Momn4boys - Oregon / Washington trip suggestions -

• Monday, March 20, 2006 - Oregon / Washington trip suggestions -

I am finally getting down to final planning of our trip to Oregon / Washington. I mentioned it a few weeks ago and several of you had suggestions for where to go. Some wondered where we were going to be, but at that point I wasn't totally sure.

We will probably fly into Portland and get a rental car from there. Seattle is a possibility because DH would like to go look at equipment dealers. We are going the last of May and first week of June.

Anyone have any more must see places? I do not know the area so I have no idea how close all this is and I am sure we will never be able to fit all this in! In fact when I show this list to my husband he is going to either 1-pass out or 2-die laughing.

Here are the suggestions so far:

What we hope to see and do:

Fly in a plane – boys are very excited! I'm a bit nervous! any tips for flying with a 3yr old?

Portland area

Museum of Industry

Underground City Tour

End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center

Seattle

Ferry

Monorail

Boeing Tour

Columbia River Gorge

Sockeye Salmon Fish Ladder

Mt. Hood

Mt. St. Helens

Ocean and Coastline

Winery Tour

Fort Vancouver

Wala Wala WA area

Fort Walla Walla Museum

Tamástslikt Cultural Institute - Lewis & Clark Corps II "Tent of Many Voices"

Whitman Mission National Historic Site

Comments

• Monday, March 20, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by carrielouise

Wow! Fun! I am in love with that area, and soo much want to visit. I did some research on NW Washington for a book I wrote and just died. I am convinced it is the place I will end up living someday. Of course I have lived in Seattle, but I was 4. What did I know then? I don't remember much. Have a great trip, and share what you thought!! Carrie

• Permanent Link

• Monday, March 20, 2006 - Hello from Oregon!

Posted by Aligirl

your gonna have a great time here! I live down by the Salem area, so I know of fun places to go around here. One place in Portland that would be an absolute hit with kids, is OMSI. There is alot of fun hands on educational activities there. There is also the Evergreen aviation museum in Mcminnville, and that is the home of Howard Hughes' spruce goose. A fun one for boys to see! yay! Have fun!!
Ali

• Permanent Link

• Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by mamaduso

I think your museum of Industry is actually the same as OMSI, which is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. It is fun to go to. DO you have a museum membership anywhere? There are a lot of affiliates that you can visit for free if you have a family membership. If you go to Seattle you will want to see Pikes Place Market. It is and outdoor market with a fish market also. It is very fun. There is also the, oh well here are some links for Seattle. We are going next weekend to visit my sister in law.

http://www.seattleaquarium.org/
http://www.zoo.org/
http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=branch_central_tours&branchID=1
http://www.pikeplacemarket.org/frameset.asp?flash=true
http://www.spaceneedle.com/
http://www.pacsci.org/
http://www.thechildrensmuseum.org/

We are down in Eugene (OR). There are lots of places to see between here and Portland, but Portland has plenty to do as well. I am sure you will keep busy.
Susan

• Permanent Link

• Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by nsremom

Okay...
some of those things are WAY far away from each other. I'm talking hours and hours. I live in Vancouver which is simply across the river from Portland on the Washington side. I'm actually quite close to Fort Vancouver which you mentioned. It's interesting if you get a tour and they can explain it to you. It only takes a couple hours to do the entire thing, so if you want to hit it on your way somewhere it's totally doable.

If you want to hang in Portland OMSI (the museum of industry) is a local homeschooling staple. Also, if you come to the Pacific Northwest I do recommend driving up the Columbia River gorge and seeing Multnomah Falls and Crown Point. You only have to drive 30 minutes are so out of Portland to hit both of those and they are worth the drive. If you folks are into hiking there is a cool hike to the top of Multnomah falls. If you go the scenic highway out there, rather than the freeway there are lots of cool waterfalls, but it's still cool if you just skip to the famous one!!

Mt. Hood is only an hour or so from Portland and it's really great for tubing and snowshoeing. (skiing if you're into that) But there isn't a whole lot of educational things, just snow.

If you swing on up to Seattle it's only 3 hours or so from Portland (don't quote me on that...it might be 3.5) There is quite a lot to do there as well. On the way you HAVE to plan to spend an entire day at Mt. St. Helens. Just to reach the turn off in Castle Rock Washington (I lived there too!) is an hour from Portland. It's a long, windy drive but has a really cool interpretive center at the tippy top. There are some small ones along the way, but don't waste your time....the big daddy lets you see the crater. ooooh!!!

Then you can hit Seattle and there is a very cool aquarium that my kids were wild about. It seems small from the outside, but they get good traveling exhibits. One year they had the neatest seahorse exhibit I had ever seen. Theres an airfield that you can take tours of, Pike Place Market on a Saturday morning....lot's of shopping. Another Museum of Industry for the kids....

I'm blanking out now.

The beach is cool. But, aren't all beaches? would this be a novel thing for you guys? If so, then plan to spend a day there. It takes a couple hours from Portland. I personally like Cannon Beach Oregon, but Seaside, OR is a little north and is really a tourist spot. Lots of boardwalk shops. Cannon Beach has GREAT tide pools that we went to last summer. Huge anenomes and starfish. Fun.

If I think of anything else...I'll let ya know. Wow. I didn't realize how long my comment was! sorry

• Permanent Link

• Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by nsremom

I forgot to mention that if you go along the Columbia River Gorge to Multnomah Falls....there's another big place to hit, The Bonneville Dam. It has an awesome free area where they have Sturgeon that are like 15 feet long. It's truly cool. Plus at certain times of the year the fish ladder is going and we've seen the process and the kids got quite a lesson on spawning!

• Permanent Link

• Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by momn4boys

Thank you all for all your suggestions. Off to check out some more websites!

• Permanent Link

• Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - I'm in Longview....

Posted by grace4gayle

Which is right along I-5 and about 40 minutes from nsremom in Vancouver. I think you should let nsremom plan your whole trip. (hee-hee) She covered everything that I would want to see. I don't know where you are from, but the pacific northwest is a beautiful, green, lush place. It also has the added benefit of being only an hour in each direction from the ocean, mountains, gorge, and a little bit farther and your in the high desert. A great place! Hope you have lots of fun.

Gayle

• Permanent Link

• Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Happyhome

I absolutely love Portland! The science museum and zoo are fantastic. The Mt. St. Helen's tour is wonderful as well.

As for Seattle...haven't been in quite some time. We are taking a trip there in September. Dh bought the kids a book called 100 Things to Do for Kids. They are going through and choosing what they want to do. I think the mega IKEA store is at the top of my list!

Have a wonderful trip.

Blessings,

Angela

• Permanent Link