Vancouver, WA

Years ago, when my son was little, I took him for a walk along the edge of Lacamas Lake, what a difference a few years has made! The walk is now over three miles long and there are quarter mile markers to let you know how many miles you have walked, jogged or biked. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

At five, Layla’s napping days are pretty much over, but she fell asleep the other day after an outing and I pulled off to park in a wide space beside the road. I always try to have a book with me for times like this and had a nice 40 minutes to read before she woke up.

I write a genealogy newsletter and since we were sitting next to a cemetery I suggested we take a walk to see if there were any Howards buried there. This was the first time I have ever actually stopped at a cemetery to hunt Howards, though I have thought about it every time I have passed one.

saw the small sign “Earth Friendly Garden Tour” as I was driving down Evergreen Highway. I love to see what other people are doing with their yards, but I was on the wrong side of the street and I didn’t want to attempt a u-turn, so I kept going. I made it about half the way home before I talked myself into turning around and going back. I’m really glad I did.

What is the most exhilarating, exciting and fun thing to do in Vancouver for FREE? Racing sailboats is exhilarating, it is one of the best ways to learn to sail and meet new people, and just as the sailor needs a boat the skipper needs crew so the ability to show up is all you need to start a new and exciting sport.

RACE SAILBOATS!

I’ve discovered that cloudy days are wonderful for a trip to Westfield Shoppingtown Vancouver with a very active child in tow. Of course, when I take her, I plan my time well. We start out with a walk around the top floor and another around the bottom floor. Located at 8700 NE Vancouver Mall Drive, [...]

I was born and sort of raised just west of Astoria, Oregon. I have family who live there still and frequently pass through the town of Astoria but seldom stop. My whole life the town didn’t have a lot to offer passersby so it was not in my “places to stop and hang out” paradigm. Until now.

I have traveled the world and walked many a beautiful beach but nothing has come close to the stunning and dramatic seascapes of the northern Oregon coast.

I played my first game of Frisbee golf at WSU Vancouver’s dandilion-studded course which lies on the east side of the campus.

Check in with Shorty’s at http://www.shortysgardenandhome.com/?cid=893 to find out what their next free seminar is and when it will be held. Shorty’s is located almost at the corner of Mill Plain Blvd and SE 98th Avenue, 10006 SE Mill Plain, a right turn coming from the east into their lot, or a left turn at 98th if coming from the west. Since I came from 98th I crossed Mill Plain, went about a block, took a right and went in the back way. (I don’t believe you can cross the meridian in front of Shorty’s coming from the west.)

I have always thought there should be a park tucked away in this area nestled between I-205 and SR-500, little did I know that it was already a reality. The official address is 10500 NE 47th Street, but I went to the entrance located just south of SR500 at the intersection of 51st Circle and [...]