momto3girlz

Hi all. I'm a newbie here but have been browsing old posts for quite awhile and have found some great stuff. I'm wondering what you think about some ideas I have for our Fri-Sun weekend getaway in mid-April.

We will be driving from near Auburn, WA with our 3 girls, ages 8, 6, and almost 3 yrs old. We have lived here less than a year so haven't explored Oregon at all yet.

I thought it would be fun to go directly to Cannon Beach early Friday morning (about 3.5 hour drive), getting there around 10 am. Explore Ecola State Park and Haystock Rock. Go tidepooling and kite flying, etc. Then stay overnight here. Can anyone recommend kid friendly hotels and restaurants?

Then leave after breakfast Saturday morning for Portland. Go to the OMSI and maybe Oaks Park. Other possibilities include Forest Park, Rose Garden Children's Park, or Mount Tabor Park.

Sunday morning we'll either see one of the above parks or visit the Zoo or the Children's Museum for a few hours. Which one would you recommend over the other? Is the zoo doable if it's rainy?

Do you think the coast is fun to visit in April or is it too cold and not worth it? If the coast is a bad idea this time of year I was thinking of possibly seeing Salem instead and going to AC Gilbert's Discovery Village or the Enchanted Forest and taking a one hour ride on the Willamette Queen.

Do you think the coast or Salem is the better choice?

Thanks for any advice/feedback!

kimamom

Definitely the coast, your kids will love Cannon Beach, Ecola State Park, Haystack Rock. I would also suggest going about ten minutes to Seaside, we have a beach cottage there we will soon be spending time at. Take the kids to the small aquarium there to feed the seals, ride the Tilt-A-Whirl and there is also an enclosed mall with a Carousel the kids would love. Check out the seasidedordotorg website.

I would not miss the Oregon Zoo with the kids, last time we were there was in a Nov. and it was a bit rainy, it did not stop us from having a great time. Very nice exhibits and lots of fun.

You will want to take your family to Mos' Chowder in Cannon Beach, a casual restaurant with gorgeous views of the ocean and Haystack Rock. It is very family-friendly with really great clam chowder that we order family style when we travel with a large group. I like their Blackened Salmon there and they have yummy marionberry cobbler and ice cream for desserts. Enjoy your trip, any further questions feel free to ask. ***kim***

beachbum

Ya know what they say about April showers... It's especially true here in western Oregon. Still, I would pick the coast over Salem in a heart beat. You probably won't be flying kites, but you might have weather good enough for tide-pooling. And heck, you can walk the beach in ANY weather. Worse case, go to Seaside, where you'll find bumper cars, miniature golf, arcades, cotton candy, and corn dogs. I'd actually recommend Seaside over your thought to go to Oaks Park in Portland.

For a hotel, consider the SurfSand Resort. It's been my family's favorite for years. The Wayfarer next door is a nice family-friendly restaurant. If you want a quick bite when you get to town, go to Ecola Seafood Market, Cannon Beach's version of fast food. Or, choose from a couple pizza places.

Forest Park is just that, a forest. Not much there to hold kids' interest. The zoo, Children's Museum, and Rose Garden Children's Parks are all in the same area; whether you decide on one or all three of these places, visit them on the same day. The zoo and Children's Museum would both be fine on a rainy day. I don't have a clue what's at Mt. Tabor Park, though; guessing just a large play structure. OMSI's great any time.

Scarlett

Hi,
I would mostly just listen to beachbum, he continues to give me great advice whenever we have questions about Portland and surrounding areas..we are relative newcomers here
I will chime in tho ( how can I not? lol )
I second the SurfSand for a great overnight..rooms right on the beach, decks, views and fall asleep listening to the sounds of the surf.
Tidepooling, walking on the beach etc might be quite chilly. Even in June/July, it is fairly cold out at the beach..if not also raining.
Seaside is similar to the NJ shore with boardwalks etc. Kids might love it. Then you can leave and stay in Cannon Beach ( adults love it lol)
Mo's would be the most kid friendly restaurant that I know of..there are always families there, and it is on the beach with great views too. I loved the pizza we had in Cannon Beach but don't remember the name of the place, and second the Ecola Seafood place..as well as chowder from Gower St Bistro..( they are not open every day off - season, you will have to check on that)..
It will take you about 90+ minutes to get into Portland, OMSI is a great idea. All of the parks are a good idea ( unless it is really wet out)..I agree, Forest Park is beautiful but not in the rain or cold with small children.
We walked around the zoo in the fall, it was cool but still plenty of people there, I am not sure it would be that much fun in the rain though. Definitely go to the Childrens Museum.
The Rose Garden will be "sleeping" until summer..not sure if that would be much fun.
You have good ideas, you might want to make a list, Rainy days, Sunny days
Hope this helped ~

Kal

Wouldn't you be considered a "new go-er" now? :-?

Scarlett

Ha! Yes, Kal, you are right ( as always)...
I will be gone soon and a newbie somewhere else

happytrailstoyou

Warning: If your hotel in Cannon Beach tells you check-in is at 3:00 or 4:00, don't expect to claim your room until that time.

Orcas

I'd suggest you also consider the Hallmark Resort, at Canon Beach. It is right at Haystack Rock and many of the rooms have lovely views. We used to stay there because they have an indoor swimming pool with a nice pool deck and also a hot tub in the same area as the pool. It's nice for the kids to get a chance to be in the water when they go to the coast, and that won't happen in the ocean, unless your kids are seals.

momto3girlz

Thanks everyone! You have given me some wonderful ideas. If anyone thinks of anything else, please let me know! I'm going to look into those hotels. Mo's sounds great!