This year Farmer John turns 40. To celebrate we rented a houseboat for a week. This was something Farmer John has talked about doing pretty much ever since he was in high school and went on a houseboat with friends. It had never made it onto our vacation calendar, so I made it work this year as something extra special for the big 4-0.
Since the last day of this 31 Day Challenge falls on Halloween, I’m highlighting a pumpkin patch. I’m choosing Roloff Farms, which is in the Helvetia community of Hillsboro, Oregon. The Roloff’s are stars of TLC’s Little People Big World. The pumpkin patch came before the tv show, but certainly had less hype.
Just outside of Hillsboro is the community of Helvetia. If you’re in the area, Helvetia Tavern is the place to eat. You go there for a burger, fries & onion rings. It’s simple. It’s greasy. It’s good. When my Aunt & her family visit Oregon, we always eat here with them. I have never heard one bad comment about the food or service. I can’t
About an hour outside of Portland is the small town of Vernonia. It is located in the upper Nehalem valley. In 2007 flooding caused many millions of dollars in damages to the schools, hundreds of homes & community buildings. FEMA stepped in to help, but it still took a couple years to get the city back and better than ever. Logging is a big part
Keep Portland Weird has become the city’s slogan. Why we need to be weird, I don’t know. I appreciate weirdness when people step outside of the box to better themselves or community. But, weird, just to be weird, I don’t really get.
Powell’s Books is the largest new & used bookstore in the world. The Burnside location in downtown Portland is one entire city block. It’s huge with more & more rooms filled with books. It’s also slightly quirky, which fits in perfectly with Portland.
The kids & I love going to the Audubon Society. We enjoy seeing their education birds & exploring the trails.
Hoyt Arboretum is a living museum of trees and shrubs within Portland’s Washington Park. There are many miles of trails to explore & greenery to please the eye.
One of the best scenic drives in Oregon is the Three Capes Scenic Route. It starts near Cape Meares, ends near Cape Kiwanda, and includes Cape Lookout. It’s a beautiful drive along the Oregon Coast.
About 15 minutes outside Tillamook via Hwy 131 are the small coastal towns of Netarts & Oceanside. One is popular with fisherman, the other with beachcombers.
