This chalkboard on Dogwood Drive greets walkers with uplifting messages on a rotating basis.

We interrupt this blog post for an important announcement: The Lake Grove Swim Park is officially open! This popular swimming hole in Lake Oswego is operating under new conditions and regulations including a 50 person capacity at all times, limiting the size of groups to ten or less, requiring social distancing, no swim lessons or equipment rentals and no kiddie pool. Check out an earlier blog to see what the park offers pre-COVID-19, but know you can still enjoy one of the best views of the lake from here and a refreshing dip in water. Open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week.

Now back to the subject at hand:

Before COVID-19 hit, walks in and around Lake Oswego were an occasional thing. My daily exercise consisted of hitting the club for a biking session, Zumba class or treadmill workout.

Like the rest of Lake Oswego, however, walks have now become part of my daily routine. And while I find them a great time to fill my wife in on any new relatives I’ve discovered in my family ancestry research or to compare notes on the latest news we’ve heard on COVID-19, I also find it a great opportunity to discover more reasons to love Lake Oswego.

Here are a few:

1. As much as I think I know Lake Oswego, there are always new things to discover. Like…

The Gratitude Tree in Heritage Park

•The Gratitude Tree in Heritage Park at the end of Dogwood Drive tagged with notes left by visitors identifying things they’re grateful for

•The Wishing Line on Second Avenue in Lake Oswego where passersby have hung their wishes for the year ahead from “To have ease in some major life transitions” to “Discover empathy.”

•Outdoor art at the Lake Oswego Public Works building on Pilkington Road including “Gear Box” by Tim Mather that uses steel beams from the old McVey and an interesting display of gears from the artist’s collection.

•A rotating chalk message board also found on Dogwood Drive that rewards passersby with messages like “Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes. After that, it doesn’t matter. They’re a mile ahead and you’ve got their shoes!” and “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.”

•YardPeeps. A talented mom/lawyer/entrepreneur/doodler out of Houston has found a way to support our #frontlineworkers while giving us an opportunity to do the same. She has created these yard signs which you can purchase for $20 and display in front of your home like this Lake Oswegan did.

2. The City is well thought out. This isn’t really something I’ve “learned,” per se but been reminded of. Pathways make my walks easy and safe and enable me to map out a variety of different routes leaving from my home. Natural areas provide welcome respite without having to travel far. Planted medians offer visual enjoyment and inspiration to my green thumb.

One of our more challenging walks was making it up to Cooks Butte

3. Lake Oswegans are a friendly bunch. Whether it’s a smile, a greeting, or the courtesy of crossing the street to provide a safe social distancing, the neighbors I pass on my daily walks remind me of one of the reasons I love living here.

4. Walks can be as challenging as you want them to be. Depending on how my wife and I feel, and how much time we have, we can clock an hour walk with little elevation or, as we did one day, trek all the way up to the top of Cooks Butte for the equivalent of 54 floors according to my iPhone activity tracker.

5. If you have to quarantine somewhere, Lake Oswego is a lucky place to be!

If you agree that Lake Oswego is a lucky place to be and would like to move here or move within Lake Oswego, please give me a call at 503.939.9801 and/or check out my website. I’d be happy to put my 30+ years of experience as a Realtor in Lake Oswego to work for you!