Try This On

At the risk of getting to be known as Mister One-Note, I'm going to write about parks again. One park particularly, anyway. You'll dig it. I have pictures!

Last week the missus and I were talking to a friend about her and her four children taking a hike with us somewhere together. She was up for it and the kids definitely were all for it. The only concern was rain.

Much as I talk and write about living in the Willamette Valley and accepting rain as a given during fall and winter, and how that shouldn't stop anyone from doing stuff outdoors because, seriously, it's not acid falling from the sky (yet, but give the march of “progress” another fifty years – oops, off-message!) and getting a little damp never hurt anybody, I concede that my perspective is that of a person whose child is grown and doing his own laundry. That very possibly wouldn't be the viewpoint of a mother of four whose progeny are all under the age of eleven. To my mind, returning home tired from a good hike and then having to hose down kids and schlep their sodden togs down to the community laundry might go a-ways toward dulling the keen edge off a great time.

As it happens, Fortuna smiled upon us and Saturday turned out to be a dry and mostly sunny day, so early in the afternoon we set out for Tryon Creek State Park.

Tryon Creek State Park is Oregon's largest state park within the boundary of a major metropolitan area. I know this because I have internet access. I also know that it's a great park because I have feet. I could hang out at this park all day. Very kid-friendly; it's easy walking and I can attest that none of the flora that the three-year-old Zoey chose to stuff into her mouth (before we could lurch forward to stop her) was detrimental.

If you'd like to know more about Tryon Creek State Park, please see the Friends of Forest Park's website here. It's a great park. Your kids will thank you. I can name four who'll agree.

For a handy trail map of the park, see here.

As always, I suggest that you get out and enjoy!