People ask what I enjoy most about living in Portland. It’s a hard question because I love numerous aspects of the Pacific Northwest. For example, the people are friendly, the food is amazing, the beer selection is outstanding, the winters are mild, and the surrounding scenery is mind-blowing. Another big reason I love living in Portland is that it’s dog-friendly. In fact, Portland is one of the dog-friendliest towns in the US. This suits me because I love spending time with my widdle homegirl, Homie Barkybottoms.
Homie turned 1 year old on the fourth of July. Homie is growing up to be an amazing dog. She’s graduated from her crate a few months back and can be left alone in the house, unsupervised. Usually, she won’t chew anything except she can’t be trusted around my shoes. RIP my favorite pair of flip-flops. Oh, and she likes to hide our socks. Other than that, Homie is well behaved.
For me, the best part about owning a dog is sharing our adventures with her. Whether it’s hiking, camping, or just going for a walk, Oregon’s outdoor scene is amazing. Portland is ranked one of the best cities for parks. Luckily for dog owners, Portland has a plethora of dog parks too. A dog park close to our house, that we enjoy, is Mt. Tabor. We frequent this park on a regular basis. Tabor is a great way to give Homie ample amount of exercise in a short amount of time.
However, when we can devote some serious time to dog parking, we break out the big guns. We head over to 1,000 Acres off-leash dog park which is an epic adventure for both dogs and dog owners alike.
Located in the Sandy River Delta Park, 1,000 Acres is a popular and expansive off-leash dog park. It’s the equivalent of dog heaven. You and your furry friend can explore miles upon miles of off-leash trails. A good portion of those trails leads to Sandy River which is perfect on a hot summer day. Whether your tail-wagger wants to walk, run, swim, or wrestle with other dogs, 1000 acres has it all.
Speaking of swimming, Homie’s seen water maybe twice before this last trip. She wasn’t fully vaccinated when we adopted her in October so we waited before introducing her to water. By the time Homie was old enough to swim, it was too cold outside. Now that’s it’s warm and she’s old enough, it’s been a joy, not to mention hilarious, to watch Homie discover water. She doesn’t really understand the concept of swimming yet, but she’s getting there.
One of the trails has the coolest view of Mt. Hood (pictured above). Kieran and I sometimes forget we live near a mountain then it’s raw beauty bitch slaps us in the face. We’ll see Mt. Hood pristinely parked in the background of a landscape and our mouths flop open in shock. Oh yeah, we’ll say to each other, we live near a mountain! Der!
The white snow caps of Mt. Hood against a vividly blue sky are mesmerizing. Sometimes it doesn’t look real! I could gaze upon Mt. Hood for hours and feel lucky living in a place where I can do so.
The day we brought Homie to 1000 acres was hot. Even if you plan on spending your time at Sandy River, bring extra water just in case. We let Homie play in the river then hiked some trails so her fur would dry by the time we reached the car.
Some of the trails lead through fields with no sun protection whatsoever. We quickly began to sweat as the hot sun beat down on us. Periodically we let Homie rest under a bush with some water, to escape the sun and catch her breath.
Depending on the time of day, you’ll find oodles of other dogs your pup can run and play with. Homie performs wonderfully off leash and gets along famously with dogs of all ages and sizes. For those of you who own dogs with socialization issues, you’ll find a trail devoted to dogs who must remain on leash. There’s nothing worse than seeing a pup run up to you knowing your dog won’t like it. This trail allows everyone to bring their pets no matter their demeanor.
The trails can be extremely muddy in the winter and spring months. We normally plan Homie’s bath time after we visit 1000 acres. We toss our exhausted pup into the tub as soon as we get home. All three of us are ready to crash on the couch by the time we’ve finished her bath. There’s nothing like settling on the couch with a beer, after an amazing day of adventuring!
I feel lucky living in a town that caters to dogs. Speaking of beer, we recently discovered a bar that serves food and drinks next to a dog park! It’s fucking awesome to sample local IPA while watching Homie romp around with other doggies.
I got stuck trying to wrap up this post so I asked Kieran to contribute. He has this to say about 1000 acres, Ummm, hmmm, it’s… well? Fido fabulous?
Kieran may be a man of few words, but he’s on point, 1,000 Acres is Fido Fab. Check it out with your fur baby if you haven’t already, you won’t be disappointed!
That’s all for this edition of Hartnett Highlights, thanks for stopping by,
Christina
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