When venturing across country in a car, there are a few things that are important to remember. First off, never try to do it without cup holders. Between the endless barrage of coffee and other non-alcoholic beverages, you’ll need this fine item. If your car, like mine was made before cup holders were invented, you can buy such an item at Kmart for a couple dollars. Secondly, alphabetizing CDs is a fun way to pass the time, and trying to listen to them all in alphabetical order is even more fun. Of course, make sure you don’t have too many or you’ll end up only making it to P and the whole thing will be a waste. Also, if you own the new Eminem album, you’ll just end up listening to that the entire way.

Now you are all set for your Oregon Skateparks.

I have listed 5 good Oregon Skateparks below. If you are headed up to the Northwest or already live there I suggest you go check them out. The skateparks in no particular order of popularity or shredability are Lincoln City Skatepark, Burnside Skatepark, Aumsville Skatepark, Holly Farm Skatepark and Tigard Skatepark.

Burnside Skatepark, One of the most beautiful public skate parks in the country and probably the world. I always love taking photos of the park if even only to get those grey tones. The park smells like urine because of a line of outhouses to the left and sometimes the bowls have a small puddle of piss from some smartass homeless person (or vengeful BMX rider?).

Aumsville Skatepark

This park is SICKKKK!!!! Dreamland has done it again. Aumsville is big and unafraid to challenge skaters. There are many walls over 9 ft. and one section which exceeds 12 ft. Lots of nice pockets to pump speed, perfect coping, and even a few street obstacles around the perimeter (a bench, kinked ledge, and rail). However, it is predominantly a bowl/vert park. This city had the ingenious idea of hooking lights up to the city street grid, so lights turn on around the park as soon as it gets dark, making for all night skating 24/7!! (They used white bulbs in the park lights for perfect visibility).

Holly Farm is a new bowl located in SW Portland. It is approx. 2800 sf in size. It runs in a descending loop with brick banks and goes into a bowl with a spine. Small and basic, but a lot of fun. It is located in the park on the corner of SW Capitol Hwy and SW Comus St. Take exit 295 off of I-5 and loop around and head south on Capitol Hwy. Follow a short distance until you hit Comus St., the park is on the right.

Yet another great park in Tigard, Oregon (just a couple of miles out of Portland) Some cool features: double transition wall, volcano with spinning concrete top, more imitation brick trannys and a skateable concrete dinosaur. One more reason for a NorthWest road trip and yes, there are some dry winter days up here.

Lincoln City Skatepark

Lincoln City was the skatepark Dreamland Skateparks was created to build. Thrasher Magazine called it the gnarliest skatepark in America and that was before phase II and III. Dreamland has donated a lot of time and materials over the years and the locals have put in a lot of labor. They’re working on phase four – a snake run that runs from the upper park down the hill ending in a big Klamath Falls-style catcher’s mitt bowl just above the amoeba pool replica. It’s going to be amazing.