The Never Ending Block Party - Summer 2014

My love affair with Portland continues. This summer we have had an amazing time taking advantage of all the free programs offered through Portland Parks and Rec. Ben rightly describes Portland as a nonstop block party during the summer. The location changes, but the party's always going :)

The kids and I went park hopping all summer and played at nearly a dozen different beautiful parks in the area. Portland Parks had representatives at many of these locations armed with board games, all kinds of bats and balls, crafts, and free lunches for the kids. Tommy got to try a climbing wall for the first time and totally rocked it. We went swimming several times for free in local swimming pools. We took free rides on the shuttle up to the zoo and Washington Park. We got to watch movies in the park with friends. (The Frozen sing-along was a huge hit with thousands of people gathering to sing, cheer, and boo at all the appropriate parts.) We enjoyed the Hawthorne Street Fair and Sunday Parkways. It was all free and it was all totally fun. The nonstop block party.

As we enjoyed Sunday Parkways this past weekend I got a little choked up as I watched hundreds of people bike together. How awesome that a community can come together and coordinate such a huge event! Portland is simply an amazing place to live if you like awesome people and communities, especially if you have kids.

We are extremely sad to see the summer wind down. It's so awesome to ride out in the morning and return at dinnertime having spent all day playing outside.

Here are a few highlights of our summer (there are a few videos at the end if you last through all the pictures):

Berry picking

Watching parades

Discovering a new beach

Playing at a cool new park

Playing in one of our favorite sand box parks

Riding our bike as much as 17 miles per day

Games at the park and Tommy's new obsession with chess

More parks

Free swimming

OHSU Tram

Free lunch

Building at the park

Splash parks

Dirt angels

Time at the beach with friends

Swimming in the Willamette

Visiting Mount St. Helens and our new obsession with volcanoes