Portland and Seattle vacation
 

Hi,
We are flying into Portland and flying out of Seattle this April. We will have 6 days/5 nights with our children aged 2, 5, and 8. We need some really good child geared places to go and things to see. What is Cannon Beach like? What should we DEFINITELY do?
Thanks,
Claire

Hi, we were in Cannon Beach for the day in September. It is lovely, a great place to take children, I think.
We were in Portland for 10 days, no children so that I cannot help with but it is a lovely city and easy to get around. There is a zoo,

http://www.parks.ci.portland.or.us/Parks/Washington.htm


there are wonderful gardens, there is a streetcar that is easy to get around on as well as their Metro system..

Without a doubt, take the children to the OMSI *museum*

http://www.omsi.edu/

Have a great time, hope I helped some :)

We spent three days at Cannon Beach last September. It's a beautiful area.

The town is small and everything is within walking distance. The ocean is cold and not suitable for swimming, of course. But it's fun to walk, search for sand dollars, fly a kite, etc.

It could be a fun overnight trip.

Where are you coming from? What sorts of things do you enjoy?

Good advice so far. We live in the Portland area and OMSI, the zoo, Cannon Beach, hiking in the gorge, and Mt. Hood are hits with us and our children.

In the gorge there is Multnomah Falls which is the usual lure, but there are a multitude of great places along there.

Mt. Hood is fun for skiing, but also for just playing in the snow. We are very low on snow right now, but should have much more by the time you visit. The kids may enjoy a day at the beach and a day in the snow.

When we go to Cannon Beach we stay at the Surfsand Resort, which is very family friendly. Although most people think our waters are too cold to swim in, it just depends on how daring you are. Yes, we swim in it:)

Will you spend any time in Seattle? We lived there also and there are many wonderful things for families there as well.

Mms: We swam in the ocean, too. But we didn't see anyone else in the water! :) It's nice to know we aren't the only crazy ones!

Kureiff--I will even admit to swimming in it in November, lol! Course we don't use umbrellas in the rain either. Glad you didn't let a little thing like temperatures deter you:)

Mms: I spent last year in Seattle; I noticed that no one ever uses an umbrella when it rains!

Kureiff--Where are you from? Sounds like you would fit right in here, lol!

I'm from Montana. So you can understand that we're maybe a little immune to cold temperatures!

I can't believe I'm writing this, but I think I'd recommend Seaside over Cannon Beach for your kids. Though Cannon Beach certainly attracts families, the shops there are more geared towards adults, whereas Seaside is loaded with arcades, many including carnival-like activities, and kitschy tourist shops. If the weather keeps you off the beach (almost a guarantee), I'd guess your kids would like Seaside better.

Can't come up with anything more than has already been mentioned for child-geared activities in Portland.

Kureiff--ahhhh...that makes sense, lol!

Beachbum--You realize what can of worms you are opening? :D

My first thought was actually Seaside but was hesitant to recommend it. We took a bunch of junior high kids there for the day and they absolutely loved it! We did the pedal cars, sand bikes, arcades, aquarium, hat shop, etc.

I definately prefer Cannon Beach, but our junior high kids thought Seaside was "awesome."

Yeah, I know, mms, hence the "I can't believe I'm writing this.." But, in fairness, Seaside does have a lot more off-the-beach activities geared towards kids. Were it not for the pool at Surfsand, my kids would be climbing walls on rainy days in Cannon Beach.

Beachbum--I just had to tease you since we tend to share the same opinions many times:)

Seaside is only a few minutes from Cannon Beach so you can visit both easily. I think you should chose what you and your spouse would enjoy most. The kids will have fun at either.

Cannon Beach is calmer and more sophisticated than Seaside, with art galleries and nice shops.

Seaside is more of a cotton candy, boardwalk and water taffy kind of place. Teens love it, but I think your kids are too young to care that much about which place they stay in.

Whereever you stay, I'd suggest you consider a hotel that has an indoor swimming pool, as the kids will enjoy hanging out at the pool and meeting other kids there to play with.

We used to take our kids to Cannon Beach when they were quite young and they found plenty to do just running around on the beach, looking at starfish and sea anenomes in the tidepools, picking up shells, jumping through the water, flying kites, and swimming in the hotel pool. Your 8 year old could rent a funcycle (3 wheeled bicycle) along with you or your spouse and go up and down the beach.

We used to stay at the Hallmark Resort in Canon Beach, partly because of its location at Haystack Rock and partly because of the pool. They have an indoor pool and a hot tub in the same area. Importantly, the deck around the pool is wide enough for adults to sit in chairs and read.

Hi beachbum :D
CMarion has babies..the oldest is 8 so would Seaside still suit?
We never got to go there, we were advised that if we had to choose one, Cannon Beach was the nicer area to spend the afternoon.
I guess I can use this as an excuse to come back asap- we have to see the other beaches :)

Hi Scarlett,
Between the two, Seaside is clearly more geared towards kids, which is what CMarion is asking about. As an adult(?), Cannon Beach is easily my preference for a variety of reasons: the beauty of the beach and surrounds, restaurants, shopping, and just overall feel. You didn't hear (read) it from me, but given a choice, I wouldn't waste my time in Seaside.

Sorry, honey, I didn't hear what you said :D

I did love Cannon Beach! It was so cold and windy that day- the end of September, felt great to us coming from hurricane ridden Florida.
We ate in that famous clam chowder restaurant on the beach and watched families and their dogs walk on the sand. If it were not for the tsunami signs, I would consider living there :)
how is the weather in PDX now? no more ice?

Hi there! Cannon Beach is only ten minutes away from Seaside, so you should have no problem seeing both places. :)

We have been visiting the coast for over 20 years and now have a beach cottage in Seaside which we love. If you stay in Seaside, I would recommend the Shilo Inn Oceanfront where there is an indoor pool, spa, right on the prom where the kids can bike, roller-blade, etc. :)

Cannon Beach is nice for tide-pooling and Haystack Rock is gorgeous. Our next investment property will more than likely be in Cannon.

Seaside also has a small aquarium that your kids would enjoy. Have a great trip! DH and his fiance are off to the area for several days for a mini-vacation. Lucky ones! ***kim*** :)

Oh, don't miss the Oregon Zoo in Portland. I was just there in November, it's soooo much fun! ***kim*** ((r))

Kimamom, I thought DH was Dear Husband??? Now who is off with his fiance? This is getting very interesting!

LOL, it's been a loooong day! DS is off with his fiance. ***kim*** ((f))

Kim, I thought you didn't like Cannon Beach!
<i>To those who actually live in Portland</i>
How far is Seaside from Cannon beach? We went straight to Cannon, then South a little, I found it very beautiful and it reminded me of the coastline in parts of California ( from a looong time ago when I lived there)..
Aside from Cannon/Seaside/Astoria, what are the beaches where people live all year round?

Scarlett,
Seaside is less than 10 miles from Cannon Beach, but worlds apart in many ways. Not sure what you're asking in your last question. There are many, many beach communities with year-round residents. The first of any size south of Cannon Beach is Manzanita, which IMO has much of the same character.

CMarion: In addition to the Zoo and OMSI there is a great Children's Museum in Portland. Your kids are the perfect age to spend some time there

Hi again, cmarion. Also in Seaside that your kids would love ( I do, too!) is the Carousel in the enclosed mall there. www.seasideor.com is a website for you. :)

Your kids might also enjoy the Maritime Museum and Fort Clatsop in Astoria. www.oldoregon.com There is also a riverfront trolley that runs along the riverfront that is very scenic and informative. :)

If you go over the Astoria-Megler bridge (it's a gorgeous ride) and drive up the WA coast a bit, Long Beach is also lots of fun. Stop for a bite to eat at the 42nd Street Cafe, wonderful food. :) Long Beach also has rides for the kids and there is the Marsh's Free Museum that has tons of shells and fun beachy things for tourists. ***kim*** ((f))

Hi beachbum!
That was exactly the answer to my not clear question lol. I was wondering about year round beach towns, as opposed to the cute towns full of motels and gift shops and rides. In NYC we had the Hamptons where people lived all year round, of course, in mansions ~sigh~ but I was so charmed by Cannon Beach and the sight of that rock!! I considered living in that sort of area..
The Yankee still prefers the city, and I will not say no to the NorthWest Hill :D
CMarion, sorry for the deviation from your topic, as you can see, we went to visit in Sept and fell in love with Portland ~

cmaron, if you decide to go south of Cannon Beach, the Tillamook Cheese factory is great fun for the kids and the Brown Cow ice cream is heavenly! :)

www.tillamookcheese.com is the website. My kids grew up touring this place every summer. It's gorgeous scenery, with the green, green grass and all of the cows grazing in the pastures. :)

DS is taking his fiance here on their trip in a few days. I've advised them to stop at the Manzanita Fireside Cafe for some yummy marionberry french toast and fresh squeezed OJ for breakfast in the quaint, colorful restaurant. :)

We're looking forward to trying the Nahalem River Inn for dinner when we visit in March which has received rave reviews on the PNW Chowhound board. ***kim*** ((f))

I think we may have scared CMarion off! Seems to happen quite often in Portland related threads these days. Claire, do you have any more specific questions to help get us back on track?

Scarlett, did you look SW? Dunthorpe? Council Crest?

Hi beachbum..
We went to Lake Oswego, is that SW? Not sure about Council Crest. It was a whirwind day of neighborhood/house hunting. I have promised to look in the Sellwood/Hawthorne areas next time.
Claire, come back!!

I forgot to comment in detail about Cannon Beach, claire. It's really very pretty. You must see Ecola State Park with your kids. When mine were young, they loved to hike around the paths there and we would picnic on the lawn while we watched all the sea gulls scatter around. ((l))

Another point of interest is Indian Beach. It's gorgeous, a short hike down the trails will take you down to the water. Lots of surfers here, we'll be taking all of our boards here on spring break to try out the waves. :)

The most family-oriented restaurant in CB would be Mo's. It is right on the beach and was always our first stop with our family on our way to our home in Astoria. The clam chowder is served family-style and I really enjoy the peppered salmon here. It is very much conducive to small children such as yours. :)

There's Bruce's Candy Kitchen in town where you can buy fudge and goodies and the Cannon Beach bakery makes delicious sugar cookes shaped like starfish. Sounds like there's plenty for you to do in the area. Enjoy! ((f))

We subscribe to the Daily Astorian, CB Gazette and the Seaside Local papers. We recently have been receiving the Daily Journal of Commerce a small Portland newspaper to help us with some upcoming real estate decisions. So ask away with any specific questions you might have concerning the coast or surrounding areas. ***kim** ((r))

Yes, the Daily Journal of Commerce is loaded with advice on where to take kids. Too much...

Here is an old post with some good comments on beaches etc.
Hope this helps~

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34509620

claire, the Rose Gardens are also very nice. I haven't seen them in the Spring, tho. This trip we hope to see the Chinese Classical Gardens, also. :)

Will you have much time in Seattle? It would be great to spend some time in this great city, also. I would recommend the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, the ferry ride to Bainbridge Island for fun things to do with kids there. ((r))

Seattle also has a small, but very fun aquarium that your kids would enjoy. ***kim*** :)

The rose gardens up near the zoo are not a place I would take small children. There are signs there that speak about fines if people damage/tear off parts of the roses, and that could be a stressful trip with small children. Not necessarily, but I wanted Claire to know just in case.

I heard the fine was something like $500.
I bet it is really beautiful though. I cannot wait to go back again. So much more to see and do.
Claire, where are you? :)

I'm sure claire's children wouldn't tear the place up too badly! :) ***kim***

By all means, Claire, take your kids to the rose gardens. They're lovely in April shortly after the stems have been cut close to the ground.

Good grief, Portland which is such a laid back city would cringe about all the post regarding where to stay, where to eat, where to go etc. Too funny.

IMHO the Rose Garden is NOT the place to at least take a 2 year old or even a 5 year old. An 8 year old if they are well mannered and follow the rules then alright. About the children not tearing the Rose Garden up too much, Hello??? I can't believe I read that!

The Chinese Garden is wonderful, but again not a place for the two younger ones. And probably the 8 year old would be bored.

The zoo is great for children.

LoveItaly--I agree with you on the Chinese Gardens. Very beautiful, but not geared toward small children. I went with my nephews class last year, and even quite a few of those 7th graders were bored. All the parents/adults loved it though!