Please have a Covid-free Christmas

December starts Tuesday, and you may be regretting various holiday traditions that just aren't safe to do this year. Famously, Peacock Lane will stay dark this year.

There are still a lot of things you can do. In lieu of a regular review today, I am going to give you some ideas now, while there is still time to book them or drop by.

(But it shouldn't be too hard to guess some of the coming reviews. And one of them might not be an activity so much as a fun place to buy candy.)

Christmas display at Enchante Choclatier in Milwaukie, Oregon.

https://enchantechocolatier.com/

Most of them are car activities, but the big exception was reserving half an hour at a fire pit at Plumper Pumpkin Farm, which come with a s'more kit for four. (You can purchase additional kits.)

http://plumperpumpkins.com/christmas_trees.php

Marshmallows roasting at Plumper Pumpkin.

Plumper is a pumpkin patch, but they are also a Christmas tree farm with trees, wreaths, and other greenery and foods, plus those previously praised pumpkin doughnuts.

Also, those car activities are not always drive-through light displays. We might just go to see a play and musical based on a beloved radio holiday tradition.

My sisters had some interest in doing the Cinnamon Bear cruise on the Portland Spirit, which I have felt would be overpriced and horrible (I could be wrong). Experiencing the show from the safety of our car (free of other people's children) at Oaks Park sounds like a swell alternative. We're doing it.

https://www.oakspark.com/pub/doc/Cinnamon-Bear-FAQ.pdf

But otherwise, paying to drive through a course of light displays isn't just for Portland International Raceway anymore. Now we can also do it at the Oregon Zoo, and I am fascinated to see how it works.

https://www.oregonzoo.org/news/2020/11/zoolights-display-will-open-drive-thru-experience

We do not have our ticket for this yet, because ticket purchases are on a seven-day rolling schedule. One advantage of this is that you don't have to worry about all of the sessions being sold out yet. That is not as true for Lightopia.

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

The City of Hillsboro is also putting on a drive-through light display, at least partly to take the place of the Orenco Winter Village. 

One great thing about Lightopia is that it is free. That has also made it very popular, where everything before Christmas is already gone. The first opening we could find was on January 16th. If you want to go, you better jump on it.

I have heard rumors of some other displays in Washington if you want to go farther afield. These are all relatively close.

There is good reason to believe that next year will be better. For now, keep your holidays happy by keeping them safe.

ETA: Lightopia has added some slots after selling out. If you were having trouble try checking again.

Seaside, Oregon

 I cannot go back to Seaside until the pandemic is over.

It was a beautiful day, and despite that it was relatively (for Seaside) uncrowded. 

I saw too many people without masks, or wearing masks pulled down, so definitely noses but also sometimes mouths out too.

I tried to think whether I was the problem. Usually when I am out, it is for grocery shopping, and inside the store everyone is masked. Outside, maybe it was reasonable. Except there were still so many people! And when we were walking around in Oregon City, even outside everyone seemed capable of keeping their masks on.

And, clearly support for compliance was grudging, at least for some people. One woman was going off on a restaurant employee for the one way entrance and exits, except since her party was using the bathrooms - which were near the exit - it would have actually been more of a walk for them to go back to where they came in. Great.

It definitely could have been worse. Employees were acting appropriately and there was outdoor dining. (We went to Mo's.)

But still, as beautiful as it is, and as fun as things are to explore, maybe that is the problem. Perhaps a beach area breeds complacency.

As careful as we tried to be, even we messed up.

We went into the arcade (a weakness for us), and decided it wasn't safe. Then we saw a claw machine with one of the prizes stuck. Well, by the time we got a playing card it was gone, but then we had the credit, so we did play.

Great, we won some, but then in the excitement of that, even though there were signs that you could ask an employee to clean a machine before playing, we didn't. We should have sanitized our hands right after; we didn't. It's been more than two weeks now and we are fine, but cases are spiking and wherever you go, there are going to be more infected people around, and more danger. 

And Seaside doesn't seem to be a place where the danger gets taken seriously. It doesn't have to be malicious to be a problem.

I'm glad a vaccine is coming. Someday we will go back.

https://www.seasideor.com/

Oregon City - McLoughlin Promenade

We had been  on parts of the McLoughlin Promenade before as we explored Oregon City, but we wanted to do the whole thing. That can be a little confusing.

One end of the path is the McLoughlin house site, which contains both the McLoughlin house and the Barclay house.

These connect by a fun little under road tunnel that can be taken to either a stairway down to the lower level of Oregon City, or to the Municipal Elevator and the rest of the Promenade.

It would not be unreasonable to think of the Promenade as the path that picks up at the parking lot on 6th and High (just past the elevator), and that ends at the VFW. That way, you have an uninterrupted pathway with park on the side.

There are wildflower plantings, and places to sit and play.

There are also a few more views of the Falls.

However, before you end up in that not very scenic VFW parking lot, you may have noticed a pathway that goes down, across the road, and back to ground level.

That is also part of the trail, and it goes on for about another half mile.

This is especially important because it is surprisingly difficult to find a clear delineation of the path of the promenade or its actual length. There is a lot of signage while you are on it confirming that you are on it, however.

Despite a little confusion, it is clearly well-used. We found many other walkers - with and without dogs - and people with children and people just sitting and enjoying the view. 

I was pleased to see that people were being good about masks. That has not been true everywhere.

It would be relatively easy to build one route where you start at the McLoughlin/Barclay houses. take the Promenade past the elevator to maybe Bluff and High Street, and then take John Adams Street to the Pioneer Community Center, Carnegie Park and the library, and catch the other two historic houses, Stevens-Crawford and Francis Ermatinger. That would be one way of seeing a lot of Oregon City.

However that path would really only include a short section of the Promenade, and not include a ride on the elevator, and a lot would be missed. Multiple trips to Oregon City have shown us that there is no convenient path to take in everything.

We keep going back because we like the things that we see and we want to see more.

https://www.orcity.org/parksandrecreation/mcloughlin-promenade

Oregon City - Mike's Drive-In

While visiting so many places in Oregon City, it made sense to check out Mike's Drive-In:

 A local institution since 1971, Mike's claims to make the best burgers and shakes in town.

 To adjust to the pandemic, chef Mike heads are spaced six feet apart for the line.

They have also added extra outdoor seating. There was definitely plenty of room when we got there, though the amount of customers doubled when a large scooter gang rolled up. (Not a joke.)

We found the staff to be friendly and helpful. Food waits were not long, despite there being many customers.

 I thought these signs were good reminders.

Food was good. The seasonal pretzel bun ham and cheese sandwiches were especially tasty. Burgers and tots were normal, but probably not really "the best".

It is something else that sets them apart (and we did not try the shakes, but it could be those too).

This is really good soft serve, and it is at a great price.

Not only that, these tokens are ingenious. You can pay for your cone up front, instead of choosing between two transactions or having your cone melt while you eat your food, or having to eat dessert first (which is not always terrible).

You can enjoy your meal at your leisure, then get your treat, and it works really well.

That is plenty of reason to go and to return.

https://www.mikesdrivein.com/home