My students had a fantastic time here, and so did I! The exploration of this historic gem was…read morestructured while still being hands-on and immersive. The staff was a hoot as they were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and invested in their roles. It was such a memorable experience for my students and I would highly recommend it to other educators!

Well this was a cool little spot. The kids and I got a lot of history lessons today about the…read moreOregon Trail and original Oregon settlers. Very cool stuff!!! We got to experience so many different parts of the farm. From washing laundry to sawing wood, to building a Lincoln log house!! I tried taking lots of photos for Yelp!! The whole experience was pretty cool. I was also SO thankful I had taken allergy medicine as the Cottonwood was TEARING through there. We had just about perfect weather Tobe outside and experience this. I will say that the Blacksmith was a bit of a verbal biter to the kids though. My son (who is a total stick,) was asked by him to pull on something and he couldn't. The Blacksmith said "do you know why you can't? Because you're a wimpy kid. And NONE of you can because you're ALL wimpy kids." One of the kids said "you're mean!!!" And he said "Yes I am. And I LIKE IT!!" That shocked both myself and the teacher that was there. It was almost hard to believe it had happened. But it did. Maybe polish on the skills when talking to 10 year olds sir. Other than that a cool experience.

How freakin' cool is this?!…read more It's historic architecture and it's FREE! So fun! Can't believe I'm just now realizing how 'cute' Oregon City is. Easily the best of the Portland 'burbs.

A short elevator ride in the center of town with a great view of the city. It's free so worth a…read morequick ride up. Can walk from here to the waterfall viewpoint.

Finally visited this hidden gem on 7/10/26 after living 15 minutes driving away in the past 5…read moreyears. It's very local, quiet, no crowds, and lesser known in Portland metro area. We came in less than an hour from closing and didn't have enough time to meander through. Definitely planning to come back and take my time with it. I love the fact it has a creek in it though the water is barely moving which means mosquitoes. It'd be a soothing sound strolling or sitting along the banks when the volume of water is higher. There are many colors of the poppy flower that I haven't seen before. Many benches and sitting areas throughout both covered and uncovered. Two parking lots belong to the garden. They offer various discounts for admission and Garden for All as well so no one is turning away which is great! You can become a member and enjoy free year-round admission, 10% off at the Gift Shop, and reciprocal admission to local and national gardens, starting at $50 annual. A few areas along walking paths/trails were overgrown so it was mysterious for us to find out names of flowers, plants, and trees.

Leach Botanical Garden is one of Portland's true hidden gems, tucked away in outer SE Portland…read morealong Johnson Creek. It feels like stepping into a quiet, wooded glade that happens to be full of incredible plant collections (and a few curious surprises). It has a peaceful, almost secret-garden quality that makes it feel worlds away from the rest of the city, even though it's just a short drive out. The paths are easy to navigate, it's a great spot for kids with the dedicated children's garden near the Claybourne entrance, and it's simply a lovely place to slow down for an hour or two. The Upper Garden's Aerial Tree Walk is a highlight, giving you a totally different vantage point up among the trees, and is fully accessible. From there, the trails wind down into the lower garden along the creek, past the historic Leach manor house and the stone cabin the Leaches built themselves. The terrazzo floor inside is a beautiful detail worth seeking out. The pollinator garden and the native plant collections are clearly tended with real care, and there's always something in bloom no matter the season. Given the funding challenges the garden has faced recently, I'd also encourage anyone visiting to consider a membership or donation -- it's a genuinely special place and well worth supporting. Highly recommend a visit.

My visits here always make me feel a little disappointed that I'm not more crafty. No, not crafty…read morelike clever, crafty as in arts and crafts. The Barclay House, built in 1850, is the starting point for tours of the more historically significant McLoughlin House next door. It is also home to the gift shop, which focuses on pioneer era toys and treats for the kids, as well as good information about the historic points of interest in Oregon City, including walking tours of the area. Like the McLoughlin House, this home was relocated to its current location in the early 1900s. However the process was much smoother (although not without incident) for the Barclay House which came up the hill by truck, 30 years after the McLoughlin House made the trip by horse power and a clever winch system. The most interesting thing at the Barclay House is their Victorian Handcraft demonstrations and classes on everything from knitting to quilting to lectures about ladies undergarments from the 1800s. You can check out the schedule of upcoming events here: http://www.mcloughlinhouse.org/ The classroom space is in the back of the house, which also contains vintage photographs, a Beaver pelt and other interesting artifacts from early Oregon history.

The gift shop has seen better days but if you want paper dolls or a book about oregon history or a…read moreteacup pin cushion it's the way to go. They also have bricks of tea. It's a nice place to stop by while waiting to go on a tour of the McLoughlin house next door. Which is free.

I've been coming here in early Spring and in the Fall for a great many years. This historic house…read moreand grounds are a photographer's dream. I've shot rolls of film, dozens of models and have more recently killed a lot of electrons taking and posting digital images out on Sauvie Island. There's also free fruit for the taking come the harvest season. The grounds are great for play, picnics and just generally spending a [usually] quiet time in the great outdoors only a couple of miles from downtown Portland. Love that the money was spent to move and refurbish this grand old house to a new and public accessible location. The property is on a working farm that's posted but I don't bother or intrude on them and they don't bother me. I don't know if there are any posted rules but it is always my practice as a photographer to respect property owner's rights. Never had a problem walking around freely here though.

The crisp, white house with symmetrical windows situated on lush green lawns and surrounded by…read moreorchards is a historical gem! Refurbished to its original glory and standing as beautiful today as when it was built in the mid 19th century, I love walking the grounds and having a picnic here when I'm on Sauvie Island. The two story house is a rare example of the Classical Revival style from the mid-19th Century. Built for James Bybee, who was one of Multnomah County's first Commissioners, it was later sold to Dr. Benjamin Howell and his wife in 1858 and remained in their family until 1961. Now part of the Howell Recreation Park managed by Portland Metro, you can visit any day between sunrise to sunset. While they are no longer offer tours inside, you can walk the gorgeous property, including the fruit orchards with heirloom varieties of quince, pears, and apples. And the best part, when it's harvest time in late August and the fall, you can pick the fruit! Yes! Located just a mile down Sauvie Island Road after you cross the bridge, take the long and picturesque driveway up to the house. Rarely do I visit Sauvie Island without making this my first stop. It's fun to see the grounds in all stages of the seasons. Weddings and other gatherings often take place in the picnic area. Visit their website if you are interested in renting this gorgeous space.

A peaceful, non pretentious resting place . Our dear daughter is buried there after a tragic death…read moreat age 45; she is survived by her 5 year old daughter and her husband. She would have loved it ! The grounds manager , Joe is very friendly and accommodating. God bless him !

I went there today to see Linus Pauling and his family plot - it is quite interesting that a man of…read morehis stature in the world would be buried in what is basically a "backyard" cemetery. The place is in serious need of repair though. It is quite overgrown and my dad and I were joking that the Eagle Scouts-to-be should clean it up as part of their community service project.

We recently had our anniversary celebration at The Covington House and it was pretty great. We're…read morebig fans of historical places and each year on our anniversary we go to an historic home. This way we were able to do that and have our friends join us for dinner & a nice celebration. They've done a nice job of setting this building up for an intimate gathering during bad weather and I imagine during good weather you could really spread out and make it a beautiful location for an outdoor wedding or event. The big fireplace made for a beautiful backdrop to the autumn theme we had and kept the place nice and toasty, too! The people we worked with to coordinate the rental were friendly and supportive. There was a lady that met us there right before and right after the event to help make sure we'd remembered all the clean up items we needed to wrap up to get our deposit back. They had a nice kitchen to work with and, while we brought most of our stuff prepared--we appreciated that they had serving utensils, coffee pots, and other supplies to use in the kitchen if we needed them. I think the only challenge we bumped into was enough refrigerator space, but that was a minimal issue and partially our fault. We were going to bring a cooler and forgot to. How can you go wrong having dinner in the same room where Ulysses S. Grant dined with the family that ran the school that resided in this building back in the day? How cool is that? We definitely will consider using this location again. If you are considering renting it, I recommend you set up a time to go visit the building and check it out. That way you can take some pictures and do some planning and just enjoy the ambiance of the house.

This is an awesome historical landmark right in a busy part of Vancouver. It's also now a group of…read more3 Poke Stops if that is important to you. Unfortunately you can't actually go inside the house, but you can walk around it. Looks to be holding up in good condition after 150+ years.

Don't forget to check out the Pearson Air Museum during your visit to the Fort Vancouver National…read moreHistoric Site. It's a free museum that houses many artifacts related to aviation history tied to Pearson Field and Vancouver Barracks. Quite interestingly, the museum discusses the Spruce Mill (which is located quite literally on the ground you're standing on) which produced lumber for planes during WWI. It ran 24/7. There are lots of planes here on display, and also houses the first plane flown by Leah Hing. She's the first Chinese American woman to earn a pilot's license in the United States, and paved the way for aviation for future generations to come. There's also a small balcony area dedicated to the Chkalov transpolar flight. Three men flew sixty-three hours and sixteen minutes over the North Pole, from Moscow to Vancouver. The landing at Vancouver was unplanned as they were running out of fuel, but they had a warm welcome here. Overall, the museum was very informative and a great way to spend a few hours.

If there is an aviation museum, consider me a 12 year old boy, I am in. The Pearson Air Museum,…read morelocated in Vancouver, Washington, is a tribute to aviation history, particularly that of the Pacific Northwest. It was awesome. It's within the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and is home to Pearson Field, one of the oldest continuously operating airfields in the U.S (1905). Pearson Field is named after Lt. Alexander Pearson, an aviator who set airspeed records in the 1920s. During the interwar period, Pearson Field became a hub for innovative aviation, seeing visits from famous pilots like Charles Lindbergh. This is a must do! It's free and amazing.