Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery

Exit 40 of I-84 Cascade Locks, Oregon The first time my husband convinced me to stop at the Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery, I was skeptical at best. To me, a fish hatchery sounds about as exciting as a coma, but kids love it. You also can't beat the price (free!) or the stunning Oregon scenery. The dam is about 40 miles east of Portland, Oregon, and perfect for a quick stop after or before … [Read more...]

KidZone in Club Northwest

2160 N.W. Vine Street Grants Pass, Oregon You can't miss KidZone from I-5 (see photo of the outside of the building), but you will be left wondering what it is you're looking at, it's so poorly marked from the outside. Put simply, it's kid-heaven: 60,000 cubic feet of tubes, slides, and ball pits, housed within Club Northwest, a fitness and health club. It's open to the public, and while it … [Read more...]

Columbia Park

 Highway 240, W. Columbia Drive Kennewick, WA Columbia Park is located in Washington's Tri-Cities, just off Highway 395 (from I-84 from Portland, OR or I-90 form Spokane). It's a great place to stop to stretch legs and have a quick picnic. Situated along the Columbia River, the park is over five miles long, but the section you want is at the west end where a large fort-style climbing structure … [Read more...]

Fairytale Town

3901 Land Park Drive, Sacramento CA I'd like to start this, my first review on this site, with a short story. In the summer of 2008, my mom and I found ourselves six hours into a 10 hour drive with my three kids when we became desperate for somewhere fun to stop. The eight-year-old was squirmy, the six-year-old was getting carsick, and the three-year-old was...being a three-year-old. It was … [Read more...]