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Washington National Parks with Kids
Get the kids excited about your upcoming trip to a National Park, National Recreation Area or National Historic Site in Washington State. Here, I’ve gathered information on great kids’ programs, Junior Ranger programs, camps and living-history museums. Don’t forget that if you have a fourth-grade child, you can get free admission to certain parks. At the larger parks, I suggest stopping by the visitor centers, which may offer local pelts to pet, replica ranger cabins, models of the park’s range and other hands-on activities. Western Washington Family-Friendly National Parks Olympic National Park. Western Washington State. For kids: Check out the well-loved Junior Ranger program, this list of Olympic National Park activities for families and…
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10 Great Places to Eat in Whistler with Kids
1. Crepe Montagne offers beautiful atmosphere and crepe prep. I love the warm lodge-like interior, fresh juices, French-language kids books and savory crepes with egg, ham and cheese. It’s also a great dessert destination, with preschooler-friendly crepes like caramel and chocolate or that tasteful favorite, Nutella and banana. 2. Options are the name of the game at Splitz Grill, which makes it a Whistler restaurant good for kids. Pick a meat (veggie burger, beef or chicken), then pad the bun with your selections of fresh veggie add-ons, sauces and dressings. The dining area is sort of cafeteria-style, but the food is filling, cheap and served-to-order. 3. At the base of Blackcomb mountain,…
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Great American Campout & REI’s Family Adventure Program
This summer, the National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Backyard Campout encourages you to open up the musty tent and fluff the sleeping bags. A backyard campout can help get kids ready for a real overnighter (if they haven’t gone yet), and the Great American Campout raises money for a great cause. We’ve taken the kids camping since babyhood, so they’ve always been used to a pitch-black tent and strange noises around the campsite (Don’t worry, that’s not a bear, it’s just a grown-up snoring. Probably). I’m a big fan of being comfortable, so our packing list always includes an air mattress, a fluffy duvet and…brie cheese. Families can also take…
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No Hotel Rooms? No Problem.
I’ve recently been contacted by readers, despairing that my top hotel picks are either priced out of reach or unavailable for the upcoming summer. Family hotels in Portland, Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle are booked solid, sold out and too expensive! Well, no surprise — I’ve dealt with the same situation, even as a travel writer. Here’s what I typically do when faced with sold-out hotel rooms, a planned trip and kids. 1. Set up in the suburbs. Now, some suburbs are better than others. For example, many suburbs of Vancouver offer the SkyTrain option into downtown Vancouver, so I’ll look for hotels near the SkyTrain. Portland offers this as well. Seattle is still working on getting…
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Eastern Washington Kid-Friendly Campgrounds
These Washington campgrounds east of the Cascades welcome families with playgrounds of all types, including tiny one-swing facilities and giant slide-swing-and-balance-toy contraptions. Eastern Washington’s weather tends to be predictably dry and hot, which makes it a great place camp with kids until winter sets in. Worried about the heat? Many campgrounds are near lakes and rivers — plan to slip in for a dip. Central and Eastern Washington Kid-Friendly Campgrounds Alta Lake State Park. Pateros, Washington. Families will find a playground great for preschool-aged kids with a corkscrew slide at this 91-site campground near Alta Lake. Bridgeport State Park. Bridgeport, Washington. Just a few camping spaces here (14), and a small playground, but…
