Crater Lake National Park

What: Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
When: August 2009
Why: The only National Park in Oregon, one of the world's most beautiful lakes

We camped here for 3 nights at the Mazama Campground. It's a very large, very crowded place. You don't pick a site when you make a reservation. We ended up at the very far end of the campground and about 1/5 mile from the bathrooms (bad with small children!) If we had been smart, we would have requested a different spot. It was nice to be at the end and have places for the kids to go play, though!

There are showers (pay with quarters) and laundry facilities here (2 washers and 2 dryers). And a store with very expensive food, and a restaurant.

This is why you go, though:
It's really, really beautiful. Nothing like it. So blue!!!

There are really 3 levels to view the lake. The first is from the Rim drive. You drive all the way around, stop at pullouts and take pictures. You can stop at the visitor center by the lodge and shop and it's lovely. It will take a couple hours to drive all the way around. You can also drive out to the Pinnacles, which we didn't get a chance to.

The second is from the lake level. Which means you have to hike down to the water. There is only one trail to the water and it's long and steep, but my kids (4, 4, 5 and 7) all did just fine. It ends at Cleetwood Cove, which is where the boat tours leave. We took a boat ride and let me say, it was perhaps the best experience of the whole trip. It's pricey! but worth it. Bring snacks and water--treats to bribe small hikers on the way back up are a good idea, too. There are restrooms by the boat dock. If you're going on the boat ride, make sure to buy your tickets AT THE TOP. They don't sell them at the bottom! You can swim in the lake, or drink from it--it's very clear and cold and beautiful!! The boat ride is long and narrated and you'll get wet. We were cold the first half because of the wind and spray, but the second half we got nice and warm. You can see snow along the shore, and waterfalls, and you drive around Wizard Island and the Phantom Ship. It's just a whole different thing to see it from the water level. Awesome. The 3rd level is from one of the surrounding peaks. There are a few different hikes, but we chose the shortest. It wasn't bad at all. The views were great, you could go in the ranger's fort/fire lookout, and get great views of the mountains around you. We could even see Mt. Shasta!


There is also a Jr Ranger program here that the kids did--booklets again. They also attended a Jr Ranger program at our campground where a ranger led them in different activities and this was a lot of fun. Many parks have these, we just hadn't done one yet. They earned badges and had a good time. There were also ranger programs each night on different topics, with slides, etc. in the amphitheater. We went to one and it was good.

Crater Lake is just amazing. It's a long way from any cities--Klamath Falls is about 45 minutes, so if you go you should plan to stay at the park for at least a night. And save your pennies so you can take a boat tour, it really is worth it!

Wildlife Safari, Winston, Oregon

What: Wildlife Safari, Winston, Oregon (near Roseburg)
When: August 2009
Why: We were driving from Portland to the Redwoods in No. California and needed a nice lunch stop.
How Much: $$ a lot? There is a base price for admission, and you get a 50% discount if you're a Hogle Zoo member. Then there are a bunch of other special experiences they want you to pay more for--like a train ride, a camel ride, feeding sitka deer or other animals, and special encounters with bears, cheetahs, tigers, etc. It was a little annoying, actually!

Basically, there is a kiosk to pay along the road, a little booth. It can get pretty backed up. Then you can stop at the village to see some animals in cages, flamingos, buy food, ride the train, and use the restrooms. There was a "farm" area and you could buy food to feed donkeys, etc. The best part here was the cheetahs you could see up close, because later this is all you see:

Yep, that's Lover's Lane. Where the cheetahs live and breed. They have a great breeding program here, and do great things. You just don't really get to see them!

The Village also has a playground, but if you're in a rush don't let your kids see it!

Then you get in your car and drive through the park. You go slow and see a lot of animals. If you're nice, you might let your kids out of their carseats or buckles to stand up and look out your rooftop window. Or if you're me, you don't.

You'll drive past lions, bears, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, antelope, monkeys, elephants (you can pay extra for an elephant to wash your car!) and more. All the dangerous animals are in cages:


It really is neat. Make sure you look at your map to know what you're seeing. You can drive through the park twice if you want. It really does take a LONG time. It took us about 1.5 hours. We still had a long drive to our campsite, so we didn't go back through.

We did ride the camels at the beginning. I didn't know what I was getting into because while driving there, we started talking about animals and zoos and how once I took 2 of the kids on a camel ride but the others were too scared...and I promised that the next time we had the chance, they could all have a camel ride. 15 minutes later I had to make good on that promise! Prices are per person, and the ride only lasts a few minutes. I took pictures and my husband took my youngest 2 kids with him. It really is neat...just make sure you are planning on it if you walk by! We didn't go on the train ride, so I can't tell you how it was, but overall it was a nice place and a neat experience.
I would just not recommend this as a stopping place to break up a long driving day, because you have to spend so much time in your car driving through the park! It's near Roseburg, along I-5, maybe 15 minutes off the freeway. Fun for kids and animal lovers!

Oregon Caves National Monument

What: Oregon Caves National Monument
When: March 2010
Where: This National Monument is along highway 199, between Crescent City, California and Grants Pass, Oregon. It's about 45 minutes off the highway, up a windy and narrow mountain.

We went in late March just after the monument opened for the season (it's closed Dec-March because of snow and hibernating bats in the cave!)

Kids must be at least 42 inches tall to go on a cave tour. Prices were $8.50 for adults, $6 for kids. It's free for 4 people with an America the Beautiful Annual Pass, which is $80 and definitely worth it! Just off Hwy 199 (there's a sign to tell you where to turn) is an information center. We stopped here and picked up park brochures. You can also measure children here to make sure they're tall enough before you drive all the way up the mountain!

We arrived about 12:30. You have to park and walk 900 yards to the buildings. You then buy tickets for a tour time. They depart at least 15 minutes apart. We had to wait about 90 minutes. There was plenty of waiting room in the Visitor Center. We got Junior Ranger booklets for the kids and that took some time. They also have videos playing in another room, which entertained my children for a long time.

Beware that you can't take any bag larger than a fanny pack through the cave. There are lockers available by the visitor center (take a quarter for a deposit!) Plan to be gone about 2 hours, 2.5 if you take the Cliff Nature Trail back (the longer way). Be sure to drink and snack before you leave!

The cave is cold, about 44 degrees, so wear a hoodie or jacket. (They did have jackets to borrow at the visitor center.) I had a t-shirt, sweatshirt and light jacket and was plenty warm. Gloves or mittens would be a great idea. And good shoes--it's wet and slippery. It's about .6 miles, but you have to stay with your ranger guide. Groups of up to 15 people go together. There are 504 stairs. If you get scared, claustrophic, sick, cold, etc. there is an exit about 1/3 of the way through, but you can't go back in.

You can bring your camera and use a flash inside. You can't touch the rocks.


How your tour goes depends on your ranger. Our tour had 8 kids and 8 adults, and the ranger still geared it to the adults. I felt like we were rushed from room to room and then had to stand around and listen to somewhat boring scientific facts. If I did it again, I'd hope to go more slowly and to have the ranger point out neat stuff you can see, like all the types of formations that the kids learn about in their Junior Ranger books! Moonmilk, cave popcorn, drapery rocks...
This is the Chalet. It was closed until May.
There is a nice Jr Ranger program here. There are 3 different books for different ages, 6 & under, 7-10, and 11-??. They had to do 3 activities plus a tour, or a couple other options I can't remember. When finished they get a badge and a 15% off coupon for the visitor center store! Sweet!

Also, they have special badges if you hike a trail. There are 3 trails. The Cliff Nature Trail is the shortest. It really is a lovely area--next time maybe we'll camp and do more hiking. There is lodging at the chalet and there are 2 campgrounds in the forest/monument, although both were still closed at the end of March. The nearest town, Cave Junction, had lots of restaurants, gas stations, stores, etc.

I think the Caves are a perfect stop between the Redwoods and Crater Lake. Spend 3 days at the Redwoods in California, 1-2 days at the Oregon Caves, and 2-3 days at Crater Lake. Perfect vacation!!!

Valley of the Rogue State Park

We stayed in a yurt at the Valley of the Rogue State Park, near Grants Pass in Southern Oregon.

Pros: The yurt is really cool. In the off-season it was $27 a night. It has a single/double bunkbed and a double futon. It's heated (you adjust the temp), has 3 windows, a covered porch, lights inside and a light outside, and it feels big and comfortable. Our family of 6 was very comfortable here. (We did bring an airbed for the grownups because the green mattresses aren't very comfy.)



You do need to sweep and clean the yurt a little when you leave. You get a key from the camp hosts.

Other Pros: The bathroom was close to the yurts and had free showers. There's a water faucet right in your campsite, so you don't have to walk far to get water either. There are trees for shade and lots of grass. The campsites aren't too close to each other--we felt like there was enough privacy. We were in F-49.

Cons: It's RIGHT by I-5 and you can definitely hear the freeway. The bathrooms weren't heated much, and the mens showers had little or no hot water (they were trying to fix a pilot light problem). There were lots of very loud birds that could be annoying when they wake you up at the crack of dawn...

Sorry, I didn't take a picture of the area (bad!) but it was nice. It's less than 2 hours to drive to Crater Lake or Oregon Cave National Monument, both of which are very cool. It's also close to Grants Pass, Medford and Ashland. We chose this park because it had a yurt available when we wanted to go, and we were happy with our experience in late March.

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.