— What’s the Word?In Washington County, Oregon —

Posts Tagged ‘Canoeing’

What’s a Teen to Do?

Posted on: August 31st, 2011 by Sylke Neal-Finnegan No Comments

Tree to Tree Adventure Park is one of several attractions in Oregon's Washington County that your teen will enjoy.

Traveling with teens can be a frustrating experience. Attractions that adults may find inviting, such as museums and art galleries, may be boring to the average American teenager. And kid-friendly spots can be too “babyish” for the finicky teen. As a parent to a teen, here is a handy guide of places that are fun for adults and are teen-friendly, too. (Although they will never acknowledge that they’re having fun, you know they are and will.)

For the Teen with a Sense of Adventure

Hands-down, Tree to Tree Adventure Park remains on the top of the list for teens when it comes to outdoor adventure. The thrill and excitement of playing in the trees while navigating a course of obstacles can bring out childlike enthusiasm in even the most jaded teenager.

Kayaking and canoeing is also a good pastime for teenagers, whether it’s a leisurely ride along the slow-moving Tualatin River, or a family race to an imaginary finish line. Boat rentals are available from the Tualatin Riverkeepers or Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe.

 

Bonding Time

Hagg Lake, located at Scoggins Valley Park, is one of several fishing spots perfect for a day of parent and teen bonding. Horning’s Fishing and Picnic Hideout also is another popular fishing hole, stocked with rainbow trout. As an added bonus, after a day of angling, try a game of disc golf at each of these locations.

For many, myself included, a great deal of bonding happens while shopping; however, we parents of teens know that this often creates some short-lived drama, so shop ’til you drop at your own risk.

 

Friendly Family Games

Washington County is chock-full of teen- and family-friendly hands-on activities: laser tag at Laserport, bowling at Big Al’s, outdoor go-kart racing at Malibu Raceway or indoor go-karting at Sykart Indoor Racing Center. For less competitive sports, try trampolining at Sky High Sports or rock climbing at Stoneworks Climbing Gym. (Some attractions are open during evening hours, which will keep your teen happy after the sun goes down.)

 

Teen-Friendly Dining

So you’ve hiked, biked and climbed your way to an appetite, and you ask, “Where can we go for dinner that has food my teenager will like?”  Here are some local places that teens will enjoy, for the food, and the ambiance:

For the complete list of restaurants in Oregon’s Washington County, visit our dining page.

 

So, there you have it, a quick quide to exploring Oregon’s Washington County with teenagers. My own teenager helped me compile this list, so it has an unofficial stamp of approval. There are hundreds of other things to do and see while here, more than what’s on this list. Whatever you choose to do while visiting, we’re sure you (and your teen) will have a blast.

 

 

Newfound Paradise: Paddlin’ Down the Tualatin River

Posted on: August 10th, 2010 by Sylke Neal-Finnegan 2 Comments
The Tualatin Riverkeepers have a colorful assortment of cool kayaks (funded, in part, by a WCVA tourism grant)

We were riding in style in the colorful kayaks provided by the Tualatin Riverkeepers (which were funded, in part, by a WCVA tourism grant).

Over the weekend, the Washington County Visitors Association (WCVA) threw a summer social at Tualatin Community Park, located in the heart of downtown Tualatin (and one of the locations of this week’s Crawfish Festival). It was an ideal summer day in Oregon, and a perfect Saturday to take a leisurely trip down the serene Tualatin River.

With some quick instruction and guidance from the fine volunteers of the Tualatin Riverkeepers, and after being suited up with life jackets, my daughter and I –and the rest of the guests at the summer social– set out in the kayaks for an hour-long paddle trip down the Tualatin River.

The quiet calm of the river was amazing. Trees flanked both sides of the river, and the only clues that we were in a suburban area were the occasional overpasses we floated under, which also served as makeshift habitats for nesting birds who make the river their home.

Along our slow journey, we passed a young man and his brother fishing, presumably for the largemouth bass that thrive in the Tualatin. Other folks enjoying the river passed us slow-poke kayakers on their kayaks and canoes, each sharing a smile and saying a pleasant “hello” as they paddled past us.

It wasn’t just river dwellers of the human variety that were enjoying the Tualatin River that day. Plenty of birds were enjoying the sunny, cool afternoon. Wood ducks, green heron and other birds indigenous to the area were swimming and flying alongside the kayaks, with some stopping for a quick bite to eat.  Although we didn’t see any river otters or beavers during our excursion, we did see evidence that at least one beaver makes the river its home.  Sue, one of the fabulous guides from the Riverkeepers, found a recently gnawed piece of bark floating downstream, an artifact left behind by a busy beaver.

Why I waited three years to try kayaking down the Tualatin River, I don’t know. What I do know, however, is that I can’t wait to get back out on the river and spend another lazy Saturday with the birds and beavers.

Read more about the Tualatin Riverkeepers and their mission to protect Oregon’s Tualatin River system.

Volunteering and Canoeing with the Tualatin Riverkeepers

Posted on: July 24th, 2009 by Allison George 3 Comments
Putting in at Munger Farm, Tualatin Riverkeepers

Putting in at Munger Farm, Tualatin Riverkeepers

Paddling on the Tualatin River is a fun outdoor recreational opportunity during the summer months, and recently some of the WCVA staff and our guests went on a guided canoe trip on the Tualatin River led by the Tualatin Riverkeepers.  If you haven’t heard of the Riverkeepers, they are a terrific community-based nonprofit organization working to protect and restore the Tualatin River watershed through education, restoration, advocacy, and facilitating public access to nature.

The paddle trip was also intermingled with a good cause: habitat restoration.  Some of my coworkers started the day by helping the Riverkeepers hand-clear some invasive, non-native plant species.  Hand pulling weeds may be hard work, but it protects the nearby watershed and wildlife from herbicides and other chemicals, to give native, soil-stabilizing plants  a chance to recover.

Pulling invasive species for a good cause.

Pulling invasive species for a good cause.

We all had a great time on the river, and although I personally didn’t catch many glimpses of wildlife during our two hour trip, the little pirates in my canoe claimed sightings of Crocodiles, Chilean Sea Bass, and Harry Potter. 

The 'pirates'.

The 'pirates'.

Takin' in some shade before heading back.

Takin' in some shade before heading back.

After the paddle trip, we hit the South Store Cafe for a delicious lunch, and then headed across the street to shop and pet the goats behind the Smith Berry Barn. *Tip*: remember to bring some quarters for the goat-treat dispensing machine if you head back there. These cute little goats love their treats!

southstorecafe_sign-web

Resources:
The Tualatin Riverkeepers website  www.tualatinriverkeepers.org is chalk full of information, including a down-loadable paddler’s map of the Lower Tualatin River with river access points, hazard zones, and estimated paddling times.

Canoe Rentals
The Tualatin Riverkeepers has limited canoes available for participants on their organized paddle trips. Check their website for further information, including  their guided trips and events schedule. Other local canoe rental sources include:

Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe 503-285-0464 *Easy Alert*: They offer family friendly paddle-away boat rentals right on the Tualatin River from their location in Browns Ferry Park during the summer months.

canoes_mungerfarm_tltnrivfrkeepers