U-pick Raspberries Portland Or

Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon Kicks off Portland's Fourth of July

The Foot Traffic Flat comes to Portland's Sauvie Island each July 4 since 2003. The Half Marathon is a walker-friendly race with a time limit of five hours, while the full marathon has a 5:30 limit which is not walker-friendly.

The 2011 race day dawned as a surprisingly cloudless and sunny day -- unusual for July 4 in Oregon. The the morning air was a moderate 55 - 62F with a slight breeze to keep the runners and walkers from overheating. Sauvie Island has little shade. It is an agricultural paradise of farms and fields. The views along the 13.1 mile half marathon and 26.2 mile full marathon are of fields of berries, wheat, cows and sheep grazing, dotted with farmsteads and u-pick stands. One lane of the island road is closed to vehicles so the racers can run and walk safely.

The half marathon had 1639 finishers, with about 200 of them finishing at a walking pace of over three hours. Slower racers never are alone because the marathon runners rejoin the half marathon route at their mile 17 (half marathon mile 5). This means that the 255 marathon runners constantly overtake any slower half marathoners throughout the rest of the course. But with the low number of marathon runners, they don't overtake in packs and cause congestion. A tradition of this event is that runners are often supported by friends who bicycle alongside them.

The race isn't called the Foot Traffic Flat for nothing. The course is dead flat except for a small hill up to the dike alongside the Columbia River on the west side of the island. A high percentage of the marathon runners achieve a Boston Marathon qualification time due to the flat course. Don't get in the way of those marathoners! Interestingly, a totally flat course is tiring as muscles began to yearn for a little up and downhill for variety.

The name of "flat" may also be a pun on the "flats" of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc. for which Sauvie Island is noted. The local Grange serves up free strawberry shortcake to all finishers, along with a hot dog to celebrate July 4. The race benefits the Sauvie Island Volunteer Fire Department and raised $40,000 for them in 2011.

The finish at the Pumpkin Patch was a great place for loved ones and finishers to browse the farmstand, tour the animal barn, and stock up on berries. Spectators can't drive out on the course of the island except on bicycle. This means there are very few people cheering along the course, so it is wise to bring a friend to chat with, put on your tunes, or just enjoy the rarely-changing vistas of farm fields.

Portland Family Fun – U-Pick Farms and Orchards Near The Portland ...

There’s nothing quite like picking your own fresh fruits, berry’s and  fresh locally grown vegetables. There are so many farms around the Portland metro area and all of them are worth visiting at some point in the year.

U-Pick Farms and Orchards Near The Portland Metro Area Baggenstos Farm Store – strawberries, raspberries, marionberries, boysenberries, potatoes, Pumpkin Patch. 3 free hayride wagons, hay mazes, gourds, corn maze, indian corn, hay bales, corn stalks 15801 SW Roy Rogers Road, Sherwood, OR 97140. Phone: 503-590-4301. Email Address jimbag@easystreet.com . Potatoes: Russets, Yukon golds, reds & purples.  winter squash, fresh farm produce, snacks, picnic tables. Group/school tours welcome, schedule early. Third annual Potato Festival October 2 & 3. Usually available: Season: June 1- December . 1, daily 9 am to 6 pm. Russets, Yukon golds, reds & purples. Pumpkin Patch September 29-October 31 7 days a week, 10-5:30. Open: daily 9 am to 6 pm. Directions: Located on Roy Rogers Road 3 miles west off of Pacific Hwy.; or 1.5 mile south from Scholls Ferry Rd. Bays Farms – apples, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears, kiwis, and Christmas trees 14550 NW Bays Drive, Banks, OR 97106. Phone: 503-324-0261. Open: Mid July – December 23rd. Directions: Go to the north end of Banks. From the Shell gas station, go due west on Cedar Canyon Road for ½ mile. Follow the signs to our farm. Many varieties of peaches, plums, nectarines, apples, pears, kiwis, and Christmas trees, when in season. Call for availability of picked or u-pick fruit. Fruit trees can be picked from the ground. Bear Hollow – blueberries 12830 NW Laidlaw Road, Portland, OR 97229. Email us at: fringant@comcast.net . Directions: hwy 26 left onto Barnes Road straight onto Saltzman rd right onto Laidlaw And for a map to our farm, click here. Crops are usually available in August. Open: best to email for dates and times. Organic eggs (year round). Raw and pasteurized Goat milk (June-November).. Feta Cheese (June-November). 4 month old organic cockerels (June-July-August). All crops are available starting about the end of the first week or the beginning of the second week of August. The supply is limited (we usually pick out of the blueberries and have to wait another week for ripening.

Michigan travel and recreation guide

E of Belding on M-44 U pick strawberries in season. Ph. 616/794- 0026. Doehne's Strawberries — 11771 Cutler rd., Portland Portland exit #77 off I-96. ...

Pick-your-own farms, a comprehensive guide to over 3,000 farms where you can "pick-your-own" fruits and vegetables

SCHWARTZ'S FARM, 34926 E. Crown Point Highway, Corbett, OR 503-695-5428 Raspberries, Blueberries, Nectarberries. SP ADA U-PICK FARM, 4939 NE 158th, Portland ...

Insiders' Guide to Portland, Oregon, Including the Metro Area and Vancouver, Washington

The u-pick fields are filled with luscious berries (for example, ... 548-2243 www.rasmussenfarms.com Rasmussen Farms— an hour's drive from Portland in the ...

Day Trips from Portland, Oregon, Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler

21024 NWGillihan Rd.; (503) 621-3909; www.columbiafarms u-pick.com. This large farm has been on the island for ages and offers 8 different types of berries ...

Moon Oregon

Hobos is a classy spot for an after-dinner drink. u-PiCk and FarMers Markets Farmers markets have become a major part of life for many Portland households. ...