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Vacationing on a Seattle Houseboat Rental with Kids
Seattle mom Leah Adams recently took an exciting and unusual staycation. She slept for two nights on a Seattle houseboat with her husband, daughter (10) and son (8). Leah took advantage of a weekend-only special (the houseboat usually rents by the month) and found that a houseboat serves up a rockin’ (and rollin’) family vacation. Q: What did you enjoy about the Seattle houseboat? I loved the cedar paneling (smelled just like I imagined a houseboat would). The efficiency of being in a small space appealed to me. There’s something so lovely about being totally satisfied in a small space, leaving all the extraneous stuff in our house behind. The Lake Union location, near Fremont, was fantastic. Fremont deserves…
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Families Travel! Taking the Kids to Vancouver on Amtrak
Canadian-born Seattle resident Connie Wanklin-Iskra, her husband Matt, son Makhno (almost 3) and daughter Naomi (6 months) decided to enjoy a car-free weekend in Vancouver, BC. So, over the long US Memorial Day weekend, they decided to take the Amtrak train‘s route to Vancouver for a two-day trip. “We wanted to stay longer, but felt we might need a day to recover when we returned,†Wanklin-Iskra says. “Which was definitely the case.†They boarded the Amtrak in Edmonds, Washington at 8:07 a.m. and arrived in Vancouver, BC, almost four hours later. The train was $70 round trip for each adult, half-off for Makhno and free for her daughter (and other children under age 2). Once in Vancouver, it was…
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35 Free and Cheap Things to Do With Kids in Seattle
Visiting Seattle on a budget? No problem. Check out these 35 free and cheap family-friendly activities in Seattle: 1. Ride a bike on the Burke-Gilman Trail. 2. Run through the 9,000-gallon International Fountain. 3. Watch fish and boats navigate through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. 4. Cower under giant traffic cones and play hide-and-seek among the art at the Olympic Sculpture Park. 5. Ride the West Seattle Water Taxi to West Seattle. 6. Sample fruit and meet the Doughnut Robot at the Pike Place Market. 7. Pick the Fremont Troll’s nose and take a picture with Lenin in the Fremont neighborhood. 8. Check out the cheese-making process at Beecher’s Handmade Cheese.…
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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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Maifest! May family festivals and events
Mayday! What are you doing this month? Plan your weekend getaway after looking over these family-friendly options. May 2010 May weekends. Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mt. St. Helens blowing her top in Washington State. May 2. Kodomo no Hi (Children’s Day). Portland, Oregon. In Portland’s stunning Japanese Garden, kids are more than welcome – they’re celebrated! Try a kids’ teatime, create paper koi kites and enjoy the deep thump of taiko drums. May 7-9. Maifest. Leavenworth, Washington. A “Lookin’ Good in Lederhosen†contest, maipole dances, children’s activities and Bavarian-style parade. Oh, and some beer. For you, not the kids. May 8-9. Mother’s Day Weekend at the Aquarium. Vancouver, BC. Free mother’s…