“Fatherhood is WAY too much for a single sentence!”
- Vince Schreck – father to Arlo, age 4, and Rhys, age 8.Creator/Editor of Portland Family Adventures and singer/songwriter for “The Toy Trains”
Q. What is your favorite thing to do in Portland with your kids?
A. There are so many things to do and picking one is very hard to do! I know my kids would say their favorite thing to do is go climbing at The Circuit Bouldering Gym. We have a family membership and go 4-5 times per week. My favorite thing is going hiking in Forest Park or to Kruger’s Farm Concerts in the summer.
Q. What do you like to do on sunny days in PDX?
A. My kids would say they like visiting skate parks. Our family favorite (in Portland) is Pier Park. For a hot and sunny day, one of my favorites is visiting the river at Dabney State Park. You can hang out on the beach, float the river, or play some disc golf.
Q. What do you like to do on rainy days in PDX?
A. We like to mix it up on rainy days. Surprisingly, one of my favorite things to do on a rainy day is visit The Oregon Zoo. We’ve had some of our best visits on rainy days – there weren’t as many people, we took our time, and more animals were out and visible. The World Forestry Center is also one of our favorites for a rainy day.
Q. How do you balance being a dad with other priorities (work, hobbies, etc)?
A. I don’t know exactly. I just do it. It’s very important to me, and I try to find activities we all like to do. For example, I love climbing and so do our kids, so after dinner the whole family goes climbing until bedtime. That way, we can spend a lot of time together, but we’re all doing something we enjoy. Also, more importantly, I think it’s important to optimize the time you spend with your kids. It blows my mind when I see parents at a playground texting or talking on their cell phones. I don’t own a cell phone, because I would probably be one of those who just sort of stares at it wasting precious time! My wife has a cell phone, but it’s not part of the equation when we’re with our kids. I think when you make spending time with your kids the priority, everything else just sort of falls into place.
Q. What’s your favorite story/memory of being with your kid(s)?
A. They were both born at home and that certainly is my favorite memory. Nothing could possibly come close to that experience! When Arlo was born (our 2nd child), the entire labor to delivery was just 90 minutes. The midwives didn’t make it to our house fast enough, and I ended up delivering the baby on the bathroom floor! It was incredible! Arlo lives his life with that same type of reckless abandon. When I think of our family together, I always think of our trips to Black Butte Ranch and Sun River resorts. It’s so nice not having to drive your car. We just ride bikes the entire day from activity to activity. It’s so much fun at both spots.
