Blog Posts

Vancouver Waterfront Wine Scene-image

The Vancouver Waterfront is one of the hottest new places in the Southwest Washington area for wine tasting. The wine tasting scene is only growing on the Vancouver Waterfront too! There are 4 wineries currently located on the waterfront, all within walking distance of each other. Each of them is unique in their own way and all amazing. A trip down to the waterfront for a day of wine tasting would be the perfect weekend activity!   Maryhill Winery - Vancouver Tasting Room    At Maryhill Vancouver, you can complete your wine tasting in the tasting room, premium club room (if you’re a Premium Wine Club Member), or outside on the patio. Maryhill sits directly on the waterfront; which allows you to take in views of the beautiful Columbia River while watching people stroll by on the expansive sidewalk near the Grant Street Pier. While you are wine tasting, be sure to try the small plates that Maryhill offers. Their food menu pairs well with their wine while filling your belly at the same time!     Airfield Estates Winery - Vancouver Tasting Room   Airfield Estates history is rooted right here in Washington, in the heart of the Yakima Valley! Whether you are wanting to do a tasting, have a glass, or buy a bottle, you can do it all at Airfield Estates. They also offer small plates so you can snack while you sip. This winery option also has outdoor seating, with fire pits included on colder days!   @ airfieldwines on IG   Pepper Bridge Winery & Amavi Cellars   Pepper Bridge Winery and Amavi Cellars combine to make for one great tasting room. Actually, Amavi Cellars comes from the Pepper Bridge Vineyard, located within the Walla Walla Valley Appellation. The original 10 acres were planted in 1991 and it has since grown to almost 200 acres. When you visit Pepper Bridge Winery & Amavi Cellars, you will find Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, and Syrah.      Evoke Winery - Vancouver Wine Bar   Evoke Winery is the newest winery addition to the Vancouver Waterfront and is expected to open in Fall 2021. When you visit Evoke, you will be able to enjoy indoor and outdoor seating, as well as panoramic views of the Columbia River. Evoke will also offer small plates like many of the other tasting rooms!    Whether you just want to visit one winery for a tasting, glass, or a bottle, or if you want to make an entire day out of wine tasting, visit the Vancouver Waterfront! These wineries are all well recognized in the wine world, and so much fun to visit or even become a member of. Snap a picture when you visit these wineries and tag us on our Instagram and Facebook !  

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Pet Stores and Groomers near Hazel Dell WA-image

Your furry friends deserve the world and you can give them just that when you live at Acero Jensen Park. Our community is surrounded by parks and hikes that your pups will love, but we are also surrounded by pet shops that both your cats and dogs will love. Here are all of the pet stores in our area that are all 12 minutes away or less from our community!   Nearby Pet Shops     Like most areas, Vancouver is home to larger pet stores like PetSmart and Petco where you are sure to find everything you need. These options are always great when you are looking for a large variety of toys, food, and other pet supplies.    Our area is also home to smaller boutique pet stores that carry all of the basics, as well as specialized pet supplies like all-natural food, treats, and small pet supply brands. The pet boutiques in our area are All Natural Pet Supply/Canine Utopia , Nature’s Pet Market Hazel Dell , Beastie Boutique , and Woodin’ You . Whether you are looking for fashionable collars, all-natural treats, specialty foods, or you’re just wanting to support local businesses and shop small, these are the places for you!    Nearby Groomers   Many of the pet stores above also double as groomers too! Nature’s Pet Market Hazel Dell , PetSmart , Petco , and Beastie Boutique are all groomers as well as pet stores. Some more places near Acero Jensen Park that specialize in groom though are Designer Dog Grooming, Golden Dog, Rozo Dog Spa , Ruff Roads Mobile Grooming , and A Bath and A Biscuit . Another option that doubles as a groomer and a doggy daycare is A Dog’s Best Friend Doggy Day Care - West . Doggy daycare and a groomer all in one is the perfect option if you are looking for somewhere to look after your furry friend during the day while you are working, but want your companion coming home smelling fresh and clean.   No matter where you buy your pet supplies or take your furry friends to get groomed, living in an area with so many options puts your mind at ease. It allows you to find the perfect fit for you and your companion so that you can give them the best life possible!   

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Spring Cocktail Recipes for At-Home Happy Hour-image

Spring is here and so is the season of enjoying refreshing cocktails at home while you relax and soak in the nice weather! We’ve compiled some fun spring cocktail recipes for you to try at home. Cheers, and enjoy!   Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini (via Becky Hardin )   Ingredients  ¼ cup fresh raspberries plus more for garnish 3-4 ounces Pearl Red Berry Vodka or your favorite quality vodka  4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus lemon slices for garnish  ¼ cup lemon-lime soda  4 tablespoons sugar    Instructions  Muddle raspberries with sugar. Press through a wire mesh strained to remove seeds. Press the berries down to release as much juice as possible. Mix raspberry puree, vodka, soda, lemon juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake to combine. Pour and serve! Garnish with lemons and raspberries if desired.    Tequila Lime Mojitarita (via Family Style Food )   Ingredients  1 cup fresh mint leaves, plus more for garnish  ½ cup (125 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tablespoons (30 g) granulated sugar  8 ounces (250 ml) silver tequila  Cold soda water or sparkling water  1 lime, sliced into thin wheels    Instructions (Mix 2 drinks at a time) Tear the mint leaves into pieces and put ½ cup into a cocktail shaker with ¼ cup lime juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 4 ounces tequila. Add crushed ice and shake well. Strain over ice into highball glasses and top off with soda water. Garnish with mint leaves and lime slices.  Empty the shaker and repeat the steps to make the remaining 2 drinks.   Whiskey Smash (via Lance Mayhew )   Ingredients 5 to 8 leaves spearmint (to taste) ¼ lemon (cut into 3 pieces)  1-ounce simple syrup  2 ounces bourbon whiskey  Garnish: mint sprig    Instructions In a cocktail shaker, add the mint and lemon  Muddle thoroughly to release the juices and oils  Add simple syrup, whisky, and fill shaker with ice Shake vigorously for 30 seconds  Strain into an old-fashioned glass and fill with crushed ice Garnish with a mint spring. Serve and enjoy.   Blackberry Lavender Champagne Cocktail (via Dani Meyer )   Ingredients  1 tablespoon lavender flowers dried or fresh 1 cup blackberries fresh or frozen  ½ cup maple syrup  ½ cup vodka  2 750 ml bottles of champagne   Instructions Boil blackberries, maple syrup, and vodka mashing berries gently as the cook until blackberries are broken down (about 5 minutes). Add lavender flowers (removing from the stem if they are fresh) and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Optional: If time permits allow steeping for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days in the fridge.  To serve: pour 1 tablespoon blackberry source into a champagne flute, add a stem of fresh lavender, and top with chilled champagne.

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How to Celebrate Mother's Day 2021 in Vancouver WA-image

Photo: Alicia Steels   Mother’s Day is right around the corner and we have the ultimate guide on how to spend quality time with your mother, mother figure, or yourself (because you deserve it) on this special day. Sometimes figuring out how to shower your mother just how much you appreciate her can be hard. Don’t sweat it though, we’ve already come up with your Mother’s Day itinerary.    Brunching   Brunch is the best of both worlds, who doesn’t love it? While Vancouver is full of great places to brunch, we’ve narrowed it down to a few spots that are extra special for the woman of the day! Our favorite, more upscale brunch spots are La Provence , Elements , and C’est La Vie . No matter which spot you choose, you can’t go wrong and the mother in your life is sure to love this special treat!   Photo: @ pnwumamieats on IG at La Provence   Shopping Day on You   After brunch, it’s shopping time! Whether she's into fresh bouquets of flowers and local honey, a new wardrobe, or both, the Vancouver area has options! The Vancouver Farmers Market is always a great time. It is open from 10 am to 3 pm on Sunday, loaded with fresh and local produce, flowers, plants, baked goods, delicious food, pet treats, and accessories for yourself, your home, or your garden.   Photo: Vancouver Farmers Market   After you’ve finished up at the Vancouver Farmers Market you can call it a day or keep it going. Next up, head on over to Willows and Not Too Shabby , both local Vancouver clothing boutiques. Spruce up her spring wardrobe with great finds at both of these boutiques (or both, shop until you drop). Not only will you be treating your mother, mother figure, or yourself, but you will also be supporting local businesses when you visit the farmers market, Willows, or Not Too Shabby!   Photo: @willows_shop on IG   Mother’s Day is about showing the one you love, just how much you love them and appreciate them for all that they do for you. Showing your appreciation for someone is as simple as planning a day like the one we have just planned for you; brunching and spending quality time at farmers' markets or local boutiques. It really is the thought that counts, it doesn’t take much to make this Mother’s Day the best one yet!    

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Summer Camping Near Vancouver WA-image

Source: World Market on IG   Camping season is upon us and you can never start prepping for your camping trips too soon! Camping is a great way to get out and enjoy the outdoors and fresh air, especially right here in the Pacific Northwest. Living at Acero Jensen Park puts you near some great camping spots, but before you go you need to figure out where to go and what to bring.    Campgrounds Near Vancouver WA   Getting outdoors, connecting with nature, and disconnecting from your phone is the best part about camping. Camping has become a huge hit in the last year, which is amazing but also makes it harder to find campgrounds with vacant spots. While there are more campgrounds in the greater Southwest Washington and Columbia Gorge area than we can count, we’ve compiled a list of some of the closest campground locations for you to look into this summer! When you are on the search for where to camp, check out Dougan Creek Campground , Rock Creek Campground, Cold Creek Campground , Sunset Falls Campground , Canyon Creek Campground , Cougar Park & Campground, and Merrill Lake Campground . Make sure to call ahead and try to reserve a camping spot in advance, or if the campground doesn’t take reservations, try and get there as early as possible on a Friday or even a Thursday afternoon!    Camping Must-Haves   Before you leave for camping, make sure you have all of the essentials! It is so important that you are fully prepared when you go camping because many campgrounds don’t get great cell service and you truly never know what could happen. The 10 campground essentials (via https://gtma.co/3tb2aze ) that you can’t forget about are:  Tent or camping RV Sleeping bag Water Firestarter  First AID kit Pocket knife Map, compass, or charged GPS Weather appropriate clothing  Flashlight, lantern, or headlamp Toilet paper For the extra camping gear, check out the camping checklist from REI ! Make sure to book those camping spots now so you don’t miss out on the summer fun! In the Pacific Northwest, the late spring and early fall is also a great time to go camping, so if you can’t get a camping spot right in the midst of summer, give one of those seasons a shot. Tag us in all of your camping photos on our Instagram and Facebook so we can see your fun camping adventures! Have fun exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest.   

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Spring Cleaning Tips and Tricks-image

Even though we aren’t moving into Acero Jensen Park just yet, start your spring cleaning now! It will make your life so much easier when you do start moving into your brand new Acero Jensen Park apartment home. Spring cleaning can be tiresome, time-consuming, and even just flat-out overwhelming, which means you can never start too soon. We have mustard up some tips and tricks to make your spring cleaning go as smoothly as possible.   Purchase Your Cleaning Supplies     Before you even begin your spring cleaning make sure you have the essentials. You will need:    Vacuum Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Microfiber Cloths Duster Gloves Sponges Carry Caddy All of your favorite cleaning solutions - make your own or buy them    Luckily living in Vancouver conveniently puts your right by Target , Walmart , and Fred Meyers . You will have no problem finding your cleaning supplies at stores like those. Make sure when you are shopping for cleaning products to keep the number of cleaning products to a minimum. The more cleaning products you have, the more clutter!   Tips for a Successful Spring Cleaning     The biggest spring cleaning tip we have found is to clean room by room . Start with one room before you begin another. That will keep you from getting overwhelmed in the cleaning process. You can even break the cleaning down to object by object . Make a checklist when you enter each room of what you can’t forget to clean. When you go to clean the kitchen, you might want to add windows, sink, microwave, cutting boards, countertops, fridge, pots and pans, oven, cabinets, etc. to your list to make sure you don’t leave anything out. Since spring is in fact here, and hopefully, some nicer weather as well, make sure to take advantage and tackle any outdoor cleaning chores . For example, clean off your grill and patio or balcony so they are ready for you to enjoy this spring and summer.    Spring cleaning looks different for everyone, but what better time to establish new cleaning habits. Spring cleaning is a time to deep clean places that you may just brush over throughout the year, so make sure you don’t miss a space! No matter how you spring clean and what your process is, you will feel much better after it’s done.

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