Beaverton: Mexicali Express Mexican Restaurant

Mexicali Express is a longstanding tradition in Beaverton.

Sadly, the jar of big, soft chocolate chip cookies is gone, but everything else is still there.

Yes, they do serve breakfast all day. Now, with Tom's Pancake House just a tenth of a mile away, does it make sense to go to Mexicali Express for pancakes? 

Probably not. Breakfast burritos, on the other hand... 

Food is good and reasonably priced. I thought the carnitas street taco was especially good.

I was excited to see horchata in the fountain, but then disappointed with it.

Really, the best horchata comes out of a jar. I know that.

 There is a drive-through and your order comes quickly, but it really isn't fast food.

 It's not really fancy, either. It's just good.

 There is a reason they have been able to last fifty years.

COVID: Eating indoors may not be the best, and probably really not in the video poker room. 

However, there is outdoor seating and there is the drive-through option. 

Accessibility:  The path between booths is reasonably wide, but the only option for a wheelchair would be in that path. The drive-up window is probably a better option.

Mexicali Express is located at 12950 SW Canyon Rd in Beaverton,

Portland, Hillsdale neighborhood: Dosch Yellow Bellflower Apple

We recently learned that there is such a thing as heritage trees, and that Portland and Oregon have their own lists. One tree was relatively near to us.

Dosch Road is a familiar name, and this tree is associated with his farm, though it was planted by Reverend Albert Kelly in 1850. Colonel Dosch bought the property by 1887 and revitalized the orchard.

This 175 year old tree is the oldest living grafted tree in the Western United States. It no longer stands in an orchard, but in a neighborhood that honestly doesn't seem too welcoming, historical markers aside.

It looks like it could use some pruning, and definitely some harvesting. I hope someone is collecting the windfall apples and at least mulching them.

Once you are aware of something, you notice it everywhere. Three trees at the Young House are newly designated. We didn't think about them when we went, but now there should be markers.

https://beavertonvalleytimes.com/2025/04/24/3-cedar-mill-fruit-trees-added-to-state-heritage-tree-list/  

History is all around, though it can be easy to miss.

COVID: This is outside and you don't need to stay long. You will have dogs barking at you.

Accessibility: It's not great for navigating but there isn't a lot to see. You could just drive around it and look out from the car. 

https://oregontic.com/oregon-heritage-trees/dosch-yellow-bellflower-apple/

https://www.portland.gov/trees/malus-x-domestica

Sweet Home, Oregon: Classic A&W

Over Labor Day weekend we trekked down to Sweet Home to visit a retro A&W restaurant.

This was largely based on a desire to see the various mascots, including both the Burger Family and Rootie.

The statues were great, but it was also fun to see some of the other decor.

The recent Cracker Barrel logo change controversy was ridiculous, but it led to many people lamenting the lack of personality with current designs. There was lots of personality here.

One twist I had not been expecting was that in addition to having spots where you could pull in for car service, there were also phones at the tables that you used to place orders.

No one is waiting on roller skates, but it is still nice to be waited on in a fast food environment, and the staff was friendly.

I had to get a root beer float as part of the experience, and I loved the presentation.

Okay, ice cream melting down the glass was an issue with this, which does not happen with the less picturesque options, but still, it looked good.

Looking at the family, I had questions. One, why is Mama Burger so small compared to Papa and Teen Burger, but also, I started remembering a Grandpa Burger.

In fact, the family at various times has included Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Buddy, Baby, and Sirloin Baby Burger twins.

https://allenandwright.fandom.com/wiki/Burger_Family

Only Papa Burger still has associated meals in the United States, as the rest of the family belongs exclusively to the Canadian chain. The more you know.

Obviously it is a long way to go, and we probably are not going to go back. For that time, we still enjoyed the trip. 

COVID: Not only is it indoors, but you have to eat so masking is not an option. However, you can eat in your car.

Accessibility: I can see navigation being a little tricky, though not impossible, based on the widths of the aisles. There was a woman with a walker who seemed to be having a hard time.

This is again an area where the drive-up option may be your best bet for getting an old fashioned experience but still having ease and comfort. 

It was a fun family trip.

https://awrestaurants.com/ 

St. John's: Wonderwood Mini-Golf

Continuing with our Mike Bennett appreciation, we finally made it over to check out Wonderwood Mini-Golf.

One thing we had not made it to was an immersive adventure that had opened in 2022. 

https://portlandlivingonthecheap.com/wonderwood-mike-bennett/ 

This appears to be the same location and a lot of the artwork, but now repurposed as mini-golf.

It is not just mini-golf. There is also a cafe and an outside dining area.

This seems to go along with Bennett's interest in third spaces: places distinct from home and work. Community can often be sponsored in these spaces.

There are also story times and events.

There is an abiding love of Portland.

One incredibly helpful thing is that it has its own parking.

It was also nice -- since we are not in this area that often -- that it was easy to tell when we had arrived.

For the mini-golf itself, there were a lot of ramps, where you have to get the ball not just into the hole, but UP and into the hole.

I get how this can be practical for getting nine holes into a small space, but if you are not great at putting, having gravity working against you doesn't help.

We went on an unusually hot day, which may not have given us the best impression.

There are the animals that we adore.

Debating whether to run over to the cafe or to just play, we were advised it was not busy. In fact, three or four pairs came in behind us.

This would not have mattered so much if the group in front of us had not been five children and two adults juggling lattes. 

We should have had ice cream first.

Nonetheless, it appears to be a popular hangout, and that's all right.

COVID: It is indoors, and can fill up with people quickly. Wear a mask. It did not feel well-ventilated, but it was 100 degrees outside and I think that had an impact.

The best bet there may be hanging out in the outdoor dining area, the Dragon Alley. 

Accessibility: There are ramps, and there are no bathrooms. Navigation would be mostly okay, but actually playing the course and retrieving balls could be an issue. It is probably a little more difficult than many mini-golf courses, so plan accordingly. 

We are glad we went, but if we decide to golf again, it is going to be in winter.

https://www.wonderwoodsprings.com/

https://www.mikebennettstudios.com/experiences/wonderwood