Posts about Kid Friendly

Where to Find Boba Tea in Vancouver, WA

Boba, also known as bubble tea, originated in Taiwan in the 1980’s. It is generally made with tea, milk, and the famous tapioca pearls, though toppings and flavors vary widely. Thankfully, you won’t have to make any international plans to find this unique drink. Keep reading to learn about all the places you can get boba in Vancouver, WA. Braganza Tea As it turns out, the Vancouver Mall is a great place to find delicious boba! Nearly every time we’ve visited the mall to window shop, there’s been a line for Braganza Tea so you know it must be amazing! With humble beginnings at the Portland Farmers Market, Braganza now has multiple locations including a second Vancouver store just off of 68th Drive. Lucky Kitty Bubbles Lucky Kitty Bubbles is also located in the Vancouver Mall, so if the line at Braganza scares you off, know that you have options without having to drive to another location. One of the unique features of this store is that they also offer rolled ice cream and crepes. Treats on treats! Boba Tree The first thing that comes to mind when we think of Boba Tree is how colorful their drinks are! Depending on which flavor you opt for, there’s a blend for just about every color of the rainbow. Make bubble tea Tuesday a new tradition to take advantage of their weekly happy hour from 3-6 pm on Tuesdays and don’t forget your punch card! Cupidone Coffee House While it’s better known for its coffee, Cupidone Coffee House is a shop for the community with loose leaf teas from The Jasmine Pearl from across the river, pastries from local bakeries, and specialty coffee beans from Kafiex Roasters. In addition to these regional treats, they also have ice cream, Italian sodas, and last but certainly not least boba! Couve Boba Tea The small coffee shop vibe at Couve Boba Tea is paired with friendly service and a simple menu offering cold brew iced tea, fruit tea, smoothies, coffee, sparkling lemonade, and - of course - milk tea with tapioca pearls. For a quick refreshment, this is your place! Sharetea By far the largest boba company in the ‘couve and a pioneer of the boba industry on its own, Sharetea is sure to deliver a high quality drink at a great price. You have options for non-caffeinated, blended, fruity, and type of topping (think classic pearls versus different kinds of jelly) as well as a choice to get it hot or not. Boba Factory Curious about boba but concerned about milk? Give Boba Factory a try! Their full menu of bubble tea varieties allows you to choose an alternative milk like coconut, almond, oat, or lactose-free. Don’t forget to grab a lucky fish while you’re there. These are cute fish-shaped waffles stuffed with your choice of nutella, custard, or red bean filling. Yum! Now that you know where to find boba in Vancouver, it’s time to order! All of these locations are within 20 minutes of your home at Acero Haagen Park. All that’s left to do is start trying them out so you can find your favorite. Let us know if you enjoyed this blog by dropping us a line over on Facebook or Instagram . See you next time!

Top 5 Donut Shops in Vancouver, WA

Donuts are a classic breakfast staple and any time snack for when you’re in the mood for a treat. The fried dough rings are topped with a variety of flavors of glaze, icing, sprinkles, and occasionally filled with cream or jelly. But where can you find the best donuts in Vancouver? Read on to find out! Mr. Maple Donuts Donut themed art adorns the walls of this cheery donut shop with a large spread of donuts greeting you once you walk in the doors. Choose from a selection of their regular or fancy donuts, but donut worry - both come with a variety of toppings. Picking just one may be a challenge but you’ll know with one bite that you’ll be back to try more. Donut Nook The ‘70s live on in this wood-paneled shop, staffed by employees who’ve (mostly) been there for decades. Food & Wine Magazine says they’re the best in Washington, but it’s not just the donuts that are quality - it’s also the customer service and dedication to regulars and community. What do they do with leftover donuts you may ask? They get put in a special bin at a reduced price or donated to organizations like the Recovery Center or Veterans Affairs volunteers. Tonallis Doughnuts & Cream What goes with donuts almost as well as coffee? Ice cream of course! Tonallis has you covered on both fronts with their location on Fourth Plain doubling down on a donut and ice cream display, made fresh in store. Their regular lineup includes plenty of unique flavor combinations or, if you’re looking for an exceptional treat, they also take custom orders for giant donuts in any shape, letter, or number. This is definitely a go-to for your next special occasion! Dot Donuts Donuts, coffee, ice cream. This is the ultimate trifecta and all three are readily available at Dots. While they’re donuts are made fresh in house, they proudly serve Stumptown coffee and Cascade Glacier ice cream, both PNW-made favorites. When you get around to giving this shop a try, we recommend their beautifully marbled iced donuts. Angels Donuts & Ice Cream If you thought Tonallis sounded good, wait til you hear about Angels - same owners, different name! In addition to the standard fare of donuts and ice cream, you can also order a burger from this one-stop shop. Where else can you get an order of tots with a fresh donut? Talk about sweet and savory! Voodoo Doughnut When it comes to donuts, one more can’t hurt. That’s why we’re including a bonus sixth shop in this list of the five best places to get a donut in our city. The iconic pink box of Portland is finally crossing the river and opening their first Washington location next to the Vancouver Mall coming this November . While you can order a traditional donut here, they’re really known for their creative toppings and shapes like the ‘Oh Captain, My Captain’ with Cap’n Crunch cereal pieces stuck with frosting or their vaguely doll-shaped namesake ‘Voodoo Doll’ complete with arms and pretzel stake - perfect for an overcast and spooky autumn day.

Best Places To Look At Fall Leaves in Vancouver, WA

Autumn is inching closer which means a change of scenery from green trees to bright yellow and orange foliage is around the corner. One of the best things about living in the Pacific Northwest is experiencing all the different seasons. If you’re wondering where the best places to go take pictures without having to venture too far from home keep reading further! We’ll start with places closest to home at Acero Haagen Park. Fallen Leaf Lake Park Just a short 15 minute drive near Camas, Fallen Leaf Lake Park is a small yet beautiful place to check out autumn foliage. It features small trails going through forest trees, wetlands, and a lake. If you have some time left to explore we recommend hitting downtown Camas for some lunch! Salmon Creek Trail and Greenway Just a 19 minute drive north, Salmon Creek trail offers a 2.5 mile loop of tree-lined scenery. Here you’ll be able to hike along a small creek while taking in the colorful landscape. You’ll be happy to know that the park is dog friendly as long as your furry pal is on a leash. Vancouver Lake Regional Park At Vancouver Lake Regional Park not only will you experience the changing landscape but you’ll be able to take in against the backdrop of Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens. The park also features a paved road for you to explore beyond the shores of the lake. Additionally, It’s only a 30 minute drive west! Battle Ground Lake State Park Battle Ground State Park is a small park dense with trees surrounding the shores of a lake right in the middle. Here you can go fishing or simply boating while taking in the new season. You can also pack some lunch, a book , and spend half the day here, as days are getting a little shorter. Hoyt Arboretum Hoyt Arboretum is actually not in Washington but in Portland, Oregon. However, given that it is still within a 30 minute driving radius from Clark County, we thought it would be a great place to visit. Hoyt Arboretum hosts 2,300 species of trees and shrubs from 6 different continents. They are dispersed through 12 miles of hiking trails which meet with each other giving you the option to go look at other flora. In a way, it is similar to a zoo of trees and plants. You’ll want to take a bottle of water and snacks as the trails are long but not difficult. Make sure you don’t miss out on this time of the year since the colorful trees tend to move fast. Pack your water, a light jacket, and get ready to explore the Pacific Northwest. Send us any picture you take and we’ll try to feature them on our social pages!

Best End of Summer Events in Vancouver, WA

As sum mer begins to wind down, you may be looking for some events to help you soak up the last drops of your favorite season. Luckily, Vancouver is brimming with fun ways to wrap up the summer with movie nights, farmer’s markets, town events and more, all in great proximity to our Acero Haagen Park community. Friday Night Movies in the Park Every Friday until August 27th, you can visit a park in Vancouver to enjoy a fan-favorite movie on the big screen. At dusk each Friday night (the exact start time varies on the weather), bring a blanket or lawn chair and your favorite pre-prepared foods (vendors with snacks and non-alcoholic beverages are available on site) to the location of the week for this free, family-friendly night. On August 6th, Washington School Park is showing Wonder Woman 1984, August 13th has Frozen II at Hearthwood Park, August 20th will be Onward at Bagley Com munity Park and August 27th is Scoob! at Oakbrook Park. Family Fun Series From August 6th through the 15th, families can enjoy carnival fun at Clark County Fairgrounds thanks to Butler Amusements. As part of the Family Fun Series, around thirty fan-favorite rides make their way back to the Fairgrounds for ten days of carnival family fun. Tickets are $35 per wristband with a $6 parking fee. For more information on ticketing and hours of operation, visit the event’s website here . Vancouver Farmers Market Another favorite summer activity is the farmers market, and Vancouver is just the place for that. Every Saturday (9am-3pm) and Sunday (10am-3pm) through October 31st, you can visit downtown Vancouver on 8th & Ester Street to take part in Southwest Washington’s top visitor attraction. With over 10 0 vendors, the Vancouver Farmers Market features fresh local produce, an assortment of flowers and plants, various baked goods and food, alongside a selection of home and garden gifts. A pet-friendly activity, the Vancouver Farmers Market is a great place to spend your weekend and find some end-of-summer treasures. Farmer’s Market Additionally, La Uva Fortuna Farm hosts a weekly Farmers Market in Battle Ground, WA. Running through August 28th, each Saturday from 10am to 2pm you can visit for a walk-through of the market and stay for a delicious lunch. Farm Days August 7th and 8th are Farm Days at Pomero y Living History Farm in Yacolt. For a suggested donation of $5 per vehicle, visitors can see the historic Log House and blacksmith shop and explore the grounds. As a way of getting to share their farm with the community, Pomeroy invites you to take a break from the chaos of life and visit Farm Days for a trip back to the simplicity of the past. We hope you take advantage of these fun end-of-summer opportunities and have tons of fun with your family and friends! Join us next week for a new topic, and in the meantime, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more Vancouver fun.

Back-to-School Tips and Tricks

You know what they say, all good things must come to an end and with summer flying by, back-to-school season will be here before we know it! To get ready for the new school year, we thought we would share with you our favorite tips and tricks to keep you organized during this busy season! Remember when we all bought a planner at the start of 2020 and then never used it? Now is a great time to get back into the routine of scheduling out your days! Whether you’re a student who needs to stay on top of your studying or a mom who needs to keep track of your carpool schedule, check out these planners from Target to keep you organized! There’s nothing more stressful than the early morning rush trying to get everyone out the door on time! One time-saving tip we have that may reduce the number of tardy slips your student receives is laying out your children’s outfits the night before. To be even more proactive, check the weather ahead of time so you plan accordingly! Having a dedicated workspace not only boosts productivity but also makes learning fun! It can be as simple as a designated desk or as elaborate as a dedicated home office as long as it has all the necessary supplies your student needs to succeed! Stop by our local Office Depot for this season’s coolest school supplies! Between carpool rounds, homework, and extracurricular activities, getting dinner on the table every night sounds nearly impossible. Luckily, these healthy and quick school night dinner recipes will keep you and your little ones fueled for whatever life throws your way! At Acero Haggen Park, we know what a hectic time of year this can be for our residents, but when you follow these tips and tricks, you’re sure to have the best first day of school ever!

The Best Hair Salons and Barber Shops in Vancouver, WA

A fresh haircut can do wonders for your self esteem so treat yourself to a great haircut right here in Vancouver! Lucky for us, Acero at Haagen Park is surrounded by amazing hair salons and barber shops. We want to introduce you to some of our favorite places to get a new haircut in Vancouver that are all less than 10 minutes from Acero at Haagen Park! We recommend: 22 Changes Salon & Spa : 11504 SE Mill Plain Blvd unit E, Vancouver, WA 98684 This salon and spa offers gorgeous blowouts, hairstyling, hair coloring, and so much more! You can view their full list of services here . The best part? Acero Haagen Park is only a 7 minute drive to this hair salon. Wendy’s Barber Shop and Salon: 103 SE 105th Ave, Vancouver, WA 98664 Did you know that Acero at Haagen Park is just 8 minutes away from Wendy’s Barber Shop and Salon? It is! This barber shop and salon is the perfect place to go if you’re ready to try something new. Their experienced hair stylists and barbers will have you feeling brand new after your appointment! The Barbers (Cascade Park) : 305 SE Chkalov Dr #109, Vancouver, WA 98683 You can make a same day appointment at this classic barber shop. They have over 30 locations and they’re open seven days a week, so a fresh cut is never far. Visit The Barbers today, your home at Acero at Haagen Park is only a 6 minute drive from this great barber shop. Cecil’s Barber Shop : 16209 SE McGillivray Blvd d, Vancouver, WA 98683 Visit Cecil’s Barber Shop for your next cut, this barber shop is only an 8 minute drive away from Acero at Haagen Park. Make sure to call ahead to schedule an appointment. This barbershop opened in 1944 in the Grand Avenue, Mill Plain area. They offer haircuts to men, women, and children, so bring the whole family! We hope you’re able to try out our suggestions! Share photos of your new cut with us on Facebook and Instagram . Happy Friday, we’ll be back next week with another blog!