Summertime Fun: Beat the Heat!

Now that summer is in full swing in the great NW (it's after July 5th that our summer really begins weather-wise), our main goal has been to stay cool. I have always been sensitive to the heat having grown up on the Oregon coast with an average summer day temp of 65 degrees. I've lived in the Portland area for 10 years now and I STILL am not used to the hot days of July and August up here. Anytime it gets over 85 degrees, I want to crawl in the freezer or crank up the A/C and stay inside all day. Since we now have a kiddo, I force myself to go out in this dreaded heat. Armed with some good sunscreen, a towel, swimming clothes and lots of water; we have been hitting a lot of the fountains around the area. Going to the fountains is a perfect way for urban dwellers to cool off and have a blast doing it. 
So far, we have hit up 3 different ones. Each has it's positives and negatives.

1. Magnolia Park, Hillsboro (Tanasbourne area):  http://www.ci.hillsboro.or.us/ParksRec/ParksnTrails/Magnolia.aspx

-This park is super cool and very convenient to us (it's a 1 minute drive from Joel's work and about a 7 minute drive from our house). There is a Wednesday Farmer's market in the parking lot of the Whole Foods within walking distance of the park. They also have live music on Wednesday nights.  The playground is toddler friendly, with a different section for little kids to play/swing in, which is a bonus. They have ample areas to sit in the grass and a large, covered picnic spot with grills. 
The fountain is rather small and the water cycling through it is ICE cold, which kind of sucks for the littler kids. But the water pressure is really good for littler kids and it cycles through different patterns pretty often.
When we went last Wednesday, we picked up some berries and cherries from the farmer's market and sat and listened to the music while Gus played in the fountain off and on. It was really a perfect summer night!


Rating:

• Fountain: 6/10
• Playground: 8/10

    2. 53rd Ave Park, Hillsboro (Off of Baseline by Coyote's Grill and Bar) : http://www.ci.hillsboro.or.us/ParksRec/SportsComplexes/53rdAveSportsComplex.aspx


- This park is really large and has soccer fields, basketball courts and a concession stand during the summer. There is a very large playground with some really cool "disc" swings that are fun for kids of all ages. There is also a huge spinning merry go round thing and lots and lots of climbing structures. There's even a sand pit for the kids to play in, which is always a big hit. 
The fountain here is huge and is surrounded by large brick steps, with ample places to sit with your family while your kiddos play in the water. It never feels crowded because there is plenty of room for everyone to play. The water is lukewarm, so it's good for little kids and the fountain cycles into small spurts, great for toddlers who are a little scared of the water or the more intense water pressure fountains. The only negative about this fountain is that it cycles through the same 2-3 boring patterns, which can get kind of tiresome. 


Rating:

• Fountain: 8/10
• Playground: 10/10

     3.  Director's Park/ Teacher's Fountain, downtown Portland ( SW Park & Yamhill) : http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/?c=52453 and http://www.portlandonline.com/parks/finder/index.cfm?PropertyID=1335&action=ViewPark

- This is by far the BEST fountain I have found for kids under 3. If you live in the suburbs, it's worth the drive/max ride to go down to this fountain. We usually go on a Monday to avoid the weekend crowds. There is no playground/play area for kids but the fountain makes up for it. It's completely enclosed by a wooden bench area on all side except the one that faces the actual park. There is a constant 2-4" of standing water for kids to crawl/run through. Gus LOVED this feature and crawled and walked throughout the water the entire time we were there. The fountain has no pattern for the water but instead a constant 6" gurgling water spouts throughout the fountain. A bonus of this park is that it's has a beautiful area to picnic/eat lunch and food carts are just about 3 blocks away. Parking is annoying, but to avoid that, take the max, get off at the Library stop and walk 1 block toward Pioneer Square and you are at the fountain! 
Bonus- there is also a really good farmer's market in Pioneer Square on Mondays. So take a trip to the FM to get fresh food and then go have lunch and play @ Teacher's Fountain!

Rating: 

• Fountain: 10/10 (for kids under 3)
• Park: 8/10

We also went to a really nice playground in NW Portland last week but I can't remember the name of it. It's somewhere off of 23rd by the grocery co-op. Gus had a blast there. They have two separate play structures and a huge field.