Sauvie Island Farms

Summer will unfortunately soon be a distant memory so be sure and take the time to make some great memories with what we have left.

Last week we spent a few hours and make some fun memories out at Sauvie Island Farms.

My daughter was babysitting the two neighbor boys so we took them along for some fun.

The highlight for them was riding the tractor out to the berry patch!

Sauvie Island Farms is a beautiful and magical place.  Although you are just minutes away from downtown Portland you feel like you are miles away.  I think I may just want to move there.

There is lots to do on the farm and lots to pick!

Peaches are ripe for the picking right now.

The Red Havens are delicious.  The trees are grown low to the ground so no ladders are necessary for picking.

In no time at all we had our wagon loaded up and ready to go.

The farm has boxes available to purchase to put your peaches in or you can bring your own containers.

From the peach orchard we hoped on the tractor and headed out to the berries to pick some raspberries and blueberries.

There are also lots of yummy vegetables available for U-Pick as well.

And then there were the flowers – the beautiful U-Pick flowers.  How could I go home without some of these!

Well of course I didn’t!

Everyone was friendly and welcoming and we wish we could live there too!  There were lots of pumpkins getting ready to ripen in the fields so I know we’ll be back!

Washington Park Summer Festival

Looking for some free fun?  Check out the Washington Park Summer Festival going on all this week – August 5-14.

There is a wide variety of performances.  Tonight we listened to Opera in the Park.

It was a beautiful summer evening and the music was lovely.

The concerts start at 6:00 p.m. and are held in the amphitheater in Washington Park.  They run shuttle buses from the various parking lots on a regular basis.  The place was packed tonight so you may want to go early to get a better vantage point than we had.

Put together a quick picnic lunch and enjoy a fun summer evening.

Portland Farmer’s Market

Farmer’s market season is in full swing in Portland.

Last weekend we checked out the Portland Farmer’s Market for the first time this season.

Located at PSU in the Park Blocks off of Broadway the Portland Farmer’s Market is open on Saturdays with other locations  during the week.  Check their website for details.

The market has lots of fresh local produce.

as well as lots of locally made products such as cheese…

lovely artisan breads…

and if you didn’t have breakfast before you arrived head on over to Pine State Biscuits!

Or pick up some sweet or savory treat at my personal favorite – The Tart Lady.

And of course there are plenty of beautiful flowers!  The peonies were out the day we were there.

There is something for everyone, old or young.  If you take the kids be sure and look for the balloon man!

A perfect way to spend a Saturday morning in Portland!

Best Breakfast}Beaverton Farmer’s Market

One of my favorite places to go for breakfast on a Saturday morning in the summer is the Beaverton Farmer’s Market.  The market is now open and in full swing.

For location and more info on the market go here.

On our visit to the market last Saturday we couldn’t decide where we wanted to eat breakfast so we split up.  My husband headed over for a Canby breakfast omelet.  They are delicious and HUGE – I think you could feed the whole family!!  All three of us worked on it.

Each omelet is cooked to order, right there in front of you!

There are lots of other delicious breakfast selections available.

The girls got in line at Zest Crepe.  This place is popular so be prepared to wait a little bit!
Tina and her girls are always friendly and lots of fun!

We always have such a hard time choosing what type of crepe we are going to have – sweet or savory?!

We usually go for sweet!  The Sweet Italy is so good!!

Tessa went for the Sundae Surprise off the children’s menu – it’s filled with chocolate chips!

If you are looking for something a little bit lighter for breakfast you can pick up a fresh baked scone at the Lavender Tea House booth and head over to listen to some music!

The Beaverton Farmer’s Market – a perfect way to start the day and the weekend!

Bob’s Red Mill

Bob’s Red Mill – “Whole grain foods for every meal of the day.”  With over 400 products Bob’s Red Mill is an amazing site and resource for whole grain products, gluten free products and certified organic products.

Located in Milwaukie, Oregon, Bob’s Red Mill is not just a store but also a restaurant.  You can also take tours of the actual mill.  It makes a great family outing or field trip!  Tours of the mill are available Monday through Friday and begin at 10:00 a.m.

The selection of whole grains, flours, cereals etc. is amazing and I could have spent all day wandering the aisles.  You can buy their products packaged or in bulk (you save money by buying bulk)

I picked up some steel cut oats, whole wheat pastry flour, granola and almond flour while I was there.

If you get hungry while you are there you can have breakfast or lunch at the restaurant which is open until 3 p.m. each day.  There is lots of whole grain goodness on the menu.

I enjoyed breakfast there with some girlfriends.  One friend ordered the grits, which if you like grits, I guess are fabulous.

Another ordered the polenta which came with fresh blueberries – the polenta does take 15 minute to prepare.

I went for the Belgian waffle with real maple syrup.

I think the best thing on the menu is their amazing scratch biscuits!  They are huge, light and fluffy!!

There is also a vegetarian menu available.

A trip to Bob’s Red Mill is a fun and tasty adventure.

Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm

If you have never visited the amazing Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm in Woodburn – you need to!

You still have time!  The tulip festival runs until April 25th so don’t delay.  The tulips are in full bloom right now and did I mention they are amazing?

There is a $5.00 per car charge on the weekdays and $10.00 on the weekends.

Wear your rain boots because the fields are muddy.

Besides amazing tulips to look at there are fun games for the kids and even a cow train to ride!

There is a gift shop that sells tulips of course and on the weekends there are also craft vendors.

And did I mention there are tulips?  Acres and acres of tulips!

The different varieties of tulips are identified with signs and you can order the bulbs you want!

So grab your camera and enjoy a visit to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm!

Oregon Coast} Bruce’s Candy Kitchen

What are your plans for Spring Break?  Are you headed out of town, maybe somewhere tropical?

If you are like us and you are sticking pretty close to home we want to spend the next few weeks giving you some fun ideas of place to go in and around Portland during the break.

How about an overnight trip or a day trip to the coast?

One not to be missed Oregon Coast stop is Bruce’s Candy Kitchen in Cannon Beach, just an hour and a half drive from Portland.  Bruce’s Candy Kitchen has been around since 1963 and no trip to the beach would be complete for our family without a visit to Bruce’s!

Bruce’s Candy Kitchen is candy heaven!  They have the feel of an old fashion candy shop and an amazing selection!  There is even candy on their front doors!!

If you are lucky you will be able to watch them make their salt water taffy during your visit.

If you miss it be sure and pick yourself out a nice selection of their amazing, house made taffy!

If taffy isn’t your thing, no worries, there is plenty of other sweets to tempt that sweet tooth!

And if you just can’t decide, you can always try my personal favorite – white chocolate covered gummi bears – polar bears!!

No matter what your candy of choice we can pretty much guarantee you won’t leave empty handed.

Enjoy a sweet treat at Bruce’s Candy Kitchen at Cannon Beach!

Cargo in the Pearl

Since Monday was a holiday and a sunny day here in Portland it was a good excuse to do a little exploring.

We headed down to the Pearl District of Portland for a girl’s lunch.

After lunch (check out the blog on Friday for where we ate lunch) we headed over to Cargo.  None of us had ever been there before but the outside was so intriguing and interesting we had to go in!  Cargo is located at 380 NW 13th Ave. in Portland and is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cargo describes themself as an importer of antiques and artifacts for the home and garden.

The selection is amazing at Cargo and it is huge!  You could wander for a long time and still not see everything.

Cargo imports from all over the world but there is a strong asian influence as seen in these beautiful votives.

and other Asian themed items.

If you have ever wondered where to find Chinese Chess pieces Cargo is the place!

Or if you are looking for something a little more French – they have a great selection of Eiffel Towers too!

Wondering what to do with those boxes and boxes of old slides you have? Cargo has the answer! How about a lampshade?

We had so much fun exploring and Cargo is definitely the kind of store you explore! There are treasures to be discovered around every corner!

I found a fun little book on eating and shopping in London that I picked up for my upcoming trip and Tessa and Hannah found spy glasses!  You never know what you’ll find at Cargo!

When I checked out they asked me if I wanted a bag and being the good Oregonian that I am I said “no”.  But when I saw how great their bags were I went back in and asked for one.  They are hand made for them in Indonesia.

Whether you are looking for a fun sunny day or rainy day activity a trip to Cargo is sure to please!

Moonstruck Chocolates

What began in 1993 in Portland Oregon as “an idea to handcraft superior chocolates, chocolates that would not only taste exquisite but would look exceptional” soon  became Moonstruck Chocolates.  With five locations in the Portland area Moonstruck Chocolates still handcrafts each piece of decadent chocolate with the best ingredients and the fresh flavors of the Northwest.

You can find Moonstruck Chocolate Cafes at 2 downtown locations, one on NW 23rd, Lake Oswego Village, Beaverton Town Square and St. Johns.

You can sip a gourmet beverage or indulge in an amazingly decadent dessert or just enjoy a piece of chocolate. 

This time of year there are plenty of pretty valentine gift ideas to choose from too!  For those of you not lucky enough to leave nearby you can order your favorite chocolate online just by visiting their website.

So if you are looking for a lovely valentine for that special someone head on over to the closest Moonstruck Chocolate Cafe – there is plenty to choose from and they will even give you a free sample!

Oregon Museum of Science & Industry {OMSI}

Located on the East side of the Willamette, OMSI was founded in 1944 and is one of the world’s leading science museums.  It is also home of the Pacific Northwest’s largest planetarium.  With 219,000 square feet of science at your fingertips the museum offers educational fun for the whole family.  Something I am embarrassed to admit I didn’t know about OMSI is that they are completely non-profit.  Committed to educating the public about science and technology, and completely dependent on financial support from you and me!  I hope you’ll put the family in the van on a rainy day this season and show your support for this amazing institution.  For more information on purchasing a membership, hours and exhibits please visit them here.

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