Posted July 12th, 2010 in Outside of Portland, travel | Tags: cascadia kids, long beach washington, Lora Shinn |
We recently returned from a trip to the Long Beach Peninsula in Washington state. Recently, we sat down via electronic magic with Lora Shinn of Cascadia Kids to talk about our trip and our recommendations for families visting the area:
“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…”
Posted March 25th, 2010 in Outside of Portland | Tags: long beach washington, road note |
Milagros is OPEN but the Fuentes Family is on the road. We are exploring the vast peninsula that is Long Beach, Washington.
It is a lovely and delightfully laid back part of the world. A quick list of highlights so far – in addition to general beach-combing fun:
- Hiking and exploring at Willapa National Wildlife Refuge: The unique mix of tidelands and forest that characterizes this area really comes to life here. The hiking is easy and family friendly and the scenery often breathtaking. Seeing a bald eagle in flight while on a sandy beach is not unusual in this part of the world.
- Discovering the world of kites and making some kites of our own at the World Kite Museum: The exhibits aren’t high tech but seeing kites from around the world was more compelling than I would’ve imagined. Fighting kites from India and Afghanistan, hand painted kites from Japan, old dime store kites from the US, musical kites from Thailand and much more is there to explore and learn about. A small kite-making station was the icing on the cake for the kids.
- A ride on the beach with Back Country Wilderness Outfitters: Mila had her own steed and Jen and Gael doubled up on a draft horse named Dugan for a gentle one-hour ride on the sand.
- The bizarre world of Marsh’s Free Museum: Jake the Alligator Man is the main attraction but I loved their collection of antique penny arcade games.
- Taking a break from the lovely ocean side of the peninsula for a bay side day trip. We took in historic and charming Oysterville and enjoyed a picnic lunch from Bailey’s Bakery.
