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Cascadia Kids

Family travel in the Pacific Northwest and BC

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January 19, 2020

Family Day Trips from the Seattle Area

If you’ve only got a day, try one of these family-friendly daytrips from the Seattle area for winter break, spring break or a weekend escape:

Bellingham with Kids Daytrip

Take I-5 North to Bellingham and enjoy the town’s artsy vibe, parks and museums, then get a cool scoop at Mallard Ice Cream. In fact, there are over 20 family-friendly things to do in Bellingham.

If you don’t want to drive as far as Bellingham, try the picture-perfect, riverfront town of La Conner for spring’s tulip festivals or just to stroll streets stacked with bookstores, toy shops and museums.

A typical storefront in La Conner

Don’t forget to try the Banana Coconut Cakes at Calico Cupboard Cafe.

Time one-way to Bellingham: About one hour, 40 minutes.

Kitsap County with Kids Daytrip

A quick ferry from downtown Seattle delivers you to Bremerton, where you can pick up a pack of Belgian frites at Fritz European Fry House or tour the U.S.S. Turner Joy warship (my son loved the maze of sleeping bunks and chow hall). At Bremerton’s small, affordable Quarters Arcade, you can pick up plenty of skeeball points and questionable prizes (that kids love).

You can do this passenger-only, and walk around downtown Bremerton, but pay close attention to return-ferry times.

Maybe you can find your sea-legs aboard the U.S.S. Joy — I obviously didn’t!

If you brought a car, drive up the peninsula to enjoy the Nordic themes and the SEA Discovery Center in Poulsbo, which has a replica tide pool and doesn’t charge an admission fee. If you’re not exhausted yet, end your day at Bainbridge Island’s KiDiMu. Ride the ferry home, from Bainbridge to Seattle.

Time one-way to Bremerton: About one hour, but pack lots of snacks if you embark on this trip, which is considerably longer.

Olympia Daytrip with Kids

Visit Olympia’s stellar Hands On Children’s Museum with little kids or the Washington State Capitol Building with big kids. Then spend a few hours in the local toy stores, cafes and at Olympia’s April-December farmer’s market. Read more here: Daytrip: Olympia with Kids.

Finding out what’s up with George at the Washington State Capitol

Need more to do? On the way down, you can always make a stop at Tacoma’s Point Defiance Zoo. Or visit the 19th-century fort at Fort Nisqually’s Living History Museum, which now has an escape room.

Time one-way to Olympia: About one hour

Snoqualmie Pass Daytrip with Kids

If the snow skipped your neighborhood, there’s still a chance of catching the white stuff up on Snoqualmie Pass, even into early spring. Whether sledding or snowshoeing at Hyak, skiing at Summit West, tubing at Summit Tubing Center or just playing in the snow, the Cascades offer dramatic vistas of cloud-wrapped, evergreen-studded peaks. Read more at The Summit at Snoqualmie website.

Sledding and snowshoeing at Hyak

In summer, either stay mountaintop and enjoy the cool breezes or push on just a little further over the mountains and let the kids visit “The Dry Side.” Central-Eastern Washington features a dry, hot, arid landscape and rolling hills of bleached grass. Your kids might not think they’re still in Washington. A prime pick: Washington’s weird little Petrified Gingko Forest (about 2 hours from Seattle; head to downtown Ellensburg for food).

Time: 45-90 minutes or more , depending upon road conditions. In winter, pack chains and check road conditions before leaving.

 

Filed Under: Day Trips, Kid-friendly Trip Ideas, Seattle Tagged With: daytrips, kids, Seattle, small towns

January 6, 2020

21+ Awesome Things To Do in Whistler with Kids

Whistler BC with kids
Whistler Mountain with Kids

I love Whistler resort’s Euro-village streets, where you can walk from bar to bookstore in just a few steps. I love the joyful atmosphere…it seems like there’s always a film festival, children’s art fest or après ski happening. I love the outdoor activities. Nowhere else is it as easy to ski, snowshoe, skate, and swim within just a few miles—and not even get your car out of the garage.

Whistler-Blackcomb is a British Columbia ski resort that’s an accessible, playful, family-friendly town. After you’ve scored a hotel room or AirBnB stay, what can you do with kids in Whistler?

What To Do with Kids in Whistler: Winter

1, Coast on giant inner tubes down the Tube Park‘s snow. Best for parents of older preschoolers and up — you must be 3 years old to ride here.

Whistler with kids
A gorgeous day on top of Whistler mountain.

2. Slip along kilometers of cross-country groomed paths at Lost Lake Park, when in season; pick up your toddler-friendly chariot carrier at Cross Country Connection. Even very young children can snowshoe or ski for short distances, and Cross Country will be able to suggest good ski paths and destinations.

3. Sign the kids up for ski or snowboard camps or drop-in lessons or childcare (for ages between 18 months and 5 years). Check the kids’ ability charts online before you enroll them, to make sure you’re signing them up for the right class. Don’t miss the “Magic Castle” or children’s play areas on the mountain if you’re going it alone.

Whistler Kids Ski and Daycare
Whistler Kids Ski and Daycare

4. Play Wii at the Nintendo Gaming Lounge, when in town (usually March).

5. Chill out on the ice skating rink (winter only) at the Olympic Plaza, which accommodates 150 skaters at a time.

6. Wow even hard-to-impress teens at the Fire and Ice Show, which runs from December through March. Snowboards dive through fiery hoops and acrobats juggle flaming torches; do not try this at home.

7. Take toddlers and little ones (under 5) to the sled hill at Whistler Olympic Plaza. Bonus: Even if no snow has fallen lately, a snow machine blows piles of fresh flakes. Alternate: Tobogganing at Whistler Olympic Park.

8. Hold on tight and coast from one mountain to another in a glass-bottom gondola on the Peak 2 Peak. Even if you don’t ski, a trip in a gondola up Whistler, on the Peak 2 Peak, and back down Blackcomb is a heart-pounding adventure. Don’t forget to stop for a cup of hot chocolate. In summer, you may even spot a bear from your perch inside the gondola, so bring binoculars.

9. Go out for crepes, hot chocolate, fondue or another family-friendly Whistler meal.

Whistler Activities with Kids: Year Round

Peak 2 Peak in summer
Peak 2 Peak in summer

1.Pick out a trinket, activity book or board game at Whoola Toys, a Whistler mom-owned toy store literally packed from floor to ceiling with great, eclectic choices. It’s a good place to pick out a special in-hotel play set or cool hand-held toy for the drive home.

2. Browse the paperbacks and pictures books at Armchair Books, which has an extremely well-stocked children’s section with classic titles, graphic novels and YA books for teens.

3. Hold your breath and jump into the lazy river at Meadow Park Sports Centre, which boasts a slide, a six-lane lap pool, a vortex and hot tubs for mom and dad. If your Whistler resort hotel doesn’t have a fantastic pool (or that pool is just too darn cold), head here. Not feeling like swimming? There’s also an indoor skating rink with disco nights…

Candy at Great Glass Elevator in Whistler
Candy at Great Glass Elevator in Whistler

4. Fill your bag with candy at the Great Glass Elevator Candy Shoppe, which offers enough bins of jellybeans, chocolates and sweet ‘n’ sours to scare a dentist. Yum.

5. Fly through the air with the greatest of ease at Bounce Acrobatic Academy, which boasts a giant indoor trampoline, padded walls and a foam pit. Drop-in rates available.

6. Rainy day in Whistler? No problem. Catch a flick at Village 8 Cinemas. Visit the website to grab some coupons for this Whistler favorite.

7. If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands along with your toddler at a Whistler Public library storytime, or just sit and snuggle up with a good book.

8. Learn to weave at Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre; this culturally rich museum is great to introduce older kids to the First Peoples of the area. The hands-on crafting demonstrations and opportunities are relaxing and informational.

Whistler Inclusive Playground
Whistler Inclusive Playground

9. Enjoy the swings, slide and ramps at Whistler Inclusive Playground at Whistler Olympic Plaza. It’s a 13,000-square-foot outdoor play area with innovative spinning disks, swings and carved structures. I love all the smooth, formidable wood here – it’s one of the most aesthetically appealing playgrounds I’ve seen in the Pacific Northwest. If it’s cold? Just bundle up and grab a coffee, because your kids will want to play here. Update 2019: Okay, it’s a little broken now, especially the swing. Hopefully it’ll be fixed soon.

10. Let the kids climb the walls at The Whistler Core, which offers rock-climbing classes for big kids, evening climb/dinner childcare options and fun Whistler summer camps. Update 2019: The climbing gym is very well suited for teens, with affordable drop-in learn-to-climb classes.

What to do with Kids in Whistler: Summer

Farmers Market Summer
Whistler Farmers Market

1. Nosh your way from stall to stall at the Whistler Farmers Market, where you’ll find hand-picked local berries, mushrooms and veggies. You’ll find crafts here too (although those are not nosh-able).

Driving a mini-car at Whistler Blackcomb Adventure Zone
Driving a mini-car at Whistler Blackcomb Adventure Zone

2. Bounce on the bungee trampoline, drive a mini-car or walk the rope course at the Family Adventure Zone, where tickets purchase rides scaled for all ages: toddlers through teens. A super-fun summer Whistler activity with kids, and near the Blackcomb-side lifts.

3. Ollie at the Whistler outdoor skate park.

Family canoe trip along River of Golden Dreams
Family canoe trip along River of Golden Dreams

4. Navigate the waters along the grass-lined River of Golden Dreams, just north of Whistler. Bring binoculars, a camera, snacks and a sense of adventure; on calm days, lazing along the river, mountains in sight… it’s Northwest travel at its best. If you’re not sure your kids are ready for this, try paddling Lake Alta. In any case, we rented (and got great advice) from Backroads Whistler’s family self-guided tours. You could also hire a guide, but I don’t have any experience with that (and the self-guided is the less expensive option).

5. Sing through the treetops on a Ziptrek Tour; children as young as six years old can go on these bird’s-eye-level trips through the evergreens.

A busking entertainer at Whistler
A busking entertainer at Whistler

6. Watch the street entertainers — bring a Loonie or a Toonie to drop into the busking cases of your favorites. One of my favorite (free) forms of entertainment in the summer.

Lost Lake BC near Whistler
Lost Lake BC


7. Hike or bike your way along some of the region’s stunning trails. See this map of hiking and biking trails in the Whistler area; I recommend trails near Lost Lake in particular.

Updated January 6, 2020 with fresh content and links.

Do you have a favorite Whistler activity, attraction or playground? Let me know!

Filed Under: Whistler Tagged With: kids, Whistler

January 3, 2020

10 Great Places to Eat in Whistler with Kids

Crepe Montagne: A great place to eat with kids in Whistler
Crepe Montagne: A great place to eat with kids in Whistler

1. Crepe Montagne offers beautiful atmosphere and crepe prep. I love the warm lodge-like interior, fresh juices, French-language kids books and savory crepes with egg, ham and cheese. It’s also a great dessert destination, with preschooler-friendly crepes like caramel and chocolate or that tasteful favorite, Nutella and banana.

2. Options are the name of the game at Splitz Grill, which makes it a Whistler restaurant good for kids. Pick a meat (veggie burger, beef or chicken), then pad the bun with your selections of fresh veggie add-ons, sauces and dressings. The dining area is sort of cafeteria-style, but the food is filling, cheap and served-to-order.

3. At the base of Blackcomb mountain, Nagomi Sushi, a kid-friendly sushi joint, dishes up everything from fried edamame to fresh rolls. Sushi in Whistler (IMO) is not all that different from one place to the next  (I’m ducking as I write that). Locals and visitors debate over which one is best (Sachi Sushi and Sushi Village are the other favorites). What do I suggest? Choose the restaurant you can find seats in.

Pasta Lupino: Handmade, kid-friendly pasta
Pasta Lupino: Handmade, kid-friendly pasta

4. Pasta Lupino is a solid pick if you’re not quite ambitious enough to make a full-blown dinner in room, but you don’t want to sit through yet another restaurant meal. Here, mix-and-match a pasta shape (like short radiatore, short spinach cesare, linguini, spaghettini) and a pasta sauce (like alfredo, bolognese, tomato and basil, the spicy sausage arrabiata), for fun, let the kids pick one combo, and then choose another for grown-ups.

5. Pizza is a cheap and delicious way to refuel — but Creekbread takes it to a new level, with lots of all-natural ingredients (free-range pork, locally grown veggies and even housemade organic olive oil) atop wood-fired dough, baked in a clay oven. Flavorful toppings, big broad wood tables, outdoor seating and a gregarious atmosphere. We loved this place so much, we visited twice. A great place to take toddlers and big kids, too.

6. Create a quick deli lunch from the prepared items and fruits at Whistler Marketplace IGA.

7. Veggie dishes and sandwich pitstops at Ingrid’s Village Cafe in Whistler Village.  

8. Portobello for kid-friendly pizza, fresh sandwiches and homemade soups.

9. Lift Coffee Company makes a hot latte and breakfast (including great pastries and oatmeal).

10. If you’re in Whistler in summer, try out Lucia Gelato‘s sorbetto and gelato flavors, including kid favorites like coconut, and banana caramel fudge. There are three stands dotted throughout Whistler. 

This post was updated on January 3, 2020 with new information.

Filed Under: Whistler Tagged With: kids, restaurant, Whistler

January 22, 2018

Great American Campout & REI’s Family Adventure Program

This summer, the National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Backyard Campout encourages you to open up the musty tent and fluff the sleeping bags. A backyard campout can help get kids ready for a real overnighter (if they haven’t gone yet), and the Great American Campout raises money for a great cause.

We’ve taken the kids camping since babyhood, so they’ve always been used to a pitch-black tent and strange noises around the campsite (Don’t worry, that’s not a bear, it’s just a grown-up snoring. Probably). I’m a big fan of being comfortable, so our packing list always includes an air mattress, a fluffy duvet and…brie cheese.

Families can also take advantage of advice from REI’s local experts to plan fun and budget-friendly ways to spend time outdoors. REI offers online checklists, tips and videos to help you plan campouts and day trips.

Filed Under: Get Outdoors! Camping & Hiking Trips Tagged With: family, free, kids, outdoor pursuits

July 8, 2013

Oregon Dunes (Florence) with Kids

Skateboarding kid at Oregon Dunes in Florence, Oregon
Skateboarding kid at Oregon Dunes in Florence, Oregon

The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area — the largest coastal sand dunes in North America – makes you feel exactly like Luke Skywalker. Well, maybe you won’t look or sound like him, but after 10 minutes here, you’ll empathize with Luke’s long walk over those huge, majestic dunes on Tatooine.

Naturally, kids LOVE this place.

As if  dropped right into a giant’s sandbox, you’ll find giant 500-foot-tall (152 m.) peaked mounds and “tree islands,” where trees cluster together, surrounded by sand.

The Oregon Dunes NRA Visitors Center offers hiking tips through the dunes, info on the area’s natural history and summertime programs on the plants and animals of the dunes. No tusken raiders actually live here, boo.

Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park is a great place to experience the area’s unique landscape — walk the dunes, watch kids sled or snowboard down dunes, and visit the beach. The park’s freshwater lake (Cleawox) was warm enough to qualify as a “bath” for my kid, who hates baths but didn’t complain here.

Cleawox Lake, Florence Oregon with Kids
Cleawox Lake, Florence Oregon

The dunes stretch for forty miles long along the coast, so many visitors opt to see them in a giant, slow-moving dune buggy (you can even bring a baby in a carseat on a buggy) or a faster sand rail (required: goggles, a helmet and age 3 & up).

In either case, reservations must be made in advance with one of the dune buggy outfits. Sandland Adventures has a nice little Family Fun Center with bumper boats, if you want to cool off after a Sandland buggy ride.

If sandboarding looks more your kids’ speed, Sand Master Park rents gear, gives lessons and offers family packages. The park is right next to a Fred Meyer, and it’s funny to see the sand actually moving into the parking lot – it creeps inland 16 feet per year. Maybe some day we’ll all be driving sand buggies.

Oregon sand dune
View from the top of a Oregon Sand Dune

Where to stay in Florence with Kids

You can stay at Jessie M. Honeyman in one of the yurts — or bring your tent. Book far in advance, because it’s a popular destination with great weather.

We stayed at the Driftwood Shores Resort right on the beach, which was fine and clean, if a bit dated and mildewy in spots (hey, it’s the Northwest Coast — only so much you can do about things like this). A bonus: The Inn has a small children’s aquatic play area with fun showers and sprinklers — a nice back up if you do arrive on a very windy or rainy day.

Where to eat in Florence with Kids

After some deep research, we went with a few fun places:

Mo’s in Florence Old Town. 1436 Bay St., Florence, Oregon. So,  the seafood is similar, perhaps, to your grandparent’s seafood restaurant (like a fancy Skipper’s, maybe). You can’t beat the location (right on the water), the kid-friendly aspects (really noisy restaurant, crayons, kid menu) and the fact your child’s palate and your grandparent’s palate are probably not too dissimilar. It’s fine. Order an appetizer if the restaurant is busy, as you may wait a while for your food.

Maple Street Grille. 165 Maple St., Florence, Oregon. An upscale restaurant with solid meal options, including well-cooked salmon, chicken and pasta. A bit more formal and expensive. No kids’ menu, but kid-friendly restaurant staff will help your children find yummy food, such as mac ‘n’ cheese.

Nature’s Corner Cafe and Market. 185 Hwy 101 Florence, Oregon. Hearty, healthy breakfasts in a very casual setting  — more like a store than a restaurant. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. It can take a while for the food to arrive (maybe order something small to take the edge off). But when it does  arrive– yum.

1285 Restobar also looks like a decent option for pizza and Italian food.

Read more about Florence with Kids.

Filed Under: Florence Tagged With: hiking, history, kids, tips

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