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High Desert, Kid Friendly: Bend, Oregon
Have you been around the Bend? Bend, Oregon’s warm, dry air is the perfect prescription for rain-inflicted doldrums. As a kid, I loved going to Bend and rubbing scented sagebrush between my fingers, riding bikes along flat (flat! really!) paths and hiking the twisted trails by the Deschutes River. So why don’t we ask a local family for their favorite Bend locales? Bend resident Sarah Laufer and husband Justin met while they were both guiding whitewater rafting trips in Colorado. They soon moved to Bend, where they’ve been raising their two kids, 5-year-old daughter Chloe and 3-year-old son Avery. Sarah’s also the co-founder of PlayOutdoors.com, an online store specializing in…
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Daytrip: Olympia with kids
Think State capitols aren’t kid-friendly? Towns plagued by boring subcommittee meetings, too-fancy restaurants and dull plazas, right? Olympia, Washington, may take you by surprise. When to go: Saturday, so you can check out the Olympia Farmers Market, the people-smorgasbord that is Olympia. You’ll see patchouli students from the nearby Evergreen State College, farmers in overalls, embroidered-denim grandmas, toddlers riding on dad’s shoulders. The market’s a nice mix of locally made items:  soaps, herbs, baked goods and of course, tie-dye shirts. Where to eat: At the market, order honkin’ huge sandwiches from Heyday! Cafe and listen to live music on the market stage. As an alternative, go to Meconi’s Italian Subs for the best…
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What to do in Westport, Washington with kids
When you enter Westport, Washington, you’re greeted with this sign: And that may sum it up. There’s a lighthouse, but kids under 40 inches tall aren’t allowed to climb the narrow, steep stairs. The under-construction aquarium offers only two tanks. The whale watching options can’t compete with well-developed tourism in Washington State’s San Juan Islands. The museum is OK (the fresnel light is impressive) but needs an infusion of funding for the kids’ area. The town’s streets don’t boast cute bookstores or toy shops. Most restaurants are iffy — lots of grease and meat for high prices. But still, if you wrote it off, you’d miss moments like this: When…
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12 Tips for Green Family Travel
At one Portland hotel, Earth Day isn’t a once-a-year event. Every day, The Doubletree Hotel diverts 68% of its waste stream from landfills, composts up to 17 tons per month and purchases more than half of their food products seasonally within a 500-mile region. You can even offset your travel footprint from the hotel’s website. As more hotels become eco-aware, they’re offering choices to families concerned about the environment. And some changes adopted industry-wide – like the option to skip washing your sheets during your stay – also save hotel-owners money. “Green travel has become part of mainstream travel,†says Brian T. Mullis, of Sustainable Travel International, a Washington State-based…
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Giveaway: Savvy Squirrel offers savings
One of my favorite ways to find cool, indie restaurants and stores with sustainable values is to pick up eco-coupon books. Every major city in Cascadia offers such a book – Portland’s Chinook Book, Seattle’s Chinook Book and Vancouver’s Green Zebra. But the one with the cutest name? Victoria, BC’s Savvy Squirrel. Each of these books offer great savings to local attractions, shops, restaurants services and restaurants. It’ll pay for itself in one weekend trip. Savvy Squirrel’s book is primarily focused on family-friendly shops and restaurants in Victoria. “We love a local bargain,†says Lale Minielly, who started the Savvy Squirrel with fellow mom Tabitha Rutherford. “As new moms we…