During the fall there are some really great events at the Library. My daughter Monks and I went to the Fort Vancouver Regional Library at the Mall where they had this fun Harvest Event that started at 3PM. The kids got to hear two stories for the Halloween season. The librarian who read the stories was wonderful. She had to make the noises in the first story when it was time; and with the other story, she was very animated, making the story come to life.
Then we played two rounds of Bingo, sorry to say that we didn’t win. When the kids won they where able to pick a prize out of the treasure chest. Since we didn’t win we didn’t get to see what was inside the chest.
They had a contest, with prizes, for the kids with costumes; but Monks’ costume is still in the planning stage, so she did not wear one today. Almost all of the kids who had costumes received a free book, which I think was really nice of the library. Monks was really sad she didn’t get a book, since she really loves them. Read the rest of Fort Vancouver Regional Library-Harvest Festival »
I try to find something for my daughter and I to do on the weekends that is cheap and fun for her. Well, we found something to do on Saturday, the 4th of October and even I had fun. The City of Vancouver Fire Department has it’s headquarters off Andresen and Minnehaha Streets, you can get there on the #78 78th Street C-TRAN Bus, where they had an open house to promote safety. It was so cool. In front of the station there was a house with hinged wooden windows, inside the windows there were flames painted on the wood. The firemen let you spray water on the fake flames which flipped down to make it look like the fire was put out. That was really cool and my daughter AKA “Monks” was able to be a “firefighter” saving the day.
Then inside the fire station they had a booth for you to have your child measured for a bike helmet that you could buy for only $10.00, we didn’t need to do that since we have a bike helmet already. Of course if you knew my kid you would it is pink. A must in a house of a very girly girl, where pink is her only color. Read the rest of Safety Month-Vancouver Fire Department, 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. Read the rest of Pumpkins and peaceful countryside, via the Canby Ferry, Oregon »
I try to take my daughter out on an adventure each weekend, so she has something to do and it let’s my husband get some sleep every night. Firstenburg Center is a fun place to go to.. Did you know that besides the classes for swimming, basketball, tumbling, arts and crafts, that they have these cool events. Well my daughter and I found that out on Saturday September 20th. From 5:30PM to 7:30PM we attended the Cardboard Boat Regatta. I think this may have been the first year that they did this.
You can get there by car or even take the bus, the #80 Van Mall goes right by there. I thought the regatta would be a hoot to go see and best of all it was free. Others where able to pay $5.00 and 2 cans of food to participate, sorry to say that was out of the budget and we didn’t have the cardboard. So we decided to be fans and cheer for the people that would attend instead. My daughter thought it was so cool and there where adults and kids that entered the event. Read the rest of Vancouver, WA-Firstenburg Center »
I was sitting in front of my computer doing some research for my book, which consisted of typing Felton in any way I could on Google Book search to see if I could come up with a hit. This tends to give me a headache after a while, so I was more than ready for a break when my friend Patti dropped by and asked if I wanted to go share a plate of french fries at our local movie theater, Cinetopia. I know that sounds like a strange place to go for fries, but this is a sumptuous movie theater with its own dining room and wine bar, Vinotopia, but that needs its own post..
We found our regular tall stools at the bar vacant, climbed up and Patti promptly ordered the fries. She had already had a glass of wine, which the fries were ordered to counteract, but we were told we needed to order a drink as well; luckily a soft drink was enough because neither of us was in the mood for more wine. We checked out the theater picks, but found nothing we wanted to see and ended up talking about Jimmy’s restaurant. Read the rest of Brain Fog Cure in East Vancouver »
I love books the way some people love coffee. But with the economy as tight as it has been and the housing industry getting worse almost by the day, I try not to go looking for a good read too often other than at the library. Today I found myself at Vintage Books, tucked in the corner of a strip mall at 6613 E. Mill Plain Blvd in Vancouver.
They have the largest selection of used books I have seen in Vancouver. Of all kinds, which is what makes them dangerous for me. I can force myself to wait when I find a mystery I want, but when I find a book which could go in the Harmon Howard Genealogical Library, either as a family genealogy, reference, or historical fiction I have much less willpower.
When I arrived this morning one of their cats was sitting in the doorway. I was afraid it would zoom out the door, but I could not get it to open. Turns out I was a half hour early. I hate sitting in the car for half an hour with no book to read, but there is a Safeway in the same mall and I knew for a fact they had these marvelous gourmet cookies…my favorites are something I call chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. I might have chosen a hot chocolate to go with it but this year I am suddenly allergic to milk. It has taken me a long time to realize that the allergy includes any kind of cheese, including cottage, whipped cream, sour cream, ice cream; no baked potatoes, root beer floats, or a la mode anything; so I ended up with a soda and waited out the time in their café. Read the rest of A booklovers’ dream in Vancouver »
The sun was bright, the weather hot and Layla and I were looking for an after school adventure. This was our first outing since school started and the only thing she demanded was a playground. We drove around for a while and saw some bright colored poles sticking up in the air, which was our sign to stop and check it out. It was just north of the corner where Klickitat Street and McIntosh meet. If you take the SR14 get off at exit 10 (192nd Avenue), take a right onto Brady Road and another right onto McIntosh. Follow that to Klickitat, make a left and there is a small parking lot on the right.
I looked all over for the name of this park, but there was none, just a Camas Park Rules sign. It was such a pretty little park it should be known as something other than “no-name park”. There were a some broad paths, but Layla was in charge and she wanted to unwind first, so we spent about 45 minutes playing on and around the playground, with a few instructive moments where “you be the owner and I’ll be the horse” type of adventures where she usually uses a necklace or something as reigns. This is not really my idea of a fun time, so I quickly begged off. (While looking for a map of this area I discovered the name of the park is “Klickitat Park”.) Read the rest of After School Adventure in Camas »
Summer’s sunshine is still hanging around, but with school back in session, it’s becoming clear those sunny days are numbered. So where can you go when the cold fronts arrive and the rains come down? Add Washington Square Mall to your list of rainy day outings.
Whether or not you want to spend money, there’s something for everyone. Personally, I’m trying to save more and spend at least a little less, so the play area is the perfect way for my two-year-old daughter and me to spend an hour.
You can park your stroller right outside the play area; just make sure you take any valuables with you when you enter. This play area is intended for the little ones, probably up to about age 4 or 5, and measures around 15 or 20 square yards, with shoe cubbies and padded seating all around for parents. There is also only one entrance/exit so it’s not difficult to make sure your child stays within its boundaries. Read the rest of Mountain Climbing Kid-Style at Washington Square, Tigard, Ore. »
I found out about this month’s First Friday Artwalk, a FREE event, and talked my sister into going with me at the last minute. My info said walking tours would depart from Keller Williams every 20 minutes between 5:00 – 7:30. (Next Artwalk: Friday, October 3, 2008, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM. Keller Williams, 915 Broadway, Vancouver, WA). Since neither of us has spent much time in downtown Vancouver in years. it took us a while to find the right address only to discover a sign in the window that said to go to the West Coast Bank. We looked at each other with the same question, and of course neither of us knew where it was.
We finally found the bank at the south end of Broadway. Once inside, it was crowded and exciting, with a booth giving out walking maps and guides of Vancouver and Clark County. The bank lobby had been turned into a community gathering-place for art enthusiasts, with trays of Hors d’oeuvres and a wine station. Teller stations featured children’s art and were also useful as small dining tables to some of us.
Since this was our first visit, we slipped off to a vacant corner but it wasn’t long before some truly gracious people introduced themselves. One of our most memorable was Sylvia, an elegant lady, who has been taking the Artwalks for about a year with a few friends. She explained to us how the walk worked and encouraged us to eat dinner before going on the walk next time since it would counteract the wine. She also told us that, after a walk or two, many people made the walk unescorted and went to the art galleries they liked best, then showed us her favorites on the Artwalk map. Read the rest of Vancouver’s First Friday Artwalk »
Stunning cliffs and picturesque plateaus overlooking the Columbia River. Abundant sunshine and its resulting tumbleweeds. Not a fir tree in sight. I have to admit, this is my kind of place. As beautiful as our wetter, greener portion of the state may be, there are many times I crave the dry, sunny climate of our eastern neighbors, and less than a two-hour drive away, historic Maryhill is one of my favorite destinations.
It had been years since I’d been there, and then a camping trip last summer reintroduced it to me. Now, having just returned from a four-night stay, I’m already trying to plan next year’s visit. For me, an extended camping trip in our travel trailer at Maryhill State Park makes a relatively inexpensive family vacation, but being less than two hours away from Vancouver, it’s also a day trip worth taking. Read the rest of A Day Trip (or Longer) to Historic Maryhill, Washington »
