“Fatherhood is a grand adventure. Be sure to stop and enjoy the views but always watch your step.”
- Tony Fuentes, Chief Executive Papa, Milagros – http://milagrosboutique.com https://www.facebook.com/
Q. What is your favorite thing to do in Portland with your kids?
A. There is really no one thing that falls into our favorite. We love living in Portland and trying to dive into everything that our fair city has to offer families, especially outdoor adventures in town and nearby. A few favorite family outings in town are exploring the town by bike, soaking at the Kennedy School, walking the trails at the Audubon Society and visiting the resident birds there. We also love biking, walking, and kayaking at Smith & Bybee Lakes as well as on Sauvie Island.
Q. What do you like to do on sunny days in PDX?
A. Soaking in the sunshine is what we try to be about, being outside whether at home or out and about. If it is really hot, a trip to Jamison Fountain or Kelly Point Park is usually on the agenda (not to mention soft serve at Back to Eden or regular ice cream at Salt N’ Straw).
Q. What do you like to do on rainy days in PDX?
A. Like most Portlanders we like our books & movies on rainy days. We love the low cost 2nd run theater options we have in town. Kennedy School & the Academy Theater get most of our movie money. And the library is a stop for us every week, really. We also enjoy the family happy hours at Eat Art Theater and the plethora of family events at Mississippi Pizza Pub. But we don’t let the rain stop our outdoor time. Doing the auto tour at Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge is a common rainy day activity for us.
Q. How do you balance being a dad with other priorities (work, hobbies, etc)?
A. We are very blessed in that we own and operate our own family business – Milagros – and the business is mature enough that we have a fair amount of flexibility in our schedule much of the time. Both my kids are in school, so school time tends to be work time as well as some personal time for me. Most personal time is at night, post bed time, plus Jen & I can alternate our own fun nights out with friends. We also have some beloved sitters, so the occasional alone time with Jen actually happens. Of course, many of the things that Jen & I loved to do together before kids (traveling, camping, hiking, kayaking, rock climbing) are things that we do with the kids as well. By the time Mila was one year old, she had spent nearly two months in a tent. So a lot of the things I love are things that I have the pleasure of doing with the kids.
Q. What’s your favorite story/memory of being with your kid(s)?
A. I am a early morning person. Each kid has gone through an early morning riser phase. These became special one on one times with me. Mila and I went on countless early morning breakfast dates and even morning drives to watch the sun rise in the Gorge. Gael has been going through the same phase as well recently. There is something very cozy about spending these early mornings together.
