Things to Do in Salmon Creek

A family of ducks swims along Devils Lake, river otters play across Lake Merwin, and a kayak tour floats along the water. When Tracie Driver started NorthWest EcoExcursions, she envisioned a recreation company that would combine outdoor thrills with respect for the environment. To this end, NorthWest's guides, who each boast either a postgraduate education or more than 10 years in park-ranger experience, educate their customers on local wildlife and geology during trips that run the gamut from hiking to whale watching to goat-packing tours. The staff also maintains eco-friendly practices, serving strictly organic foods on camping trips and ensuring all of their office's plants are 100% solar powered.

Stepping out of your father's shadow can be hard, especially when he’s able to cast it while sitting on a tiny stool. For drummer Jason Bonham—the son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John "Bonzo" Bonham—the inevitable comparisons used to irk him. "At some point I got sick of people calling me Bonzo junior," he recently told Spinner.com. As time wore on, however, he began embracing his dad's legacy, later remarking, "But now that I'm older and wiser, I'm just honored to be mentioned in the same breath." After handling the drums for the sporadic Led Zeppelin reunions over the years, Bonham decided to commemorate the band and its fans with a meticulously conceived tribute concert that re-created the experience of a classic Zeppelin show.

After obtaining the blessing of singer Robert Plant, he assembled a talented crew of musicians and set to work creating a live experience that Rolling Stone praised for its "state-of-the-art lighting and effects, dazzling video treatments and a crisp, thundering sound." Between passionate renditions of such classics as "Kashmir," "When the Levee Breaks," and the extended drum solo of "Moby Dick," home video from Bonham's childhood opens a poignant window into his relationship with his father.

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience – "Black Dog"

Bella Organic Farm's 100 acres of picturesque rural farmland yield a cornucopia of produce, which its workers cheerily harvest and sell directly to Portland residents. Not content to keep customers well fed, the farm also draws families, music lovers, and food aficionados to its pastoral atmosphere with a plethora of seasonal activities. A series of harvest festivals fill the air with blues, rock, bluegrass, and country music and simultaneously sate the appetites of guests with food-cart fare and local microbrews. Sun-soaked youngsters can take refuge in a bounce house, navigate twisting hay and corn mazes, relax on a hayride, or explore a petting zoo stocked with barnyard animals and friendly carpet samples.

Marmalade Skies' helpful staff, extensive project selection, and comfortable crafting space provide an artsy nest for the newly inspired. The brainchild of studio owner Debbie Tawse, Marmalade Skies marries education and creativity with parties focusing on do-it-yourself art such as mosaic, decoupage, glass painting, and more.

Pet lovers congregate inside the Portland Metropolitan Expo Center’s 72,000-square-foot expanse for the 11th annual Northwest Pet and Companion Expo, featuring a weekend's worth of pet-centric exhibitions and more than 120 vendors. Now entering its second decade, the locally owned event entertains kids with face painting, bounce houses, and demonstrations by pet experts, while adults enjoy live entertainment and informational resources about adoption opportunities. Pets can accompany their owners through the fair's walk-through aviary and exotic animal display, and a truffle-dog tournament lets canines test their sniffing abilities in discerning pinot noir from chardonnay.

I & G Golf Range gives golfers ample space to address holes in their golf game and develop consistent, dependable swings at a driving range with flagstick targets marked with distances. Visitors collect their allotment of range balls and tee them up on one of the covered mat stalls or, when weather permits, on one of the grass tee stations. Sending golf balls into lower orbit or toward flagsticks scattered at various distances about the range helps players master distance control and understand why ships fly flags to hinder the aim of nervous cannoneers.