Family Travel

‘Our Best Family Vacation Ever’
Local Parents Share Their Favorite Destinations

by Emily Puro

The English writer William Hazlitt once observed that “the soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases.”
It’s a safe bet that Hazlitt didn’t have any kids – or he simply never took them on vacation.
Metro Parent readers, on the other hand, with kids in tow, seek ideas for journeys that both adults and children can anticipate, embrace and enjoy.
We asked a number of local parents to share what they felt were their families’ best vacation destinations. The following suggestions may not lead you to “perfect liberty” but they should give you some possibilities for memorable family travel.

Staying Close To Home

The coast is a family favorite whether you camp, rent a house or splurge on a hotel. One group of moms found another kid-friendly option last fall when they rented a yurt at Nehalem Bay State Park near Manzanita. (Large domed tents with plywood floors, structural wall supports, electricity and skylights, yurts are available in many Oregon and Washington state campgrounds.) Northeast Portland mom Anne Holmer considers the trip – which she took with three other moms and six children between four and six years old – one of her favorites. With some creative sleeping arrangements, the ten travelers shared one yurt for two peaceful nights.
The kids enjoyed the nearby beach and the small playground within eyeshot of the yurt. The moms enjoyed being together so much they were reprimanded for staying up too late! “We felt silly getting scolded for being up past midnight,” jokes Holmer.

Like many avid campers, Vera Kohut and her family have a favorite spot they return to every year. East Lake Campground in central Oregon’s Newberry National Volcanic Monument (about 40 miles southeast of Bend) “is right on the lake and it’s easy camping with little kids,” says the Gresham mom. Kohut’s boys, ages 4 and 1, enjoy the High Desert Museum, Paulina Peak and many volcanic formations, all a short drive away. Adjacent East Lake Resort offers cabins, a store and boat rentals. To avoid high winds, advises Kohut, visit in mid-summer.

Kohut also recommends the John Day Fossil Beds, also in central Oregon, especially the Sheep Rock Unit with its paleontology museum and short, easy hiking trails. “You’ve got these great big blue-green walls all around you,” she says, “all these old fossils under plastic cases.” Kohut and her husband love the peaceful setting and lack of crowds. The boys love the fossils and rocks.
They usually camp in one of Ochoco National Forest’s many primitive campsites, but on their last visit – with an infant in tow – they opted for a motel in Prineville, about 80 miles west of the Sheep Rock Unit. Visit during spring or fall, says Kohut, for the best weather.

A jewel in the Willamette National Forest, Opal Creek Ancient Forest Center, about an hour east of Salem, is among Michelle Arensberg’s favorite family getaways. “I cannot rave enough about the lovely old growth trees, peaceful hiking trails, the wild blueberries and especially the blue-green waters of Opal Creek,” says the southeast Portland mom. “The number of stars easily visible was almost overwhelming,” she adds. Visitors hike three miles into camp, which features log cabin lodging, while staff bring in gear by car. A coupon in the Chinook Book makes this an affordable and educational retreat.

Another of Arensberg’s favorites is Treesort, the treetop accommodations “resort” just south of Cave Junction in southern Oregon. With treehouses connected by swinging bridges, visitors are afforded a true birds-eye view! The family explored the treehouses and soared on a huge swing. “Even the grownups felt like little kids,” says Arensberg.

  • Treesort: www.treehouses.com/treehouse/treesort/home.html

Arensberg shared two other favorites as well: Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, Washington, and Lonesome Cove Resort on San Juan Island. At Fort Worden, visitors stay in elegant pre-WWI Victorians, a castle, a cottage or the original barracks (remodeled for the comfort, of course!). “The houses have many rooms,” explains Arensberg, “but you only pay for the ones you use,” making it affordable for groups of all sizes. You’ll find plenty of room to run and play, accessible beaches and a marine science center nearby.

At San Juan Island’s Lonesome Cove Resort, Arensberg’s family saw whales, otters, deer, foxes and rabbits. Beaches are close and quiet, and activities include kayaking, whale watching, bike rentals and sailboat excursions.

  • Lonesome Cove Resort: www.lonesomecove.com
  • San Juan Islands: www.sanjuanweb.com

Beyond the Great Northwest

Dana Dolvig describes her family’s trip to San Diego, California, last spring as “the perfect vacation for a 2-year-old,” reeling off a host of entertaining activities. LEGOland, she says, was great for her toddler Gabriel, with kiddie rides, water parks, play structures and hands-on LEGO exhibits that impressed even Dolvig and her partner Greta Yin. The San Diego Zoo introduced them to koalas, pandas, gorillas and camels, and they fed dolphins at Sea World before watching them perform.
The Yin-Dolvigs spent a week in San Diego’s conveniently located “Hotel Circle.” A kitchenette made it easy to feed Gabe healthy meals, and snacks were always available. By alternating activity days with low-key days, says Dolvig, everybody stayed happy. One day at the zoo, the next at the beach. One day at LEGOland, the next at Balboa Park. “We even came back feeling relaxed,” she adds, “which doesn’t happen very often.”

When Gina Guzman’s husband was on sabbatical from Intel four years ago, the family took a cross-country road trip that lasted nearly six weeks. The Aloha family, with children ages 6, 4 and 1, turned their trek into an educational and entertaining “Dinosaur Tour.” Planning for frequent breaks, the Guzmans decided to avoid fast food play places, seeking attractions where they could use their OMSI and Oregon Zoo membership cards, which are good for free admission to over 275 science museums worldwide and over 100 zoos nationwide, respectively. The kids were drawn to dinosaur exhibits which gave the trip an unexpected focus.
Highlights included the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana and a small, off-the-beaten-path paleontology museum in South Dakota. Staff paleontologists took time to show the kids around, and when a local brought in some bones to be identified, the family had a front row seat.
Using AAA guidebooks, the Guzmans avoided long waits and crowds by calling ahead to find out about lines, opting for lesser-known but equally entertaining attractions. Guzman’s daughter enjoyed participating in the National Parks Service’s Junior Ranger Program at Mesa Verde and the Grand Canyon. “The patch she earned is her prized possession still,” says Guzman, “and she was 4 at the time.”

Newberg mom Keta Szubart counts Hawaii as her family’s favorite destination, especially Maui and Kona (on the big island of Hawaii). Their best find, says the mother of three girls, now 9, 7, and 3, are cottages on Maui’s north shore. Out of town and off the road, the cottages feature a large, fenced yard abundant with avocados. “You have a kitchen so you can cook the food your kids will eat,” says Szubart. “You can take them home for a nap,” and the family has room to spread out.
The cottages, which rent for about $650 a week, aren’t on the beach, so the Szubarts work a stop at the sand into their daily plans. They’ve hiked, snorkeled, and visited ancient temples and petroglyphs (in Kona), but mostly they just relax and try to experience Hawaii as the locals do. “Hawaii has a great atmosphere,” says Szubart. “The Hawaiian people are on ‘island time.’ … It’s a time to relax and just kind of get out of the rat race.”

Global Explorations

Kristin Sposito and her husband love to travel, so when daughter Maya was nearly 2, they took her to Australia for a month. “In terms of world travel,” says Sposito, it’s “a fairly comfortable, easy place to get around.”
They traveled by air, car, bus and boat, visiting big cities like Sydney and Melbourne as well as more remote spots like Alice Springs and Ayer’s Rock. They stayed mainly in hostels, mixing it up with tents in the jungle, a luxury inn, a resort and hotels. The hostels, says Sposito, are especially kid-friendly with community kitchens, space to run around and tolerant neighbors. They saw kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles, emus and other exotic creatures.
The Spositos alternated between less kid-friendly activities like museums and lectures and fun activities like parks, swimming pools and hiking. They relied on a variety of child carriers; lots of toys, books and activities for airplanes; and Lonely Planet guidebooks.

It’s great to travel with kids, but sometimes Mom and Dad need a break. That’s why Ellen Madian and her family headed to Club Med Ixtapa on the Mexican Riviera last year. While Madian and her husband spent several days with their boys, then 7 and 4, they dropped them at the resort’s Kids’ Club for few days, too. “They treat (the kids) like kings,” says Madian, “and they really seem to take a personal interest in each kid.” Activities ranged from miniature golf, roller blading and swimming to archery and arts and crafts, and the boys met kids from around the world. Mom and Dad even enjoyed a few quiet dinners alone! Families spend the evenings together with kid-friendly entertainment, and food is available around the clock for hungry kids and parents.
“I was so happy with the experience,” says Madian, “It was so easy with the kids. … Everybody gets to have fun and the parents get to relax!”

Secrets of The Magic Kingdom

When it comes to family travel, Disneyland tops the list for many parents (and kids!). Newberg mom Keta Szubart offers the following tips for a successful visit to the home of Mickey and Goofy. (Most of Szubart’s tips come from The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland [see below].)

  • Ask for bypass tickets: One parent waits in line for a ride. When they’re done, the other parent can ride without waiting.
  • Ask for fast passes: Limited tickets distributed for each hour for specific rides. During that hour, you wait in a shorter line than other visitors. Lines are even shorter, says Szubart, at the end of the hour.
  • Ask about Disney’s picnic area outside the park. “It’s quiet, it’s hedged off and it’s got lockers,” says Szubart. After enjoying a quiet picnic lunch, she adds, “we found our attitudes were much better.” If your hotel is nearby, return for a refreshing afternoon nap and swim.
  • Try to visit on Tuesday or Thursday (“slow days”), arrive 30 minutes before the park opens, and head to the most popular rides first, before the crowds get too heavy.

The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2006 by Bob Sehlinger (Wiley, revised September 23, 2005, $15.99); Disneyland: disneyland.disney.go.com

Emily Puro is a Portland freelance writer and mom.

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