Plus: The best lunch we've had in a long time.
 
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Today’s Forecast

90º | 10% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:05 a.m. | Sunset 8:26 p.m.
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Come on in, the water’s fine

Make a splash at these swimming holes in the Portland area
A woman swims in the swimming hole beneath Punchbowl Falls.
The pool at the base of Punchbowl Falls is chilly, but your feet will thank you for the dip after hiking a couple of miles to reach it. | Photo via @whitemarsh32
Oh, the weather outside is spiteful, but the river is so delightful. For anyone who needs a break from the sweltering heat (or indoor air-conditioning), taking a dip in a local swimming hole might just be the ticket.

We fished around and found these local spots where you can beat the heat.

Punchbowl Falls | Access via Eagle Creek Trail

Sure, this spot requires a little extra sweat to get to — but it’s so worth it. You’ll hike about 2 miles to reach the falls and punchbowl-shaped swimming area. Bring your dog, but watch for steep drop-offs along the path. Pro tip: Don’t forget a pair of water shoes for when you need to wade through the creek and scramble across rocks and logs.

Sandy River swimming.png

Try this swimming spot along the Sandy River near the Sugarpine Drive-In and you’ll have midday treats at your fingertips.

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Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

Sandy Swimming Hole | 550 N. Shepherd Rd., Washougal

A popular spot with Southwest Washingtonians, Sandy Swimming Hole is a city park at the upper end of lower Washougal River Greenway. If you’re lucky, you may get a visit from an ice cream truck. Pro tip: The ground is rocky and there’s little shade to be found, so you may want to bring folding chairs and an umbrella.

Oxbow Regional Park | 3010 SE Oxbow Pkwy., Gresham

Swimming in the Sandy River is a quintessential summertime activity. From this Metro-maintained park, you can float to Dabney State Recreation Area, or explore 12 miles of trails. Parking is $5, or you can park for free on select dates. Life jackets are on site for swimmers to borrow.

Lower Lewis River Falls.png

An 8.6-mile trail connects the lower falls to the middle and upper falls, which are both suitable for swimming on hot days as well.

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Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

Lower Lewis River Falls | Cougar, WA

Make an online reservation to park in the day-use area, a short walk from the picturesque lower falls. Despite its rural location, the site is popular with campers and day trippers, but there’s plenty of space to play. Keep in mind that there is no sandy beach and the water is quite cold.

No lifeguards are on duty at these locations, so please use caution.
Portland Art Museum
 
Events
Friday, Aug. 9
  • Elephant Garlic Festival | Friday, Aug. 9-Sunday, Aug. 11 | Times vary | Jessie Mays Community Hall and Park, North Plains | Free | Bring the whole family to enjoy music, food, drinks, crafts, and activities — pro tip: vampires and first dates may want to avoid this one.
Saturday, Aug. 10
  • Jade International Night Market | Saturday, Aug. 10 | 3-10 p.m. | Portland Community College Southeast | Free | Shop local food and retail vendors and enjoy performances from groups like White Lotus Lion Dance, Hula Halau ‘Ohana Holo’oko’a, and Portland Taiko.
  • Rising Tide Wine Fest | Saturday, Aug. 10 | 4-7 p.m. | Elk Cove Vineyards, Gaston | $50 | Raise a glass to this afternoon of sipping wines from small independent producers, most of which don’t have tasting rooms.
  • Washington Park Summer Festival | Saturday, Aug. 10-Sunday, Aug. 11 | 6 p.m. | Washington Park Amphitheater | Free | Musicians and dancers from Afrobeats to Second Line take the stage on Saturday, followed by Edna Vazquez with Mariachi Portland on Sunday.
  • William Byrd Festival | Saturday, Aug. 10-Sunday, Aug. 18 | Times vary | Locations vary | $0-$35 | Some of the finest choral singers in the state will gather to perform music by the Renaissance composer, as well as works by 20th century British composers.
Sunday, Aug. 11
  • Providence Bridge Pedal | Sunday, Aug. 11 | 5:30 a.m. | Locations vary | $25-$60 | Rise and shine for this 13-mile bike ride over six Willamette River bridges, including the car-free upper decks of the Marquam and Fremont bridges.
Events calendar here
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News Notes
Community
  • The Washington County Sheriff’s Office issued Level 3 “Go Now” evacuations yesterday for some residents near Cherry Grove after a fire burned 100 acres within a span of about four hours. Gaston City Hall and the Washington County Fairgrounds are open for people and animals needing shelter. (KGW)
Biz
  • Willamette Falls Paper Company is facing imminent closure. The paper mill, which is one of West Linn’s largest employers, will lay off 158 of its 223 employees by today with more cuts expected in the coming weeks. If a buyer or funding isn’t secured, the plant could close this month. (KGW)
Closed
  • Mt. Tabor Brewing has ceased operations. Founder Eric Surface cited “market trends, cost of labor, [and] Portland utilities being significantly higher than they were just a few years ago” for shuttering the Southeast Portland brewery and its Vancouver pub. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)
Development
  • A 200-unit apartment complex might go up at the site of a former Rite Aid in the Richmond neighborhood. The parking lot across the street is also part of the proposed redevelopment project, which includes retail space, at Southeast Division Street and Cesar Chavez Boulevard. (Portland Business Journal)
Community
  • Changes are brewing for Portland’s annual gathering of stand-up paddleboarding witches. The event, organized by local yoga instructor Ginny Kauffman, has outgrown its coven — attracting 300+ participants to Tom McCall Waterfront Park around Halloween — and is now seeking professional management. Until then, the event is on indefinite hiatus. (KOIN)
Olympics
  • The 2024 Summer Olympics end this weekend. Watch Sabrina Ionescu in the women’s basketball semifinals today at 8:30 a.m. PT; tomorrow, Sophia Smith + Sam Coffey compete in the gold medal soccer match. Keep up with team USA and tune in for the closing ceremony on Sunday via KGW.
Sports
  • Oregon football has one of the top 10 recruiting classes of the upcoming season led by five-star safety Trey McNutt. Recruiting insider Brian Smith joined Locked On Ducks to explain what the team needs to land a top five class, and the impact quarterback Jonas Williams will have in 2026.
Pets
Listen
  • We like our sound quality how we like the bacon at Bertie Lou’s Cafe — extra crispy. While most hearing aids have one processor, this device has two, which process speech + noise separately. The result: Clear, crisp, effortless listening and conversations. (Plus, it’s tiny.)*
Finance
  • We’re beyond the halfway point of 2024 — aka a good time to make sure you’re maximizing your money. Personal finance experts have reviewed hundreds of credit cards to present you with the four very best bonus cards of the year.*
 
Transit

🛴 Portland is ready to roll

City of Portland inks e-scooter partnerships with Lyft, Lime
Leaders with the city of Portland, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the scooter companies and community organizations stand next to a podium with four e-scooters propped in front of them on a city street.
Portland saw the most e-scooter use to date in 2023 with 1.1 million trips. | Photo by PBOT
Electric scooters are here to stay.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation officially announced new partnerships with Lyft and Lime that will bring up to 3,500 e-scooters — including scooters with seats and income-adjusted ridership discounts — to the city.

In the years since e-scooters first arrived in Portland, they’ve had highs and lows. The first company to offer them, Bird, filed for bankruptcy protection last year and is no longer licensed to operate scooters in Portland. Many of the devices have found watery graves at the bottom of the Willamette River. Despite these hiccups, the city is intent on solidifying the e-scooter’s place within Portland’s transportation environment.

Under these new partnerships with Lyft (the operator of BIKETOWN scooters) and Lime, every scooter is required to have a built-in locking mechanism riders will use to lock the device to a bike rack or street sign pole. The city hopes it will keep scooters from being left in the middle of sidewalks and other public areas.
The Buy

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More worth The Buy
Answered

Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. When was it founded?
A segment of a weathered two-story fort made of timber poles with a wood shingle roof sits on a grassy slope near a historical sign that reads "Fort Astoria."

A marker at the site of the original settlement of Astoria explains how 33 members of the Astor party sailed around Cape Horn and established a fur trading post.

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Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

Fort Astoria was built by members of John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Company in 1811 — a fact that exactly half of you who took the quiz already knew.

You can visit the site of the original fort today, which went by a different name while it was under Great Britain’s control.
 
The Wrap
 
Cambrie Juarez headshot

Today’s edition by:
Cambrie
From the editor
Yesterday, the PDXtoday team met up for lunch at Kachka in the Buckman neighborhood — and wow, we couldn’t stop talking about it being the best meal we’d all had in a long time. The Herring Under a Fur Coat was unlike anything I’ve tried before and I can’t wait to go back.

In other news, I’m off to Scotland for the next two weeks. Ben and 6AM City’s national editor Michael will keep bringing you the good news while I’m away. Sláinte!
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