City: Portland, OR

Category: Parks & Recreation

Telephone: (503) 239-6951, (503) 239-0553

Address: 734 Southeast Ankeny St.

Description: A city at the confluence of two major waterways and surrounded by myriad ponds and lakes, Portland has a lot of boats parked in driveways, moored at docks, and afloat as homesteads. All through summer the Willamette River swarms with nautical traffic, water-skiers zooming the more tranquil waters below Ross Island, and sailboats wending between downtown bridges. And during the winter holidays, volunteer boaters decorate their crafts and line up for the Parade of Christmas Ships as they take a week of chilly nights to entertain Portlanders with their imaginative use of lights shining on dark water. The Willamette’s major launch sites, both operated by Portland Parks and Recreation, (503) 823-7529, are at Willamette Park and Sellwood Riverfront Park. Others are RiverPlace, an elegant moorage close to downtown on the Willamette, (503) 241-8283, and Chinook Landing Marine Park, which has six launch lanes on the Columbia River. The Oregon State Marine Board has an amazingly helpful online guide that details boat ramp information, regulations, route planning, cautions, fishing, and more (www.boatoregon.com). Wherever you launch, be sure to put the children in life jackets: It is required by law. And you’d better put on one yourself too.