Molalla Train Park (Molalla) If you have a train enthusiast under your roof, you know there are lots of fun (and sometimes pricey) train outings both in and outside of Portland. We found the Molalla Train Park to be a hidden gem among those options and is FREE (donations are welcome and encouraged). It is volunteer run and only open Sunday afternoons from noon to 5 PM, May through October (starting May 5th for the 2019 year), but well worth the 50+ minute drive for an enjoyable afternoon with your family. The trains are 7.5 inch gauge (for those of us not steeped in train trivia, this refers to the space between the rails) so it is more Keep Reading

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden (SE Portland) Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, located in the Eastmoreland neighborhood of SE Portland, is one of the many ways Portlanders can find paradise in the heart of the city. Nestled in the southeast, a stone’s throw from Reed College, this 9.5-acre haven for multiple varieties of waterfowl attracts families with kids of all ages. Bring your camera to capture your children’s wide eyes when the geese step right up, hoping you’ll ignore the garden’s request that you not feed them. There are signs to help you identify the fowl swimming on Crystal Springs Lake. According to one of the brochures Keep Reading

Hoyt Arboretum (Portland) When most people think of Northwest Portland family outings they picture the Portland Zoo, the Portland Children’s Museum or maybe the World Forestry Center. Some people may not even know that the perfect and free family outing is only steps away! We recently visited the Hoyt Arboretum for the first time and had a fabulous morning. If you are not familiar with this area, the Arboretum is located about two miles west of Downtown Portland. Our first stop was to get a map from the visitors’ center. The little ones absolutely loved having a map. They would frequently pause to look at it, trace their finger along Keep Reading