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May 23, 2013

First Trail Run: Twin Falls Trail in Olallie State Park

Expectations can really play a powerful role in your end feelings and immediate impressions of an outing or adventure.

Some background: After running the Seattle half marathon last November, I got into a running rut, which really means for whatever reason after the big event, I stopped running. Sure I walked, chased after Bergen, went on an occasional hike, but I wasn’t taking any time to really exert myself in a run even though it takes little to no planning at all.

A couple of months ago, I changed that by setting a goal and signing up for a race. Instead of the usual road race, I opted for something new, something I’ve thought about doing in the past, but never worked hard enough to achieve. I decided to give trail running a try, and what better way get started than to commit yourself to a half marathon trail run?

I’ve diligently (mostly) followed my usual half marathon training plan, except with the change of trying to add more trails than sidewalks, which is tricky being a city dweller, but not so tricky considering we live in Seattle with it’s multitude of parks and easy accessibility to mountains. I run on the trails in the arboretum and Seward Park, but up until last weekend, I hadn’t attempted, in my mind, a true trail run.

In order to make this first run happen, I needed to make it a family affair. I would run, and Slaed would hike with Bergen in the backpack carrier. I scoured my hiking books for the perfect spot. It needed to be within 30-45 minutes driving distance, new to us, good for kids, and EASY.

I found the Twin Falls trail in Olallie State Park to fit all of our requirements.

At about 35 miles East of Seattle it was an easy drive down I-90. Bergen indeed got a little impatient, but we just kept telling him that we were headed to an amazing state park with a waterfall and he would soon be outside free to roam and wander.

It’s funny that given the proximity and circumstances of the trail and scenery that we’d never visited Olallie State Park or Twin Falls. When we arrived and saw how many cars were lining the parking lot, we were even more surprised.
Relatively low mileage to the main attraction, some good stretches of flat terrain, and the overall excitement of viewing a gushing waterfall (from a nice, safe bridge with solid railings) make this a great spot for kids. There are also benches along way for breaks, and at the beginning or on the way back, there are great spots to stop along the river to watch the water roll by & throw rocks.

Remember that bit above about expectations? Well, all the books & websites said this hike was going to be EASY. Apparently when you go out for your first true trail run in a long time, it’s just going to be really tough no matter what. Hiking is also a little tougher when you have a toddler on your back in a backpack carrier. I guess when we saw that the hike was rated as EASY, we were thinking it would be “a walk in the park”. We also didn’t just hike/run to the waterfall and go back. I continued my run for a total of about 6 miles round trip while Slaed & Bergen hiked about 4 miles.

Our expectations of what the hike and run would be like may have been different from the reality, but we’re so happy to have discovered this spot for ourselves. I just had to change up my strategy a bit. I took some walk breaks, especially after some tough switchbacks, and also took some breaks just to enjoy the scenery instead of trying to plow through without stopping. I’m new at this, maybe that’s what your supposed to do?

Come join the conversation! We’d love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

More great Washington State Parks:

This post is part of Photo Friday at DeliciousBaby.com.

May 21, 2013

See Portland, OR: Tackling the 4-T Trail with a Toddler

On our latest visit to Portland, Oregon, we were interested in seeing the city from a different perspective. The two of us have visited Portland quite a bit, and we were intrigued by the idea of experiencing so much of the city without ever getting into a car. We’re also always up for an adventure, and love exploring our surroundings so tackling the 4-T Trail was an outing made for us.

The 4-T Trail is a trek that roughly loops the Southwest section of Portland:

Train (MAX light rail)
Trail (Hike)
Tram (Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU)’s Aerial Tram)
Trolly (Portland Street Car)

Train.

We began our journey by walking just a few blocks from our downtown hotel, to the MAX light rail station. From here, we traveled Southwest to the Oregon Zoo. Bergen was happy enough just hanging out in the backpack carrier set on the floor of the train while we sipped our morning coffee. As we exited, we learned we were actually standing in the deepest station in North America, and the second deepest in the world! As we looked around for our way out, we were expecting to find a large set of stairs poking out towards the sky, but it turns out, there are no stairs. We had to use an elevator.

Trail.

Once we were back on higher ground, we immediately recognized signs directing us toward the 4 mile hiking portion of the adventure. Yes, you have to cross small highway exit so to speak, and walk a few hundred feet along the road, but it was hardly difficult or troublesome. Soon the bustling world was far off in the distance as we enjoyed fantastic greenery and blooming trillium.

Anytime the trail departed from the forest and onto roads, the course was clearly marked. Council Crest was our favorite part of the hike, and was also a perfect spot for Bergen to get out from the carrier and stretch his legs. Cherry Blossoms were in bloom, and the relatively clear skies gave us a great view of the city and surrounding mountains and volcanoes.

Tram.

After a tough last bit of hiking as we climbed off of the Connor Trail portion, we found the Aerial Tram just a little ways down into the OHSU campus. I didn’t have much of an idea of what the tram would be like as it’s existence was new to me. Boy were we blown away with the view and general “coolness” of the entire thing.

Bergen on the other hand was not nearly as impressed. He can be such a daredevil in his play and exploration, but here and there we are finding things that truly frighten him. For one he’s deathly afraid of goats, sheep, and pigs. And here at the tram we learned that he wasn’t such a fan of heights.

On our 3-minute trip down to the South Waterfront, we learned that the tram is actually utilized for transportation purposes by employees and visitors of OHSU, and is not just for tourists or recreational visitors like Seattle’s monorail has largely become. I also found out that if you are only riding the tram down, there is no charge for your trip; only those riding up pay $4 per ticket (free for children 6 & under).

Trolley.

With thoughts of a filling lunch on our minds, we made our way to the Portland Street Car with a great bathroom stop at the OHSU Center for Health and Healing. Bergen, again did really well just hanging out in the backpack carrier people-watching, and I loved getting to see some of the sights along the way. We passed Portland State University buildings, parks with festive happenings, and cute shops that I would love to visit on a return trip. We departed the trolley close to our planned lunch spot, Kenny & Zukes.

Quick Tips for Toddlers & Kids:

The backpack carrier was a huge reason for our success. Though it’s tougher on the back and heavier than the ergo, Bergen seems much happier with the higher view. It also gave him a place to hang out (and not get into trouble) on the train & trolley portions.
Take advantage of bathroom stops when you see them!
A given: Bring some snacks & water.
We got up early and ate a good breakfast at our hotel. This allowed us plenty of time for the adventure during Bergen’s “peak” time of the day.
Make a plan for where you’ll eat lunch whether you pack a picnic or eat at a restaurant, food cart, etc. You’ll be hungry by the end of the journey!
Take along a map & notes from the 4-T Trail website.

Come join the conversation! We’d love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

More Portland Fun:

This post is part of Friday Daydreamin’ with R We There Yet Mom?

May 17, 2013

Celebrating Norwegian Constitution Day in Washington State

Today, May 17th, is Norway’s Constitution Day: “Syttende Mai”. While we don’t have a lot of Norwegian in each of our family’s histories’, we do happen to love the country and it’s culture, and we also happened to name our son after one of the country’s lovely cities: Bergen.

Incidentally, we visited the town of Poulsbo, Washington on the Kitsap Peninsula in celebration of Mother’s Day last weekend. Poulsbo is nicknamed, “Little Norway”, and is an adorable small town filled with inviting shops, restaurants, and a bakery that has me wanting to hop aboard a ferry right now just for one bite of their cream-cheese filled Viking cinnamon cups.

Even closer to home is Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, another Scandinavian hub, where a huge celebration is taking place today. We’ll be joining the festivities, and are looking forward to shouting a little, “Hipp, Hipp, Hurra!” as we watch along the parade route.

Have you traveled to Norway or even a “Little Norway” closer to home? What cities and towns have you explored?

Come join the conversation! We’d love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

Balestrand, Norway

May 9, 2013

Checking in for the Train and Checking out Seattle’s King Street Station

As you may have read, we gave train travel with a toddler a try on a recent weekend trip to Portland, Oregon. While we may still be undecided on whether or not it’s a better option for us than taking the car, we know one thing for sure: It beats flying.

While Slaed dealt with getting the car parked downtown, I was charged with getting us settled at the station. This involved checking us in for our train ride down to Portland, dropping our bags to be checked, and scoping out our seating situation because we were riding coach and didn’t yet have an assigned seat. All these great responsibilities needed to be taken care of with Bergen riding along in the backpack carrier. Sounds like an ordeal, right?

But would you have guessed getting those tasks accomplished took all of about 5 minutes?

First, I checked us in at the counter. No line. All I needed was identification and my confirmation information, and Slaed (my travel companion) didn’t even need to be present.
Next, at that same counter, the friendly gentleman took our two roller bags.
Finally, I walked over to the kiosk near our departure door and waited for the seat assignment process to start.
When it was time to board, we just simply walked through the door, and climbed into our assigned train car. No security. No scanners. No required rules about staying seated, and paying attention to this or that.

TIP: When riding coach, if you are concerned about your seating assignment, arrive at the station early to get in line. If you don’t care about your seat, I wouldn’t worry about it. If you want to know your seat assignment ahead of time, pay the extra money and ride business class.

What a breath of fresh air compared to the airport shenanigans we go through.

Since we were early, I was second in line. Waiting really didn’t matter to me though because from where I stood, I could take in the King Street Station’s new (or in fact, old) look.

The King Street Station recently went through extensive restoration to bring the station both up to date, and back to the beauty it exuded at it’s beginning in 1906. Of note, the ceiling was restored and recreated to match it’s original look, the floors were cleaned and restored, and “modernized” light fixtures were removed to make way for fixtures that fit the character of the building and architecture.

The result is quite impressive, and I felt lucky to get to experience the station in all it’s glory.

Where have you traveled by train? Share with us one of the noteworthy train stations you have experienced!

Come join the conversation! We’d love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

This post is linked to Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Traveler’s Sandbox.

May 7, 2013

Travel by Train with a Toddler: It’s a Toss Up

In our family, we’ve made it a bit of a tradition to travel South to Oregon during the month of April. We’ve added other spots into the mix, but no matter what, Portland is always involved. The birth of Bergen hasn’t gotten in the way of our tradition, though our itineraries may have slowed down some.

Last year for our April Oregon trip, we left the car at home, and decided to give train travel with a baby a try. We were big fans, and thought we’d give it another whirl; this time with a 20 month old. I must admit, I had hesitations now that Bergen is a young toddler nearing the 2 year mark, however I was also comforted by all the “amenities” that attracted us to the train in the first place.

And you know what? After our recent experience, we really are undecided, and still given the choice again, we don’t know what we would choose for our mode of transportation! Here we give you our “pros & cons” of traveling by train vs. car:

Pros:

You don’t have to drive. No worries of navigation. No aggravating stop and go traffic to sit through. The pressure is off.
Little ones are not confined to car seats or seat belts. Bergen is on the move, and that is exactly what he is allowed to do on the train. Slaed and I took turns walking with him up and down the line of train cars. He could stop at a set of empty seats and climb around for a while, he could interact with other passengers, and check out the view from different vantage points. You can bring the car seat aboard the train, and we did that with Bergen last year, which worked out really well for napping, but it’s not necessary.
You can be social. It’s much easier to chat with your travel companions on the train, in fact some seating situations even allow you to sit across from each other. You also have the chance to meet and socialize with fellow passengers, and I see them as one more distraction tool in my “keep Bergen occupied” tool kit.
The view. The view is better on Amtrak Cascades than on I-5, and I’m guessing most train routes would be the same. Also, you actually get to enjoy the view without being concerned of driving off the road.
You don’t have to stop to eat. Whether you pack your own meals and snacks or pick something up in the bistro car, you can enjoy your food without taking time away from getting to your destination. The bistro car also just gave us something else to do with Bergen. He happily sat on my lap, and devoured a bag of pretzels while I got to take in the scenery.

Cons:

The train ride is longer than the car ride. However, if you encounter traffic on the highway or stop for a long meal or rest, the duration may even out. The duration may also even out if you need to stop frequently for a baby (nursing, diaper changes, etc.), as we would have had to do last year.
More coordination. Instead of just loading up in the car, you have to get yourself to the train station, worry about parking, check bags, and on and on. This is by far more simple than traveling by plane, but still takes time. Time that you could be logging in the car getting to your destination.
Work! It’s a lot of work to keep an active and busy toddler from disturbing everyone traveling with you on the train. Bergen did not want to sit still. In the car, we time his nap to coincide with our departure time, which gives us at least an hour of solace. We didn’t even want to risk a failed napping attempt, so he napped before the train ride.
You could get stuck. Weather, slides, and other trains can all get in the way of your train arriving at your destination on-time.

Tips for Train Travel with a Toddler:

Bring a partner! Slaed and I took turns. One of us would run off with Bergen for awhile, and the other could kick back and relax for a bit.
Do business class. It will cost you more per ticket, but with business class, you get an assigned seat ahead of time. Non-business classers have to wait in line at the station to get their seat assignment, which can take up a lot of your precious time.
Take advantage of the bistro and dining cars. We can’t emphasize this enough. On the return trip, we actually spent the majority of our time in the dining car. If you end up with a less than ideal seating assignment, it’s a great alternative.
Just like we’d suggest on the airplane, don’t be in rush to board. We enjoy and wander around the train station for as long as possible before making our way to our train car. There will be plenty of time to get settled and explore that space!
For even more general tips, see last year’s Travel by Train post.

What would you do? Train or car? We want to know what you think!

Come join the conversation! We’d love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

This post is linked up with Travel Tips Tuesday on WalkingOn Travels and Suitcases and Sippy Cups. For tons more travel tips, check out their sites!

May 3, 2013

Portland, Oregon’s Love Affair with Fountains: Toddler Fun at Jamison Square

If we learned anything about Portland on our weekend trip there last week, it’s that they have a thing for fountains. While in the downtown area, it seemed at every corner we turned there was another park or square delightfully streaming water. You can probably imagine the soundtrack to all the water spraying everywhere: laughter, shrieks, and just plain giddiness from little ones (and adults too!).

Thanks to our friends, long-time Portland residents, we got to visit one of the best fountains that Portland has to offer. Tucked away in the Pearl District and surrounded by trees is Jamison Square.

For logistical reasons, half of our group (including me) drove from our hotel, while the other half (including Slaed and Bergen) walked. Since us drivers arrived before the walkers, we treated ourselves to coffee and ice cream, and then made our way over to the fountain.

Meanwhile Slaed and Bergen were getting settled. I didn’t get to the see the whole episode unfold, but apparently it all happened quite fast. First the shoes came off. Then Slaed rolled up Bergen’s pants. Then he lost the pants all together. When I arrived at the scene with coffee and ice cream in hand, I found my young toddler son having the time of his life. He was splashing around, climbing stairs with water cascading down, and doing a whole lot of excited screaming. He was having all this fun in nothing but his diaper.

Once I got over the initial shock and worry that this might not be the best and most sanitary choice, I kicked back a little and let him do his thing. Maybe the “diaper bag” needs to have an emergency swim suit? True-Portlanders come prepared. You might not be able to tell from the photos, but they bring pop-up chairs, picnics, big cozy beach towels, and yes, bathing suits. When the weather is slated to be nice, they make a day, or at least an afternoon, of it.

At this particular fountain, the water would fill up to about Bergen’s upper thigh, and then gradually drain to nothing. Then the process started up all over again. What a thrill!

Luckily, like most toddler activities, the fun didn’t last long, and before we knew it Bergen was shivering, and ready to head to dinner. I did at least manage to have a change of clothes for him, so it wasn’t a complete worst-mom-of-the-year moment.

Tell us about your impromptu swimming experiences! Were you as ill-prepared as we were?

Info to Know:

Jamison Square is located in Portland’s Pearl District
- 810 NW 11th Avenue
- Hours: 5:00 am to Midnight
Don’t get caught like us! Bring bathing suits, towels, and sunscreen!
Cool off with an ice cream cone from Cool Moon, located just outside the square, and cool down or warm up with coffee from Nossa Familia, also just a block or two away.

Come join the conversation! We’d love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!