• Oregon,  Washington State

    50 Free Museums in Washington & Oregon for Military Families

    This summer, military families get free passes into over 50 fantastic Pacific Northwest museums. The Blue Star Museums initiative is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 1,000 museums across America. Blue Star Museums offer free admission to active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 30, 2011, through Labor Day, September 5, 2011. Read more at the Blue Star Museums page. A few of my favorite family museums: High Desert Museum (in Bend, Ore.), Portland Art Museum (Portland, Ore.), University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History (Eugene, Ore.), Kids Discovery Museum (Bainbridge Island, Wash.), KidsQuest Children’s…

  • Caldera Springs at Sunriver Resort with kids
    Kid-friendly Trip Ideas

    A Perfect 5-Day Oregon Road Trip

    If you’re thinking of sun, sun and more sun (and who isn’t, at this point?), you’ll probably find warm weather and bright days in Oregon. I’d like to offer this Oregon Family Road Trip for your consideration. We went on this 5-day getaway last year over Labor Day weekend (plus a few more days) and had a lovely time – although you could also do this over Memorial Day or during summer break. Day 1 of your Oregon Road Trip: Mt Hood Drive from your starting point eastward toward Mt. Hood. Pull over at Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store (right outside Portland, in Milwaukie). This grainy emporium features a giant…

  • The Science Factory, a fun thing to do with kids in Eugene
    Eugene

    Eugene with Kids: Activities and restaurants for family fun

    Eugene offers multiple options to keep your family entertained and well-fed. For this piece, I visited Eugene, and I also consulted with Melanie Willson, a Vancouver Island mom that lived in Eugene for several of the past few years; she still visits regularly. I trust Melanie’s opinions and found her Eugene-with-kids suggestions wonderful and spot-on accurate. I hope you find them equally useful. Here are over 15 things to do with kids in the Eugene area: Ride a six-foot wave at Splash! At Lively Park in Eugene’s neighboring city of Springfield, about 20 minutes from downtown Eugene. This swim center is a lap above similar community pools; there’s a baby…

  • Get Outdoors! Camping & Hiking Trips,  Portland

    Best Hikes with Kids near Portland, Oregon

    Today, we interview Bonnie Henderson, the author of Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon. Let’s find out more about hiking in Northwestern Oregon. Do you have any favorite rainy-day hikes in Oregon? Is there an area of Oregon that’s particularly wonderful for family hiking, even during spring or fall? Why do you like that kid-friendly hike? Bonnie: I love hiking at the Oregon Coast in the winter when the weather is crummy. Not if it’s pouring, and not on the beach itself, but when you’re tired of the same old trails around your house and the Cascades are still snowed under, the forest right along the coast is a great place…

  • Oregon Sand Dunes
    Florence,  Oregon

    Coastal Kids: Things to Do in Florence, Oregon with Kids

    Today, we interview mom (and Eugene, Ore., native) Emily Forsha. Emily grew up with the central Oregon coast as her playground. She knows that a foggy day in the Willamette Valley often means clear sunny skies at the coast, and that salt water taffy is best enjoyed sitting on the boardwalk in Old Town Florence. Now as the Tourism PR Manager at Travel Lane County and a mother to a 4 year-old and 15 month-old, Emily offers her fresh perspective as both a tourism industry professional and busy mom. All photos were provided by Emily. Q. Do you have a favorite Oregon coast town? Why do you like it? Emily: For…