The second week of February, my wife and I took an overnight trip to Portland. En route back to Bend, as we approached Sandy on Highway 26 that Saturday, I recalled that, one Saturday a month, Seek Northwest Skateboard Camp, located 10 miles east of Sandy, holds an open house skate session at the otherwise private facility for people who attend its camps.

Google confirmed that, lo and behold, it was that day, and we were minutes away from both the camp and high noon, when the first of two sessions would start. The sessions are $15 each, from noon-2 p.m. and 2-4 p.m., or you can pay $25 to skate all four hours. There’s a chance you’ll want to opt for the latter, as Seek has a whopping 50,000 square feet of skateable terrain. Rarely one to be caught without my board, I’d brought it along on our trip for just this kind of happenstance. In fact, earlier that morning gotten to skate at The Courts, a DIY skatepark at Portland State.

We made our way down the driveway and through the sprawling campus, which has both a large indoor and sprawling outdoor skateparks, all concrete. Outside the large warehouse containing the indoor park, I stopped at the tent to sign a waiver and pay.

I’d been here only once before, with a large contingent of Central Oregon skaters in 2016, when the facility still went by its old name of Windell’s. It changed to Seek a few years back, and the indoor wooden ramps were replaced by the flowing, 12,500-square-foot indoor skatepark, which I was excited to see and ride.

I happily parted with my $15, donned my helmet and pads and was soon geared up for getting down. The indoor park was such a sight for a skater old enough to have skated for many years before public skateparks became standard. I couldn’t have dreamed up something like this in my wildest dreams a couple of decades back. I skated the indoor park and headed outside after 30 minutes or so.

How good is the outdoor park? Well, I never went back inside. For the blissful next hour and a half I rolled up and down bowls, ramps and banks, exploring all kinds of skateable nooks and crannies and curbs just waiting to be discovered.

There were portions of the park I wanted nothing to do with, but if I were between 15 and 45 again, watch out. Trust me, Bendites, whatever your age or skill level, Seek is well worth the 2.5-hour drive from Central Oregon.

Open skate sessions are the second Saturday of each month, and March 11 is rolling toward us fast. If the weather is looking dry enough for more outdoor skating, you can bet I’m going to seek another visit.

What: Seek Second Saturday Community Skate, a monthly open house skate session 

When: Noon-2 p.m., 2-4 p.m. (or combine both) on the second Saturday of each month. Next up is March 11

Where: Seek Northwest Skateboard Camp, 59550 U.S. Highway 26, Sandy

Cost: $15 per two-hour session, $25 for four hours

Contact: seekskatecamp.com/openskate or 503-622-3736