Forest Park in Portland, OR (and the Witch's Castle too!)

After reading about the Wildwood Trail at Forest Park in Portland, Oregon, I knew we had to check it out. With a 28-mile trail that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to walking and hiking options, I was more than happy to head down to Portland, our favorite Oregon destination, in order to visit the park.

We weren’t sure what to expect but quickly discovered this popular trail needed more parking options (difficult given the fact that the trailhead is right next to a residential area). We were fortunate when we spotted some visitors heading out of the trail and back to their vehicle. We unabashedly stalked them and immediately took over their parking spot when they drove away.

Once we entered the trail, we were immediately embraced by the beauty of it all. The trail itself is wide, thankfully, since you are regularly coming across other hikers, dogs, runners and bicyclists. We learned quickly to keep Jozee very close to us when we rounded corners, as bicyclists could be coming down the hill, not allowing much time to get your furbaby or the leash out of the bicyclist’s way.

There were two things I loved most about this trail:

#1 – The sheer beauty and tranquility of it, even though it was so close to the city. The lush trees offered enough coverage to hush out the signs of city life just outside the borders of the forest and there was no limit to the many shades of beautiful greenery offering enough cover from the sun to make a long walk more manageable.

#2 – I love, love, love the dog-friendly residents of Portland. Whether another hiker had a dog or not, this trail was a great opportunity for Jozee to meet many new friends, as it was rare for another hiker not to want to stop to give her some attention. And if the hiker also had a dog, well then, there was even more of an opportunity to make a new friend.

I don’t recall how far down this trail we actually went before we turned around to head back to our vehicle. We might have spent the whole day on the Wildwood Trail except for the fact that we were also on a mission to visit the Witches Castle (or at least I was). So we split up the day between the two items on our itinerary.

We drove to Macleary Park, took some time to figure out where to park and eventually found the Lower Macleary Trail. This is a pretty walk, with a narrow trail running down the hill and then alongside a creek once you meander down to the lower level. Once we made our way up from the creek and over a slight ridge, we finally came across the Witch's Castle.

This beautiful old stone building was a little on the small side, but did not disappoint when it came to letting my imagination run away with thoughts about when and who ever used this building.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was actually built as a ranger station and restroom for hikers many years ago and was eventually abandoned. 

Why was it abandoned? 

One story I read indicated hikers were spooked by possible supernatural events (toilets flushing by themselves). Another explanation was that it was badly damaged in a storm. Regardless of why it’s now an abandoned building, it would be an eerie place to visit in the middle of the night.

This was a wonderful day trip and a fun experience with Jozee and we hope to visit the Wildwood Trial every year as our schedule allows it. 

Until then, on to the next jaunt!

Priest Point Park & Burfoot County Park

You don’t have to travel far from home to find great parks to enjoy with your pup…

Ellis Cove Trail

Jozee enjoying the view

Priest Point Park:

Priest Point Park is easily accessible and in a location not far from downtown Olympia, close to the marina and on the shore of Puget Sound at Budd Inlet and Ellis Cove. The trails are well maintained and a nice little hike, especially the Ellis Cove Trail, where Jozee enjoys taking a break while we have a snack. My favorite photo on one particular day is when she was gazing out at the water from the top of the bluff while we were taking a break. It really is a wonderful trail with a beautiful view. 

Beach at Budd Inlet

At the end of the trail we gain access to the beach, a nice area to walk with plenty of trees close to the shoreline if you find yourself in need of shade. We enjoy the view and Jozee enjoys playing around in the water before we head back to the trailhead.









On one particular day while we were walking this trail, Jozee met another young pup who looked like a young Husky she enjoyed playing with when she spent time at doggy daycare. When the two of them began to move toward each other, very intent on interacting, we finally determined with the owners at the other end of the leash that this was in fact her playmate at the daycare.

It’s a small world, even for dogs.

Ellis Cove Trail

The only negative we found while visiting Priest Point Park is when we accessed the water using the short trail on the south side of the park and had to walk in the mud flats at low tide. The mud flats are, well, muddy. They are also slick and slimy and after trying to maneuver through them just once, that was enough for me. I prefer the beach area further north where we access it from the Ellis Cove Trail and where the rocky shore gives us more traction.

Burfoot County Park:

While I had visited Priest Point even before Jozee, I had never taken the time to drive further along East Bay Drive to discover what might lie beyond. Since I’m always on the lookout for new parks to visit with Jozee, we finally ventured out that way and were pleasantly surprised with Burfoot County Park. 

A huge field where dogs can play fetch is close to a large playground area for kids and surrounding that field are multiple entrances where you can begin your walk either through the nearby woods or down the trail toward to the beach. 

The difference between this beach compared to the Ellis Cove Trail access is that there isn’t much in the way of shade. However, some days we have the beach to ourselves, at least for a short time period, and there are benches just above the beach where you can sit and enjoy the view for awhile. While on the beach we look for little crabs under rocks, spot evidence of what lies beneath based on holes in the sand and Jozee’s reaction to water squirting up at her when she stood over the holes was priceless.

Both parks have their own perks and both have become local favorites whenever we want to visit the water but have to stay close to home.

Jozee met a little friend

Ocean Shores & Pacific Beach

After visiting Stewart’s Memorial Park in Aberdeen, we climbed back in our truck for the anticipated beach day. This was going to be Jozee’s first visit to the beach and we were looking forward to giving her the experience.

Jozee's 1st day at the beach

If you live in Washington, I assume you’ve visited Ocean Shores and possibly Pacific Beach. The city of Ocean Shores is like any ocean-side city and is a busy place with cute little tourist shops you can enjoy, along with putt-putt golf, go carts and other activities. We like to visit the little shops and buy some taffy while we’re there but on this day we really only wanted to play on the beach with Jozee. After a quick stop in Ocean Shores, we moved along to our favorite beach in that area: Pacific Beach.

We enjoy Pacific Beach for two reasons: we spent a lot of time there years ago with my mother-in-law whenever she wanted to go to the beach so it’s always been our go-to place and it’s just not usually that busy of a beach.

On this day, Jozee’s first beach experience, it was the month of May and we were extremely lucky that the weather turned out so nice. If you live in Washington, you also know that nice weather inland means nothing when you head to a Washington beach. Sometimes it can be 20 degrees cooler and very windy – making a day at the beach not so much fun.

But today it was beautiful.

And Jozee absolutely loved the beach, even if she didn’t appreciate why the water kept moving toward her so quickly.

Digging: a dog's favorite pasttime

Jozee spotted some seagulls

She didn’t play in the water much, but she enthusiastically dug in the sand. It must have been so much fun for her to be allowed to dig as much as she wanted, given the fact that she’d been told “no” many times at home. J

It was a gorgeous day at the beach and there is no doubt, Jozee enjoyed every moment of it.

Jozee had a good day...

Stewart’s Memorial Park (Aberdeen, WA)

The Stewart Memorial Park in Aberdeen is a park I had never heard of and would never have known about if I hadn’t read about it. The only reason we ever go through the city of Aberdeen is when we’re on our way to the beach. Other than stopping for coffee or lunch or dinner on the go, we usually just breeze through Aberdeen and Hoquiam, intent on getting as much time at the beach as we can.

But on this particular day on our way to Ocean Shores and Pacific Beach, we thought we might check out the park we read about. It wasn’t easy to find, since directions we tried to obtain via GPS helped us bypass the park and end up lost in a residential neighborhood (a resident there told us it happens often). 

I wonder if this may be due to the confusion about the name of the park, which I tried to verify after the fact. I read about this park when it was referred to as both the Joseph Stewart Park and also Stewart’s Memorial Park. The Aberdeen park website also calls it Stewart’s Memorial Park but a brochure you can download from that same site refers to it as the James Stewart Memorial Park. 

A little confusing, to be sure.

Eventually, we did find the right road, the right turns and finally the park. It seemed like a basic park, at first, with a grassy area, a playground, and a picnic shelter. After letting Jozee sniff around a bit while we stretched our legs, we looked beyond the basic park amenities and spotted an entrance to a trail.

And then we disappeared into a wonderland…

This trail was beautiful, enjoyable and just the right length when you have limited time to spare. It’s only a mile long but the lushness of this forest and the varying types of walking platforms made you slow down to take stock not only in the beauty but also your footing as you moved along. 

Majestic trees, giant stumps, climbing ivy and mossy adornments surround a creek, and a nice trail accessorized with bridges, raised boardwalks, and wooden stairs to help you along the way.

It really was a beautiful walk and a nice place to take a break during a long drive.

But then we had to move along. After all, Jozee was going to experience her first time at the beach!

Tumwater Falls

We visit Tumwater Falls often and it’s a great spot for a nice walk for the locals and visitors to the area. No matter the season, you can look forward to picture-perfect views along the river and while viewing the falls. With a loop running down one side of the river and back up again between the upper and lower falls, you can decide between a nice brisk walk or a beautiful, leisurely stroll given your time limit or need for exercise. Jozee loves the area, not only because of who she might meet on our walk, but also because of the kids she might get to meet who are regularly playing in the playground. I enjoy the park because it’s in a nice location and we can fit in a stop for a visit between whatever errands we might be running that day.

The park is beautiful all year round so here are some photos of the park and river from over the past year:

Summer (last year):

Upper falls area

See the salmon ladder?

Lower falls - stand here at the right time and you
get a nice spray from the waterfall

Fall (last year):

One of my favorite shots during the fall

Taking a break for snapshot

 

View from west side viewing platform

If you visit, try to enjoy the river when the salmon are running and especially when they are trying to jump the upper falls area

A small salmon - most were already gone

Winter (this year):

From the west side looking up river

From the west side looking down river

On the boardwalk, looking for walkers to greet

Upper falls

Upper falls area bridge

Another view of upper falls

Lower falls

This was before Jozee a few years ago but here's a look
at what happens to the upper falls when there's excess water.
That water is lapping on to the platform area where
people usually stand.

Spring:

From the upper falls area bridge
looking down river

From west side viewing platform
looking down river

From west side viewing platform
looking up river

Old Olympia Brewhouse

The old brewery is just above the park and is now a sad relic of what it once was so many years ago, as well as a reminder that what might thrive today, might offer no more than a shadow of memories tomorrow. I’ve personally had high hopes that something grand could come of the old building, something that would benefit the community again, but as of now, I’m still waiting. However, I was pleased to hear recently that they might remodel and open to the public the old brewhouse, which is located down the river below the lower falls. Craft beer, restaurants, shops and a museum is the rumor…fingers crossed that this idea will someday come true. It really is a spectacular old building.

What do you mean we have to leave?

The mixture of natural beauty and historic ambiance are two major reasons we enjoy Tumwater Falls, at least from the human perspective. As far as canines are concerned, it’s a park where a quick jaunt offers spectacular smells and friendly people, which is enough to make any dog’s day.