If you are ever in need of a winter activity, I highly recommend putting on the rain boots and checking out the zoo!
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Showing posts with label Oregon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oregon. Show all posts
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Oregon Zoo
This is one of my favorite places in Oregon. It does help that we have a membership so it's much more affordable. It is a great place for me to get out and walk a little and my kiddos release a little energy, too. While I love the zoo, sometimes during the summer it can be really crowded or the animals are a little extra lethargic. We went Saturday morning in the rain and it was FANTASTIC! There was a variety of people visiting ranging from families in raincoats to older couples with umbrellas but there was definitely not a crowd. The animals were out and lively. We saw the polar bears playing with a giant barrel, the lions climbing on the rock and wandering into their den, the monkeys were playing, the chimps were all visible and active. Even the sun bears were out chewing on logs in plain sight!!
If you are ever in need of a winter activity, I highly recommend putting on the rain boots and checking out the zoo!
If you are ever in need of a winter activity, I highly recommend putting on the rain boots and checking out the zoo!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Clamming in Oregon
So I have been out of commission for a little while but I'm back and itching for some good adventures with the kids!
One of the first things the kids had been asking to do was to go clamming. We have never been and I only had talked to someone about it once. I figured for this trip, I should bring backup. My husband, his brother, and sister, her husband, and our neighbor all packed three kids and three dogs into three cars and headed for the beach. Before we left there were a few things that we had to do and pack, but I'll address those later.
We found a spot that was a little south of Lincoln City. It was a little bay so it made it much safer for the kids. We started out and had no idea what we were doing. At first, we were digging up clams that we thought were illegal so we threw them back. After digging up about a dozen of them we decided maybe we should read the licensing/instruction manual a little better. Turns out, they were keepers! Once we figured this out, we realized that we were actually doing pretty well.
There was a technique that really helped. We used shovels and dug about 6-12 inches down in wet sand. The kids used little hand-held shovels. Once we dug down just a little bit the sand was so wet we would just reach our hands down about 12-20 inches and find as many as 3-4 clams in a handful. We would just keep moving sand out of our hole with our hands while moving the loose sand around and finding clams. We all did this without gloves (the kids only tended to find the clams that were moved out of the hole in the pile of sand we had dug out) but we did have one person cut their hand.
We were very wet at the end but every single person said they had a great time and we all want to do it again.
So here's the packing list:
We obtained the licenses from Fisherman's Marine and Outdoor but you can also purchase them online. It is the same price anywhere you go which was $7 this year. Anyone under 14 does not need a license. There is a manual that is very helpful as it has pictures of the different type of clams along with a map where there are some good clam beds highlighted. This manual is the 2010 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations manual.
Finding the low tide times was also very important. You can use a tide prediction table from Oregon State University or the times are posted in the Oregonian's weather page two days before. This is not specific to all areas and it is good to arrive shortly before low tide so that you have time to follow the tide out but it should give you a good idea of what time to arrive.
Tonight, my culinary-graduate neighbor will be teaching me all about how to prep the clams to cook. I don't actually enjoy eating seafood, but learning to cook them should be fun!
One of the first things the kids had been asking to do was to go clamming. We have never been and I only had talked to someone about it once. I figured for this trip, I should bring backup. My husband, his brother, and sister, her husband, and our neighbor all packed three kids and three dogs into three cars and headed for the beach. Before we left there were a few things that we had to do and pack, but I'll address those later.
We found a spot that was a little south of Lincoln City. It was a little bay so it made it much safer for the kids. We started out and had no idea what we were doing. At first, we were digging up clams that we thought were illegal so we threw them back. After digging up about a dozen of them we decided maybe we should read the licensing/instruction manual a little better. Turns out, they were keepers! Once we figured this out, we realized that we were actually doing pretty well.
There was a technique that really helped. We used shovels and dug about 6-12 inches down in wet sand. The kids used little hand-held shovels. Once we dug down just a little bit the sand was so wet we would just reach our hands down about 12-20 inches and find as many as 3-4 clams in a handful. We would just keep moving sand out of our hole with our hands while moving the loose sand around and finding clams. We all did this without gloves (the kids only tended to find the clams that were moved out of the hole in the pile of sand we had dug out) but we did have one person cut their hand.
We were very wet at the end but every single person said they had a great time and we all want to do it again.
So here's the packing list:
- Bags for dirty and/or wet clothes and shoes to go into afterwards
- A spare change of clothes for every person
- Towels
- Snacks
- A bucket for each digger
- Rainboots (if it's too cold to go barefoot)
- Sunscreen
- Snacks & drinks
- Either a lid for the buckets or ice chests for the clams to travel home in (you have to keep them alive in water and you son't want that spilling in your car)
- Shovels
- Gloves (if you want)
- Shellfish license
We obtained the licenses from Fisherman's Marine and Outdoor but you can also purchase them online. It is the same price anywhere you go which was $7 this year. Anyone under 14 does not need a license. There is a manual that is very helpful as it has pictures of the different type of clams along with a map where there are some good clam beds highlighted. This manual is the 2010 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations manual.
Finding the low tide times was also very important. You can use a tide prediction table from Oregon State University or the times are posted in the Oregonian's weather page two days before. This is not specific to all areas and it is good to arrive shortly before low tide so that you have time to follow the tide out but it should give you a good idea of what time to arrive.
Tonight, my culinary-graduate neighbor will be teaching me all about how to prep the clams to cook. I don't actually enjoy eating seafood, but learning to cook them should be fun!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Christmas Tree Hunting
When I was a kids we grew up in California. There aren't as many Christmas tree farms in California as there are in Oregon. In California you would drive up to the Kmart parking lot, wander around and pick out a tree. If my parents had their way the tree was probably still wrapped up and we would just pick one where the base looked straight and it was a good height.
Now that I'm older I want to have the experience (for myself and my kids) of picking out a tree and chopping it down. What this means for my family is that we dredge ourselves out through a muddy (and once snowy) field to find a good Christmas tree. Once we find a good one we promise ourselves we will remember where it is but keep looking to see if we can find a better one. We almost never do so we go back to where we thought we found the first tree we liked only to find that it seems to have been moved. After we finally settle on a tree for sure then my husband has to kneel down in the mud underneath the tree with a borrowed hand saw thingy and try to chop down the tree while holding onto it so it doesn't land on his back. By this time the kids are cold and miserable so I have to hold all three of them to keep them happy. Yes, this version is slightly exaggerated but it's still quite comical.
Finding and cutting down your own Christmas tree can really be a lot of fun but there are a few things that we have learned over the years that could have really helped out along the way. I will share those with you here:
1. Remember it does actually get dark at 5pm now. If you show up at the Christmas tree lot at 4:30 pm, you are going to get stuck using your headlights to try and find a tree.
2. Bring some extra clothes, hats, gloves, and blankets to bundle the kids up;
3. Garbage bags are extremely helpful to put all of the muddy stuff in afterwards.
4. Bring twine or something you can tie down the tree with. Most places have it available but just in case it's much better than having to cut your tree and leave it there while you drive to Home Depot.
5. Having your own saw is also a good idea. Again, this is something most Christmas tree lots have on hand but it's better to be prepared.
6. Use something to mark your tree if you find one you are considering. Many places will have something like this or you can use a piece of twine but this will prevent you from having to find the perfect Christmas tree twice. Also, you should remove the twine from a tree if you decide it's not the right one so that someone else doesn't think it's still taken.
7. Bring cash because sometimes all the tree lots have are a cash box and you can make change but they do not accept cards.
8. Know where the closest coffee shop is so you can grab hot chocolate for everyone who is cold and cranky at the end of your Christmas tree adventure.
Now that I'm older I want to have the experience (for myself and my kids) of picking out a tree and chopping it down. What this means for my family is that we dredge ourselves out through a muddy (and once snowy) field to find a good Christmas tree. Once we find a good one we promise ourselves we will remember where it is but keep looking to see if we can find a better one. We almost never do so we go back to where we thought we found the first tree we liked only to find that it seems to have been moved. After we finally settle on a tree for sure then my husband has to kneel down in the mud underneath the tree with a borrowed hand saw thingy and try to chop down the tree while holding onto it so it doesn't land on his back. By this time the kids are cold and miserable so I have to hold all three of them to keep them happy. Yes, this version is slightly exaggerated but it's still quite comical.
Finding and cutting down your own Christmas tree can really be a lot of fun but there are a few things that we have learned over the years that could have really helped out along the way. I will share those with you here:
1. Remember it does actually get dark at 5pm now. If you show up at the Christmas tree lot at 4:30 pm, you are going to get stuck using your headlights to try and find a tree.
2. Bring some extra clothes, hats, gloves, and blankets to bundle the kids up;
3. Garbage bags are extremely helpful to put all of the muddy stuff in afterwards.
4. Bring twine or something you can tie down the tree with. Most places have it available but just in case it's much better than having to cut your tree and leave it there while you drive to Home Depot.
5. Having your own saw is also a good idea. Again, this is something most Christmas tree lots have on hand but it's better to be prepared.
6. Use something to mark your tree if you find one you are considering. Many places will have something like this or you can use a piece of twine but this will prevent you from having to find the perfect Christmas tree twice. Also, you should remove the twine from a tree if you decide it's not the right one so that someone else doesn't think it's still taken.
7. Bring cash because sometimes all the tree lots have are a cash box and you can make change but they do not accept cards.
8. Know where the closest coffee shop is so you can grab hot chocolate for everyone who is cold and cranky at the end of your Christmas tree adventure.
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