Wilson Pool, Portland

My 2-year-old daughter and I visited the pool twice during our latest heat spell. Even though the temperature was over 100 degrees, and this is an outdoor pool, it was a wonderful and comfortable relief. The staff was friendly and the pool, while full, was not too crowded. I cannot emphasize this enough: there was no waiting to enter, and the pool was very usable. This contrasts greatly with many other city pools that can have long waiting lines to enter. Additionally, this pool has a little kiddie water slide. My daughter loved this slide because she could go on it by herself and maintain control. The larger water slide was identical in awesomeness to the ones in the other newer pools, but I had to beg my daughter to use it because she loved the little one so much! Additionally, this is a super value because of the way the swim schedule is structured. You can pay one admission and swim from 1PM to 8:50 PM, not the hour-and-a-half session length in some of the other pools. Finally, and sadly, I must object to the locker rooms. These are the Wilson High locker rooms and they are dark, dingy, and generally unpleasant. The showers are jets of cold water that seem like a cruel joke on the poor adolescents that must use them in the high school. So, bring extra towels, come dressed to bathe, then take your chlorine-rinse at home. But definitely do come. The pool is amazingly fun. Actually, forget it. Don't come. Leave it uncrowded for my friends and our kids :)