Where is the best Oregon coast spot for young kids (Portland: spring break, hotels)

[Wellness]

Interested in bring my children to somewhere on the Oregon coast, but not sure what area is best suited for them so that would be too bored.
I am looking into Seaside and Cannon Beach, but not finding much attraction for the kids.
Anyone have any idea's?
Thank you.

[haggardhouseelf]

You can't go wrong with the Newport area. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is there and lots of fun for the kids. If you get there right as they open, you can watch them feeding the various animals and that seems to be when they are most active. They have a lot of fun exhibits going on there. They have volunteers there who can answer all kinds of questions you might have about the animals there and there are opportunities to touch and feel the different sea creatures. If the kids have never been tidepooling or spent time on the coast, going to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and the Hatfield Marine Science Center next door would be good introductions before you take them out to explore the "real thing".

There are also good tide pooling areas as well as places to fly kites as well as hiking trails and viewpoints that are fun for families. We feel like Seal Rock has the best tide pools... but we haven't explored every inch of the coast yet so...

Hatfield Marine Science Center of Oregon State University

Oregon Coast Aquarium - Newport

Newport Oregon and the Central Oregon Coast - Home

We always stay at either the Best Western Agate Beach Inn in Newport, or at Schooner's Landing when we want to splurge a little... Your Home Away from Home - Schooner Landing Timeshare Resorts Both places have indoor pools to keep the kids happy and nice views of the ocean. Many campgrounds in the area, too, have yurts or cabins that make camping on the coast really easy and they are also very affordable. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: State Parks CAMPING LITE

[Wellness]

Thank you for the great information haggardhouseelf....
I heard the Aquarium is old and not worth the price.
Also most of the coast hotels are well over $100.
Looking for something under that, but looks like we
are out of luck. I am looking for lodging within a block
of the beach.

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Once a year the Hatfield Marine Science Center has a huge fair and they have fascinating exhibits with all the scientists there and it is unbeleivable fun for the family.

I might also suggest a whale watching excursion. Don;t use the ones who double as fishing trips, but the one (sorry, can't remember the name) that does whale watching exclusively- a LOT of fun for the entire family.

[Silverfall]

How old are your kids?

[skinem]

I guess my kids are the 4th generation of kids in our family to go to the coast...

We always liked Newport (the aquarium isn't that old--it's pretty cool) and we always like Sea Lion Caves. Lots to do at Newport and plenty of tourist traps that are kid magnets along the coast.

We've never paid over $100 for a room. You should be able to find something. Do some looking online.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

The aquarium might be old, I would not consider it rundown by any means, and in my opinion is worth the price.
You might balk at the admission, but you can't see this stuff by taking a walk on the beach.
Education and the chance to see and learn about something that you wouldn't normally see in your daily life is priceless.
The kids will love it. Especially the petting pond.
You can easily spend most of the day between the Hatfield center and the Aquarium.

As far as hotel/motel prices go.......well, it is the beginning of the height of tourist season.
Unless it's a really low budget place you're going to pay around 100 bucks, give or take 10 bucks.

Seaside does have stuff for kids, it was started as a tourist town and remains so today.
It has tons of shops, arcades, candy and ice cream places, etc.
The Seaside beach is pretty nice too. It's a premier Spring Break destination for Portlanders.
It doesn't have the near atmosphere that Newport has.
I like to avoid Seaside and Lincoln City like the plague.
I never have had a bad time in Newport.

BTW, Go down to the Newport Bayfront on the bay side of the steet by the fish processing plant.
There is a boardwalk/pier there with some docks down below that the Sea Lions like to hang out on.
You will hear them way before you see them.
Last time we were there, there were about 20 of them.
You are within 15 to 20 feet of the Sea Lions, but high above them so there is no danger.
It's a lot of fun to be there in the early evening and watch them jockeying for their nightly positions on the docks. It's loud, their antics are hilarious, and when my kids were young, we could spend hours there. And it's free!
There are also a lot of cheesy shops and kid related things on the Bayfront.

[seamisty]

You should try the yurts at South Beach...they are affordable($30 per night, I believe) and fun and they are right outside of Newport!

Park info:

http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_209.php

Reservations:

http://www.reserveamerica.com/campgr...&parkCode=sbea

[haggardhouseelf]

Originally Posted by Wellness

Thank you for the great information haggardhouseelf....
I heard the Aquarium is old and not worth the price.
Also most of the coast hotels are well over $100.
Looking for something under that, but looks like we
are out of luck. I am looking for lodging within a block
of the beach.

We love the Aquarium - we are members and have renewed our membership twice! It's not as big as other coastal aquariums - like the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California - but there are wonderful things to see there and lots of creatures to learn about. Considering the small size of the coastal towns I'm always amazed at what we do find when we're exploring along the coast. My kids could spend hours in the Passages of the Deep. They also love the area where you can pet baby rays and baby sharks.

One thing I don't suggest to people, though, are the Sea Lion Caves just north of Florence. It's way stinky and a bit expensive when you can just take some binoculars to Seal Rock (north of Florence) or Sunset Bay (further south by Coos Bay) and see them for free. There are lots of places to see sea lions out along the coast. I guess it's cool to go down into the cave... but we didn't really enjoy our visit there as much as we have enjoyed just coming upon sea lions and seals and whales and other amazing wildlife just in the wild.

I also don't recommend the Tillamook cheese factory. It's also stinky and seemed like a waste of money and our kids were bored and it's really just the ice cream they wanted, anyway. Also, it's really terrible what the Tillamook company did to the Bandon cheese company. Doesn't seem cool at all.

And you should really check out the yurts. Some are around $27 per night. The campgrounds have hot showers, bathrooms, and some have programs throughout the summer for kids. We just stayed at a yurt at Sunset Bay and every day at 4:00 they had a cool program geared towards kids. My guys really loved the Birds of Prey show featuring rescued falcons and eagles. Yurts also have electrical outlets so you can charge your cell phone and plug in your laptop if you need to. We always bring a hot water kettle so we can do tea, and most campsites also sell firewood so you can do the campfire thing... it's a blast for kids. Most of the campsites, too, along the coast have sweet little trails that lead right to the ocean, too. But you need to reserve ahead of time. The yurts fill up quickly. We reserve ours 9 months in advance. Otherwise, there are usually tent and RV sites available. You can car camp in an RV site.

[Wellness]

Originally Posted by silverfall

how old are your kids?

3 & 5