Washington State
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Washington State Deals and Savings
Washington State deals for family trips in Seattle, Bellingham, the Olympic National Forest, the San Juan Islands and more! Bellingham and North Cascades Visitors Bureau:Â Travel packages Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau: Getaway coupons to use at the beach Port Angeles and Sequim Visitors Bureau:Â Coupons and discounts San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau:Â Specials and deals Seattle Southside:Â Promotions and deals Travel Tacoma:Â Coupons and savings Visit Leavenworth:Â Spring specials Washington State Tourism:Â Deals and packages Wenatchee Valley:Â Pick your own adventure packages and deals Whidbey Island:Â Deals and promotions Did I miss one? E-mail me at lora AT cascadiakids.com
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Daytrip: Olympia with kids
Think State capitols aren’t kid-friendly? Towns plagued by boring subcommittee meetings, too-fancy restaurants and dull plazas, right? Olympia, Washington, may take you by surprise. When to go: Saturday, so you can check out the Olympia Farmers Market, the people-smorgasbord that is Olympia. You’ll see patchouli students from the nearby Evergreen State College, farmers in overalls, embroidered-denim grandmas, toddlers riding on dad’s shoulders. The market’s a nice mix of locally made items:  soaps, herbs, baked goods and of course, tie-dye shirts. Where to eat: At the market, order honkin’ huge sandwiches from Heyday! Cafe and listen to live music on the market stage. As an alternative, go to Meconi’s Italian Subs for the best…
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What to do in Westport, Washington with kids
When you enter Westport, Washington, you’re greeted with this sign: And that may sum it up. There’s a lighthouse, but kids under 40 inches tall aren’t allowed to climb the narrow, steep stairs. The under-construction aquarium offers only two tanks. The whale watching options can’t compete with well-developed tourism in Washington State’s San Juan Islands. The museum is OK (the fresnel light is impressive) but needs an infusion of funding for the kids’ area. The town’s streets don’t boast cute bookstores or toy shops. Most restaurants are iffy — lots of grease and meat for high prices. But still, if you wrote it off, you’d miss moments like this: When…
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7 Don’t-Miss Oregon & Washington National Parks for Kids
Desert sands, old-growth forests, mountain glaciers, spooky caves, dino bones and pig wars. There, I’ve summed up the National Parks for you — but your kids need to see these sights for themselves. Here are seven don’t-miss National Parks in Washington and Oregon, in honor of National Park Week. Can you visit all the parks by the time your offspring turn 18? John Day Fossil Beds (Oregon). Can you imagine dry Eastern Oregon covered with rainforest? It was in prehistoric times. Three separate land areas – or “units†as the NPS calls them – make up the John Day Fossil Beds, a window into the past. Dino bones are still…
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Photo Friday: The Star Wars Shop
Driving into Aberdeen, Wash., we’re greeted with the sign, “Come As You Are,†from a song by the marine town’s local boy, Kurt Cobain. The verses that follow? As you were/As I want you to be. Aberdeen has always struggled with being, in any sense. The town now appears to be well-sunk, pulled down by the weight of dead logging and fishing industries. The downtown core’s empty storefronts offer “for lease” placards. Rotating signs spin half-heartedly in the wind, missing letters and customers. It’s enough to break a city girl’s heart. So what do you when Abderdeen’s grey skies and grey streets part and reveal the Sucher & Sons Star…