Hillsboro, Oregon -- Schoch Dairy & Creamery

 We have been out to Schoch Dairy three times now.

The first time was around Christmas, for egg nog.

It was very good egg nog.

On my first time, it was a little confusing. The farm store is largely self-service. There is a can for the cash, and a sheet where you mark down your items and our total.

The web page said cash and checks only, but I noticed some people had written down Venmo. It appears there are some digital options.

We had to go back, though, because that day they were out of the Schocolate milk. That is a thing I drink, and that is a really good name.

I didn't like it quite as much, but I think we get to something important here. This is whole milk. Store chocolate milks are usually low-fat. If you are used to that, it is an adjustment.

However, I also wonder if that is part of what made the egg nog so good. The glass bottle could also be a factor. Often egg nog is a little too thick, with the expectation that it will be mixed with rum. If you are not adding rum, it can be too much of a good thing. The Schoch egg nog had a really good flavor and consistency by itself. I suspect it would mix well too, but that's outside of my experience.

Of course the egg nog is seasonal, but at any time you can find whole milk in both white and Schocolate, as well as chicken and duck eggs, and sometimes there are cheeses and maybe honey.

On our last trip a new offering was live cultures for yogurt. It's fun to see what comes up.

Our third trip was to return the bottle. (We had already returned the egg nog bottle.) There is a deposit, but also it is helpful for the family. There was a notice about delays in getting new bottles from the manufacturer.

And of course, it is fun to see what is in. For returning customers it makes sense to check the Facebook page, which does a good job of updating with what has run out and when new batches will be out, but there is also some fun in just peeking in and seeing.

However, there was another reason that I really wanted to get back. Even though I had meant to, on our previous trips it was wet and I was shy and I did not visit the cows. What is the point of going to a real dairy if you are not going to see real cows?

This time could not have gone better. It was sunny so the cows were out in the pasture,  and we drove in right behind a hay truck. The cows found this very interesting.

A brochure I picked up listed some stores that carry the milk. I guess that can be convenient, but there is a whole experience in going out to get your milk right from the source.

This is farm-fresh, family-owned, and pretty fabulous.

https://www.facebook.com/schochdairyfarm

http://www.schochdairy.com/

Milwaukie Bay Park, and Kellogg Creek Park Rules!

The title is kind of a joke. I am not sure where we were, but we liked it there.

It started simply enough with us leaving Enchanté Choclatier via Monroe Street, and wondering what would happen if we went straight instead of turning onto McLoughlin Blvd. A map showed what comes next as the Trolley Trail. That sounded intriguing.

https://ncprd.com/parks/trolley-trail 

Now, if you just do keep going straight on Monroe, you do not end up with any good parking options. We tried that, and then we tried going the other way, and eventually we turned into what should be Milwaukie Bay Park, though we did not see any signs saying that.

https://www.milwaukieoregon.gov/parkssustainability/milwaukie-bay-riverfront-park

 

The most obvious sign was for the Kellogg Water Resources Recovery Facility, and while that is the building and not the trail ways, and its presence definitely has some influence on the park. 

It is obvious that a lot of the design and planting is set up to facilitate water runoff and good drainage, which is an excellent reason to watch your step when moving between parking areas. Sometimes there is unexpected depth.

We also noticed this sign. It was not out, but it was ready because sometimes it may be needed.

This park does have recreation, but that is not its only purpose.

The recreation is nice. We saw people on bikes, scooters, and skateboards, as well as one person carrying a kayak, and several humans and dogs on foot. It seems like roller blades and paddle boards could also fit in well. Also, there's no reason you couldn't bring a picnic basket or a frisbee.

I liked the look of this old set of steps into the water, but there was also a modern boat ramp.

That is a reminder that the parking spaces were generally very long, the better to accommodate boat trailers. Because of this, the parking lot can fill up quickly, especially on good boating days. If you are biking the trail, it may be easiest to come by MAX. You can do so from the SE Park Avenue Light Rail Station, on the Orange Line.

We noticed many people stopping and looking down from the pedestrian bridge. Checking it out on our way out, we discovered the sluice, no doubt also associated with the water treatment and overflow.

It was interesting, and we enjoyed our time there, but where was there? Nothing said "Milwaukie Bay Park.

This was a contender for "Riverfront Park", but that seems pretty non-specific and part of something that goes on for miles. Then we saw this sign:

Not having seen "Milwaukie Bay Park" on the map the first time, we took this sign as definitive. Here were the Rules for Kellogg Creek Park, therefore, Kellogg Creek Park was where we were.

Logical, but apparently wrong. The map and the parks department both seem to defer to the Milwaukie Bay, which is apparently where Kellogg Creek gets treated on its way into the Willamette River.

Maybe that sign was just a vote of confidence. Kellogg Creek Park may not officially exist, but it rules!

Milwaukie, Oregon -- Enchanté Chocolatier

One of the really fun things about our frequent trips to Oregon City has been occasionally popping over next door to Milwaukie and visiting Enchanté Choclatier.

Want a chocolate box containing more chocolate? No problem.

I am not really into shoes, but I know people who are, and this seems like a pretty solid gift.

A big part of the fun has been enjoying the holiday decorations. Our first visit was near Halloween, and that was great, but I was busy writing about seasonal things, and wouldn't it be good to see what they were doing for Christmas?

And then, there was so much Christmas-related to blog about that it just made sense to also visit before Valentine's Day.

There can be no doubt that you are at a choclatier. Preparation is done on-site, so the aromas may change based on what was most recently concocted (on our last visit, peanut brittle), but it is always going to smell good, and be full of fresh treats.

We had heard good things about the shop, but were concerned about the prices, including truffles that were $6. Boxes of truffles add up really quickly.

What we found is that there is a wide variety of treats, and at a wide range of prices. Some are very affordable.

The cases are well-organized, where it is easy to choose what center you want, and whether you want that in light or dark chocolate.

But there are also lots of other options, including bagged and foil-wrapped, and lots of things that are seasonally appropriate, like these handsome turkeys.

If you do want to go all out with a hand-dipped truffle, there are also some really nice gift boxes available.

The store's heart belongs to Paris, and that boutique theme creates the feel for the store and the items for sale. There are trinkets and treasures, along with the truffles.

And because they incorporate the holidays so well, what you will find is always changing.

That makes it really fun to look around.

Enchanté Chocolatier is on SE Main Street in Milwaukie, kitty-corner from Dark Horse Comics and near Kellogg Creek Park and the Trolley Trail.

It combines well with visits to Oregon City, but is also within walking distance of Canby Asparagus Farm, the tamale restaurant.

After all, lots of excursions are only made better by the addition of some chocolate.

The choclatier is also a part of the town's history. While there have been some changes, including in location, the family-owned business has been located in Milwaukie's downtown for over 80 years.

So consider stopping by some time. We found it enchanting!

https://enchantechocolatier.com/

https://www.facebook.com/enchantechocolatier