Family Travel Ideas
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12 Family Hotels That Offer a Free Breakfast
Okay, even if you don’t looooove chain hotels, you gotta admit — the free breakfast is awesome. Even if it’s just a bowl of cereal or a pastry and orange juice, that’s one meal out of the way. You can avoid  taking your gang of ravenous, borderline-manic children into a Denny’s or breakfast diner (hmm, or is it just me with that problem?). I created this list of free breakfast-serving hotels in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Some of these are not just fine, but great — you’ll get a hot meal, a cooked-to-order breakfast omelet or an evening reception. Not bad at all. Many chain hotels also provide indoor…
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13 Great British Columbia Spring Break Ideas for Families
British Columbia’s mountains, lakes and harbors offer hundreds of great spring break family getaways. These standout cities and villages provide lots of great indoor and outdoor fun things to do for little kids, big kids and teens. Take a look and let me know if I’ve forgotten any of your favorite spring break destinations. Spring Break Ideas for British Columbia 1. Vancouver and West Fraser Valley. Visit nearby Fort Langley and hear stories by the fire, learn about historic weapons and then back into Vancouver to visit Kitsilano with kids. If it’s raining? No problem. Check out this list of great rainy day activities in Vancouver. 2. Whistler. You’ll still find fresh powder in the impressive…
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Northwest Spring Break: Where to go for great weather
Where should you take the kids for a spring break in the Pacific Northwest? Where can you go without a raincoat, scarf, hat and boots? Below, you’ll read about the March and April temperature and rainfall averages. It’s in Imperial and Fahrenheit, just to keep it all consistent, and the site I used (Weather.com) to compile the information offered that approach first. I’m sorry, Canadians! Low rain spring break If you’re desperate for some sun or just a break from the rain, Central and Eastern Oregon are great places for the kids’ spring break. Bend, Oregon is mild, with average March temps of 51 and 57 in April, and about…
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9 Awesome Seattle Day Trips with Kids
Just because you’re between vacations doesn’t mean you have to stay home. These nine fun excursions get the family out of the house for the day. Whether you have one or two hours or an entire 12 hours to drive, play and explore, you’ll find a great escape below. Seattle to Whidbey Island Day Trip How long does it take to get to Whidbey Island? The Mukilteo ferry dock is about 35 miles north of Seattle, then there’s a half-hour sailing time to Clinton. Ferries run every half-hour on weekends and cost $24.85/RT for a family of four. Driving from Clinton to Fort Casey takes about 40 minutes. Things to…
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Camping Reservations with Kids in Washington, Oregon and BC
How long in advance should you make camping reservations? Now is the time to reserve your camping spot for many Pacific Northwest locations. Don’t wait until late spring or summer, if you want a prime, secluded tent site or one of the much-desired yurts, cabins or fire lookouts. Here’s a quick guide and how-to. Camping Reservations in Oregon Half of Oregon´s state park campgrounds accept campsite reservations; the other half are first-come, first-served. Whether you call or go online, you may make reservations 2 days to 9 months in advance of your first night´s stay. “Nine months in advance” counts back to the nearest business day. You can make Oregon campsite, yurt, cabin and…