Oregon Vacation
Finn saying goodbye to Windells
I have just finished a great 10 days in Oregon. We drove all the way down from our mountain town of Canmore, via BC, Idaho, Washington and around Mount Hood.
We rented a small cabin in the wilderness, near the community of Welches, about one hour from Portland, Oregon’s largest city.
While my dad was working, climbing or biking, I went to Windell’s – a famous skateboard and snowboard camp, located between Mount Hood and Portland!
Because Mount Hood has permanent glaciers, it is a rare mountain where enthusiasts can ski and snowboard year-round. Living in the Canadian Rockies, I get a little tired of winter, so I chose to skateboard :).
Mt Hood, Oregon
It was very interesting to go to the many skateboard parks in the area and to see the beautiful landscapes. I very much believe Oregon is one of the most beautiful and diverse places I have visited.
We stayed in a very forested area, but drove into the desert, rafted and visited the Columbia Gorge.
At night I stayed with my dad at the cabin and we either cooked or ate at the friendly local restaurants. My favourite restaurant was a family-owned place called Wraptitude (they specialize in wraps and make great smoothies).
Hoola-hooping out back of Wraptitude
The camp was so much fun, with a (almost too) relaxed attitude, yet excellent coaches. We went to at least two skateboard parks a day and sometimes swam in a river. I felt a sense of community and made some good friends.
Some of the camp participants must have come from very wealthy families as they stayed for several weeks. These 10 days were expensive for my family and I saved all year for this camp.
An interesting goal …
I really did not like the food very much. I prefer sushi to hotdogs or peanut butter & jam sandwiches, nevertheless, next year I think I would like to sleep at the camp. Each day began around 7am and there were activities all the way to 10pm!
I made such good friends that I stayed until the last possible minute even on the final day.
Our last day in Oregon was July 4! Dad and I visited Portland where we climbed at an excellent indoor gym, Planet Granite and then visited the Oregon zoo. I liked the zoo, but the weather was so hot, the animals were mostly resting in the shade.
I can’t wait to eat some delicious salmon (I am a fish fanatic). It will be my first time this far north and as it is summer the sun will almost not go down – I hope I can sleep!
I am very lucky to have the chance to travel to these wonderful places and to meet so many interesting people.
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