Parks & Gardens

Normally the high-pitched, blood curdling screams of little girls would lead to the scrambling of parents in search of their children.

On a hot Saturday afternoon, the primal sounds had the exact opposite reaction, smiles all around.

“Whenever you get more than three girls on this ride, better plug your ears,” said the “Frog Hopper” ride attendant. “They love it.”

More than just screaming daughters love Enchanted Forest.

To prove it, all you need to do is walk around the 20-acre site on a summer day to see all the smiles.

Everyone has done it. Passed many roadside attractions doing 65 miles per hour not even noticing the enchanting place to stop and explore.

Stastny Gardens and Art Gallery is one of these roadside gems. Basically it’s three attractions in one, a wonderful garden with many different types of trees, shrubs and flowers, an art gallery with featured local artists and a showcase of unique hand-carved stone pots for plants, fountains and firepots.

Nestled behind the Fred Meyer store in Canby you will find a jewel of a park that captures the heritage of the area, as a small industrial park grows around it.

Arneson Garden is filled with old-growth trees and has a trail that circles the garden, taking you on a nature walk minutes from a small city.

We have all been to those fun centers where it’s utter chaos and parents are left standing around watching children run around like ferrets on quadruple espressos.

Big Al’s is different.

In fact, think of it as a fun center that caters to spending time with your kids, instead of just chasing them around.

I have been to Big Al’s several times for birthday parties and each time I find something new to do.

A 3.5 mile paved trail that bisects Canby and offers bikers, skaters, walkers and runners a quiet, long stretch of trail they can exercise on. It starts at 13th Avenue in South Canby and runs to the Willamette River in North Canby.

Driving north on Highway 99E as you enter Canby, it’s very hard not to notice the Vietnam memorial citizen of the small Willamette Valley town have constructed.

As you crest the hill into town, you are greeted by a Bell UH-1 helicopter – better known as a “Huey.”

A family-owned business since 1997 which has in the past focused on sandwiches, catering and quality food, has expanded into agri-tourism. It’s new location on a 35-acre farm is where they grow much of the food they serve and offer agri-tourism activities like a petting zoo, pumpkin patch, slides and greenhouses.

Few places on earth command overwhelming awe from observers, but Crater Lake, in south central Oregon, certainly does. Even in a region of volcanic wonders, Crater Lake can only be described in superlatives. Stories of the deep blue lake can never prepare visitors for their first breathtaking look from the brink of this 6 mile wide caldera which was created by the eruption and collapse of Mt. Mazama almost 7,000 years ago.

 The Steel Visitor Center is at the Crater Lake National Park headquarters and offers a 18-minute film, free advice about how best to enjoy Crater Lake, and has a post office. 

It’s been called everything from the “Crown Jewel” of Oregon Parks, to the most expensive comfort station in Oregon history, but the views can only be called stunning. The Crown Point Vista House at the gateway to the Columbia River Gorge has some of the best views in Oregon and can also give you a crash course in Oregon history to boot.