Graham Oaks Nature Park - Wilsonville, Oregon

 

Graham Oaks Nature Park is one of the many places that we added to our saved list on Google Maps and forgot about until it was recently recommended by our friend. Graham Oaks Nature Park is 250 acres of restored oak woodland, along with conifer forest and wetland. I can easily see us coming back here many times in the future.

 

Tualatin Hills Nature Park - Beaverton, Oregon

We've been here before but only realized this time that there's an accessible path. Honestly, the paths we took before were wide and paved. But this one goes on and on for quite some time. We traveled over lots of boardwalks and bridges until we could tell Dundee was getting a little tired. This place is so beautiful and you'd almost forget you were in the middle of a city if you didn't see the occasional Max Train through the trees.

Oregon Zoo - Portland, Oregon

 

Day 2 of Spring Break was a little bit of a let down for us. We thought we'd feel safer visiting the Oregon Zoo because they were limiting the amount of patrons and you had to purchase tickets in advance. In spite of this, there were way too many people. We tried to keep our distance to wait for our turn to view animals but people kept cutting in front of us and way too close. We took a train ride and headed home about an hour after we got there. Definitely wasn't worth the full price of admission that we paid.

Not all of our adventures turn out. This one wasn't the best, but we keep exploring because the hidden gems we find often make up for it.

Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum - Stevenson, Washington

 

With rain in the forecast for the first day of Spring Break, we decided to find a fun indoor activity without too many people. Although the Bonneville Dam proved to be far too crowded for comfort, we did have a pretty good time at Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum.

This museum focuses on the natural history of the area as well as earlier inhabitants with their technologies.

Tollen Farm - Wilsonville, Oregon

 

If you ask Jilly who her favorite person from school is, she will usually say "Bruce" or "Mrs. G-R". Mrs. G-R kept recommending that we visit this small farm. And for good reason too. The owner takes pride in her animals, mostly miniature donkeys and some horses too. They were very friendly and so curious about us.

We had a surprise visit with Mrs. G-R and her daughters at Tollen Farm.

University of Oregon - Eugene, Oregon

Kai is considering options for schools and this one is close enough for a self guided tour after a short drive. We stopped in to the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art on the campus. 

Coincidentally, some of our favorite people are University of Oregon Alumni. This campus and the City of Eugene, Oregon are beautiful. We'll need to return to see the rest of the city and surroundings.

Cooper Mountain Nature Park - Beaverton, Oregon

Cooper Mountain Nature Park has 230 acres of land and almost 4 miles of trails. It's not paved but manageable in a wheelchair when it's not too muddy. We only completed one small loop because the mud and also the low battery on the wheelchair that we forgot to charge overnight. We will be coming back with a full battery to see how far we can go before the paths become too rough.

New Ride - Freedom Motors Short Cut Wheelchair Conversion

 

After 8 years of stressing about the lack of Van Accessible parking spaces, and our current van arriving at 100,000 miles, we found a suitable replacement. This time around we opted for rear-entry wheelchair conversion. This is the smoothest ride ever and so many incredible options.

We loved dealing with Oregon Mobility Solutions for our Freedom Motors conversion. I highly recommend this wonderful family run business. https://oregonmobility.com/

Fanno Creek Trail - Tigard, Oregon

It's not only one of the nicest trails, but happens to be one of the closest to home. The whole thing is very accessible. We saw a lot more wildlife this time.

Pathfinder-Genesis Trail - Tigard, Oregon

This light dusting of snow wouldn't have had much of an impact on Idaho, but since Portland doesn't get as much snow they aren't quite as prepared to handle it. Luckily, Tigard crews treated roads near us and we were able to safely take the wheelchair down the hill to catch Pathfinder-Genesis Trail which runs through our neighborhood.

OUT OF COMMISSION

 

After 8 solid years and over 100,000 miles of dependable service, our van finally let us down. The transmission went out on the way back from the pumpkin patch. Being our only mode of wheelchair accessible transportation that means we aren't going on any adventures any time soon.

Hoffman Farms Pumpkin Patch - Beaverton, Oregon

We probably paid more than anyone should for pumpkins to just sit on our porch, but this farm is huge and the seemingly endless supply and variety of pumpkins is quite impressive. It looked like there were fun activities like a maze so we'll have to go back in non-pandemic times.

McMinnville Scottish Festival - McMinnville, Oregon

 We went to McMinnville to check out the Scottish and Celtic culture with highland games, Irish dancers, bag pipes and lots of merchandise. We were wearing highland clothes (kilt and kilted skirt).

Disc Golf at Greenway Park - Beaverton, Oregon

 

Our favorite local trail, Fanno Creek Trail, is a regional trail that passes through Tualatin, Tigard, Beaverton and Portland with many parks along the trail. We usually walk there via Pathfinder-Genesis trail in our neighborhood and head toward Beaverton. This time we drove because we were wanting to try Disc Golf. Greenway Park is the only 9 hole disc golf course near us. It was a lot of fun and we can really see getting into playing frequently.

We also got to try our discs that we bought at Fort Stevens with our family name on them. 

 

Tillamook Creamery - Tillamook, Oregon

They rebuilt this place bigger and better. This is our first chance to visit since the remodel. Very nice job! In non-pandemic times, you could sample a lot of cheeses and other products. Right now, you can order food to-go, including delicious ice cream. We didn't stay too long because people were not keeping a safe distance. Luckily, the drive is beautiful and not terribly far away.

Willamette Heritage Center - Salem, Oregon

Our first stop of the day was Willamette Heritage Center. This museum is actually several historic buildings on 5 acres of land. You are able to enter all of the buildings and they are all wheelchair accessible. Having Scottish heritage, we really enjoyed the Kay Woolen Mill with its plaid and machinery displays.

BONUS ADVENTURE

Oregon State Hospital - Salem, Oregon

While the hospital itself is large, the museum is only a small portion. It is very interesting and worth the visit, but it was overwhelmingly sad for us because we've had a close family member that experienced "treatment" in the 1950s that would now be considered cruel and inhumane torture.

Fort Stevens - Hammond, Oregon

 

With a name like Fort Stevens, we just had to bring Grandpa for a visit. He even wore his Stevens Coat of Arms shirt. We didn't camp this time but we drove by the cabin we once stayed in. https://jillianmichelestevens.blogspot.com/2019/06/fort-stevens-state-park-warrenton-oregon.html

BONUS ADVENTURE

Fort Clatsop

Moving from a State of Oregon Park to a National Park, Fort Clatsop is located in the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. It was just a short drive from Fort Stevens. We really like the replica of the actual fort. We happened to get there in time to watch a flintlock demonstration. The demonstration was actually more than that and very good, but the end of it with a live flintlock musket demonstration was really the highlight. Another really cool presentation was use of native sign language.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden - Portland, Oregon

 

With Grandpa Howard in town for a Portland/Seattle vacation, we took him to Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden. We had tickets for another day but Mondays are free and it fit into our schedule a bit better.

This lovely garden is nearly ten acres of mostly accessible paths on varying elevations, over and under bridges. Although we got in free, it would have been well worth the cost of admission.

Banks-Vernonia State Trail - Banks, Oregon

 

Banks-Vernonia State Trail is a 21 mile Rails-to-Trails offered by Oregon State Parks. Rails-to-Trails converts abandoned railways to trails. We didn't quite make it 21 miles. In fact, we tired out poor Dundee after just 2 miles out and 2 miles back. What we saw was probably the widest and most accessible trail we've attempted. It was smooth and paved.

Duniway Lilac Garden - Portland, Oregon

We decided to challenge ourselves with a walk that involves more changes in elevation. What better place than Terwilliger Boulevard on Marquam Hill? We've driven by Duniway Lilac Garden hundreds of times without noticing it until we were on foot. We didn't actually see lilacs but the gardens are very nice and it was a nice place to rest and take pictures before heading back to the van and then onto a late lunch.

Frog Pond Farm - Wilsonville, Oregon

Frog Pond Farm is currently doing their Farm Walk-About. We just barely missed their Drive-Through exhibit. This was a bit difficult with the wheelchair and we had to actually drag it backwards through the gravel the entire time. But, if you are mobile this is the place is wonderful to visit. It is family run and shows that they really care about the well-being of their animals.

https://www.thefrogpondfarm.com/

Later in the day we went for coffee in the Pearl District. Sisters coffee is our absolute favorite in the entire state! We intentionally got lost in the hills on the way home and found our way to the top of Council Crest for the best views in Portland.

Cook Park - Tigard, Oregon

So we finally pieced together several previous excursions into one long walk. We parked at Cook Park in Tigard and walked through to the Tualatin Greenway. We passed Through Tualatin Community Park and all the way to the end of the trail. There's literally a bridge that ends abruptly. We saw a mother bird feeding its babies in a tree and a racoon escaped over the edge of the bridge. We then headed back toward Cook Park but veered off into Durham City Park to let Dundee burn off some energy on the off-leash athletic field and splash in the Tualatin River.

The Grotto - Portland, Oregon

This place has been on our bucket list since before we moved here. It's one of those things that you hear is a must see when visiting Portland. But in all the times we visited before moving here, it just never happened. Well we finally got around to it. We think it is worth the small price of admission and will keep you peacefully entertained for a few hours or more. There is a room at the top of a cliff with stunning views of the City and Mount Saint Helens.

https://thegrotto.org/

Willamette Park - Portland, Oregon

 

This afternoon we decided to find a change of scenery while testing our newly finished wheelchair canopy. We didn't quite want to head to downtown Portland so opted for Willamette Park on the South waterfront. We even crossed the Sellwood Bridge for a perfect view of the water and the tall buildings downtown. We could have easily walked to Sellwood Park or Oaks Amusement Park from there but decided to save that for another day.

Cook Park - Tigard, Oregon

We needed to get outside after dinner to test the new Tobii I-13, which is supposed to be usable outdoors. It worked great except when the path got too bumpy for it to register where the eyes were pointed. We were recently told about this side of the park that we hadn't explored yet and it apparently connects to other parks in Durham and Tualatin.

Seaside, Oregon / Astoria, Oregon / Long Beach, Washington

 

We started the morning off in Seaside. It was a little bit crowded because it was such a beautiful day. We then headed into Astoria to find food. After that, we drove on a very long bridge into Washington. There was a really nice long boardwalk in Long Beach. Although bumpy, it was easy to push the wheelchair and we could keep going for a long time with the perfect ocean views. It was slightly chillier and windier there so we headed back into Astoria to grab dinner before heading home.

Summerlake Park (Annual Family Photos) - Tigard, Oregon

We were overdue for family photos (by ten years). We grabbed our favorite photographer/friend/teacher and headed to Summerlake Park while the weather cooperated with us.

Tualatin Hills Nature Park - Beaverton, Oregon

This place is conveniently close to SeaSweets, our favorite Poke place. We grabbed lunch to go, finished it in the parking lot, and then walked for several miles on the nice paths. Most of them are fairly smooth but the wooden bridges are another story. It's still definitely worth the trip over and over again. The Visitors Center happened to be closed this time but we have seen it before.

http://www.thprd.org/parks-and-trails/detail/tualatin-hills-nature-park

Progress Ridge Townsquare - Beaverton, Oregon

We often come here for shopping and entertainment. This time we walked though. It was mom's choice for Mothers' Day. First order of business was coffee and pastries from Ava Roasteria. Then we picked up sweets from around the globe at Rocket Fizz. They have a section of sweets and sodas from the UK, including Irn Bru from Scotland so we had to give that a try.

https://progressridgetownsquare.com/

Iron Mountain City Park - Lake Oswego, Oregon

It occurred to us that you could actually walk around the Lake, although it is not all visible from public sidewalks and spaces. So we parked at Iron Mountain City Park and set off to walk around the lake. The map I got from the City's website showed it being just over 7 miles. Somehow we missed a street that we were supposed to turn on and didn't figure it out until we went a half mile past it. So when we finally got back to the van it was just over 8 miles. The distance was not the hard part. We brought the manual wheelchair and the maps do not show the crazy changes in elevation. We got back exhausted and with a missing wheelchair footplate.

Fanno Creek Trail - Tigard, Oregon

 Just another day on our favorite nearby trail. This time we completed 7.36 miles.

Spring Break - Boise, Idaho

 

Who does spring break. in idaho. during a pandemic?!?!?! Well, we did. We wanted to check in on Grandma and do some walking tours of the old homestead. We've only been back once since we moved away in 2010. Unfortunately, it wasn't safe to go inside so it really was just a long walking tour. We only went inside the hotel suite. We did pass by St. Lukes Hospital. It's weird because there are so many emotions - good and bad - from that hospital. Both kids were born there. We used to call them Small Fry and Tater Tot because of the fact that their birth certificates are from Idaho.

Vancouver Waterfront - Vancouver, Washington

For some reason, it's always fun when Google says, "Welcome to Washington" when we cross the bridge. Also, we wanted to change up the scenery while going on a long walk. We ended up walking from the waterfront to Fort Vancouver on accident. It was a nice accidental side trip, but unfortunately it was closed and so were the bathrooms.
 

Pathfinder-Genesis Trail - Tigard, Oregon

 We got to get out for a lunch time walk while there was still snow on the ground.

Bridgeport Village (10 mile roundtrip!) - Tigard, Oregon

 

At the beginning of last summer we talked about setting distance goals for our family walks. Today we hit our final goal of 10 miles. It is 5 miles from our house to Bridgeport Village. We stopped briefly for a snack before heading back.

Willamette River - Portland, Oregon

 A cold but clear day meant a long walk over several bridges and multiple miles on both sides of the Willamette River.

Rock Creek Trail - Hillsboro, Oregon

 

Rock Creek Trail is another regional trail that extends into several cities and runs through multiple parks. We parked near Orenco Woods Nature Park in Hillsboro and headed toward Bethany/Beaverton. This one will definitely take several visists to complete.

http://www.thprd.org/parks-and-trails/rock-creek-trail

Lunch Time Stroll Downtown - Tigard, Oregon

With beautiful weather and a long lunch you've got to get out for a long walk. We have a loop that we follow that just happened to pass the school office staff TWICE. 

We started on Pathfinder-Genesis Trail to Fanno Creek Trail. From there we took the Heritage Trail to Main Street and back down Fanno Creek Trail again.

Ballot Drop-off - Tigard, Oregon

 Like the Visine advertisements from the 80s and 90s - It gets the Red OUT!!!

John Tigard House (East Butte Heritage Park) - Tigard, Oregon

 

We've heard of the John Tigard House but always seem to forget to check it out. This was an after dinner walk so the house was closed and it started to get dark on our walk home. Hopefully we'll remember to come back again and explore the area with more daylight.

https://www.tigard-or.gov/community/east_butte_heritage_park.php

Tigard Transit Center - Tigard, Oregon

 We enjoyed the Outdoor Museum on the Heritage Trail on our way to grab coffee at Symposium. Out of chance (and curiosity) we walked across the street to the Tigard Transit Center. Commuters park, walk or bike here to catch the WES train to the Beaverton Transit Center MAX station. We were surprised to find moveable art. It was a mix of strange cast of characters. We could have stayed and played if it wasn't the middle of a pandemic. We decided it was best not to touch anything, but just enjoy it from an arm's length away.

Fanno Creek Trail - Tigard, Oregon

 There was finally a break from all the smoke from the wildfires. Yay! We completed a six mile trek today.

After Dinner Stroll Downtown - Tigard, Oregon

 It's a little rare for us to get out during the week. It's even more rare to go at night. We left shortly after dinner when it was still light out but it was dark by the time we got home. We saw some new murals in downtown Tigard and we found the 99W overpass lit up in a variety of colors.

Greenway Park - Beaverton, Oregon

 

So we were actually on a six mile stroll on Fanno Creek Trail. But we grabbed coffee at Lionheart Coffee and spent more time exploring Greenway Park. We saw a lot of people playing disc golf. Some of their throws were quite impressive.

http://www.thprd.org/parks-and-trails/detail/greenway-park

https://www.lionheartcoffee.com/