Holiday Weekend in Washington
Submitted by Shawn Headlee
Hello all,
Hope you all had a great
Well I hope you all stayed out of trouble this weekend!!
Displaying blog entries 191-200 of 301
Submitted by Shawn Headlee
Hello all,
Hope you all had a great
Well I hope you all stayed out of trouble this weekend!!
Posted by Cathy Hill
Portland is widely known as one of the best year-round outdoor playgrounds in the United States. In the fall and winter, we're less than an hour away from snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and downhill skiing at or near Mt. Hood. During spring, we enjoy the tail end of winter sports and head towards summer options, including hiking, biking, and anything on the water!
An old favorite of mine from my days in Hawaii is outrigger canoeing, which I describe to people as "what they did on Hawaii 5-0". Outrigger canoeing is widely recognized in Polynesia as a sport which honors the water, in addition to enjoying it for fitness, camaraderie, and sportsmanship. Here in the Northwest, the Pacific Northwest Outrigger Racing Canoe Association is a great resource for interested folks. The association is comprised of clubs in Washington, Oregon, and Montana and offers opportunities for people of all fitness levels. Before moving to Portland myself just about 3 years ago, I did some research to be sure I could continue this personal favorite, even on the river! Enjoy the summer - there are so many options for enjoying the outdoors and for getting fit!
Submitted by Kate Baldus
I don't know how it happens but every three-day weekend my friends like to get together and somehow I am responsible for choosing a location and making arrangements. (I secretly love planning these kinds of outings 97% of the time!) However, this year I asked that someone else take charge so that I could just come along, show up and have some fun without fretting over rides, food, reserving sites etc. Well... it didn't happen. Tuesday - four days before quite possibly the biggest camping weekend of the year - I found out we did not have a camp site reserved. We hadn't even officially chosen a location yet either! To the beach? To the Gorge? Detroit Lake? Mount Hood? No one could decide! I have never actually camped much in Oregon, mostly off-road camping during college in Idaho where there aren't nearly the number of people trying to get lost in the woods on Memorial Day weekend. I quickly began scouring the web for any sites listing open campgrounds. I actually was surprised to find a few, but none that seemed to accomodate the number of people or location we wanted, plus I didn't know in relation to Portland where all the campgrounds were until I found a great map of sites!
I also found a site that let me enter the number of people, location and dates and checked availability of all sites in that area. The one I continuously heard my friends asking for was Detroit Lake (usually booked out at least nine months in advance.) After four hours of refreshing the screen to see if there were openings - I had found it. One campsite popped up and I clicked "Book Now" faster than I could imagine (I had to register to actually book the reservation which slowed me down... tip to you - register before you start searching so that when a campsite pops up you don't risk losing it!) Even better, the campsite next to it opened up so I booked both - easily able to accomodate 15 people. I was so excited to email all my friends and tell them the good news. Two campsites for Saturday and Sunday night, actually located on the lake - you can't get much better than that... one of the best reasons to live in Oregon! I am so excited for this weekend - I can't wait!
By the way - some great off road camping about an hour away in Washington is up the Washougal River past Dougan Falls (23 miles up the river's winding road.) There are usually a lot of people swimming in the falls but the furthur up the river the less crowded and you can find some great spots in the summer!
Submitted by Sandy Morley
Portland's weather is often known to be blah blah blah rain. What most people don't know is that our average rainfall is less that Atlanta, Birmingham, Houston, Indianapolis or Seattle! We do get cloudy days... and some with drizzle and others with a good rain storm - but it is truly the summers in Portland that make it all worth the while. Even better - it is that we have GREEN summers! Due to our 36.3" of rain on average each year, our trees stay greener longer and it keeps our environment healthy! All the beauty of our surrounding nature helps Portlanders get outside, go hiking, and appreciate where we live. We also get to enjoy summer days that are not too scorching hot, but just right. When it does peak 100 degrees - the kids will love it, and we will know that it most likely won't last more than a day or two. When the sun comes out in Portland, locals fill the streets downtown sipping mochas, cocktails and enjoying the great city we live in.
Submitted by Cathy Hill
If you're a gym person, and you're fortunate enough to spend a few days in Portland while looking for a home, it's a good idea to check out your local fitness clubs. Depending upon where you choose to live, pop into the gym at the time you would normally have a workout, and see what the crowd is like. I'm a morning person, so I find plenty of available cardio machines, and free access to strength training options, as long as I'm there by 5:30AM. The afternoons tend to be incredibly busy in my gym, except for on the weekends. No wonder Portland was named one of the "Top Fittest Cities in the United States" by Men's Fitness in February this year.
Portland and its suburbs offer all of the standard choices; 24 Hour Fitness, Bally's, and LA Fitness. In addition, there are several clubs that aren't as well known, but provide great options if you're nearby. Try Club Sport or Riverplace Athletic Club. Granted, we all choose to be outdoors as much as possible, but sometimes in the winter the gym beats a 35 degree rainy morning!
Displaying blog entries 191-200 of 301