I-5 - Pitstops for Kids

Portland with Kids: Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel

June 17, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

If you’re headed to Portland with kids, location is key: you want to be near the Willamette River and within easy walking distance of downtown and the MAX. The Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel puts families in the heart of the city, affords kids fun views of the goings-on along the river, and provides parents with a few perks of their own.

RiverPlace is a Kimpton hotel, with Kimpton amenities.

If you’re familiar with the Kimpton brand, you know what this means: hosted wine hours, coffee, tea, and hot chocolate for the kids, a welcome mat rolled out for your family dog, and a staff that goes above and beyond. When we arrived 30 minutes past ‘wine hour’ on our most recent visit, the front desk staff poured us glasses to take up to our room. Nice touch!

Every time we come to RiverPlace, they have something fun going on. This summer beginning in June, they offer s’mores on their second-floor courtyard overlooking the Willamette. All we needed to do was let the front desk know when we were ready for the fire to be lit in the fire pit.

The first time I visited RiverPlace as a Kimpton hotel, it didn’t yet sport the trademarked Kimpton style and originality to its decor. As of early summer 2015, it absolutely does, and I felt right at home as a Kimpton Karma Rewards member (sign up, you get a $10 Raid the Mini-Bar credit!). The decor in RiverPlace that isn’t sporting a trendy ‘Kimpton’ look is very clean, not-quite minimalist, and warm, with stone, wood, and soft touches.

Location is key.

RiverPlace is located right off Naito Parkway south of popular Tom McCall Park (the greenway that runs along the river). Families can sit on the RiverPlace rocking chairs on the porch overlooking the Willamette, walk directly from the hotel along the greenway to the Portland Spirit river cruise, the Portland Saturday Market, or the downtown Pioneer Square area.

We love that we can let the kids burn off energy before dinner along the river walk, or explore the many boats along the small wharf jutting out from the RiverPlace Esplanade. Kids are happily distracted watching the crew teams rowing along the water. Along the esplanade are several good dining options for families, especially coffee shops and bakeries.

Room options:

We recommend booking a one-bedroom suite, which easily sleeps a family of five (when we stayed in one of these rooms, we had a king bed for the parents in the bedroom, a pull-out sofa double, plus a rollaway). Along with all this room, you also get a full kitchen and dining area, complete with all the pots, pans, and utensils you’ll need to prepare meals in.

The suites have a separate entrance, which means you can return to your room directly from the river walk, but are right next door to the rest of the RiverPlace, making it easy to settle in the lobby for the complimentary wine hour and coffee or hot chocolate in the mornings.

The absolute best thing about the RiverPlace suites, however, are the views. Our river-front room boasted huge windows in the living room area (with fireplace) and dining area overlooking the Willamette, plus a balcony with seating. The RiverPlace thoughtfully includes a pair of binoculars to use during your stay, which kids can put to use spotting eagles, boats, and more.

Other room options include standard king or two queen rooms in the hotel proper. These rooms have been recently remodeled with those gorgeous Kimpton touches, such as elegant headboards, new patterns for the duvets, and lovely artwork. Honestly, even without the space of the suites, we feel refreshed every time we stay in these rooms.

Downside:

There’s only one downside to the RiverPlace from my family’s point-of-view: RiverPlace does not have a pool in the hotel. However, this is true of many city hotels, so as long as families are prepared ahead of time, it shouldn’t be too big of an impact on the stay.

Kimpton Tips:

Before staying at any Kimpton hotel, by all means, join the Kimpton Loyalty Program. This program is free and easy to sign up for, and gives members perks such as the aforementioned $10 ‘raid the mini-bar’ credit and free wifi in rooms. I used both on my last visit and was very glad to grab a free Luna bar and Nantucket Nectars orange juice before heading out for the day…without paying mini bar prices.

Always, and I mean always, check the RiverPlace (or any Kimpton hotel) website for specials and deals. During our stay in June, we eyed a Northwest Residents package we’ll be sure to return for!

Date last visited: June 2015

Distance from the interstate: 1 minute from 405/I-5.

Room rates: RiverPlace rooms start at $199 for standard rooms. One-bedroom suites like the one we experienced start around $250.

Directions: RiverPlace is located at 1510 SW Harbor Way in Portland, and is easy to find. Valet parking makes arriving even easier.

As I disclose whenever applicable, I stayed at RiverPlace with a media rate, for the purpose of review.

Sanctuary One farm stay

June 5, 2015 By Sharlene Earnshaw

The following review was submitted by Pit Stops for Kids grandmother Julie Hagstrom.

Located on 55 acres in Oregon’s beautiful Applegate valley, Sanctuary One was established in 2007 as the nation’s first care farm. It provides a safe home to rescued farm animals and house pets. And that’s what makes its farm stay experience unique. Sanctuary One is a member of U.S. Farm Stay Association and wants to show you what care farming is all about!

My grandson, age 10, and I took advantage of this farm stay opportunity on April 18, 2015. I made my reservation on line and received a phone call from the farm’s director the same day. He wanted to know what time we planned to arrive, how long we were staying and what our expectations were. Because my grandson wanted as much hands on time with the animals as possible, he encouraged us to arrive in time for the evening chores. Kyler was in the office when we got there and gave us a tour of the house.

The farm stay “suite” is a large room with a private bath in the main house. No meals are served but there is a fully equipped community kitchen. The room was neat and clean with a queen bed, but Kyler offered to bring in an extra mattress if we wanted it.

After exploring the property, we met Danni on the porch for evening chores. This was where the fun really began. She called it “putting the animals to bed” and it took us almost three hours to take care of them all! From the dog kennel to the cat cottage, the chicken coop (where we collected eggs) to the bunny hutch we followed Danni. She not only encouraged Tobias to help her with feeding and rounding up the animals, but she shared with us the various animals’ stories and what brought them to Sanctuary One.

Most of the animals come from animal shelters, police investigations/rescues or people who can no longer care for the animal. They have been either severely neglected or abused and no longer trust people. Danni’s love for the animals and her commitment to their recovery was inspiring. This is what sets Sanctuary One apart from other farm stays—they want their guests to interact with the animals by talking to them, petting them and playing with them in order to gain back their trust. After the bunnies, we brought in the pigs, llamas, alpacas, horses, cows, ducks, and geese for the night!

Once we were done with evening chores, we put our take-and-bake pizza in the oven, Tobias took a luxurious bath and we went to bed. But there was a television in the common room if we had wanted to stay up longer.

We met Sansa at 7:30 for the morning chores after indulging in our cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate. The morning routine with Sansa was the reverse of the evening routine, the animals bounding out of their enclosures and gobbling down their breakfast. As we went through the morning chores, Sansa pointed out things that Tobias and I could do once the animals were fed. She suggested walking one of the dogs or just playing with them in the agility yard. There were chores to be done in the cat cottage and bunny run as well as plenty of horse poop to clean up!

We decided to walk Banjo, a rescued dog, along a trail through the beautiful pine forest that led to a look out. Then Tobias played in the cat cottage after washing the cat dishes. There was list of things volunteers could do in each habitat and always on the list was “play time”—Tobias’ favorite. We even cleaned the corral before we left for the day.

Again, what made this farm stay experience unique is that it is a rehabilitation farm for all kinds of animals and pets, not a working dairy or sheep farm, and visitors are encouraged to interact with the animals. Because of its location, swimming in the Applegate River or kayaking on Applegate Lake are good daytime options as well as wine tasting in the Applegate Valley.

Date last visited:

April 2015

Distance from the interstate:

Sanctuary One is about 25 minutes from I-5.

Rates:

$75/night for double occupancy. $10 for additional people. The suite is designed for two people, but in summer months, many more can be accommodated with tents (bring your own)!

Directions:

Sanctuary One is located at 13195 Upper Applegate Road, Double Oak Farm, Jacksonville OR.

Hotel Vintage Portland: Portland hotel review

April 10, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

I first visited Hotel Vintage Portland a few years ago, when it was known as the Hotel Vintage Plaza. If it was cool then, which it was, it’s even cooler now. This Kimpton hotel has undergone a major redesign, completely remodeling its common spaces and rooms.

On our visit to conduct a Portland hotel review a few days after the relaunch, the Vintage Portland was pleasantly busy on a Saturday night with a young, urban (dare I say hipster?) crowd, yet our family fit in perfectly as well. Maybe that’s the magic of Portland at work, where various crowds seem to blend with ease, but I think it’s also thanks to Kimpton hospitality and charm.

Where the new Vintage Portland shines: the lobby has always been hip and modern, sharing its space with the friendly Bacchus Bar attached to Pazzo Ristorante, but now, the second floor business meeting room spaces have been remodeled to offer leisure space filled with comfortable yet trendy couches, bean bag chairs, flatscreen TVs, and and shuffleboard and pool table.

Instantly deemed ‘way more cool’ than a teen club or kids’ play room by our kids, they spent a happy hour here, sharing the space with a few 20-somethings playing pool and sipping craft cocktails (the 20-somethings, not the kids). My husband and I settled ourselves right downstairs at the bar, where we could catch college basketball on the TV and still hear the kids, separated only by an open staircase.

As a family of five, we were put in a king suite, which features one bedroom with a king bed, plus a large living area with a corner couch that pull out to another bed. Due to the shape of the couch, it actually comfortably slept three (kids), which saved us from needing a rollaway (which was available should we have needed it). The bedroom was perfect for Mom and Dad, and in the spa king suite, the spa tub is big enough for most kids to swim in (seriously…young kids will scream with glee).

In true Kimpton style, our room was decorated in fun and trendy artwork that reflected the local area. It immediately said ‘Portland’ to me, which made me happy, even though we were in the city only one night before flying out of PDX in the morning. For families not needing a suite for five, standard rooms are also redecorated and roomier than most. All rooms feature the famous Kimpton bathrobes and free wifi for Kimpton members (join for free).

Room rates are in the higher range by Portland standards, around $375 for a room or $425 and up for suites. But a Vintage Portland stay is a value if you’re seeking a full immersion in Portland flare during your stay in the city. Most downtown venues are in walking distance, and MAX lines are available. For a special occasion or to earn Kimpton rewards, it’s absolutely a great pick.

Dining:

This is the category where Kimpton Hotels don’t fare as well for families; how I wish they offered some sort of complimentary breakfast! While the elegant Pazzo Ristorante is located on-site, it’s spendy for families (though excellent for a date night). However, families are within a few blocks of many dining options from Vintage Portland, including fast food and coffee shops. In the mornings, Vintage Portland has a nice coffee spread of their own in the lobby. If you stop in the lobby bar as we did, try the Pear Sidecar cocktail; it uses local pear brandy, giving you a taste of Oregon to go with your Portland decor.

Parking:

You will pay for parking at Vintage Portland, as you will at any downtown Portland hotel, so budget accordingly. If you’re headed to the airport as we were, and will not have a car, you have the affordable option of riding the MAX (station is just around the corner) or taking a cab. Our flight was early enough that we opted to reserve a town car to ensure we stayed on schedule; the front desk staff was able to make this arrangement for us.

Want to read about more Kimpton Hotel options in Portland? Check out our reviews of Hotel Monacco Portland and RiverPlace (look for this one to be updated soon).

Distance from the interstate:

Located just five minutes from I-5 and 405.

Directions:

The Hotel Vintage Portland is located at 422 S.W. Broadway, Portland OR.

As we disclose whenever applicable, we were hosted at Hotel Vintage by Kimpton Hotels, for the purpose of reviewing their remodel.

Ashland Centennial Ice Skating Rink

March 18, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

If you’ll be traveling along I-5 this winter season, you’ll need a festive place to stop and let the kids play. Our pick: Ashland Oregon’s Rotary Centennial Ice Skating Rink, located outdoors adjacent to lovely Lithia Park.

Located near the Oregon/California border, Ashland is a vibrant town best known for its Shakespeare Festival and university campus, but families will find much to enjoy outdoors as well. In addition to the cheery, community-centric ice rink, Lithia Park (located just past the Plaza on the main strip), is beautiful at any time of year; the extensive walking trails and playground are accessible in winter as well as summer. Purchase hot cocoa and other snacks at the counter next to the rink, and plan on a great meal at one of the town’s many restaurants before or after. Definitely spend a whole afternoon between the ice skating rink and the adjacent playground and park, followed by a nice meal out. Be sure to bundle up!

Distance from the nearest interstate: Three minutes from I-5.

Hours: Open seven days a week from mid-November through March. View a complete schedule listing specific skating times.

Ticket Prices: $4.00/adult, $3.25/children (skate rental $2.50 extra per person)

Dining options: Dining options in downtown Ashland abound; our favorite for families is Martolli’s pizza, located just blocks away at the end of the Plaza.

Website: Centennial Ice Skating Rink

Phone: 541-488-5340 (best way to contact rink personnel during business hours)

Directions: From I-5, take exit 19 toward Ashland, merging onto S. Valley View Rd. Turn left at OR-99 S/Rogue Valley Hwy 99 N, then continue to follow OR-99 S (Main) to Wilburn Way. Turn right onto Wilburn and follow it past the Plaza to Lithia Park.

Things To Do
Ashland

Omni La Costa Resort and Spa

January 5, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

A wellness resort that works for family travel? Yep, we’ve found one. Carlsbad California’s Omni La Costa is one part golf and tennis resort, one part spa retreat, yet somehow, 90% family-focused. Those familiar with the Omni brand will understand how we arrived at this conclusion, but for everyone else, let’s break it down.

The Omni La Costa is a sprawling resort located in the hills about three miles from the Pacific. (If you want to be closer to the beach, opt for the for the Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront.) With beautifully landscaped gardens and walkways and waving palms rising above artfully situated hammocks, I felt as though I was in Santa Barbara or even in the tropics. Only the mission-style architecture shouts San Diego county. It has an award-winning spa and a full fitness center, including a yoga studio, plus tennis courts and a gold metal golf course. With extensive conference facilities, the La Costa certainly has a thriving business travel clientele…until school holidays and summer hits.

Because La Costa is an Omni, you can count on kid-friendly touches, even amid definite luxury. Like with all Omnis, kids get a welcome backpack upon reception, which will include activities to do (save these for restaurant waits), things to know about the area, and little treats. On site, the La Costa Splash Pool and Sandy Beach Family pool offer tons of kid-friendly water play features, including splash pads, zero-depth entry, and yes, a sandy beach. There are some serious waterslides for older kids (height requirements are in place), and hot tubs and cabanas to keep parents happy. If you have older kids, you can certainly escape to the adults only pool complex, which includes no fewer than four hot tubs and an outdoor pool, surrounded by fire pits, more cabanas, and a full bar.

Speaking of fire pits, they’re all over the property, along with those aforementioned hammocks. Plus kids have a full activity schedule to peruse, a game/arcade building, and Kidtopia, which offers kids’ club activities throughout the day.

What could be more kid-friendly:

My list of downsides are short, but it has to be mentioned that you’ll pay a premium for meals at La Costa (we’ll be bringing our own breakfast items to our room next time). In the La Costa Marketplace area, a coffee bar serves Starbucks coffee and lighter fare, but sit-down meals will set you back. Along this line of thought, the mini fridges in the standard rooms are for minibar items only, which is a bummer if you’re bringing snacks and milk with you. With three growing boys, we need to bring breakfast and snack supplies to keep everyone happy, and we always appreciate the use of a mini-fridge.

Rooms:

I stayed in both a standard room and a suite during my La Costa stay. Standard rooms are larger than most, likely due to the historic nature of the hotel (it’s been in existence, though not as an Omni, for many decades). Bathrooms are spacious as well, though my standard room only had a walk-in shower, not a tub. There’s room for a roll-away in standard rooms, and some do have balconies. Even my room without a balcony featured windows that open, letting in a nice breeze during the day.

Omni La Costa suites are very spacious, and their two-bedroom sleeps eight, with a pull-out couch in the living room area. There are two bathrooms, both with tubs and separate vanity areas. You’ll find the same issue with the mini-fridge, but there’s certainly room for a regularly-sized cooler in the rooms. For whatever reason, my kids always love bathrooms that have open windows into the bedroom area (which can be shuttered)…if yours have the same affection for this feature, they’ll be happy.

Room rates start as low as $199 in the off-season (come during late fall through early spring for the best deals).

Parking and getting around:

The La Costa is huge, which means you’ll want to ask for a room in the 100-200 block if you want to be close to the Marketplace and pools. The 800 block isn’t too far either. Rooms in the 900 block are far enough away from the main complex that the Omni offers complimentary golf cart rides to and from. Honestly, your kids will count this as another plus. You can self park or valet park your car, and parking costs upward of $40/day. Budget this into your room rate! Everywhere I went onsite, Omni staff was there to greet me, give me a smile, and ask if I needed help with anything; service is at a very high level here.

Dining:

The Blue Fire upscale dining experience at La Costa is not stuffy; families can sit outside on the patio and enjoy live music and those great fire pits. Bistro 65 is even more casual, and situated on the lower level, near poolside. As mentioned, both are higher priced, but families wanting to save some cash for other aspects of their trip can find lots of family-friendly dining all over Carlsbad. I’d start with these dining reviews from Trekaroo.

In the area:

No matter where you stay in Southern California, you’ll be utilizing your car and driving from attraction to attraction. Omni La Costa is a good home base, located in Carlsbad, which is between Disneyland to the north and San Diego to the south. You’re about 10 minutes from the beach, five minutes from Legoland, and 30 minutes from the many attractions in downtown San Diego.

Directions:

The Omni is located at 2100 Costa del Mar in Carlsbad.

As I disclose whenever applicable, I experienced Omni La Costa as a guest, for the purpose of review. All opinions are my own.

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center

June 2, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Located in scenic Balboa park San Diego, the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center offers hands-on science fun in a open-layout, easy-to-navigate facility. The museum is actually smaller than it looks on the outside, and for our family, that was just fine by us. With four kids in tow from age 4-14, we were thankful for the manageable size and open layout of the space. There are two floors: downstairs houses exhibits with live demonstrations, such as the popular drone exhibit, hands-on mind games and machine-based science, plus a great exhibit on the human body. There’s a great ‘Tinkering Lab’ where older kids can create projects of their own as well.

Upstairs is the ‘Play City’ for kids five and under, which is a full room of imaginative play pieces such as a grocery store, fire truck, and the like. Older kids can enter if playing and interacting with younger siblings or friends (in our experience). The upstairs section also features an interesting exhibit on the history and physics of the guitar, which older kids especially will enjoy. For an admission add-on, there’s an IMAX theater on-site.

Tip: Combine a visit with a stop at the Natural History Museum, located directly adjacent. Start your day at either museum, and eat a picnic lunch at the fountain between the two as a break. Each museum can be toured in about two hours.

Date last visited:

April 2, 2014

Distance from the interstate:

Balboa Park is an easy drive from I-5 or I-805.

Hours and admission:

The museum is generally open 10 am to 5 pm (but hours alter slightly during school holidays, etc). Admission is only $13 for adults and $11 for children (3-12).

Directions:

The museum is located at 1875 El Prado in Balboa Park, San Diego.

Photo credit: Pit Stops for Kids and Port of San Diego

Luv Surf: Best San Diego vacation home rental

May 20, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Pay attention, family travelers. I’ve recently discovered a gem of a San Diego vacation home rental option. If you’re not in the San Diego area, you probably haven’t heard of Luv Surf, but this local company should absolutely be on your radar before your next visit to Southern California.

Luv Surf is a boutique rental company with half a dozen beach home rentals in the Mission Beach and Mission Bay area of San Diego. Each home is beautiful, in an ideal beach location, and pet and baby friendly. While in a Luv Surf rental, families can enjoy both beach living and city living. Since I hadn’t heard of them before our stay, I admit to being skeptical. As soon as I opened the door to our vacation home rental at 812 San Rafael in Mission Beach, however, I was blown away. Check out our video:

How Luv Surf differs from standard home rental options:

Service and hospitality: Before I’d even arrived at our home rental, I called my rental contact Sheila (as instructed by Luv Surf). I thought I was calling just to get the key code for the front door, but instead, I got so much more: cheerful instruction for how to find the house, where to park, how to make my way to the rooftop deck (more on that later), where to find the SUPs and beach toys (yep!), and what I’d find complimentary in the fridge. In Luv Surf’s words: wine should always be waiting!
Amenities and extras: Many vacation homes are luxurious and beautiful (and 812 San Rafael is both of those things), but rarely do they have everything you need with turn-key readiness. We were advised to poke through our home’s kitchen cupboards before grocery shopping for our stay, which turned out to be great advice: already on-hand were all the small items we thought we’d need to buy, such as ziplock baggies, spices and oils, laundry detergent, soaps and sponges, and even standard over-the-counter medications such as cold medicine. The bathrooms were stocked with shampoos and lotions, and wine and beer were in the fridge.
Recreation items: We were so excited to see two SUPs (paddle boards) waiting for us, as well as boogie boards, a skim board, kids’ life vests, sand toys, beach towels, and cruiser bikes. This is such a savings in recreation rentals! Right away, we were riding bikes along the many bike paths and paddling around Mission Bay!

The 812 San Rafael location:

We stayed at the San Rafael home, which is located just three homes from the water of Mission Bay. On the other side, it’s only one short block from Mission Beach. The location absolutely couldn’t be beat for our family: we were in the area to explore San Diego (all within easy driving or public transit distance) and play on the water. Our school-aged kids could absolutely walk by themselves to the bay or the beach, and we could all ride bikes straight from the front door. There’s ample dining and shopping within walking distance—Mission Beach is a lively, vibrant, and fun community—and the beach is lifeguard-manned. Stop by the Luv Surf retail store just a few blocks away!

The home itself is three stories (in addition to a rooftop deck). The first floor houses one bedroom and bathroom plus the garage (with full laundry facilities). The second floor has two bedrooms (one of which is a children’s bedroom with bunk beds) and two bathrooms (one of which has a jacuzzi tub). Each of these bedrooms have their own private deck. On the third floor is the kitchen and living area (with yet another deck), and upstairs from the kitchen is a fabulous rooftop deck with fire pit, outdoor table, and seating.

A few extra ‘extras’ you can expect:

BBQ
granite counters
gourmet kitchen
espresso maker
flat-screen TVs
complimentary WiFi
pet amenities such as dog beds and toys
high chair and baby-proofing items

Get more tips on what to do in San Diego during your stay!

A word on parking:
The home is located in bustling Mission Beach, which is notorious for having little street parking. The property features two spaces to park: in the single car garage or in the parking space adjacent. The garage and space are located at the back of the house, in a narrow alley. We have a standard-sized minivan, and had a hard time fitting into the garage space (it involves careful navigation). We opted to park in the space instead, which meant that when we had a friend stop by for dinner, she had to find street parking, which was very difficult. This solitary inconvenience would in no way prevent us from renting a Mission Beach home, but it helps to go in aware.

Rates:

All Luv Surf rentals have rates that change seasonally. The San Rafael house ranges from $325-$620 nightly. It is absolutely a luxury home property. Once there, you’ll save on parking, entertainment, dining, and recreation.

Directions:

Mission Beach is only minutes from all points in San Diego. It’s also less than 30 minutes from Legoland and Carlsbad beaches.

As I disclose whenever applicable, we stayed with Luv Surf as guests of the company. Hosted visits make up-to-date reviews on Pit Stops for Kids possible.

An ideal day itinerary using Old Town Trolley Tours

May 19, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

San Diego’s Old Town Trolley Tour is an excellent way to get an overview of the city for first-time or infrequent visitors. The trolley drivers are entertaining and most stops are well-worth your time. However, admission is not cheap, so to make the cost of an Old Town Trolley Tour worth your while, plan to spend the whole day utilizing it.

After a day on the trolley as visitors already familiar with San Diego, we designed what we consider the perfect all-day San Diego Old Town Trolley Tour itinerary for families:

The trolley begins running at 9 am (in most seasons) and makes stops every 30 minutes at 11 points of interest (two of which are hotels). The tour takes two hours to complete if you remain on the trolley, but the real beauty of this tour is the hop-on, hop-off feature, so you’ll want to utilize that. However, you certainly don’t need to get off at every stop.

Step 1: Unless you’re staying at one of the two hotels on the tour route (Marriott Marquis or Hilton Bayfront), you’ll want to start at Old Town.

Arrive at 9 am at Old Town (the trolley station is located at the edge of Old Town Market on Twiggs). You’ll want to tour Old Town, but wait: the market is much more lively later in the day. Instead, board the trolley and start the tour.

Step 2: Get off at Stop B: San Diego Harbor.

Most families will want to either tour the USS Midway LINK or the Maritime Museum. Either will take about two hours to visit. If you don’t want to spend that much time, it’s still worth hopping off to walk along the harbor front to see the various ships docked: the historic Star of India, the Midway aircraft carrier, an historic submarine, and the odd cruise ship or two.

Step 3: Enjoy the trolley through stops C-H.

Get back on the trolley when you’re done with the harbor, and ride it through the next six stops (this will take approximately 30 minutes). The trolley will take you through the downtown area and give you the history of the founding of the city, plus point out Petco Park, the Gaslamp Quarter, and Horton Plaza. You’ll then head over the Coronado Bridge (with great city views) to Coronado Island.

Step 4: Hop off at Coronado-Orange Avenue.

Don’t get off at the first Coronado stop (on the bay side) but rather wait until the second stop near the ocean side. This is a great place for a causal lunch at any number of sandwich shops, plus a walk on the beach by the famous Hotel Del Coronado. Plan to spend an hour, then re-board the trolley.

Step 5: Hop off again at Balboa Park.

The very next stop is Balboa Park, home of San Diego’s many kid-friendly museums and the San Diego Zoo. We recommend saving the zoo for a separate visit (as it deserves a full day) but definitely get off the trolley to walk the grounds of the park. The botanical garden is free, as are several smaller museums. If you want to spend a few hours (which we recommend), our top picks are the Museum of Man, San Diego Natural History Museum, or Reuben H. Fleet Science Museum.

Step 6: Stay on through Little Italy.

Unless you need a meal (the dining in Little Italy is stellar), stay on the trolley through Little Italy after Balboa Park and take it to Old Town. The nice thing about hopping on and off: each driver has different tidbits to share, making the tour entertaining no matter how many drivers you get.

Step 7: Disembark at Old Town.

You’ll want to visit Old Town Marketplace and the Old Town State Historic Park for at least two hours, after which Old Town is a great place to get an authentic Mexican meal for dinner. Our favorite sites in Old Town include the visitor center and historic exhibits in the Old Town State Historic Park square, the marketplace with lively colors and (mostly) cheap souvenirs, and the many snacks and old fashioned candle, soap, and candy shops. Look for the lady making tortillas!

This tour itinerary should take you from 9 am to past 6 pm. Of course, adjust according to your interests, but we found this to be a great use of the trolley (plus you skip the hassle of parking at all these locations).

Trolley tickets:

Trolley tickets are $39 for adults and $18 for kids, making it a serious investment for your day. All the more reason to plan the perfect day’s itinerary to utilize it! Get trolley tickets online or at the Old Town or harbor kiosks.

As I disclose whenever applicable, we experienced the trolley as guests of the company, for the purpose of review. Without hosted activities, we wouldn’t be able to bring reviews to Pit Stops for Kids.

Educational Travel: End of the Oregon Trail Museum

April 9, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

Historic Oregon City marks the official end of the Oregon Trail. It’s also home to the best Oregon history museum you’ve probably overlooked. Only minutes from downtown Portland, Oregon City and its End of the Oregon Trail Museum is easy to access via car or MAX, but often becomes overshadowed by other excellent Portland attractions for kids. The museum includes a wonderful indoor exhibit hall, a country store selling pioneer-era toys, candies, and garb, and gardens in the summer months. Families can also get information on area historic home tours.

After checking in at the front desk in the country store, visitors are directed to the three main exhibit halls, where docents take you through the space. This is not a traditional tour, where guides are speaking to you all the time, but rather leading you and helping you along. In the first building, for instance, is a hands-on pioneer-era store, school, and wagon supply area, where kids are encouraged to play for a while. Young kids will like the school and store area, and older kids will love creating their own Oregon Trail supply list, then physically collecting the required items (bags representing flour, bacon, and coffee, medicines, tools, and the like) and fitting them into an actual wagon bed. All supplies must come in under 1000 pounds, so we kept track on our phone calculator.

When they’ve played their fill in the first building, visitors are led to a hands-on activity (candle-making during our visit) and then to a 30 minute film depicting life along the Oregon Trail. All our school-aged kids were interested in the film, but very young children may want to opt out. The docents then lead families through to the third building, where the talking portion of the tour includes information on the Oregon City land office (where all Oregon Trail travelers had to ‘check in’ to get their land) and Oregon City history (it was the first capital of Oregon, and boasts additional firsts, such as the first hotel west of the Rockies, etc). The docents do a great job of keeping the talk engaging, with many questions directly to kids and many stories kids are interested in. You can stay here as long as you like (the docents will gamely keep answering questions) or can head outside to run around on the lawns, check out the gardens, and shop in the store. Free hot chocolate and coffee are offered in the store post-visit.

Date last visited:

January 2014

Distance from the interstate:

10 minutes from I-5, right along I-205.

Admission:

$9 for adults, $5 for children 5-17. Kids under 5 are free.

Hours:

Summer: 9:30 am to 5 pm. Winter: 11 am to 4 pm.

Dining:

No food services are on-site. Pack a picnic lunch; picnic tables are available outside.

Directions:

The museum is located at 1726 Washington St., Oregon City. From I-5, take I-205 to Oregon City.

Stay the night in a fire lookout: a weekend on Pickett Butte, OR

April 2, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

We love camping in all seasons, but we also like to be (reasonably) comfortable. A number of years ago, we discovered Oregon state park yurts, and this year, we’ve added national forest fire lookouts to our off-season camping picks. If you might stay the night in a fire lookout, read on!

Fire lookouts available for civilian stays are located across the US. To find one in your state, start with this US Forest Service list, then click over the Recreation.gov to reserve (you’ll want to plan way ahead, and reserve as early as possible). We stayed at Pickett Butte fire lookout in Southwestern Oregon, located in Umpqua National Forest. Pickett Butte served well for a winter fire lookout stay because of its relatively low elevation of 3,200 feet; while it sits at the highest rise in the surrounding forest and towers three steep stories into the air, it usually is accessible in all seasons. We loved that the immediate terrain around the tower was open and accessible to play in: we could stage air soft ‘wars’ and games of tag, plus build fun forts. There is also room for a tent and you get a campfire ring and picnic tables.

Pickett Butte is accessed via seven miles of winding forest service roads (do not use a car navigation system to find it), and is very isolated. We were the only people within miles, which meant we could enjoy peace and solitude (and also meant our chocolate lab could run freely). The lookout consists of a single 12×12 room at the top of one of the steepest towers we’ve ever experienced: the three flights of stairs are more like ladders. Our dog we spoke of? He couldn’t ascend them, and opted to sleep in the car. The lookout features a nice pulley system to help you haul your stuff up, which was fun for our kids, and you can drive directly to the base of the tower. The single room features gas-powered lanterns, stove, oven, and fridge, plus a heater. There’s a single bed, and plenty of floor space for sleeping bags. The wrap-around observation deck and floor-to-ceiling windows offer incredible views (plus a great flight deck for homemade wooden airplanes we built during our stay).

Preparation before arriving at any lookout:

Before arriving at your lookout, call the ranger station or forest service office closest and ask about conditions. Depending on your lookout, you may need to ask for a combination lock code or key access as well. We’re very glad we called ahead before our Pickett Butte stay; had we not had the correct combination lock code, we’d have been forced to retrace our steps back to the ranger station for information.

Find out what provisions you’ll need. For instance, at Pickett Butte, gas fuel is in ample supply, so we didn’t need to bring our own. Ditto for pots and pans and some utensils, including a can opener and bottle opener. However, no potable water was available, so we knew we needed to bring our own. Tip: three gallons for two nights was not enough for our family of five. We ended up boiling water from a creek 1.5 miles away for our last breakfast of oatmeal and hot cocoa (be sure to boil water a full five minutes). We also brought more cooking tools than needed, but didn’t want to be caught unprepared.

At Pickett Butte, it’s understood that each guest will try to leave something to better the experience for the next person; when we arrived, we found a half-bottle of wine awaiting us. We left a set of balsa wood airplanes for the next kids to fly off the top of the tower. In the cupboards, we found canned goods, instant soups, and an assortment of batteries.

Before packing your gear for any lookout, ask whether a campfire is allowed, and make plans for purchasing local firewood. Determine your menus based on what appliances you have at your disposal. We opted to cook over the fire one night, and used the oven and stove top the next. Don’t forget about the details: is there an outhouse? Will you need to bring toilet paper? (We wished we’d brought wet wipes for easy hand washing.)

Pack plenty of dry clothes if camping in the off-season; the small heater in Pickett Butte would not have been up to the challenge of drying all our clothing. We packed rain and snow gear, just to be safe, and plenty of pairs of socks, gloves, and hats. Bring extra garbage bags in order to haul out all garbage from your stay. Print out directions to your fire lookout before departing home, and don’t rely on your navigation system. Enjoy!

Date last visited:

February 2014

Distance from the interstate:

Pickett Butte is located approximately 20 miles from I-5 off the Canyonville exit.

Rate:

Cost of a fire tower lookout stay in Oregon is $40/night.