Today's guest blogger is Asha Dornfest, the mastermind behind the indispensable Parent Hacks and one of the outspoken online moms who dish about life on the hot new video web show momversation. Here are her five favorite free activities to do with kids in her hometown of Portland:

Looking Glass Bookstore: My kids and I love browsing in this Sellwood bookstore, part of which is housed inside an old train caboose. The book selection is superb, and you can even climb a ladder to a tiny train compartment to read. Every time I go there with my kids, I think to myself, "This is my favorite place in Portland." I don't always buy a book, but I do always go away feeling happy. (Bonus: The Irish soda bread at Grand Central Bakery next door.)

Sauvie Island: Just 10 minutes outside the city, this island in the Columbia River hosts an incredible array of farms, a wildlife preserve, and a small beach. There's no charge to visit the u-pick farms and take in the peace and the bounty. Of course, you won't be able to resist buying some produce, but you would have bought it at the grocery store anyway, right?

Hoyt Arboretum: This living "tree museum" is part of Washington Park, a huge green space inside the Portland city limits. Trails wind beneath the trees and on a clear afternoon it's ideal for an easy hike.

Fountain at Jamison Park: This fountain was built for playing and splashing. Situated in the tony Pearl District downtown, it's a raucous, joyful oasis of summertime fun for kids of all ages. If you've got a couple bucks to spare, the best ice cream in Portland (possibly anywhere) awaits inside Cool Moon just across the street.

Fourth of July Fireworks: Portland residents take good advantage of summer because the sun and warmth is relatively short-lived. One of my favorite celebratory summer events is watching the annual Independence Day fireworks display from a dock jutting out in the Willamette River. Last year my kids and I parked near the river and walked down to a little jetty where we watched the show out on the water. Geese floated by at dusk, and after darkness fell, the magic began.