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Stormwatching at the Coast: Tips and Hints
Winds howl outside at 55 miles per hour – fast enough to tip over a toddler. Waves explode on the beach, each one more spectacular than the last. The lights flicker, but stay on. Your family is inside, dry and happy, playing “Apples to Apples†with a warm drink (Hot chocolate? Hot cider? Hot toddy  — just for grown-ups) in hand. During this season of storms and seas, some upscale resorts even offer a “stormwatcher’s package,†like this one at the Wickannish Inn in Tofino. But you don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy the wild weather at the coast. Here are tips for enjoying stormwatching in the Pacific…
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Families Travel! Jennifer visits the Long Beach Peninsula
Tony and Jennifer Fuentes of Portland, Oregon went with their children (Mila, 8 and Gael, 3) to the Long Beach Peninsula of Washington, about 90 minutes west of Oregon. It’s right on the Pacific Ocean – a perfect way for shopowner Jennifer (she runs the excellent Milagros Boutique in Portland) and family to relax. Jennifer often returns to the Long Beach Peninsula to stay in a beach rental; she loves the area. It’s not quite as well-known as the Oregon Coast, but it offers amazing foodie finds and small-town coast fun. Let’s find out this frequent-visitor’s favorites and tips for a Long Beach family vacation. Q.  Did you find a…
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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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Beachy Keen! 5 NW Spring Break Spots
Sure, some families are heading to Mexico, Hawaii and Florida for spring break. But you don’t have to fly thousands of miles to get your sand fix. Save time and money by checking out one of the five sweet Northwest beaches. Okay, you won’t find 80-degree temps or swim-ready water — not in the spring, at least — but the following destinations offer cool prices to match the chilly days. 1. Family-friendly Cannon Beach, Oregon. Why go? Cannon Beach in the off-season offers mellow charm, mild weather and no summer-crowd insanity. But the infrastructure is ready year-round, whether you want to buy a kite, nosh on Haystack cookies or browse…
