“Coastal communities have already experienced several drownings this year,” said Portland Fire Public Information Officer Paul Corah.
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Headed for the coast? Firefighters ask that you stay safe
Celebrate Valentine's Day or “The Worst Day of the Year” this weekend. Or if you don't want to celebrate any “day,” Del the Funky Homosapien will be here Sunday!
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Weekend Guide February 11-13
The number of visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2010�nearly�matched the figure from the year before, despite landslides, weather extremes and major construction projects.
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Smokies visits in 2010 nearly match year before
Glacier�set a record with 2,216,109 visitors in the first 11 months of the year, breaking the old mark of 2,203,847 in all of 1983.
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Glacier National Park sets attendance record
Another year is fast approaching and many of us have earnestly created New Year’s Resolutions lists. My family does this, too, but first we take a look back at our lists from the year that’s ending to see how well we did. Here’s the tally from 2010: Me: Learn how to make gravy. (Yes!) Save at least $XXX during the year. (Yes!) Not get fired. (Yes! – so far) Swim in the ocean. (Sadly, no, but this one is always on my list so I’m hoping for better luck in 2011.) Son: Learn to swim better. (Yes!) Play soccer. (Yes!) Get better at cooking. (Yes!) Play in the snow. (Yes!) Have a birthday pool party. (Yes!) Husband: (Re)start jazz piano lessons. (Yes!) Post a CD on CD Baby. (Yes!) All: Win the lottery. (No, but this is another item that’s always on our list.) Eat fondue. (Yes!) Go to the beach. (Yes!) Eat dim sum. (Yes!) Take a fun vacation. (Yes and yes!) Eat sushi. (Yes!) Have a good 2010. (Yes!) As you can see, many of our “resolutions” are more about things we hope to do rather than goals we hope to accomplish (and there’s always a lot of food involved!), but it’s fun to look back and see how many of them came to fruition. What resolutions are you proud to have accomplished this year? What’s on your list for 2011? What kind of resolutions, if any, do your kids make? Whatever you’re hoping for in the new year, we hope your dreams come true! Here’s to a happy, healthy and prosperous 2011.
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Do You Make New Year’s Resolutions?
Tourists taking advantage of mild fall weather are adding to the already record number of people who have visited Yellowstone National Park this year.
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Folks sure like going to Yellowstone
Tourists taking advantage of mild fall weather are adding to the already record number of people who have visited Yellowstone National Park this year.
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Folks sure like going to Yellowstone
It's one of several fee-free days the park system has offered this year.
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National parks will be free on Veterans Day
It’s time for Halloween and Harvest fun , from pumpkin picking, corn mazes and hay rides to haunted houses and other spooky spectacles. While many families have a favorite pumpkin patch they return to year after year, we like to check out new harvest events every fall. So if you’re up for a new October adventure this year, read our roundup of fall favorites , and check our Family Calendar for more harvest fun every day this month. What’s your family’s favorite harvest or Halloween attraction or event?
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Halloween and Harvest Fun
You voted. We counted. Now we announce the winners of our 2010 “Family Favorites” Reader Survey . (Read our September issue for a more detailed recap of our readers’ comments – including some additional categories.) Family Favorite Restaurant (Our “Happy Highchair” Award) : Hopworks Urban Brewery (2944 SE Powell Blvd.; hopworksbeer.com ) claimed the top spot, with comments like, “My husband and I actually consider this family outing a ‘date night’ because we get to have uninterrupted conversation while the kiddos play in the kids’ area.” Laurelwood Public House & Brewery (Sandy Blvd., Kearney and NE 40th locations; laurelwoodbrewpub.com ) came in a close second, with reader reviews including, “Sipping on a cold Free Range Red beer with my husband while the kids are off playing in the play area is my mini-vacation.” Coffee Shop : Munchkin Playland (18335 NWWest Union Rd.; munchkinplayland.com ) took top honors this year, barely outpacing Café Sip-n-Play (3000 SE 164th Ave., Vancouver; cafesipnplay.com ), both receiving rave reviews for their children’s play spaces. Toy Store : Piccolo Mondo (4768 SW Bethany Blvd.; piccolomondotoys.com ) moved from third place last year to win the category this year. In addition to great service and selection (amenities all of our top toys stores this year share), Piccolo was praised for their children’s activities, cool toys kids can play with while mom and dad shop, free gift wrap and a game “library” (borrow before you buy). Thinker Toys (7784 SW Capitol Hwy; thinkertoysoregon.com ) finished a strong second and Kids at Heart (3445 SE Hawthorne Blvd.; kidsathearttoys.com ) took third. Ice Cream Parlor : Baskin Robbins (multiple locations; baskinrobbins.com ) claimed the gold in this category for the first time, with Cold Stone Creamery (multiple locations; coldstonecreamery.com ) taking a respectable second. Bliss Bake Shop (4708 NW Bethany Blvd.; blisscupcakeshop.com ) surprised us by taking third place with 16 flavors of Tillamook ice cream. Book Shop : It’s hard to compete with Powell’s (1005 W Burnside and other locations; powells.com ) which, once again, earned the No. 1 slot for its unbeatable selection of new and used books as well as comfortable seating in the kids’ section and the coffee shop. Second and third place winners, Annie Bloom’s (7834 SW Capitol Hwy; annieblooms.com ) and Green Bean Books (1600 NE Alberta St.; greenbeanbookspdx.com ), both were cited for amazing selections of high quality children’s books; Green Bean also was praised for free children’s activities and story times. Kids’ Clothing/Shoe Store : Clogs-n-More (multiple locations; Clogs-n-More Kids, 3435 SE Hawthorne Blvd.; clogsnmore.com ) garnered top honors in this category, with bella stella (2751 and 2635 NE Broadway; bellastellaresale.com ) in second, lauded for reasonably priced new and used items, a play area and super friendly staff. The Hanna Andersson Outlet (7 Monroe Parkway, Lake Oswego; hannaandersson.com ) was mentioned by many readers for great selection at discounted prices. Movie Theater : McMenamin’s Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd; mcmenamins.com ), with their weekly Mama Matinees and comfy couches, narrowly beat out Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark; academytheaterpdx.com ), but the Academy boasts something the Kennedy School does not: onsite babysitting! Children’s Hair Salon : Little Clippers (15082 SW Bangy Rd., Lake Oswego; 10822 SE 82nd Ave., Clackamas; littleclippers.com ) once again reigned supreme, with amenities including cool cars to sit in, DVDs to watch, a play house, hair glitter and more. Outdoor Destination : The Oregon Zoo (4001 SW Canyon Rd.; oregonzoo.org ) was the runaway winner again, with our incredible public parks coming in second. Indoor (Rainy Day) Destination : OMSI (1945 SE Water Ave.; omsi.edu ) once again topped this category, followed by the Portland Children’s Museum (4015 SW Canyon Rd.; portlandcm.org ). Family Vacation Destination : The Oregon coast took top honors again this year, with Cannon Beach, Newport, Seaside and Manzanita all mentioned numerous times. Sunriver (area: sunriverchamber.com ; resort: sunriver-resort.com ) also was nominated as a nearly ideal family vacation spot. Grocery Store : New Seasons (multiple locations; newseasonsmarket.com ) took top honors for their uber-friendly employees and quality food. Not far behind was Trader Joe’s (multiple locations; traderjoes.com ), with reasonable costs, kid-sized shopping carts and the “hide and seek” game for little ones. Bike Shop : By the passion of the comments, this category probably should go to Clever Cycles (903 SE Hawthorne Blvd.; clevercycles.com ) which was lauded for its myriad family and kid-friendly options, but the Bike Gallery (multiple locations; bikegallery.com ) actually received the most votes – although nary a comment among them. Sunset Cycles (15320 NW Central Drive; sunsetcyclesnw.com ) also received numerous votes for friendly and complete service. To read more about our Family Favorite winners – including those for Birthday Party Place, Children’s Gym, Fitness Center, Yoga Studio and Place to Swim – check out our September issue in print or online .
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And The Winners Are …
It’s that time of year again — the time we pack up the kiddos and head to Salem for the Oregon State Fair ! A late summer ritual for nearly 150 years (give or take), the fair is bigger and better than ever this year, and we’re giving away a Family 4 Pack of tickets to one lucky reader! You’ll find all your old favorites — big-time entertainers, 4-H and FFA exhibits, crafts and baked goods and midway rides galore — but you’ll also find plenty of new attractions to excite even the most experienced fair goer! Back this year are ATV Safety Rides, the Bi-Mart Monster Truck Experience, a BMX demo and riding area, the Cherry City Roller Derby Girls, mountain biking, rock climbing, a skate park and more. New to the fair are sand sculpting, an outdoor aquarium, flat track dirt racing, the Turtle Ridge Wildlife Center, bowling, Volcanoes baseball, Air Soft shooting and several other intriguing additions. And don’t miss Days of the Dinosaur, featuring more than 35 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, skeleton replicas, a fossil dig, 3-D cinema, a little dino ride and other big time dino fun! ENTER HERE BY NOON ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 28, FOR A CHANCE TO WIN. PLEASE NOTE: We’ll be mailing the tickets on Saturday afternoon, so plan to visit the fair between August 31 and September 6. What’s your best memory from — or favorite attraction at — the Oregon State Fair?
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Win Tickets to the Oregon State Fair!
This year more than 125 artists will perform through the July 4 holiday until Monday at the Safeway Waterfron Blues Festival to benefit the Oregon Food Bank.
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Waterfront Blues Fest kicks off Friday
If it's April, there must be flowers! And we don't mean in your yard; we mean in the Columbia River Gorge, where more than 700 different species of wildflowers bloom throughout the year, many of them right now.
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Hike(s) of the Month: Flipping for Flowers
Monday, May 21
Cloudy
Currently: 57˚F
Feels Like: 57˚ F
Hi: N/A˚, Lo: 52˚
Tuesday, May 22
Hi: 57˚, Lo: 50˚
weather feed courtesy of weather.com - thanks!