Things to Do in Aloha

The outdoor experts of Northwest River Guides lead whitewater-rafting, kayaking, and standup-paddleboarding trips on local waters that range from the Willamette to Klickitat Rivers. They also prepare adventurers for independent outings through kayaking classes, including advanced training in swift-water rescue. For those seeking once-in-a-lifetime experiences or to bolster their strange-and-exotic-water collections, Northwest’s guides organize international expeditions to such destinations as Canada, Costa Rica, and Scandinavia. Members of American Whitewater, the Outdoor Alliance, and Portland-based nonprofit We Love Clean Rivers, guides advocate preservation and stewardship during each trip.

Named one of Parents magazine's Top 10 Birthday Chains in 2010, Color Me Mine's international franchise of DIY ceramics studios cater to an older crowd as well. Hundreds of unadorned ceramic pieces—including vases, flatware, and busts of Elvis—await the attentions of muses of kids and their keepers alike, as do glazes in earthy tones and bright crimsons to frighten bulls away from china cabinets. Guests follow simple step-by-step instructions that leave plenty of room for creative expression. When painters are satisfied with their work, the professional kiln-workers help glaze, fire, and de-genie it for them, and they may retrieve the finished piece after a few days.

Home to the Vancouver Victory, the newly formed Vancouver Vipers, and the Mountain View Speedskating Club, Mountain View Ice Arena’s glassy surface also plays host to public-skate sessions, lessons, ice-exercise classes, and broomball games year-round. Public skate is offered more than 35 hours per week, welcoming placid skaters of all ages to practice spins, lazily loop around the edges, or carve love letters into the frozen surface in hopes of wooing a lonely zamboni operator. Birthday-party packages accommodate groups of varying sizes, treating guests to a quick group skating lesson, food, favors, and other festive essentials, whereas adult and youth hockey leagues give players the space and sticks necessary to scratch their competitive itches.

When Matt Antis was in college, he was introduced to the practice of parkour—an intensely physical sport focused on efficiently navigating obstacles such as walls, bars, and whatever else happens to be nearby. After college, Matt Antis headed off to train for the US Army, then served in Iraq. When he returned in 2010, he married his fiancée, Whitney—and a year later, he took over ownership of Revolution Parkour.

Now, Whitney, who's also a parkour enthusiast, manages the front desk as Matt and his team of instructors teach students the gravity-defying skills of parkour and free running. Within a gym drenched in reds, blues, and spots of graffiti-style artwork, they lead classes ranging from beginner parkour to Parkour Fit, which emphasizes endurance and speed with challenging courses. Students balance on beams, vault over small barriers, and swing across bars, building strength and coordination. The staff emphasizes safety, keeping a watchful eye on students, taking the time to teach proper technique, and positioning cushy pads and magic carpets to break falls.

Sherwood Ice Arena welcomes people of all ages to lace up their skates and hit the ice seven days a week during public skate, group lessons, and sport programs. On staff are more than 15 coaches who earned their skating chops with years of figure skating or hockey playing, and who impart their icy wisdom during group and private lessons for children, adolescents, and adults. Classes include a basic Learn to Skate course for true beginners, which is based on the U.S. Figure Skating Basic Skills program. The arena's more than 50 hockey leagues divide players into eight divisions based on their ability to balance a stick on their chins. Skaters can also relax during Friday-night date nights and special-occasion skating parties that can accommodate various group sizes. The onsite pro shop outfits skaters with a range of equipment from more than 20 brands including CCM, Mission, and Nike.