Tumwater Falls Park is one of my favorite places to go this time of year, since the salmon coming up the Deschutes River to spawn can be viewed up close (close enough to get splashed!). Once the salmon make their journey in thru Budd Inlet, across Capitol Lake, and up the Deschutes River with its fish ladders for a little assist, they are brought into big tanks. The salmon are counted and eggs are harvested - and those splashing, jumping fish give an up close & personal look at this amazing life cycle.
Tumwater Falls Park also has trails along the river where you can admire the waterfall (it might splash you just a little too if there's a breeze blowing the mist your direction).
And if the kids get tired of watching leaping salmon & waterfalls, Tumwater Falls Park has concrete boats where they can imagine themselves steering along the waterway, or jumping off the little plank extending from one of the boats (walk that plank, Matey!!).
My trip to the Tumwater Falls Park this week with my 4 year old granddaughter included another little nature learning experience when we found a fuzzy caterpillar. Once she got brave enough to touch it, she fell in love with its soft, tickly body, and I wasn't sure we would successfully leave the park without a new pet in tow! But once she had enough time to study it as it crawled up one of the boats and onto a leaf, we successfully moved it over near a tree where it wouldn't accidentally get stepped on.
Time to head home after a fun afternoon at Tumwater Falls Park with the salmon, the waterfall, the play boats - and a new little fuzzy caterpillar friend!
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