 You guys. Let's talk about Dorris Ranch. Ahhh, dear old Dorris. If I could marry a physical place, I would marry Dorris Ranch. It is very nearly the perfect place. Anywho, here's how my family likes to enjoy dear old Dorris (henceforth known as DOD). I hope you and your family head out there soon and check it out, because it's the best. For reals. DOD is in Springfield, right down Pioneer Parkway, off the Springfield City Center exit. Now before you quit reading because you live way out in the South hills of Eugene or whatever and decide that DOD is way too far away to visit, let me just tell you that you're wrong. So very wrong. It is well worth every single minute spent in the car. When you get there, the driveway splits three ways. Okay hold on. I am going to WAY overexplain this for all of the people out there who are like me and who really really really like details. If you're more of an "explore it on your own" type, feel free to skip this next 35 paragraphs. Hopefully, however, there is someone out there who is like me and will find the nitty gritty specifics helpful. Let's forge on! See this map? See the gate at the top? That's where you start at DOD. See how the road splits three ways? Oh the options! How does one decide? Okay, here we go.  The paved road to the left (your left when you've arrived at the park, your right when you're looking at this map) leads to a brand new (last year I think) path that is paved. On the map, it's the yellow "paved multi-use path". There are bathrooms and a water fountain and a few benches in the parking lot area. Head down the "paved multi-use path" and you'll hit the Living History Village right away. The buildings aren't open, but they're fun to check out. Last fall, DOD held a really fun event where they had the buildings open to explore as well as people in period dress there to show artifacts and answer questions. Super fun! Keep going and you'll hit a beautiful forest - this is my son's favorite part of DOD. He loves how tall the trees are, and how dark and quiet it is. We love to talk about which animals are hiding or napping in the trees, and how they're camouflaged. Keep on trucking and you'll reach the river. It's too far away (and blocked off by a fence) at this point to get down to the water, but the view is lovely.
I haven't ever gone farther than about where the river curves and the map cuts off, so I can't attest to what's just around the river bend (anyone catch that reference?) so let me know if you know! FYI, my four year old can ride his bike all the way down to the river and back with no problem. I have zero idea how far that is - there are distance markers but I never pay attention. I also can't figure it out using the map, because my babies used up all my brain cells when I was pregnant. So...there you go. One note about the "paved multi-use path": Some of the path has a yellow line painted in the middle, like a real road. I really wish the line were on the entire path, and I'm not sure why it's not (anyone?) It is a great place to teach your littles about basic traffic concepts like lanes, passing, and road courtesy. My kiddo loves to yell "passing on your left!"
The gravel road to the right (okay so that's your right when you're at the park, your left when you're looking at this map) leads to a gravel path that winds through filbert orchards. On the map, it's the light grey "road". Just a little distance distance from the parking lot is a very cool barn (it's available to rent and has the most beautiful twinkly lights hanging inside!) as well as a neat old nut harvesting machine, picnic tables, and a port-a-potty. Keep walking and you'll hit the orchards. The orchards are a fantastic place to let littles play - they are just so visibly cool! The rows upon rows of matching trees - so fun. On the map, there's a place labeled "Pump House and Packing Shed". These are some random buildings (you can't go in them) as well as another port-a-potty. There is also another picnic table and an awesome old tractor to let the littles explore. If you've got pretty short legs with you, I might recommend turning around now and heading back to the car. It's not a long walk TO the "tractor spot" (that's what we call it, super creative, I know. You're welcome.) but you do need to walk all the way BACK. :) If you've got longer legs, you're about halfway to the river, and it is truly a beautiful walk. Keep going and you can toss rocks and sticks in the water after you scramble down the bank. Gorgeous. For reference, this weekend my four year old walked the entire way to the river and back without a problem after he rode his bike all the way to the river on the paved path. You can do it! There are also lots of small gravel trails, marked as the white "trails" on the map. We've never really checked those out, but we should! So last weekend here's what we did: We started on the "paved multi-use path", rode bikes/walked to the river and back, and then headed back to the car, which we had parked in the gravel lot. We threw the bike in the car, grabbed our picnic basket, and walked down to the picnic tables near the barn. After we ate, my husband threw the basket back in the car and we headed down the gravel "road". We stopped at every tractor and allowed for lots of time to check out bugs/logs/leaves/puddles. We walked all the way to the river, threw rocks in, and walked back to the car. From arrival to departure, we spent 3 and 1/2 hours at DOD. Wonderful family time for exploration, conversation, enjoying the outdoors, and getting dirty!  The Essentials
Parking: plenty of free parking Cost: free Restrooms: There are flush toilets near the paved parking lot, and several port-a-potties in various spots up and down the gravel path. Resting/Nursing Spots: a few benches and picnic tables scattered around Time Frame: At least an hour - you could easily occupy your littles for half a day at DOD! Happy Adventuring!
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Time for another park review! Since I am basically a homebody, and also a severe creature of habit, I seriously need to be convinced with promises of wonderlands in order to convince me to leave my comfortable circle of park favorites. So when a friend sent me the address of a park we'd never visited before, I put on my big girl pants, packed some snacks, and hauled my kids to the unknown. Here's what we thought about Creekside Park.
What we liked:
Side Note Here are my top tips for making mom friends: Compliment her kid. Find something you're genuinely impressed with, and open the conversation with something positive: "He's got great hair!" "She is such a jumper!" "I love those boots!" Something of the sort. Ask questions. Obvious inquiries include age (of the kid, obvs) and name, but feel free to ask about other topics that might lead to more interesting conversation: "How did you choose his name?" "Do you guys play here often?" "Have you seen every episode of Octonauts? Because I have. Twice." 
What we didn't so much like:
So while we were playing at this park, there was only one other family there. Granted, it was sort of a grey morning, but that leads me to think that there are so many parks in Lane County that either:
The Essentials
Parking: Plenty on the street, but no lot. Get your parallel parking skills ready! Food: BYOS (Bring Your Own Snacks) :) Resting/nursing spots: Several benches and picnic tables. Cost: Free is a very good price! Time frame: Bring a book, settle in and let your littles run! Address: Creekside Park Sterling Woods Dr. and Crimson Ave click here for map I am super excited to keep trying parks that we've never visited before. Please comment below with the name of your secret hidden gem of a park! Happy Adventuring! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo. 
Yesterday Megan wrote an awesome review of RiverPlay Park.
RiverPlay was built when my kids were little & it was a total sensation! & it still is! It truly is an awesome park. My 8 & 10 year old still love it. & I've got a few thoughts on it for Big Kids: Note: You know your own kiddos so I'll let you determine exactly when the term Big Kid applies to them. I think it was about 6 for us. Since this is up to you, I'm going to hold off on safety tips for the Big Kids & just tell you about the park. Okay, except one: On the way to RiverPlay I always try to talk about strangers. This is a very well populated area, lots of people walking around & through. My kids know this talk backward & forward & usually say 'We know! We know!' but that never stops me from making sure it's fresh in their minds from the start. Grass! There's a big grassy field & a little hill on two sides of the park so we always set up there & have that be our home base. I've found that with bigger kids sometimes it's better for me to stay in one spot & then if they need something they come right to it & I can help them out. Even if I run to the bathroom or am helping the other, they can go to the spot & wait or snack. There are also several picnic tables & benches around to use for this same purpose. Sand! I think it is hilarious that Megan didn't even mention the sand area of RiverPlay (some parents are Sand Parents & some aren't & we can still be friends & love each other :) ) So let me just say to the Sand Parents: The sand area is awesome! It's true that this park is a little crazy during the summer & the sand area is always swarming. It has this awesome river-flowing-through-a-rock thing that goes right into the sand pit. It is always full of kids building dams, creating volcanoes, making sand pies. My son spends most of his time here & usually emerges dirty & wet & tired & happy. Because of the sheer volume of children it is an excellent way to watch personality traits come out. The leaders emerge for sure, also the builders, makers & really horrible sharers :) The sand area is really big so there's plenty of room for kids who are not interested in being a part of the craziness. Throughout the sand are there are fossils buried (attached to the ground) & kids can dig & discover. So very cool! Oh! There's also a short wall on one end of the sand area so you can sit & watch the kids play if you want to. Big! Giant! Play Structure! Megan mentioned how this tall structure is pretty overwhelming for parents. & I had my fair share of climbing up to rescue a didn't-realize-how-high-she-had-climbed-until-she-looked-down-and-now-I-need-my-mom-right-now-RIGHT-NOW kiddo but at around 6 they both started to get into it (Okay, that's a lie. My son loved it from the minute he set eyes on it & by 4 had the whole thing figured out & totally owned it. But I still has to watch him like a hawk at 4. At 10 he's the king of the structure & I don't have to watch his every move for fear that I will lose sight of him.) It's tall, it's cool, it's full of ladders & a climbing wall & a huge slide & shorter slides. So many parks have small or medium sized play structures & that's great some days but when your kids just need to climb to the very top of something & yell "I'm the Queen of the World!!'? Head to RiverPlay. (& if you need to do that, too, I say go for it.) Miniature Town! The village part of RiverPlay is just perfect for the aspiring actors, entrepreneurs & teachers in your life. The structures are cute & have fun features like little stools & pass through windows. I have spent many an afternoon being treated to a snack at the Restaurant, taught a lesson at the School & then thrown into the Jail just for good measure. & if your kiddo meets up with another imaginative kiddo? You can head back to your home base & let them go for it (or just say 'I think I'm going to stay in Jail for a while, you go ahead.') Water! On the days when the heat's got you dragging this is a super fun spot. Not only is it refreshing for your kids, it's super tall so adults can stand under it, too! Double score! Other stuff! There are other things to climb on & under, ride on & a really cool crank handle thing that one person (or more) turn while others ride across (it's about 1 foot off the ground). There are swings of all sorts & a water fountain & bathrooms. Basically if your kids are old enough & big enough & you're feeling comfortable with it, RiverPlay is park heaven. Have fun! Skinner Butte Park - RiverPlay Discovery Village 210 Cheshire Ave. Eugene, OR 97402 Happy 2015 Adventurers! How was your holiday season? Are you ready for some holiday detox? I think my kiddos are still recovering from all the treats and late nights and general festivities. And needless to say, so am I. :) The holidays always seemed so effortlessly magical when I was a child...now I know that while they are still magical, they are HARDLY effortless. Oy vey. Anywho, after lots of inside time, we are raring to go play outdoors, so I thought another park review might be in order. Without further ado:  Skinner Butte Park - RiverPlay Discovery Village 210 Cheshire Ave. Eugene, OR 97402 You guys. The first time we played at this park, I think we all just stood there and stared at it for about ten minutes. It is absolutely, truly beautiful. It is well designed and intentional. It is so many wonderful things. But there are drawbacks, and pretty big ones in my honest opinion. So. Here we go.
Here's what we love:
Here are some of our not-so-favorite things:
The Essentials Parking: Plenty! Food: Well, there's a water fountain, but you'll need to bring your own snacks. :) Resting/Nursing spots: Spots galore! Cost: Free - wahoo! Time frame: As long as your kiddos can play! Happy Adventuring! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Megan Defferding is the mom to two super fun boys who love to find great stuff to do all around Lane County! Check out her blog series, Happy Adventuring, weekly on GoMomGo.  |
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