Find Your Heart in Happy Valley

By Ava Nguyen

On January 5th, Happy Valley Parks and Rec. started the new year with a treasure hunt. The “Find Your Heart in Happy Valley” treasure hunt was created to get people of all ages outside in nature during the cold month of January. Every Monday in January, Happy Valley Parks and Rec. will hide a heart somewhere in Happy Valley. This is their second year of this.

Each heart was delicately crafted by local glass blowers at Sweet Lomy Art, located near 205 in Clackamas. “The one you found took me probably five hours,” says Jenny Wells, owner of Sweet Lomy Art. “Then it has to go in the kiln and that takes about ten to twelve hours, from the start to when you can actually take it out of the kiln.” 

On Monday, at 10am, the first clue was released on the City of Happy Valley’s website and social media platforms.

“Follow the trail where the water dreams,

Through mossy paths and whispering streams.

Where forest shadows cool the air, 

And quiet moments linger there.

Listen close where the hillsides call-

You may just find your heart near the falls.”

In under ten minutes, the heart was found by my own sister Ruby! “When we got the clue to find the glass heart we immediately thought of Hidden Falls, so we drove there,” says Ruby Nguyen, my sister. “We found the heart, but it wasn’t a glass heart, it was a laminated piece of paper shaped like a heart. We took it to turn it in at City Hall and got the actual glass heart.” We were all so excited! If you love a good  scavenger hunt, go to the Happy Valley Parks and Rec. website  on Monday at 10am. Good luck! 

Left to right: Replica heart hanging on fence, Ruby holding the replica heart, Ruby and I on the day we found the heart, and the Hidden Falls waterfall

Citations: 

• City of Happy Valley. (2026, January 5). Treasure Hunt - City of Happy Valley. City of Happy Valley -. https://www.happyvalleyor.gov/community/community-services/parks/snowflake-treasure-hunt/ 

Sweet Lomy Art | Fused Glass classes in Gladstone Oregon. (n.d.). Sweet Lomy Art. https://www.sweetlomyart.com/