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.