Arbor Lodge Park

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Bear's Report:

Arbor Lodge park is a small park. very nice too. But baby kids were jumping every ware like baby spiders. Two were like ROOOR and then cast [chased] me every ware and saying a girl and terrified me. AND MY MOM YELLED AT ME and I got mad.


Mom's Report:

Arbor Lodge Park is easy to get to--it's just a few blocks off Lombard. There's a small parking area and side-street parking is ample. This park has lots of benches and picnic tables. For me, this was wonderful. I find that many parks simply do not have enough, so parents stand around waiting for a spot to open. It's a little like trying to park at the mall. Also, many parks don't place their benches and tables in convenient places, making it difficult for lazy parents like myself to see what the kids are doing. Arbor Lodge, however, has plenty of well-placed seating. The trade off is that the benches and tables could all use a fresh coat of paint.

The paths are paved, with one that circles the park and one that winds through the middle. There is an off-leash dog area, but it is small and unfenced. Many dog owners used the playing fields, as they provided more space for games of Fetch and allowed owners to put space between themselves and other dogs. The water fountain does not have a dog trough at the base, resulting in some owners lifting their dogs to drink from the spigot. Humans therefore might want to bring their own water.

There appeared to be public restrooms available, but I witnessed a woman attempt to enter and the door was locked.

The play structure is sufficiently interesting for the kids with slides, ladders, poles, and such. The swing set and teeter-totter are a bit old, however. There is one lone swing set on the far side of the park, too. Beside the primary playground area is a small wading pool/fountain. It's not very big; it can probably accommodate 6-8 kids at any one time. Beside the pool is a whimsical statue of an alligator and his otter friend. The artist's statement reads "This sculpture is for all who enjoy the simple pleasures of a beautiful Oregon day. May it serve to remind us of good friends, good times, and good memories." Truly, it is easy to have a good time in Oregon for very little money and with very little effort.

The park has a large playing field and two small baseball diamonds complete with bleachers. No games were in session when we visited, so Bug used the opportunity to act out her home run fantasies with Thisby the Dog. There are also two nice tennis courts.

The park was well-used with two birthday parties going, a gang of neighborhood kids engaged in the biggest game of Tag I have ever seen, lots of strolling families/couples, and several dogs and their owners. As we were driving away from the park toward Lombard, we passed another small park just two or three blocks away from Arbor Lodge, but it was completely empty. I didn't see the name of the park, but I suppose at some point we'll visit it. Perhaps then we will learn why all the action was just down the street at Arbor Lodge.


Bug's Report:

Arbor Lodge park is a small park.Very nice too.
If you have a fear of little kids attacking you then don't go...Other than that,its really nice.
Its very dog friendly and kids too.There's a baseball field(I made a home run with my dog,thisby),
a wadding pool,a nice,cute monument,and a play structure.When I went there,there was a birthday going on and there were little kids every were.They grabbed me and pinned me down and went up to my face and hissed....WHA-....But its a nice place and its very fun!

April Hill Park

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Bug's Report:

The park is very small with a nice small playground and field,nice for daisy picking and playing with your dog(s). Really weird play structure thatI cant figure out how to work it.WhatI liked about the park was the big tree,you could go into the leaves and hideout in there.What I didn't like about the park was the playground was awfully small and there were little three year olds that tried to talk to you and all they would say was"blah ga noo met ra bug". There were boys there about 8-10 years old and were talking about nachos...really!But the neighborhood was beautiful. After, I made a daisy crown and got coffee ice cream from a place near by called baskin robbins.yum! you should go to the park!


Bear's Report:

I love the park but the borein part was that pepole said THATS MINE, DONT DO THAT or DONT GO ON THERE that maks pepole sad so wach out or... any way lets get bake to the pont. it was smal bad but the good pont about it was um little kids can play weth stuf.


Mom's Report:

This was a cute little neighborhood park in Southwest Portland, nestled in a neighborhood of single-family homes. There was a soccer field, a little playground with newer equipment, and a natural area that was pretty much off-limits. It was well-maintained and fairly easy to get to. There is no parking, just a little residential street that dead ends at the park.

The park appears to be well-used by the families in the area--we saw several while we were there. The park also seems to act as a shortcut between two neighborhoods, so there was some non-park foot traffic. The patrons of the park were pretty evenly divided between parents with their children at the playground and people playing with their dog in the field (all labs for some reason?!). Unlike Alberta Park--which felt very welcoming and inclusive--April Hill Park gave us a bit of a negative vibe. We didn't feel like we were particularly welcome there, possibly because we were not residents of the neighborhood? For whatever reason, it was palpable enough that the kids even remarked on it when we left. No one was unfriendly, but we did get some strange looks and there was a definite sense that we were outsiders there.

No climbing trees, but the grass was liberally seeded with daisies that the kids gathered in armloads. They made bouquets and crowns. There is no official dog area, but the soccer field provides ample space for a romp. We saw a few messes, but there are some plastic bags stashed in a post behind the park signs. There was a portable toilet for public use, but we didn't check it out.

All in all, a cute neighborhood park that gets good use, but that might not be often used by non-residents of the area.

Ankeny Plaza

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Mom's Report:

If you want to see Ankeny Plaza, you will have to go during the week. On the weekend, it is buried beneath the wonderful Portland Saturday Market. The Portland Parks & Recreation site has a wonderful historical blurb about the plaza that the children read before we went. We went on a Saturday, so after winding our way through the crowd and the vendors of the market, we finally found the Skidmore Fountain that is the centerpiece of the plaza. During the market, it's usually surrounded by lounging shoppers and ringed by scorpion swallowers, fortune tellers, balloon artists, and musicians. The children enjoyed connecting the text we read from the parks website to the actual fountain--a terrific Portland/Oregon history lesson. They also enjoyed shopping and getting their faces painted.

Saturday Market has just moved into a new location on the Waterfront Park, but the plaza will continue to house some of the vendors. The children and I have decided to try visiting the plaza again at a later date, when we can go during the week and see the plaza for what it is without the tents and crowds.

The plaza is very easy to get to--it's right on the Trimet line in downtown near Burnside and there are lots of parking lots in the area. Good luck getting side street parking, though. If you go on the weekend, there's the Saturday market with all of its wonderful vendors. You may or may not find it kid friendly, based on your own standards. It can get crowded and some shoppers are less than kid friendly, but I've never had a problem taking the kids. They love looking at all the crafty goods and interesting people. Some people take their dogs, but I prefer not to. It's a little too crowded in places and I don't want to trip anyone with the leash! I can't imagine the plaza is all that interesting during the week--it's not very big and the fountain is the only thing to see. You could head across the street to the Waterfront Park, though, which is a lovely walk along the river.


Bug's Report:
The park\plaza is fun...we didn't really see it though, we saw it under the Sunday Market.There's not much to see but the fountain is lovely,a beautiful woman holding something(i forgot.),the fountain has lion heads around the edges.The Sunday Market is really fun too.I got a dragon painted on my face by the face painter!
you should go...its really cool,bring your wallet!



Bear's Report:

Um I was gitting my face pantid and I pitkt a BUNNY RABBIT with a bolon. And I had to be vary stile but it tikelde me a bit and it felt werd.Then I got off of the stule.Then we went to walk around a bit and go home.

Translation: Um, I was getting my face painted and I picked a bunny rabbit with a balloon. And I had to be very still but it tickled me a bit and it felt weird. Then I got off the stool. Then we went to walk around a bit and go home.

Alberta Park

Bear's Report:

ther was a crazy slide and when you slide on it made a sceny part and by the time you were done you wuld be like creced and you go more times and it will be like you died and youl fell like you exploded and youl be in hororer and youl be like crazy.

Translation: There was a crazy slide and when you slide on it, [it] made a skinny part and by the time you were done you would be like crooked and you go more times and it will be like you died you'd feel like you exploded and you'd be in horror and you'd be like crazy.


Mom's Report:

Well, that's what comes of leaving this sort of project to the amateurs! We forgot the camera, so there are no photos of this park. Ah well.

Alberta Park is very much the picture of a neighborhood park. It is nestled in a pleasant neighborhood in NE Portland, on Killingsworth. It has amenities for everyone: a large covered basketball court, a grassy slope with plenty of shade for couples and other nappers, a playground area for older and younger children, public bathrooms, water fountains that accommodate doggies, an off-leash dog area, a large playing field, tennis courts, picnic tables, and benches. The Portland Parks site promised a wading pool, but we explored the entire 17 acres of the park (not so large, really) and couldn't find it. The biggest hit with the kids was a corkscrew slide (see Bear's Report). The park was fairly crowded on a beautiful Sunday, with a kickball tournament of some kind going on, as well as a bicycle polo game in one of the courts.

Some aspects of the park to know about: There are not many trash receptacles handy--a feature I heard several people lament when trying to find a place to dispose of their dog's bagged waste. The only one I saw was located between the two halves of the playground area. The bathrooms accommodate one person at a time, so if there are many people at the park you will have to wait in line (there was a 4-5 person deep line the entire time we were at the park). I did not bring Thisby the dog with us, and I'm glad I didn't. The off-leash area is poorly defined and butts up closely with the playground and playing field. If you have children who are afraid of dogs or are otherwise cautious of dogs running around off leash, this may not be the park for you. Thisby the dog is unpredictable around unsupervised dogs (she doesn't seem to speak "dog"), so she was best left at home. However, all the dogs and their owners were polite and friendly. I saw no evidence of dog waste (thanks for picking up!) and even though several dogs seemed to be unsupervised, they were friendly and well-behaved.

Another thing to consider: The park is dense with old evergreens (firs, perhaps?). There is more shade than sun in all areas excepting the playing field. While we were there, the trees were pollinating, and the air was simply thick with yellow dust. We were fine, but it would be an allergy sufferers nightmare! I also felt there were not enough benches/tables near the playground area for parents.

All around, a nice neighborhood park that seems to be well-used and well-loved. It seemed as though it could use an infusion of funds to update some of its features, but the residents of the area were clearly getting plenty of pleasure from it.


Bug's Report:

What I felt about the park was:

There were lots of trees.(loaded with pollen)

The playground had a crazy slide!(i was a chicken at first but when i was pushed down i couldn't stop,sooo fun!)


Very dog friendly.(not kidding.)

Lots of kids\people.(not reccomended if you dont like loads of kids.)

The whole park is 16.8 acres.

Not recomended if you have bad pollen\dog allergies.
Sorry we dont have pictures, we forgot the camera.

Albert Kelly Park

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The Bug report:

I will tell you about the park now!

It’s called Albert Kelly Park.

The whole park is 12 acres.

Its mostly field.

There are many trees (a few trees that are perfect to climb)

Many flowers.(common flowers like: daisies,dandylions)

And even a tiny playground: a big slide, not too big or small,

A merry-go-round, kiddy swings, normal swings, seesaw and a picnic table.

Every bit of the park is perfect for dogs and people of all ages.

I went there and it was awesome!!! It was like a treasure hunt,

I found a huge pine cone a foot long!

I really recommend it if you want lots of space to play with your dog, run with your kid or

Have time your self(not many people but still a great park)

The Bear report:

What I thout about the park was grate and I cout a ladey bug. And when I was luten it go but it woudinto so iwas shacin it and dopein it. But it stele woudint go so I put my fengr into it it was on ,my fengr so I put it on a tree but I put it on a lefe but then we had to go baek …

Translation- What I thought about the park: Was great and I caught a ladybug. And when I was letting it go but it wouldn't so I was shaking it and dumping it. But it still wouldn't go so I put my finger into it. It was on my finger so I put it on a tree. But I put it on a leaf. But then we had to go back...

The Mom report:

This park is nestled up in Southwest Portland on SW Dosch and Mitchell St, tucked away in a hilly residential area. The homes in the area were very nice, and LOTS of them were for sale. You can park on Mitchell, or do as we did and park along SW Boundary. The SW Boundary end of the park is open, with few trees, and slopes upwards to a playing field with some soccer goals on either end. There's a rather disgusting grate in the ground full of foul water at one end of the field--watch out for that if little ones are running around. The slope is rather steep, and we tried sliding down it on a bit of cardboard--unsuccessfully. The cardboard was simply too small, I think. If we revisit this park, we'll be sure to bring a nice large piece for hill sliding. Hmmm, I think we'll tuck some cardboard into the trunk for other hills we might encounter during this project....

Down the center of the park is a fenced off natural area. There's a creek here called Restoration Creek, but it's only visible within the fenced portion. It then moves underground, beneath the SW Boundary end of the park. There's really no way to get to it so no worries of kids/dogs getting into it. On the fence were those little plastic real estate boxes with pamphlets full of interesting historical information about Albert Kelly and the establishment of the park. I'm a terrific nerd about these things and have never before seen a little neighborhood park offering such a thing. Fantastic! Along one edge of the natural area is a little playground area and picnic table--perfecting for sitting and reading your Albert Kelly Park pamphlet while the kids play.

Farther toward the Mitchell Street end of the park is a rather stunning stand of fir trees. They are full of cheeky ravens chasing squirrels--amusing, but poor squirrels! The park's keepers have placed posts with milk jugs full of produce bags around this end for dog owners who may have forgotten their poop bags. To think of it now, I don't recall seeing any dog waste even though I did see several dogs and their owners. Good job cleaning up, everyone! We all love responsible pet owners.

There are just a few trees in this park suitable for climbing--we made good use of them. The kids also picked dandelions and English daisies, which are scattered attractively throughout the open spaces. (This is a handy site for identifying those park-dwelling plants.) Bug brought her sketchpad with her and pressed a few flowers.

Conclusion: This is a fine neighborhood park. We visited on a sunny, warm Sunday and saw only a few people, mostly dog owners running their dogs off leash. The play area is not impressive enough to keep a child's attention for too long, but then you can stroll a little way and the scenery changes. Some climbing trees and plenty of bugs and flowers. It's located in a nice neighborhood, but I admit I did find getting to it a little tricky. The streets in that area are quite windy and twisty. In fact, Bug became carsick on the return drive home. Parking was not a problem at all. Probably not one we'll visit again, due primarily to the distance from our home.

Welcome to the Portland Parks Project!

The Portland Parks Project is a summer project to explore as many of Portland's beautiful parks as possible. We found ourselves returning to the same parks over and over again, neglecting parks that were too far away or simply unknown to us. As a way to see more of our beloved city, get ourselves out of a rut, have some adventures, and improve the children's writing skills. I hope you will enjoy following us.

Our method is simple: We will be working through the list provided by the Portland Parks & Recreation website here. We will simply visit the parks in alphabetical order, skipping the community schools and the parks that are community gardens only. Afterwards, we will record our thoughts, observations, and photographs here. We have noticed that many of the parks on the list have few or no photos, so we hope others will find ours useful when choosing a park to visit. We plan to visit one park every weekend, sometimes two, rain or shine.

This project has four participants. Each will provide their own thoughts on the parks so that you get several different perspectives, except for one participant who cannot write for herself (see below). Our opinions are shaped by who we are, so you should know a little bit about each of us in order to understand how we might judge a park.

Mom: That's me. I'll be doing most of the writing and photography. Early thirties with a tendency towards sedentary activities (reading, knitting, napping). I like parks with plenty of places to sit and paths well suited to strolling. I'm a terrible driver and am easily confused, so I need a park to be easy to find, and preferably with easy parking nearby.

Bug: Bug is a 10-year-old girl with an artistic spirit. She wishes all trees were built for climbing. She gets car sick very easily, making travel to and from parks interesting. She finds fairies in everything, is obsessed with collecting rocks and pine cones, and likes to press flowers. She wants parks with trees that can be climbed and with gardens for dreaming in.

Bear: Bear is a 7-year-old girl who has been called "The Barbarian" by her teachers. She's fierce and stubborn and sweet. She runs faster than everyone and would travel by jumping from place to place if only people would stop telling her not to. She has a net and loves to catch bugs, observe them, name them, then let them go. She wants parks with open fields for running and playgrounds for climbing.

Thisby: Thisby is a 5-year-old dog. She's very small (13 lbs!) and a lap dog breed, so she's not big on fetching or swimming or running. She's a rescue and doesn't speak "dog" very well, so interactions with other dogs are sometimes unsuccessful. She likes to sniff and explore, but can't be trusted off-leash. HATES getting wet. She likes parks with lots of things to smell, and I like when there are not too many other dogs around. Thisby obviously can't record her opinions, but I can write about how well a park is suited for dogs.

The goal is to update weekly after a park visit, but no promises! I hope you will enjoy exploring Portland's many lovely parks with us.