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5 Funky Places to Sleep in Oregon
You’re bored with hotels and bed and breakfasts and inns and tents. You want something different. Oregon offers quirky stays, from lighthouses to lookouts, suitable for a variety of ages. Take a look at these sweet sleeps — and if you go, let us know! (Photo above: Quail Prairie Lookout, elevation 3,033 feet, photo courtesy of USDA Forest Service) 1. Oregon teepee in Warm Springs, Oregon. At Kahneeta Resort & Casino, bring your own inflatable air mattress and comforters – you’re sleeping in a Central Oregon teepee!  This 21-foot canvas arrangement allows you to enjoy the resort’s waterslides, pool and lovely weather for less than a hotel stay, and each teepee…
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35 Free and Cheap Things to Do in Victoria with Kids
Victoria, BC, is a family-friendly destination we return to over and over again. Not just because I have a Victoria-based friend with impressive culinary skills (Hey, it’s a nice perk!). But also because Victoria offers so many affordable and free options. 35 free and cheap things to do in Victoria BC with kids: Enjoy outdoor festivals and celebrations in one of Canada’s sunniest cities. Watch for bald eagles and salmon at Goldstream Park. Ride trail-a-bikes or pull your toddler in a bike carrier along the 55 kilometre (34 mi) long Galloping Goose Trail. Go on a self-guided spooky Victoria tour with your preteen or teen – discover the haunts of spectres, poltergeists and…
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Camping with Kids in Washington State
Recently, a reader requested an article on family-friendly Washington campgrounds. You ask and I deliver! I pestered the Washington State Parks Department for insider hints and tips on finding great Washington State kid-friendly campgrounds. Of course, all Washington campgrounds welcome families. But we want the best campgrounds for kids in Washington. Campsites that the kids will remember, and beg you to reserve next summer — even if the mosquitoes ate you alive and the water was too cold to swim in. (Photo at right, our family’s annual campground destination, Penrose Point State Park) Here’s our Q & A with Linda Burnett of the Washington State Parks. Please note, these…
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San Juan Island: Cheap camps and free tours
The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor (on San Juan Island) is offering two great family activities this summer. But if you want to take advantage of either one, you’d better act fast! San Juan Island offers a truly spectacular family getaway — picture pastoral countryside and artisan farms alongside regular family-fun attractions like a movie theater, great food, toy stores and a bowling alley. Here are the details on the activities (and read my Whale Museum review here): Pod Nods at the Whale Museum, San Juan Island, Washington State If your kids are between the ages of 6-10 and you’d like a fun (yet separate) escape for the whole family,…
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Families Travel! Jennifer visits the Long Beach Peninsula
Tony and Jennifer Fuentes of Portland, Oregon went with their children (Mila, 8 and Gael, 3) to the Long Beach Peninsula of Washington, about 90 minutes west of Oregon. It’s right on the Pacific Ocean – a perfect way for shopowner Jennifer (she runs the excellent Milagros Boutique in Portland) and family to relax. Jennifer often returns to the Long Beach Peninsula to stay in a beach rental; she loves the area. It’s not quite as well-known as the Oregon Coast, but it offers amazing foodie finds and small-town coast fun. Let’s find out this frequent-visitor’s favorites and tips for a Long Beach family vacation. Q.  Did you find a…
