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Family Adventures

Wildwood Trail, Portland, Oregon (Winter)

8/5/2016

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The Wildwood Trail is possibly the most famous of all Portland trails (it even has two young adult books written about it, Wildwood and Under Wildwood, which add a bit more magic to this already magical place. 

We visited a small portion of the end of the Wildwood Trail in December of 2014, near Helvetia and it was very muddy and wet.  
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However, there is a an amazing beauty to this 30 mile trail that runs from the Portland Zoo to the farmlands.  Although you can do the trail in one day as this guy did, most people break it up into several sections.   The majority of the trail is not for young kids, and make sure you pack plenty of food and water. 
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Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

7/27/2016

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Nestled next to Reed College is a 9.49 gem in the heart of SE Portland.  The park, located at 5801 SE 28th Ave is mostly trails surrounding  the spring fed Crystal Springs Lake.  

There is a fee for the park at various times of the year, but it is always free on Tuesday.

Originally part of a rhododendron test garden, the garden has " more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas, and companion plants" according to Portland Parks and Recreation and is a beautiful walk all year round. 
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Westmoreland Park & Natural Playground

7/26/2016

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Westmoreland Park, located at SE McLoughlin Blvd & Bybee Blvd in Portland is part of naturescape movement taking over in the Pacific Northwest.   Although the park was originally acquired in 1927, and has been in continuous use since the 1930's and has a fascinating history.    The park began with lots of concrete but by the early 2000's city planners decided to restore much the natural wetlands and creek bed of crystal springs, which runs through the park.  The park was revamped in 2014 and 42.01 acres is now a mix of play area, ponds, stream and wetlands. 
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Oregon Garden

11/20/2015

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The Oregon Garden, located at ​879 W. Main St. Silverton, OR 97381 and offers 80 acres of botanical displays, a cafe and even a hotel .  It's a bit pricey at $6-$14 a person, but it's a good place to go once or twice a year.  We went in November and found lots of wildlife, but in keeping with Oregon's winters, it was very wet (umbrellas and rain jackets are recommended). 
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The garden also boasts the only house in Oregon designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. 

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A little frog we found on the path
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Evelyn M. Schiffler Memorial Park

3/21/2015

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Driving down busy Allen or Murray roads, it's hard to imagine that only a couple blocks away is a cute park with a playground, walking trails, nature area and even a skate park!  With Access off Bonnie Brae, Erickson, or Berthold .  The easiest access is to go to the Corner to Berhold and Erickson and head about half a block down Erickson.  This will take you to a playground for little kids, and an expansive one for big kids:
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Little kids playground
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TIMES PHOTO: JONATHAN HOUSE - Mackenzie Wood enjoys the new play structure...
Right next to the playground is a There is also a reservable picnic shelter and little path that will lead you to basketball courts, a wetland area, the skate park and community gardens.  The Evelyn M. Schiffler Memorial Park is newly renovated (2013) and provides a safe, easily accessible way for families to spend time outdoors.  
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Jackson Bottom Wetlands

1/11/2015

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The Jackson Bottom Wetlands Nature Preserve is located about 5 minutes from downtown Hillsboro, right next to the well disguised Clean Water Services.  It is 635 acres of mostly marshlands with easy dirt and gravel trails.  


There are lots of nature lookouts to view the wildlife from and many side trails that lead to little ponds or lakes to check out.


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All the little dots in the distance are geese or ducks.
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There are actually about 20 birds on this tree.



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One of the viewing platforms.
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Anna Hummingbird at the visitor's center.
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Summerlake Park

10/1/2014

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Summerlake Park is located right off of Scholls Ferry Road in Tigard at 11450 SW Winterlake Drive.  There are so many exciting things about this park which make it the perfect place to spend your day all year round!







There two playgrounds, one a little bit rustic with a sand pit area, and other one painted bright green with lots of fun climbing for kids of all ages. 

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A small, man-made lake that is an easy lunch-time walk for families, or parents just wanting to take a break from the office. There is also a dog park, tennis court, baseball diamond, basketball court dog park and a rhododendron garden managed by volunteers.
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Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge

9/28/2014

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The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (TRNWR) is a unique feature on the Portland Metro landscape, not the least because it is actually an Oak Savannah full of birds (including several bald eagles!) and other animals you might not expect to see 20 minutes from downtown Portland.    The wide, flat, trails make it perfect for a family, even if one member is in a stroller (there is a slight incline on the way down, but not too steep).   
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In addition to the trails, there is a fantastic nature center with helpful staff and an interactive exhibit about the historic use of this natural area.   TWNWR is actually two different parks, one in the summer with the grassy Oak Savannah landscape (pictured above), and a completely different park in the winter.  During the winter, migratory geese and other birds settle in and the predator birds (eagles and other raptors) show up in force (pictured below, in January 2014).  
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The park is located at 19255 SW Pacific Highway Sherwood, OR 97140 and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and is currently just over 1,300 acres, with plans to increase it to 3,000 acres.  There are facilities at the nature center, but none on the trail. 
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Mary S. Young State Park

7/15/2014

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One thing Clackamas County has in abundance is parks with river access, and Mary S. Young State Park is one of its crown jewels.  The park, which is owned by the State of Oregon, but is managed by the City of West Linn, sits right off Highway 43, along the main route through West Linn. 

This 133.6 acre park offers everything for the casual hiker, forest, streams, and of course, 15 minute hike from the lower parking lot to the Willamette River.  The park is also adjacent to Cedar Island Park, a small island walk perfect for walkers and dog owners.  There is also abundant green space, picnic areas and clean, flushing bathrooms. 

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Noble Woods Park

6/15/2014

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Deep in the heart of Hillsboro lies Noble Woods Park.  Located at both 475 SW Century Blvd. (South Entrance) and 23480 W Baseline Rd. (North Entrance), this 38 acre parks offers a bit for everyone.  The park offers paved, dirt and bark chip trails suitable (mostly) for strollers and small children. 
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Dog owners often use this park to walk their dogs after work in the evenings, although they must remain on leash.  Wildlife, including an adorable black bunny (who may or may not be actually wild) can be seen frequently and the shaded paths are cool even on hot days.  There also several geocaches to be found in the park which vary from right off-trail to a bit of bushwhacking.  

If you are looking for a laid back stroll not far from Century High School, this is the park for you.

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    Anne Lenzi

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