Bonneville Dam

June 08, 2009

"At Bonneville now there are ships in the locks
The waters have risen and cleared all the rocks,
Shiploads of plenty will steam past the docks,
So roll on, Columbia, roll on."

                 ---Woody Guthrie

Our family is going to be sticking close to home for the next three months and finding fun in our backyard, at the playground with school buddies, and taking advantage of the amazing low-cost classes through Portland Parks & Recreation. I know that there will come a day during summer vacation when we have to pack up and escape, even if it's just for several hours. The heat in a stuffy house can be unavoidable, the wading pool can only cut it for so long, and playdates can often dissolve into a sticky, crying mess during a heat wave. We like to pick a low-key destination and spend the day away from our house, it makes coming home so much easier.


Bonneville Dam is a super family friendly destination and is a perfect place to bring your family for a hasty escape from the Portland sun (assuming we see its return one of these days) . We like to pack up a picnic, jump in the car, and spend a good portion of the day hanging out and observing Herman the Sturgeon, feeding the fish, and enjoying the cool pockets of shade. The Bonneville Dam website features a fish cam so you can find out which fish are migrating through the fish ladders ahead of time. The Discover Your Northwest Bookstore/Gift shop has a very nice selection of educational books, stuffed animals, and rocks/minerals. There may be guided tours available, check with the visitor center for upcoming talks on fish, power generation, or historical background of the dam. Be sure to bring your video camera because the spawning fish put on quite a show (we still have a great clip of my daughter squealing as fish attempt to jump up over a very tall wall)

June 13-14  Family Day in the Gorge at Multnomah Falls: This event provides a great opportunity to take the family to Multnomah Falls and participate in all kinds of fun activities.  Bonneville Lock and Dam rangers will be there leading activities for children of all ages.

Bonneville Dam is also a cool destination for family picnics or parties. You can reserve the picnic shelter for $30/half-day or $50/full-day

The trip out to the Dam takes about 30-40 minutes from Portland, depending on traffic, just about the length of a book on tape.
"To get to Bonneville Lock and Dam, take Interstate 84 to exit 40 or Washington State Highway 14 to milepost 40. The Bridge of the Gods, located about two miles upstream of the dam, provides public access between Oregon and Washington." The Visitor's Center is open daily from 9:00am-5:00pm. Call 541-374-8820 for information. Admission is FREE.

If you plan ahead of time, you can visit Multnomah Falls also and make a full-day trip out of your excursion! Print out a fish identification booklet or activity sheet from the Bonneville Dam website, pack up some snacks and outdoor games, and get some quality fish time (while your house cools down).

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Summer is berry-licious!

June 02, 2009

I am positively drooling at the thought of having flats of berries at my disposal in the next month or so. This summer, we are going to make freezer jam (we've make the old-fashioned stove-top version in the past with my aunt, but thought we'd try a quicker and cooler method!) berry scones, and of course, homemade berry ice cream. One of our favorite summer activities involves packing a picnic lunch and berry picking (and sampling our bounty!) Here are a few places to visit to get your berry-picking groove going:

1) Flower Farmer-Canby, Oregon. Not only does the Flower Farmer have a massive pumpkin patch, train ride, and opportunity to pet baby creatures, they also have U-Pick flowers and fruits/vegetables for sale during the summer months. You can even ride a ferry to reach the farm! Flower Farmer 2512 N Holly Canby, OR  (503) 266-3581

2) Kruger's Farm is just a quick twenty minute drive from Portland, and is an amazing place to spend a hot summer's day. Pack up the kids and stay after your berry picking for a concert on the island (please see website, the future of concerts is on hold right now). If you'd rather not pick your own, you can buy what you need at the farm's market, including canning supplies and gorgeous cut flowers. For fun, follow Farmer Don's blog and keep up with what's ripe, and what's not.
Kruger's Farm 17100 NW Sauvie Island Road, Portland, OR (503) 621-3489


3) If you're looking for more of a day trip, why not head to McMinnville and visit Farmer John's Produce? You can choose from a huge variety of berries, peaches, even rhubarb. Come for the fruit, and enjoy farm fresh eggs and homemade shakes. Call ahead for seasonal availability.
Farmer John's Produce 15000 SW Oldsville Road, McMinnville, OR 503-474-3514


A really great reference for locating new U-pick locations in Oregon is here . This is the definitive guide to regional fruit/veggie U-pick farms and is chock-full of good information (what to wear, what to bring, seasonal availability) Grab a sun hat, slather on the sunscreen and prepare to get dirty!


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Growing Up PDX style

May 05, 2009

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