PDX Christmas - Orenco Station Winter Village

 I visited one last attraction after Christmas, the Winter Village at Orenco Station in Hillsboro.

 There are decorations, but it's mainly about the ice skating.

  And if this is your thing, the ice skating goes on until January 6th, so you can still get some time in.

One thing I hadn't realized before is that the location - Jerry Willey Plaza - seems to fall under the Parks and Recreation department. There are frequent repeating events, and some good information available. It may also be the park most conveniently located in relation to the MAX lines.

City bureaucracy may be the reason that waivers are required, though that seems like a good idea anyway. Also, some helpful notices.

While there were more supplementary activities before Christmas - like musical performances and vendor booths - there are still special theme nights coming, and the nearby businesses include a Thai restaurant, coffee shop, French bakery, and gelateria.

I suppose the primary pull is outdoor skating, and possibly convenience of location, given that there are fewer ice rinks now and the remaining rinks have gotten smaller.

Bright orange rental skates help with uniform safety.

There are 90 minute skating sessions interspersed with 30 minute ice clearing sessions that leave a fresh ring of "snow" outside the rink, which is very tempting for snowballs for the children hanging around. Well, without heading into the mountains, it is the only Christmas snow around right now.

Most people just seemed very happy to be able to strap on their skates and glide.

https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/departments/parks-recreation/recreation-fun-/special-events-/winter-village

PDX Christmas - Mill Ends Park

This is the smallest of the Christmas displays that I will be posting about this year, but it is pretty adorable!

This was my first time visiting Mill Ends Park. I have gone walking around that area a lot, and it is completely possible that I have passed right by without noticing it. That should be less of a problem now that the sign is there, new since May: https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portlands-tiny-mill-ends-park-now-has-its-own-tiny-sign/283-557571669

The concept of the tiny park is fun, especially in a city that also has Forest Park, one of the largest urban forests in the United States. But if you go now, it is all decked out for Christmas, including a snowflake start at the top of the tiny tree. Surely that's worth the trip.

One helpful hint:  there is not access to a Walk button on the median, and the crosswalks for crossing Naito are not automatic like most of the lights downtown. It may be helpful to have your party take turns. There are often other people around who will push the light, but there are no guarantees for that, while traffic is almost certainly guaranteed.

It is all very Portland.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mill_Ends_Park

PDX Christmas - The Christmas Ship Parade

The Christmas Ship Parade is a tradition that goes back to 1954, though it has grown and developed since then. This was the first year I had been to see it.

 There are both Willamette and Columbia River parades, with some nights having a combined fleet. Check the schedule for where and when and special events.

 Those schedules give you a start time and the path followed, but there can be some variation on where the ships arrive when.

 I parked myself in Tom McCall Waterfront Park near the Portland Spirit Dock. With the parade starting at 7 PM, I was first positive that there were ships coming into view at 7:30, and the last of them had passed by 7:45.

 That may not sound like much. Obviously you can see the ships for a while on the approach and on the departure.

 When I mention being positive on whether or not they were coming, there were lights I could see, but that were not clearly approaching me. My position was not terribly far from their starting point, and I suspect there is some arranging and getting into position that takes a while.

 So, if I wanted the most bang for my buck viewing wise, I think I would choose one of the places that the ships turn around, like at the Fremont Bridge, and watche there. In theory it should be possible to see the ships pass by, turn, and pass again.

 One of the points to consider may be how long you want to spend outside.

 See, here is a thing that I did not spend enough time considering.  This is an activity that you do in December, at night, on the water. It gets really cold.

 Obviously dressing warmly is a good idea. Moving around can help a little, but not as much as a hat and gloves.

 One more thing about it happening at night: even though it is cold and dark, people are still using the park for jogging and biking, so be aware of the traffic around you. Everyone is harder to see.

 There are possibilities for inside viewing as well, like certain restaurants and boats. I felt like it was a better view - more flexible but certainly also cheaper - to be outside, but yes, it was noticeably colder. Consider the needs of your viewing party.

Taking all of that into consideration, it is pretty cool. The decorations are fun (my photos do not fully demonstrate that), and it feels like a very Portland thing.

The length of the parade is short, but you can easily access viewing from either side of the river, so it should be easy to pair the parade with dining or shopping, as long as you have some time flexibility.

Many of my Christmas reviews are going to be for things that are already over for the year, but the Christmas Ships will continue to parade through December 20th.

https://www.christmasships.org/

Aloha, Oregon - Taqueria El Gordo

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We had started hearing good things about a taco truck in Aloha, except sometimes it was a truck and sometimes it was a restaurant. It turns out it was both.

They do have an inside space. It looks like it will eventually join up with the hair salon, making this a multi-purpose commercial space that is in a time of transition. For now they are also parked right next to a truck, and this was where we placed and received our orders.

 There was an order window inside, displaying an impressive dessert menu.

In the meantime, it is nice to have a place to sit down and eat, outside of the weather. That is something not a lot of trucks offer.

Food is very good. They are especially known for their tacos al pastor, or tacos arabes, where the savory meat is kept on a large skewer, like shawarma. (You can get the meat in a burrito as well.) The rice was really good.

Portions are small, but prices are too. It is probably best to approach things from a tapas point of view, where you plan on ordering many different things and getting to try a lot.

There was a little bit of disorganization, like the girl taking my order not knowing about the Taco Tuesday deal posted on Facebook. As the business gets settled, this is probably to be expected. Given the quality of the food and the low prices, I think this can be dealt with.


https://www.facebook.com/TaqueriaElGordo503/



https://www.facebook.com/TaqueriaElGordo503/

Portland Metro Area - Chipper's Woods Miniature Golf at Oaks Park

I hadn't even known that Oaks Park had miniature golf, but my sisters did and they wanted to go.

It's just one corner of the park - fairly near the skating rink - but they use the space well, with winding paths leading to compact holes so that everything is pretty close together.

The designs are mostly rustic, incorporating a lot of wood and water, which reflects the local landscape.

Well, that hole might be a little more beachy than you would expect.

There was something else I appreciated that I am not sure how to describe, or even if it was intentional, but without it being a really easy course, it was much more possible to get a hole in one than in most places we have played.

We didn't get many, and there were still holes where we hit the 5-stroke limit without getting the ball in. Also, how we fared at each hole had no apparent relation to par whatsoever. Still, it felt like we were able to move through pretty quickly and have a pretty good time in a way that seemed better than most of the courses we have played.

That was despite occasionally falling prey to the water hazards. We were able to pluck most balls out pretty quickly, but one fell back in after we hooked it. A nearby kid eagerly jumped in to get it.

While I am sure we could have gotten it on our own, the speed with which he volunteered led me to believe that excuses to go into the water may be another one of the attractions.

http://oakspark.com/site/mini-golf.html

Portland Metro Area: Eastbank Esplanade Waterfront Park Loop

I know my review of the 4T trail was negative, but fortunately I have a much better walk for your outdoor family experience. You can take a nice scenic loop along the Willamette River much more easily.

First of all, there is much better signage.

That is not specifically for the trail, but rather for nearby attractions and streets.

There actually can be some ambiguity for the route. I entered Tom McCall Waterfront Park from the Yamhill MAX stop, crossed on the Steel Bridge, went along the Eastbank Esplanade to the Hawthorne Bridge, and then went back to my starting point.

You can cross on the Burnside Bridge instead to shorten the route, although it is less convenient. I believe you can also keep going on for a while past the Steel Bridge.

You can definitely go past the Hawthorne Bridge to OMSI, and I believe cross on the Tillicum Crossing. I still believe it is easier to have all of those things be decisions and choices rather than getting lost.

I think this route is more scenic than the 4T in general, but also, I was interested to notice that for all of these empty moorings, the Portland Maritime Museum does actually use these lines to stay securely in their port. These are real working moorings!

Speaking of the Maritime Museum, this route also has many options for combining with other activities.

Not only are the Maritime Museum and Saturday Market right there, but you are also close to OMSI, as previously mentioned, and the departure point for the Portland Spirit. There are the various sections of the park, and the Oregon Convention Center which is also near the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.

There are rentals for bikes, scooters, and surrey style bikes, all of which passed me at one point or the other, but without any crowding or collisions.

There is also fishing, though it may be better to stick with catch and release. The sign seemed pretty discouraging.

It is also less steep than the 4T trail, which has its advantages.

I mean, I did find it more relaxing, but mainly I just found it prettier.

There is less landscaping along the East side, but they put in more art and that is interesting too.

There are also more places to obtain fresh water.

Here is the most important piece of advice I have for you, though it could easily not matter. As you reach the Hawthorne Bridge on the East side, you will see signs for the bus stops going East and going West. If you are catching a bus, pay attention, because you will not want to try crossing that busy street!

If you are just going over the bridge, following that signage can get you on the side of the bridge that matches the traffic flow, but the walkways are so wide it isn't a big deal.

Then you can take a stairway back into the park, or follow the ramp (with a nice walkway) into downtown Portland. It is safe for pedestrians (something not always considered with the 4T).

That is why I found this walking trail superior. However, if you want something more challenging, try the Wildwood Trail in Washington Park. (Although it is pretty easy to get lost there.)

Thank you Vera Katz and Tom McCall!