Oaks Amusement Park, Portland

What: Oaks Amusement Park
Where: South Portland, along the east side of the Willamette River
When: August 2009
Why: Because my kids earned cheap passes from the library summer reading program, and we love rides!
How much: $11-17 regular price for a wristband, depending on if you want Deluxe or not
There are discount days, like Thursdays are $12 if you show a Safeway card. Check out their website for more details!

This is the roller skating rink's actual organ! We went that night because the rides all close at 9, but skating is open until 9:30. More bang for your buck! I was shocked to see a real person playing the music! The organ pipes are right above the rink--it's very cool! And there were some really good, adult skaters there to watch. Fun!

This was my favorite ride, the Screamer. You have to be 48" tall. It's awesome!

The scrambler, part of the south section of the park.

My tips/thoughts:
1. While not as big as some amusement parks, there was plenty to keep my 4 kids (ages 4-7) entertained ALL DAY! The lines weren't too bad, even on a busy summer day.
2. Get there before noon to buy your bracelets, like 11:30. This was our goal, but we arrived at noon and the lines were horrendous! This was the peak time.
3. Just because their website says you have to be a certain height, only means you have to be that height to ride alone. Most of the rides, except Rock & Roll, Bumper Cars, and the big Coaster, allow shorter kids to go on with an adult. So I was able to ride with my 2 youngest while my older 2 rode together. Perfect!
4. The parking lot is really close to the rides, so you could easily pack a picnic and keep it in a cooler in your car until you're hungry.
5. The food is expensive, but not horrendous--get everyone their burger or whatever and share some fries, ask for water, and it's actually reasonable, for an amusement park!
6. I refused to wear a backpack, and we no longer use a stroller, so we had 2 fanny packs to carry our stuff. Not so fashionable, I know, but very practical. My oldest carried one with snacks and a water bottle, and mine had my little camera, cell phone, bandaids, more snacks, money and ID. There were drinking fountains all over so we just kept refilling our water bottle.
7. There were lots of bathrooms and water fountains and it was a great place. I felt very safe, the employees were really nice, and I highly recommend it!

Silver Falls State Park, Oregon

What: Silver Falls State Park, Oregon
Where: near Silverton, Oregon--an hour south of Portland, 1/2 hr east of Salem
When: August 2009
Why: Because it's beautiful, has 10 waterfalls, a cold swimming hole, playground, etc.
How much: Small day-use fee, $40ish for a cabin, $18? for a tent site
How long: hours or days

We found a cabin available on a Friday night (lucky us!) after we moved up to the Portland area in June, so I reserved it. It was nice--the mattresses weren't so soft, but it was really nice to have electricity and not have to set up a tent. There are fire pits and a table outside the cabin, a little porch/deck area, and communal bathrooms. The bathrooms have 2 toilet/sink rooms and 2 showers for the whole cabin loop, and you use your cabin key to get in so the tent campers won't be over there.

Here are some shots of the cabin interior:

There is one bunk bed and one double bed in the bedroom and a fold out double-sized futon in the main room, along with a microwave and small fridge. Bring bedding or sleeping bags. We brought cinnamon rolls to warm up for breakfast and it was a hit!

The waterfalls are along the Trail of Ten Falls. We started at the South Falls and hiked 5 miles of the 7 mile loop. We saw 7 falls along that stretch. We were planning to hike the extra 1.2 miles to see another fall (I believe Twin Falls) but when we saw a sign that said it was only about 30 feet, we decided to save our energy and hike to North Falls instead. Good decision. It's a long walk back along the Rim Trail to the South Falls parking area, but it's nice and shady along most of the whole hike so it's good for a hot day! You can't get wet at many falls--I think Double Falls was the only one that you hiked to the bottom of and could get wet. The rest you walked above or behind, which is still really neat--you can walk behind 4 of the falls.

This is North Falls from the road's viewpoint. We drove to the trailhead and hiked the .6 miles down and back. You could also hike the other way for .6 miles and see the Upper North Falls, but we were done by then.

If you have all day and plenty of energy, the whole 7 mile loop would be really neat. The "best" falls are South and North--they are the tallest. So those 2 short hikes would be good with little kids. Or do the South & Lower South, and North & Upper North for a little more.

We drove past a big playground but didn't play there. Also there's a swimming hole that we didn't know about, so we didn't bring swimsuits, but it's supposed to be pretty cold water (I think it's part of a river or creek that is dammed up?) But the falls are amazing, it's really pretty humid because it's kind of a moist rainforest area.

We had a great time and the kids did really well on the long hike because we were looking for the next falls. Along the Rim Trail back we were looking for berries and other things to distract them from the fatigue and make the 1.5 miles go faster. I would highly recommend Silver Falls!

Oregon Zoo, Portland, Oregon

What: The Oregon Zoo
Where: Portland, Oregon, in Washington Park, off Hwy 26 (follow the signs)
When: August 2009
Why: To see the animals!
How much: $69 for a regular family membership, $94 for a deluxe with admission to summer concerts and guess passes
How long: a few hours to all day, however long you can last

What's cool: A baby elephant, elephant baths every morning

Polar bears:

2 petting farms with goats:

Tips: You have to buy a ticket or get one with your membership card, but you don't show your ticket until you exit the main plaza and go down to the zoo. Restrooms and lockers are by the entrance, and the gift ship is across the plaza.

Get a map when they scan your ticket. Check for animal keeper talks and feeding times, and the animal shows. Don't try to see it all in one day! You have to go down the hill to see all the animals, so if you leave your lunch in a locker at the top, it's a long hike back up when you're hungry. Food is outrageously expensive and is priced similarly everywhere. At least bring your own snacks.

Feeding the lorikeets is fun and costs $3 I think for a cup of nectar? We didn't do it this time. There's also a train through the park that is extra. The new lion, cheetah & other African predator exhibits open soon and will be really cool!

Washington County Museum, Hillsboro, Oregon

What: Washington County Museum
Where: Hillsboro, Oregon
When: August 2009
Why: Because it was close, it was free with a library pass, and I'd never been there
How much: $3 adults, $2 kids, or free with a library cultural pass
How long: 5 to 25 minutes if you see everything twice

Outside is a log jail, not open to go into.

Inside is a big room with a dozen exhibits. This was a bunny suit like Daddy wears in the fab:

A table with touching for kids, animal furs, etc.

And an old rocking chair.

And that was it.

Not that exciting, not worth the drive, definitely not worth paying money for. If you're really desperate for something to do and can go for free, and your kids generally like museums, and you're REALLY desperate, then go for it. But don't be surprised if your kids ask you, "Mom, why'd we go there?" after complaining of boredom the whole time.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

South Beach State Park, Newport, Oregon

What: South Beach State Park
Where: South of Newport, Oregon
When: August 2009
Why: To go to the beach!
How much: Free
How long: We could spend all day....

This is a nice beach. It was actually the 3rd one we tried, looking for a nice beach for a picnic dinner and campfire. The first was Beverly Beach State Park, about 20 miles north, but it was super duper windy and we would have been miserable. Agate Beach wasn't much better. South Beach was great. Not very windy at all.

There was plenty of parking here, some grass by the restrooms and parking lot, then a little hill to walk over and down to the beach. We went left for several hundred yards and were the only ones over there, so if you want more privacy then just walk for a few minutes.

We found a log and sand dune already used for a fire, so we set up there. The wet sand had a lot of little flies in it, but this dry sand was insect free.

The sunset was gorgeous!!!

This is a long, flat beach and when the tide goes out it's a long way to the water. If you're going to build a fire, I would suggest filling up a bucket before it gets dark so you don't get wet trying to find the water in the dark. Just a suggestion...right honey? :)

This was a nice beach for the kids to play, not too crowded, etc. I would go back again.

Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon

What: Hatfield Marine Science Center
Where: South end of Newport, Oregon. Follow signs from Hwy 101.
When: August 2009
Why: It's right next to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, but it's cheaper.
How much: Free, but donations of $4/person or $10/family requested.

Outside:

They have 3 tidepool tanks to touch. Very colorful! We found sea urchins, more kinds of sea stars, and a sea cucumber. Also some skates (sorta like sting rays) and fish.

Hi Mr. Crab in a tank. Are you glad the octopus has a cover on its tank now so it can't get out at night and come climb in your tank and eat you? (true story!)

They have lots of interactive exhibits for kids and adults alike about all aspects of marine science. You can also watch a movie. We didn't have time for the 45 min Blue Whale movie, but on a rainy day or when your little ones are tired, that would be a great idea!

There's restrooms, a small gift shop, and very nice volunteers and students who will tell you all kinds of cool stuff. Especially the lady with the German accent, who told us about escaping octopuses and messy seagulls. As long as your weird kid doesn't come over and roughly grab the sea anenomes, because then she'll yell at him and push his hand away repeatedly. :) (That wasn't us, by the way!)

Fun place. Great stop for an hour or two, or maybe longer if you watch a movie. Definitely worth it!

Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Newport, Oregon

What: Yaquina Head Lighthouse
Where: North end of Newport, Oregon.
When: August 2009
Why: Tallest Lighthouse in Oregon. I like lighthouses.
How Much: $7 per car, free for National Parks passholders like us
How Long: 1 hour for lighthouse, more for beaches and visitor center

At 93 feet tall, it's the tallest lighthouse in oregon. We were just exploring this section of the coast, so we stopped for a brief visit. There is a visitor center that we didn't go to. There is a paved, accessible trail to the beach that looked cool, but we didn't go there either. There is another cove/beach that is a short hike down some stairs, and we didn't do that either, but there are supposed to be good tidepools to explore.

We went to the lighthouse. Unfortunately, you have to be 42 inches tall to climb to the top and K was an inch too short. They are very strict about height, so be warned. If you're too short, you get a coloring page and they tell you to bring it back when you're tall enough and your whole family gets a free 3-day pass to the park. Whoop de doo.

There was a long wait, 20 minutes maybe? to climb the stairs. A BLM employee stands there to tell you when you can go up. You climb 3 flights of winding stairs and then you have to wait again at the top for your chance to climb about 7 stairs up to the window so you can see this view:

This is the lens you see. I have no idea why they think it's too dangerous or scary for my 4-year-old who can climb Astoria column and actually stand outside in the wind, or who could go on the Bobsleds roller coaster at Disneyland when she was 2 years old, but cannot climb this dumb lighthouse.

Can you tell it was annoying? Dumb rules make me annoyed.

So W waited with K while I took the other kids up, and then he went up while we looked at the ocean. It was very windy, and the tide was coming in, so we couldn't see the harbor seals that were out by these rocks. We could see some birds, though.

So...tips would include not taking your kids shorter than 42 inches, and unless you REALLY like lighthouses, it's not worth waiting 20-30 minutes to see the view for 5 seconds.

Also, they have pins you can get for a small donation. The one at the top says "I survived" climbing the lighthouse. Moms like me who are suckers for this stuff, bring a dollar with you to donate. :)

Fogarty Creek State Park, Oregon

When: August 2009
Where: Fogarty Creek State Park, along Highway 101 just north of Depoe Bay, Oregon.
Why: To explore tidepools at low tide.
How much: Free.
How long: 1-2 hours for tidepools.

We arrived shortly after 7 am, for a low tide somewhere around 7:30 or 8 am. We were the first ones there. There are 2 parking lots, north and south. Either one works, then you cross the footbridge, go under the highway and you're at the beach. There are picnic tables and restrooms by the parking lots.

There is a stretch of sand, then rocks to both sides. We went to the right and found a great bunch of tidepools.

The rocks were covered with seaweed and were a bit slippery, but the tide was far out and didn't make me nervous at all (it was -0.3 or so). We saw lots of sea stars, sea anenomes, mussels, limpets, and a few crabs and seagulls. And a heron:

This was a nice beach, would be great to just come play in the sand as well. Wear a jacket and sturdy shoes--expect to get your feet wet in the tidepools and rocks. Bring a guidebook for the tidepools if you want. You can touch the sea creatures but you're not supposed to remove them.

Welcome!

This blog was started when my personal (and private) family blog turned into quite the travelogue. I wanted a place to record the details of our travels, both for our future reference and just in case you ever go there, too, and want the inside scoop from a mom who's been there. I know it will be useful to me since I know I will forget things that I want to remember, so when I go back in a few years I don't go back to the dumpy hotel or the yucky restaurant. And hopefully you won't go there either. ;)