https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:29:32 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1705775 Sat, 30 Jul 2016 22:06:37 +0000 Janet 1705775@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh! There is so much. The Olympic peninsula offers a great variety if you're willing to do the loop -- visit the Hurricane Ridge area for mountains, the Hoh rainforest for some good family-friendly hiking and amazing forest, and the beaches nearby for checking out the tide pool creatures and general beach fun. </p> <p>The San Juan islands are fun and beautiful -- you can go whale watching, hiking, bike riding, etc. Even just getting there is fun via the ferries. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1705738 Sat, 30 Jul 2016 19:55:05 +0000 elpgal 1705738@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I came back to so many helpful suggestions. Thank you all. </p> <p>Gaylene, I'll definitely PM when we plan to go that way. Thank you for the offer.</p> <p>So my situation has resolved itself quite happily. My cousins decided to drop out of the plans so DH and I are taking some extra days off and heading home to India. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1705714 Sat, 30 Jul 2016 18:54:10 +0000 Cerinda 1705714@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>When mine were little and we ran up to Seattle, the Fremont Troll was always their top pick. &nbsp;They (not their parents) loved Seattle Center. Watching sailboats, the Ballard Locks. &nbsp;Mariners!!</p> <p>Take Amtrak between Seattle and Portland.</p> <p>Here in Portland, I would add Saturday Market (hold onto 'em) and strolling the river. &nbsp;Most kids enjoy the Oregon Historical Society's native peoples exhibit. Two great playgrounds in Washington Park, one near the zoo. &nbsp;Great in-town forest walks in the Arboretum and Forest Park. We are lousy with budget-friendly food carts: great pods on Division, Belmont, and downtown. &nbsp;If you snag an Air B&amp;B in a close-in neighborhood (one bus to downtown), you'll find getting a crew around surprisingly easy for a city.&nbsp;Want to see the Columbia up close and personal? &nbsp;Lunch or early dinner at The Deck on Marine Drive at McCuddy's marina (hard to access on public transit though).</p> <p>Rent a car and drive out the Gorge: Multnomah Falls is famous but Bridal Veil and the other smaller ones are more kid-friendly; the fish hatchery at Bonneville Dam wows kids (I still have nightmares of one particular huge, creepy sturgeon). &nbsp;Maybe a train ride out of Hood River? &nbsp;Drive up to Mt. Hood: &nbsp;the historic lodge at Timberline (kids love to touch the carved animals on the newel posts) and playtime at Frog Lake or Trillium Lake; the ranger station at ZigZag on Hwy 26 can get you maps and directions to a number of Oregon Trail sites (wagon wheel ruts, tollbooths, more). Two more hours gets you to the hot spring/massive pool complex at KahNeeTa and the tribal museum at Warm Springs (accommodations fairly reasonable and affordable, casino).</p> <p>Olympic National Park and the San Juan Islands are treasures but can be logistical nightmares. &nbsp;The daytrip to Mt. St. Helens may be difficult but doable from either city. </p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1705695 Sat, 30 Jul 2016 17:22:18 +0000 annagybe 1705695@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>In Seattle, Golden Gardens Park would be good for an afternoon. There's views of the sound &amp; Olympics, a beach with cold water, &amp; a playground.<br /> I recommend eating lunch or dinner at Ray's Boathouse Cafe in Shilsole. Make reservations for dinner though. It has great views &amp; fantastic seafood.<br /> Golden Gardens is west of the Chittenden Locks in Ballard, so you could hit both. There's also fish &amp; chips at the Totem place just across from the locks, which could be fun, </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1705451 Sat, 30 Jul 2016 03:28:12 +0000 greycat6 1705451@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>All great suggestions here. In Seattle, I would add Ballard Locks to the list. A Mariners game can be a lot of fun for the right crew. Lots of hikes of all sorts of lengths are easily assessable. </p> <p>The drive between Seattle and Portland can be an adventure especially down HWY 101. Lots of interesting beach stops, especially on the Long Beach Peninsula. </p> <p>Can't wait to hear about the adventure. Have fun! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1704643 Thu, 28 Jul 2016 23:41:48 +0000 Robin 1704643@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Not sure what you like to do once you get to parks, but hiking/spending time in nature can be a day trip from Seattle. I regularly encounter folks in my building who are off for a day of hiking. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703957 Thu, 28 Jul 2016 00:19:05 +0000 JAileen 1703957@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Whale watching out of the San Juan Islands. We did that when our son was a preteen and he loved it. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703916 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 22:55:34 +0000 Sal 1703916@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>We spent 9 days in Portland with a 3 year old and a 6 year old, staying with family. &nbsp;This is what we did:</p> <ul> <li>OMSI - great outing for the day</li> <li>Day trip up Columbia river for a hike to a waterfall</li> <li>Day trip to Mount Hood</li> <li>Portland Zoo</li> <li>Couple local days at parks, local cafe, swimming pools</li> <li>City Centre for half day shopping (Powells being the standout)</li> </ul> <br />I spent a couple of short sessions looking at cool neighbourhood shops (Alberta St and Beaumont St I think but I may have that wrong).</p> <p>We had a great time, mostly using public transport, some walking and a small amount of driving. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703897 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 22:19:29 +0000 Gaylene 1703897@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>With kids under 5, I'd use my fly-in city as a jumping off point and head to a smaller centre to settle in to something with a kitchen and nearby attraction--like a sandy beach or kid-friendly hiking trails. A week in a city with the under 5 set is do-able, but probably not relaxing. Plus, cities can get expensive when you have a crowd. It's hard not to get frustrated when a kid wants to leave a museum after 15 minutes because it's "boring", especially when you just spent over $100 on admission. </p> <p>My suggestions for Seattle would be to rent a car and head over to the San Juan Islands. Most kids love ferry rides and each island has its own character. If you are feeling even more adventurous, take the ferry to Vancouver Island where you'll automatically get a 30-35% discount on everything because of the exchange rate.</p> <p>Victoria and the Saanish Peninsula has a host of family friendly activities, beaches, and parks. If you don't want to rent a car in the States, take the daily direct passenger-only ferry between Seattle and Victoria that drops you off in the heart of Victoria in the Inner Harbour. From there you can walk, cab, or take local buses to get anywhere you might want to go. If you are interested, give me a PM and I'll send you an Insider's guide as to where to stay and eat, along with some of the best hidden spots for families with young kids. </p> <p>If you fly into Portland, I'd head to a beach town on the Oregon Coast with the kids. Manzanita has always been our favourite because it is smaller and quieter but has a great beach. If you rent a car in Portland, it's a beautiful 1 1/2 hour drive over the mountains to the Coast. Pick a place to stay, then check out some of the beaches and towns that run all the way from The California border to Astoria. Very kid-friendly attractions with lots of sand, kite-flying, and ice cream stops. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703865 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 21:37:14 +0000 Barbara Diane 1703865@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>In Portland, OMSI - hands on science museum. Check and see what ages they recommend it for-it's been years. We mostly see relatives, so I'm not much help.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703844 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 21:12:22 +0000 Jenn 1703844@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You can do Mt. Rainier as a day trip from Seattle. Another favorite day trip from Seattle is the Snoqualmie National Forest, which has a bunch of short, family-friendly hikes. My son was between the ages of 6 and 10 when we lived there, and our favorite hike was Denny Creek:&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/denny-creek">http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/denny-creek</a>. There's a point about a mile in (the "water slide area" in the first photo) that's great for spreading out, picnicking, and playing in the water, and we always turned around there. It's plenty far enough for little legs.</p> <p>The Pacific Science Center is a museum, but it's great for kids and adults, alike. Lots of hands-on activities for every age. Best science museum I've been to, and we go to a lot.</p> <p>Pike Place Market is fun for everyone. We like to eat our way through, people watching, shopping, and snacking all day long. There's a decent aquarium on the waterfront just across from the market, too.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703765 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 19:52:55 +0000 rabbit 1703765@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Olympic national park is amazing, but it is spread out. &nbsp;Sol duc hot springs seems to have a lot of kids. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703725 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 19:08:19 +0000 catgirl 1703725@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, sounds like you hit the highlights!&nbsp; Definitely come back and hike with us when you're ready. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703695 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 18:04:18 +0000 elpgal 1703695@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nellie, We went to Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise one summer several years ago. It was a great trip but we want to go somewhere new.</p> <p>Robin, Good ideas, thank you. I didn't know Theo chocolate was made in Seattle! I have been reading a bit more about the National Parks in WA and it looks like almost everything involves a drive and finding ever-elusive lodging.</p> <p>Una, I want to say 'Been there, done that!' but can one say ever that about Alaska?! We went to Anchorage, Seward, Talkeetna and a few other spots but never got all the way up to Denali. It's on the agenda when my son can enjoy the hikes.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703683 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 17:41:38 +0000 catgirl 1703683@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Just come to Alaska instead! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703611 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 16:08:10 +0000 Robin 1703611@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Seattle - the Theo Chocolate factory. They have tours. Really kid-friendly, and not a lot of walking. The Space Needle (as long as you're fine with heights) has kid-friendly things to look at. Haven't been to the&nbsp; Arboretum, but I hear it's beautiful, and would be a chance to do nature things while still in the city.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703610 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 16:01:24 +0000 Neelie 1703610@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Would you go to Canada? &nbsp;You'll make 30% on your US funds right off the bat...I'd do Banff and Jasper with kids, you can fly into Calgary. &nbsp;I know it's not what you asked about, but just another idea... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/ideas-for-pnw-summer-trip-w-kids#post-1703576 Wed, 27 Jul 2016 14:39:26 +0000 elpgal 1703576@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It looks like we will be able to swing a week long summer vacation with our cousins this year. This is all sort of last minute and we are priced out of several options we were considering. </p> <p>We have never visited the Pacific Northwest and I am looking for some vacation suggestions that will suit a motley crew that includes several kids under the age of 5. We like city sights and national parks. The kid set doesn't do well with museums or walking long distances.&nbsp;</p> <p>If we want to spend a week in the PNW (flying into Seattle or Portland), where should we go? </p>