I-5 - Pitstops for Kids

Shasta Cascade pit stop: Turtle Bay Exploration Park

February 29, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

If you’ve taken I-5 on a west coast road trip, chances are you’ve driven right through Redding, California. We had passed through numerous times before we had the opportunity to stop and check out this Northern California town. If you’re looking for a place to stop with kids, it’s a great choice! The Sacramento River runs through town, offering plenty of opportunity for families to cool off in summer. In the winter, it rarely gets too cold here. The best place to stop within Redding with access to the river is Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

This sprawling indoor and outdoor park is home to a natural history and science museum, botanical gardens, live animal exhibits, butterfly gardens, and walking trails. Young kids will find playgrounds and interactive exhibits, and older kids will love the miles of trail.

Families enter the park via the parking area by the Sundial Bridge. It’s worth letting the kids stretch their legs on this bridge first; it’s pedestrian only, and visually interesting with a tinted glass floor and sundial feature. Afterward, head to the Turtle Bay park entrance and museum, and explore the indoor exhibits. We loved the aquarium with fish from the Sacramento River, the mining exhibits explaining the area’s rich mining history, and the river lab, with information about watersheds and the nearby Shasta Dam.

The museum does a great job incorporating local landmarks, such as Lake Shasta, into its educational exhibits on water and land management.

Don’t miss the temporary exhibits, tucked a bit out of sight in the museum’s Exploration Hall and Art Gallery room. During our visit in the early spring of 2016, they were featuring an interesting Charles Schulz exhibit called Peanuts…Naturally, and an interactive maze-type exhibit on the water cycle in which kids can pretend they’re a raindrop and spin wheels to determine their fate. It was a lot of fun for all of us.

Outdoors, the Paul Bunyan’s Forest Camp is a huge area with winding trails leading to animal enclosures, play areas, and outdoor exhibits. Be sure to grab a program and look for daily shows and demonstrations on offer. Our crew enjoyed the creek water feature at Stipple Creek, where they could create dams and watch a water wheel turn, and the Mill Building, which houses reptiles. The bird exhibits in crude hawks, golden eagles, and magpies, among others. I enjoyed seeing red and gray foxes and a bobcat. By far, our son Tobias’ favorite exhibit was the Parrot Playhouse, where he could feed nectar to lorikeets (bring $1).

Dining at Turtle Bay:

There’s a small gift shop and coffee shop attached to the museum, but while it has some snack type items, you’re best off bringing your own picnic lunch. There are numerous places to eat outdoors, and Redding is almost always warm enough for this. Find a place along the paths by the river, or find shade at the tables outside the coffee shop.

Lunch in Redding:

If you’re not bringing a picnic lunch into the Turtle Bay area, we suggest one of the following two excellent lunch spots for families, only 5-10 minutes from Turtle Bay and the Sundial Bridge:

Wilda’s Grill: This small restaurant has limited indoor seating and some nice patio seating, but the main draw is the great food! Choose between their Buddha bowl (rice and veggies with tofu or chicken), their falafel, or their gourmet hot dog options. Either way, be sure to get their ‘hot mess’ instead of fries: this side order consists of all Wilda’s side dish offerings in one, including sweet potato fries, french fries, onion rings, and cheese and chili fries! I loved the Buddha bowl, and the others each tried a hot dog entree. Located at 1719 Placer Street, Redding.

Carnegie’s: Carnegie’s is a local favorite, with hearty sandwiches, soups, and craft beer on tap. It’s located adjacent to Wilda’s, and often gets crowded at lunch. Take this as a good sign, as we did, and enjoy! Located at 1600 Oregon Street, Redding.

In the area:

From the same parking area, you can access miles of walking and biking trails, especially along the Sacramento River National Recreation Trail. We didn’t see a bike rental shop in the Turtle Bay area, but it would do a brisk business if it existed…this area is perfect for a family bike ride. After crossing the Sundial Bridge, you can pick from several riverwalk trails. If you bring your own bikes, even better. In the summer, Redding gets very hot, so plan to stay close to the river to cool off as needed.

Note: there is currently some construction going on in the area behind Turtle Bay, as they build a Sheraton hotel. It didn’t impact our visit, but families should be aware.

Admission and hours:

Turtle Bay Exploration Park admission is $16 for adults (16 and up) and $12 for kids. Children under age 4 are free. On the 5th and 10th of each month, Turtle Bay hosts ‘Nickel and Dime Days’, in which admission is $10 for adults and $5 for kids. By far the best deal, if you think you’ll find yourself passing through even a handful of times a year, is a family membership for $80/year. Check here for current hours.

Directions:

Turtle Bay is located at 844 Sundial Bridge Drive, about five minutes from I-5.

As we disclose whenever applicable, we were hosted at Turtle Bay Exploration Park for the purpose of review. All opinions remain our own.

Grown up getaway: Society Hotel Portland

February 5, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

Love unique properties, boutique hotels, and repurposed buildings? Portland has the motherload. It seems that every time I turn around, a new boutique property has opened in my favorite Northwest city. The latest: The Society Hotel, which we checked out on a rainy January weekend.

No doubt about it, the Society Hotel is ideal for a grown up getaway, parent-child mini-vacation, or girls’ weekend: rooms are sized for two, not the whole crew. I visited with my teen son, for a weekend of soccer, college touring, and city fun. The property was recently repurposed from the historic building’s heyday as sailors’ quarters in the 1880s, and the renovation has been done beautifully, with dark paneled wood, period wall decor and flooring, and of course, the high ceilings and long windows of the era. Lodging options include a mixture of full and queen rooms, small suites, and bunkhouse beds.

While the Society is built around the bunkhouse/European hostel concept, it’s decided upscale. No scruffy backpackers here…during our stay, we saw primarily the urban hipster, Millennial crowd. Upon entering the lobby, we were immediately both wowed and put at ease: the vibe is trendy, but warm and cozy. In the heart of the lobby area is the Society Cafe, which serves incredible coffee and pastries in the morning and craft cocktails at night. Situated around the cafe counter are sofas, a fireplace, cozy tables and chairs. Certainly, you could order an herbal tea and just sit for an evening (which I did). Across from the check-in desk, a bulletin board awaits guests with ‘pinned’ activity suggestions from around the Portland area.

The hotel is now LEED certified, and has WiFi included, as well as a text-service that connects guests to the front desk day or night. The Society is located in the city’s historic Old Town/Chinatown district, which I love: during our stay, my son and I were in the heart of the city, steps away from Portland’s famous food truck pods, Voodoo Donut, and the Pearl District. Public transport is right around the corner. Normally, this type of city center location, combined with boutique ambiance in an historic building equals a high room rate, but this is the beauty of the Society: rates start at just $75 for rooms and $40 for bunks.

Room types:

The Society has three room types. By far the most unique is the bunkhouse, which offers hostel-style bunks with, again, an upscale flair. Each bunk has WiFi, a reading light, outlets and plugs, and a privacy curtain. The bunks reminded me of high-end overnight train compartments. Bunkhouse guests share bathroom facilities, a small kitchen, and laundry facilities, and have access to private lockers. Bunks are $40, and would make a fun option for a group.

The hotel also houses 26 private rooms on the upstairs levels, which have either a full or queen bed, wash station with sink and mirror, and plenty of storage in the form of pegs, hangers, and under-bed cubes. These rooms truly do have a European guesthouse feel. Bathrooms are shared on each hallway, and are very spacious and clean. Shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel were provided, as well as towels and bathrobes. In the US, it is definitely a departure from the norm to feature shared bathroom facilities, but we found it to be no big deal. For $75/night in the heart of Portland, it’s a steal, really.

If you really want your own bathroom, opt for a suite. They’re still only around $110/night. These rooms are bigger than the standard rooms, but not by much; don’t expect square footage to rival your house, as can be the case with some hotel suites.

Amenities:

I’ve saved the best for last. My absolute favorite feature of the Society, even more so than the cozy lobby and cafe, is the rooftop deck. This 5th floor outdoor space is partially covered (for the rainy weekends like the one we ‘enjoyed’), and wrapped with beautiful wood benches, a Zen garden, and landscaping. You get 360 degree views of the city: I loved coming up here with my coffee in the morning, then again to see the city skyline at night, with a glass of wine. The Society has thoughtfully put out a little locker of cozy blankets to use while enjoying the space.

There is no dedicated parking at the Society, which I fretted about before arrival. I hate worrying about my car, and I hate paying dearly for city parking. The front desk staff gave me the inside scoop on where to find street parking, and we found we easily parked within a quarter block of the hotel during our entire stay. Nights were complete free, and during the day, we were gone in the car most of the time. In total, I may have spent $5 on parking over three days. That sure beats the heck out of $30-40 nightly parking fees at surrounding hotels.

In a nutshell, if you want a unique, historic place to stay in the heart of Portland without the city prices, and are willing to adjust your expectations a bit when it comes to lodging, the Society is for you. I encourage you to give it a try! I know we’ll be back!

As I disclose whenever applicable, we stayed at the Society on a media rate, for the purpose of review. All opinions remain our own.

Del Mar Racetrack: Fun for the whole family

August 25, 2015 By Sharlene Earnshaw

The following guest post is written by family travel blogger Amber Mamian of www.GlobalMunchkins.com.

Gorgeous weather, a nostalgic past, the season’s top race horses, jockeys and trainers plus free kids activities. Yes please! I’m talking about where the “Turf meets the Surf” at the famous Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in sunny California. This past weekend I had the opportunity to check out the racetrack for myself during the Pacific Classic… my family was lucky enough to tag-along.

Honestly what was not to love? The grounds were immaculate, there was plenty of food, friendly staff and fun activities to keep the kids occupied all day long. Did I mention that kids receive free admission and there are free kids activities on family weekends. Amazing! It really turned out to be quite the day. Let’s take a closer look.The drive to Del Mar is pretty easy since it is situated right along the coast and parking was a breeze too. They even have a cute little tram that drives you to the entrance.

Once you’ve arrived there are plenty of options to keep you entertained. I am a foodie so I always check out the food situation first. I was not disappointed. There were plenty of great options for dining including nine seated restaurants quite a few that even offered track-side dining. For the fancier restaurants and the Turf Club you must make reservations and abide by the dress code. We left those options to be explored at another time when we were sans kids. Today was all about soaking up the family day fun! So, we headed to the concession stands where they have everything from fresh caesar salad and gyros to hamburgers, corn dogs and cheese on a stick.

After filling our bellies we had fun walking around checking out the gorgeous paintings of past champion horses in the halls. There were also artists with equine art on display and gorgeous hats for the ladies. My daughter who happens to be a horse lover could have stayed there for hours. The boys, on the other hand, had seen the inflatable jumpers across the track and they were ready to go play.

So, our next stop was the infield where the family area was located. I was a bit leery about what types of activities would be on the other side of the tunnel and if the free price tag could really be true.To my pleasant surprise there were a ton of fantastic activities and they were all free of charge. Just a few tip jars should you feel obliged.

My boys wasted no time running over to the giant inflatable slides and competing with each other on the obstacle course. I appreciated that the staff had separate inflatables for the babies. (Our youngest was able to jump with kids her own size in the bounce house.) My daughter made a beeline to the pony rides where the most gentle and well groomed ponies stood waiting for her.

Next up were airbrushed tattoos and caricatures. I mean seriously guys: all free! Crazy! The wonderful caricature artist actually holds the World Record for Caricatures. He said he drew 45,000 caricatures while working at Disney over a five-year period. No amateur artist here. Impressive!

We peeled the kids away from the activities once the racing started. We watched a few races on the infield where there are several picnic benches and grass areas along the fence. It is actually a great view. Alternatively, there was also a bar area with tables under the shade and a giant tv screen should you want to let the kids run free and hang out to watch the races there.

After watching a few races we decided we wanted to head over towards the crowds in the stands. The excitement as the horses galloped past and the crowd started cheering was contagious! And, we wanted in on it!The kids found a spot right on the fence directly in front of the finish line. We watched race after race in that spot because the kids loved calling out the winner. We put a little bit of money down so the kids could take in the whole experience. They chose their horses and winners received a snow cone! Okay, everyone received a snow cone but you get the point. We were having fun!

I would highly recommend the Del Mar Racetrack to my own friends and family. Not only is it a great destination for locals but I think the track is equally as great for families passing through the San Diego area on vacation. The track was affordable and it made for an entire afternoon of fun. Plus, the fact that Seabiscuit once took the win there by a nose back in 1939 is pretty cool too!

The Del Mar Racetrack is open mid July- early September. Races run five days a week Wednesday– Sunday with the first post at 2pm except on Fridays when it begins at 4pm. Click here for upcoming events or to purchase admission tickets.

Must Pack:

Camera
Bottled water (bottles at the track are $3+)
Sunscreen
Snacks
Picnic Blanket if you want to sit and watch the races from the family area
Comfy shoes (not heels like I wore)
Tip money

Directions:

Del Mar Del Mar is located just west of I-5 freeway at the Via de la Valle exit in Del Mar CA at
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.

Amber enjoyed tickets to the racetrack as guests of Del Mar for the purpose of review.

Exploring Mukilteo, WA with Kids

July 27, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

We partnered with Staybridge Suites on the post below. While sponsored, all opinions are our own.

Seattle, Washington is a well-known vacation destination for families, and for good reason! But venture just a bit further north and parents will find a wonderful outdoor playground in Mukilteo, north of the city near Everett, Washington and Whidbey Island.

This past June, we were able to spend several nights in this area, as we were en route to Whidbey Island. Mukilteo wasn’t our final destination during this trip, but we found lots to do here and in Everett with our kids. That was a happy surprise!

As we often do during road trips, we looked for a hotel with plenty of space to spread out plus a complimentary breakfast or kitchenette to make our own. With three kids (two of whom are teens); we highly value the ability to make meals in our suite. We found a Staybridge Suites hotel that fit the bill – Staybridge Suites Seattle North-Everett – and we were even able to use our IHG points to book during this popular tourist time.

What to do in Mukilteo and Everett with Kids

Imagine Children’s Museum

It’s perfect if the weather turns on you, as it often does in this part of Northern Washington. The Imagine Children’s Museum in Everett includes two floors of hands-on learning in science, movement, art and theater. Kids can step into a bus, farm or store.

Harborview Park

Located in Mukilteo, Harborview Park allows kids to get a real feel for where they are located by being able to see the Puget Sound! The ocean vistas are lovely on clear summer days, and it’s possible to see the ferry coming and going, which builds excitement for a trip to the island. It’s likely you’ll see military ships passing along Possession Sound here as well, which was fun for our teens.

Whidbey Island

To get to adjacent Whidbey Island, families take the Clinton ferry (ferry terminal is easily located right in Mukilteo). This ferry ride takes less than an hour and it’s easy to bring a car onboard (recommended for Whidbey Island touring). Be sure to get a ferry reservation during the summer months.

Coupeville

Coupeville is my favorite Whidbey Island town because of its historical nature and lack of suburban sprawl. It tends to be less crowded, too. When we visit, we like to head to the pier and check out the quaint stores along the water. There’s a great toy store and book store there. Families can take a free farm tour from Coupeville, following a self-guided farm trail that takes them to lavender farms and organic beef cattle ranches.

Whidbey Island State Parks

There are multiple state parks on this relatively small island. Our favorites include Deception Pass, where you can take a jet boat ride under the bridge to the sea lion habitats (we even saw dolphins). At Fort Casey State Park, the kids can climb on old fort batteries and everyone can tour the lighthouse. The windswept beaches are great for fort building with driftwood, kite flying, and beachcombing.

Ebey’s Landing

Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve encompasses the town of Coupeville, and multiple acres in each direction, preserving the historical sites in the area. We love to head to Ebey’s Prairie, where the Ebey homestead and Fort Ebey are still evident. You can read about the founding Ebey family here. All sites are self-guided, which is nice for spontaneous visits.

Why Stay at Staybridge Suites?

When we plan a vacation that takes us outdoors and around town – location, space, easy parking and free breakfast top our list of must-haves when it comes to our hotel. As a family of five, we need as much room as we can get and plenty of food because it is always being consumed by our crew! We don’t necessarily need a pool or complimentary Wi-Fi, but those are sure nice, too.

Staybridge Suites is part of the InterContinental Hotels Group family, which means we could use our earned points. Staybridge Suites Seattle North-Everett was especially clean, with friendly staff, great breakfast choices and in the perfect location. It put us close enough to the ferry that we could easily get to the island, but also very close to I-90, so we could hop in the car and be in Seattle in no time.

As an added bonus, it’s always nice to have an indoor pool!

When your family is on their next getaway, check out Staybridge Suites for all the comforts of home while out of town.

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

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.

Portland Children’s Museum

March 31, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

The Portland Children’s Museum is one of the best places to spend a rainy morning or afternoon with young kids in Portland. For better or for worse, the word is out, and this excellent museum can get very crowded. Before describing any of the many reasons to visit, I have to start my Portland Children’s Museum review by saying, ‘Get there early!’ Every time we stop by, we get there at opening at 9 am, and practically have the place to ourselves for about the first hour.

Now, why visit? With 12 main exhibits ranging from a play grocery store, a stage with working lights, curtain, and ticket booth, workshops and multi-level climbing and play spaces, baby and toddler sections, story times and planned events, and a wonderful water play area, Portland Children’s Museum is sure to keep kids 0-12 happy, happy, happy.

My own kids are starting to ‘age out’, but I’m hesitant to use that term, because on a very recent visit, our 12-year-old had a great time in both the Garage (a building and creation space using recycled materials) and in the clay studio. While kids of any age (with parental supervision) can try their hand at clay, kids do need to be 5 and up to enter the Garage (due to the use of glue guns and hammers and nails). I love the inclusion of this room to keep the attention of older kids!

The layout of the museum is fairly open and free-flowing with the exception of the exhibits toward the back of the building (accessed down a hallway). If you have kids under 6, you’ll probably need to keep them on a short leash, so to speak, so as not to lose sight of them. It’s easy for kids to migrate from one section to the next as their interests dictate (which can be either a good thing and a bad thing, depending on your point of view). There’s space in the lobby to use as a ‘meet up’ place for older kids, but note that the museum’s traveling and temporary exhibits are housed off the lobby too.

New Outdoor Adventure:

During our January 2014 visit, I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the new Outdoor Adventure, to open in April 2014. This inviting outdoor space lies adjacent to the museum, and encompasses the downhill slope around to the back of the building. With trees, rocks, trails, and a creek water feature, this space is dedicated to outdoor play…with unlimited options. It warmed my nature-loving heart to hear that the creative team behind the space understood the importance of keeping this area largely under-developed, allowing kids freedom of exploration. While switchback trails do exist up the slope, kids are not restricted to them, and the water feature is meant to be played in, around, and through. A covered wooden group space and amphitheater sits at the bottom of the outdoor space, and at top, digging space and a toddler space will sit adjacent to parent sitting and observing areas. The museum will provide rubber boots and other outdoor gear for play in any season, thanks to local gear donations.

Admission:

Ages 1-54: $10, over 54: $9
If you have a membership to another NW science or children’s museum, it’s likely good for admission for four. Be sure to bring your membership card with you and ask!

Hours:

9 am to 5 pm daily

Dining:

The museum cafe is located in the lobby, and offers very healthy fare for kids and adults, from soups, salads, wraps, and organic snacks.

Directions:

The Portland Children’s Museum is located in Washington Park, easily accessed by car or MAX. The address is 4015 SW Canyon Road, Portland.

Disclosure: As I disclose whenever applicable, we visited the children’s museum as guests of the museum, for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

Portland with kids: Oregon Zoo

March 3, 2014 By Amy Hagstrom

We love the Oregon Zoo! Like many Oregon Zoo reviews attest, we love that it’s small enough to be manageable in one day with young kids, but large enough to stay interesting time after time. We toured the entire thing with a five-year-old and three-year-old (plus older kids) and the entire loop took us about three and a half hours. With five main sections of the park—Great Northwest, Africa, Pacific Shores, Fragile Forests, and Asia, you’ll want to plan your visit around what interests you most if you have less time to ensure kids see their favorites before feet tire out. There’s also gardens, lawns, and plenty of food choices in the zoo.

Some secondary attractions are seasonal—such as some food vendors and staffing at smaller exhibits like the Insect Zoo—but the zoo is open year-round. We visited most recently during a cold snap in early January, but still found most animals to be out and about (and quite lively). We recommend bringing a wagon or stroller for your younger kids (or renting them at the shop directly past the entrance) and planning on a mid-visit break on the lawn near the elephant exhibit at the back of the park. In winter, plan a mid-point break in any of the heated indoor exhibits with seating, such as the main space in Africa or the Amazon exhibit areas. Near the Insect Zoo and Lorikeet Landing, families can find respite in the form of kid-centric activities and programs about animals in kids’ own backyards during the summer months. This is also a great place to stop when feeling overwhelmed!

During our visit, the popular zoo train was getting a makeover and new route, but it’s planned to be opened again in 2014. Ditto for a brand new exhibit on California Condors, to be located near the Great Northwest section of the park. In 2015, a brand new elephant land will be completed as well. The Oregon Zoo is certainly growing!

Zoo Lights:

If you’re visiting during the winter holiday season, plan your visit around Zoo Lights, as we did. Enter the park at any time, and stay after dark to see the zoo transformed with thousands of twinkling and colorful lights along zoo pathways and train routes. See a glowing forest, enter rainbow-lit tunnels, and take in a world of animal sculptures. Zoo Lights tickets are sold separately if you don’t plan to enter as a regular zoo guest earlier in the day, and stays open until 8 pm. If you have young kids, plan to enter the park just a few hours before the lights turn on (around 4:30 pm) to ensure they have the stamina needed!

Admission:

Adults are $11.50, kids (3-11) are $8.50, and kids two and under are free.

Hours:

Hours vary by season. During our visit, the winter hours were 10 am to 4 pm. In summer, ground stay open until 7 pm. Zoos always close early to accommodate animals, so plan to arrive early in the day.

Tip: Make a full day of Washington Park by visiting the zoo, Portland Children’s Museum, and World Forestry Center, or in summer, visit the International Rose Test Garden or Woodlands Trail.

Dining:

Two main dining options exist in the park (both family restaurants with quick-service counter ordering). Both offer burgers, hot dogs, soups, and a few speciality items, plus generously-sized kids’ meals. The food is surprisingly good. Numerous snack kiosks are also on-hand, and food can be brought in by guests and eaten in designated areas.

Directions:

The Oregon Zoo is located in Washington Park, easily accessed by car (there’s a nicely sized parking lot) or MAX line.

Disclosure: As I disclose whenever applicable, our party received admission passes to the Oregon Zoo for the purpose of review. All opinions are our own.

Pacific Science Center in the Seattle Center

January 9, 2013 By Amy Hagstrom

Families visiting Seattle WA are drawn to the Space Needle like moths to flame, and there’s nothing wrong with that: it brings them straight to one of the city’s best attractions for kids: the Pacific Science Center.

Pacific Science Center is showing some age on the surface, but inside, it’s as vibrant as ever (or more so). In addition to its permanent exhibits on life science, natural science, and space exploration (just to name a few), the center also welcomes fantastic traveling exhibits, such as this season’s King Tut display (for extra admission…save it for older kids). Each visit, my kids love the Butterfly house (with bug exhibits), dinosaur gallery, and WellBody Academy, where kids can test their physical skills. There are also mind-bender puzzles and an extensive water cycle exhibit where kids can create dams, direct toy ships, and make the water flow.

There’s an IMAX theater, laser show, and planetarium, but my family has never gotten to these things: there’s plenty to do without upgrading to the extras. (I’d make sure to experience them all if I were a Seattle resident, however.) In nice weather, the outside courtyard is fun with its kid-powered water wheel (it looks like a giant hamster wheel) and water shooters.

Nearby is plenty of dining in Seattle Center, and plenty of space for kids to run around. Expect park entertainers and musicians in the summer months. Parking is pretty easy (though costly), and families can make an afternoon out of it (or add on an evening with dinner).

So, should you go up the Space Needle while you’re there? Not if the line is long. Personally, I don’t think the thrill of the elevator ride justifies the admission price. My only exception: on slow nights, families can usually get seated to eat dessert in the Space Needle Restaurant. Watching the city revolve while dining on dessert is pretty darn cool!

Date last visited:

June 2012

Distance from the interstate:

Minutes from I-5.

Admission price:

$16 for adults, $11 for kids ages 6-15, and $9 for kids 3-5. Check to see if your local science or children’s museum memberships gains you entry. Ours did!

Tip! Save up to 50% on Seattle’s 5 best attractions with CityPASS. Shop Now!

Hours of operation:

9:45 am to 6 pm daily.

Directions:

The Pacific Science Center is located at 200 Second Avenue North,
Seattle. From Interstate 5, either northbound or southbound, take exit 167 (Mercer Street) toward Seattle Center. At the end of the ramp, turn right at Fairview Ave N, then turn left at Valley St. Move into the middle lane and Valley St. becomes Broad St. Continue on Broad St. Turn right at Denny Way. Turn right at 2nd Ave N.