Vancouver, WA

…they brought huge platters with open-face hamburgers and large sides of French fries AND onion rings.

Later, a short drive or streetcar-ride away the Portland Aerial Tram whisks you up to the top of Marquam hill, treating you to a picturesque view spanning from downtown, across the river and all the way to Mt. Hood.

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

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 [...]

I love sunshine, just as long as I can enjoy it from the shade. That is one of the reasons I enjoy the 26 acre Marine Park, located to the south of SR14 Exit 1, on Columbia Way and SE Marine Park Way. The park has a nice mix of sun and shade, trees and bright green grass, a baseball field, playground, restrooms, and water to a small group of picnic tables, including a covered area. There is also a boat ramp at the far western portion of the park, but it is a fair walk from where we parked the car so we did not visit it.

Saturday I visited the Fulton Community Center in Portland for a Contra Dance. Click here for several definitions of contra dancing. What kind of music is played for a contra dance? Most of the tunes are either jigs or reels, but there are usually a few schottisches, marches, and waltzes thrown in for good measure. The evening is traditionally ended with a waltz. More…

Most contra-dance bands consist of from three to five musicians, usually a guitar and a fiddle, and often also a piano, an accordion, a mandolin, a bodhran (a wide, flat drum), or a whistle. Many musicians play two or more instruments and change around for different tunes.

So after scouring the Web for something different and interesting, my husband suggested Wild Abandon Restaurant and the Red Velvet Lounge for dinner, followed by a movie at Portland’s uniquely own Living Room Theaters.

An important part of old town Vancouver’s history—you may have noticed that I like history—is the Clark County Historical Museum on Main street. This first photo was taken before the huge and beautiful old elm out front had to be removed due to terminal root-rot.

But I have found a remedy for the novice, thrifty or collard shirt-avoiding golfer. On the fringes of the Columbia River Gorge hides a quaint and unorthodox par-three course encouragingly named The Pub Course.