• Eastern Oregon,  John Day Fossil Beds

    Family Travel! Cari’s family visits Eastern Oregon

    Cari Gesch, a Portland-based mom to two kids (ages 10 and 4), travels the Northwest with her trusty camera in tow. This professional photographer (check out her blog, Wahkeena Exposures — it has tons of awesome photos and travels focused on Oregon) recently went with her husband and kids on an Eastern Oregon escape. Let’s discover what her kids loved most about life east of the mountains — and what it’s like to travel Oregon in a 32-foot-long RV. All photos courtesy of Cari Gesch. Q: What did you do on your family trip to Eastern Oregon? Which activities did the kids enjoy? My oldest, Sage (age 10) really enjoyed…

  • Kid-friendly Trip Ideas,  Washington State

    Washington State Round-Up: From the Coast to Cascades (and beyond)

    As you probably know by now, Cascadia Kids isn’t my day job — yet. I write travel articles for a wide variety of print publications, including the Washington State Visitors’ Guide, which is available on many of the Washington State ferries, in the Whole Foods, and at many visitors’ centers throughout the state. Here’s a quick sampling of the articles I wrote for the guide (you’ll find more inside the print pub). Some of the articles focus on places I haven’t yet written my family guides for, including Whidbey Island, Washington Coast and Kitsap County. They’re all on my to-do list, I promise! But the to-do list is pretty long…

  • At the beach in Tofino with kids.
    Tofino

    Tofino with Kids: Advice from a dad insider

    Tofino is where wilderness and luxury meet. It’s a wave-washed destination where even the public campgrounds are never far from million-dollar views. John Platenius is the parent of two children (ages 5 and 7) and a resident of Tofino, a top summer vacation spot along Vancouver Island’s western shore. Platenius has just put out a fine new book on the region, Tofino Guide, retailing for $19.95. Read more at his Tofino-focused website or leave questions below in the comments. Here are Platenius’ tips on things to do with kids in Tofino, his recommendations for great hotels and campgrounds, and even the best hiking trail with a preschooler. (Photo at right, Platenius’s son playing on a Tofino beach)…

  • Okanagan & Thompson

    Families Travel! Okanagan with Kids

    Amy and Mike Sztupovsky live in semi-arid Oliver, British Columbia (about halfway between Pentiction, BC and the US-Canadian border). This couple are real travel aficionados – something made easier by the fact that they unschool their two kids, Lan (5) and Kayden (3). “When our oldest was coming closer to school age we started to research homeschooling options,” Amy says. “I had never heard of unschooling before but when I started to learn about it, the method really spoke to my heart.” So this family doesn’t need to worry about pulling the kids out of preschool or school to travel, and travel becomes part of the kids’ schooling. Naturally, Amy’s own website is called Worldschool Adventures. Let’s…

  • Yaquina Head Lighthouse Center
    Beach Trips,  Newport

    Newport, Oregon with Kids

    Newport, Oregon is a similar destination to Cannon Beach, Oregon for the annual family vacation. You’ve got the lovely, cream-toned sand, the toy stores and kite shops, the upscale and midrange restaurants. But there’s one big difference between Cannon Beach and Newport — you won’t sleep at Cannon Beach hotel prices (which can easily leap into the $300- $400-dollar range). Plus, Newport offers many outdoor and indoor attractions, whether you’re there on a sunny summer day or on a rainy weekend getaway. The downside? It’s a haul from Portland, Seattle or further north or east. You’ll tack on about two hours of drive time each way to reach Newport (we…