Vancouver, WA

It was the middle of the week. My older boys were at school, my husband was at work. And my two-year-old and I were left wondering our usual question: What will we do today? The answer was clear. Let’s take a trip on the Canby Ferry and just see what we find on the other side of the river!

The Canby Ferry has been operating since 1914, crossing the Willamette River and connecting the Wilsonville/Stafford area and the city of Canby. The current ferry has been there since 2001. It runs every day minus six major holidays, so it’s a worthwhile drive to make nearly any day. I’d taken this trip before, but my daughter had not. It used to be one of our family’s favorite October pumpkin patch destinations when the boys were little. There’s nothing like a ferry ride, pumpkins and hot cider to make kids young and old miss summer a little bit less. Today the sun was out, the air just slightly crisp. We put on our sweaters, packed a quick snack and headed out the door.

          
Finding the Canby Ferry can seem a bit daunting as you drive way out into the countryside. But as you get closer, road signs reassure you that you are on the right path. From Vancouver, head south on I-205 all the way through and past Portland, past Oregon City, and past Lake Oswego. Finally you’ll see and take the Stafford Road exit. Turn left at the stop sign, heading back over the freeway. Next, turn left on Mountain Road. Follow it all the way to the ferry. At the crossing, a traffic signal and posted signs guide you on and off the boat. Have $2 in exact change ready if you’re in a car, $1 on a motorcycle. It’s free for pedestrians and bicyclists, more if you’re towing a boat.

                                      
The ferry holds nine cars and the trip across the river is pretty quick, so there’s usually not much of a wait. We stayed in the car this time, but you can get out and enjoy the view briefly from the observation rail.

              
Once across the river, you’ll find yourself on Holly Street, where there are plenty of peaceful country escapes to enjoy. We started with a visit to the Molalla River State Park, a day-use park that features a boat launch, open fields for walking your dog or going for a stroll, a few scattered picnic tables and restrooms. It’s not the most beautiful park I’ve been to, but certainly worthy of a picnic lunch amid this journey south.

After taking a break at the park, we headed back out to Holly Street and drove farther toward Canby. We passed the Frontier Golf Course, a par 3, nine-hole course if that’s your thing. (With a toddler in the backseat, I kept driving this time). Next we passed our favorite pumpkin patch, deciding to check out another destination first and then return in a little while.

                                      
Instead we followed the signs to Swan Island Dahlias, just a short drive down Holly Street and then right onto NW 22nd Avenue. Here were 40 acres of blooming, colorful Dahlias…we had to park the car along the side of the road just to admire them. These gorgeous fields are open to the public during growing season, which is August 1 through September from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Swan Island Dahlias is America’s largest Dahlia grower with more than 350 varieties and a vast assortment of bulbs available to purchase.

              
Next we headed out to Holly Street again and backtracked our way to The Flower Farmer, which is so much more than the name implies. This day the staff at the farm was getting ready for the following weekend’s Halloween opening, so the fields were full of ripe, orange pumpkins just waiting to be chosen. The parking lot, which can get busy on October weekends, was nearly empty today, but the store was open so we ventured inside. The scent of fresh and dried flowers filled the room. Fresh fruit and vegetables were on display, and so we bought what was to be our last watermelon of the season and a few ears of corn. We also strolled to the back door and looked out at the pumpkin fields, straw mountain and two trains that take turns winding through the fields. “We’ll come back soon,” I promised my daughter.

                                       
The Flower Farmer features daily train rides, a straw mountain just begging to be climbed, a haunted tunnel, and, on weekends, farm animals for petting. Picnic tables and refreshments are also available. The train runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in October and costs $4.50 for adults and $3.50 for kids 3-12. Visit www.flowerfarmer.com for more details and their full schedule.

At the end of your visit, you can either take the short drive back to the ferry, pay the $2 for a return ticket, and then head back toward I-205, or do what I did: drive the distance farther east toward Canby and then follow the signs north toward Oregon City. It’s quite the drive, but gets you back on the freeway as well. Next time we’ll take the ferry both ways, as the ride is short but a fun and different way to spend the day.