10 Things to do with your kids in Oregon This Summer

 Oregon is one beautiful state that offers a huge variety of unique things to do with your family – here are 10 things to do in Oregon that should be on your bucket list this year!

Even back in April 2012 when I began this blog to share our lives, I knew I wanted it to be more than that.

I’ve often talked about my passion for living on here, and from that stems so many topics. Learning new recipes, crafting with the kids, and some of my favorites – sharing our adventures with you.

I’ve always shared things on a local level too – having a “local living” tab so you can easily scroll through the events, places, and other things we have done here in the greater Willamette Valley.

But living locally isn’t just about Portland, Oregon. I hope that by sharing some of our adventures it will inspire you to create your own – wherever your “local” is.

Someday I would love to expand and venture out farther with the family and share local experiences from other states – but for now I will continue to share living locally in Oregon.

With that being said I wanted to write and highlight some great places and things to do here in Oregon. Spring break and summer will be here before we know it, and it’ll be time to begin looking for things to keep the kids busy. Here’s some of my favorite things we have done over the past two years:

Things to do in Oregon:

1. Visit the Oregon Zoo – The Oregon Zoo has always been one of my kids favorite day trips. There is always a new animal to see and a treats to eat. The Zoo offers a discount Tuesday once a month, and we braved the crowd last July, but my suggestion would be to skip the deal and pay full price for less crowds during the summer. For more information visit the Oregon Zoo Website.

2. Climb to the top of the Astoria Column – About a year and a half ago we finally made it to Astoria and climbed the infamous Astoria Column. They have little wooden airplanes that you can send off from the top and watch them soar all the way down. Anika had a little fear from the height of the Column, but she made it. This is my favorite photo from our trip, and you can see the comparison of the column to my husband and kids. Astoria is a very historical coastal town as far north west you can go in Oregon, and its worth spending a day and/or night it. For more Astoria adventure ideas visit their Chamber of Commerce website HERE.

3. Visit the Beach – One thing that I love about living in Oregon is the abundance of beaches we have. Sometimes when we visit my family in Southern Oregon we will just take Highway 101 down the coast and turn it into a scenic day trip. There’s many little towns and shops to explore.

4. Crater Lake – I have been an Oregonian my entire life and had never been to the Crater Lake until two summers ago! It is a must on an Oregon visit! It is the deepest lake in North America and it is simply breathtaking.

The blue is the richest blue I have ever seen.

We went in July and there was still some snow on the grounds and my kids were so elated that they were teasing me that it really was Christmas in July. We packed a full lunch and had a picnic.

5. Take a ride on the Mount Hood Railroad – Over in Hood River, which is about 2 hours east of Portland, there are lots of fun things to do, including their local Mount Hood Railroad. We rode on the railroad for the first time this past winter for their annual Polar Express Train Ride. They have afternoon excursions, dinner trains, and many other themed adventures throughout the year that look like a lot of fun. There’s also other festivals like a Cherry Blossom Festival held every year that I imagine is simply beautiful.

6. Go to a rodeo – Last summer we took the kids to see their very first rodeo in St. Paul Oregon. St. Paul is a tiny town in the Willamette Valley that really has nothing going on except for the infamous St. Paul rodeo. The town with a population of just over 400 people draws in thousands of people ever Independence Day. There’s other rodeos around throughout the summer, but the largest one around is held in Pendleton every year and is called The Pendleton Round-Up. It over in eastern Oregon and I’ve not made it out there to it yet, but its on my bucket list to do one of these years.

7. Experience the Oregon State Fair – What would summer be without attending a state fair? The Oregon State Fair is held at the end of summer every year and always has something fun for everyone, whether its the rides, animals, or concerts.

8. Visit a local farm and pick blueberries – One of my favorite things to do every July is travel to one of the many local farms in the Willamette Valley and go blueberry picking with the kids. Blueberry picking is the perfect berry to take kids picking with, because there’s no thorns, and they’re easy to pick! Afterwards we always reward ourselves to a homemade smoothie or milkshake. The Last couple summers we’ve headed over to Farmer John’s in Mcminnville for picking.

9. Stop by Southern Oregon – I was born in Southern Oregon, and there are lots of activities for outdoor enthusiasts. If you like rafting the Rogue River is a huge attraction! There is also the Oregon Caves, Fun artsy towns like Jacksonville to visit, and the Wildlife Safari in Winston, which is a large outdoor exotic animal park.

10.  The Tillamook Cheese Factory: It wouldn’t be an Oregon summer without a trip to the beach and a stop to the Tillamook Cheese Factory along the way. The kids love going and watching the cheese making process and sampling a variety of their cheeses, and finishing the trip off with a large waffle cone.

I hope this gives you a few ideas of places to visit in Oregon this year! This is just a few of the great things we have done…I hope to share more with you in the near future! Do you have a favorite place to visit in Oregon?

~Melissa

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13 comments

Libby Boyes February 19, 2014 - 5:10 pm
As a fellow Willamette valley resident, I can honestly say I absolutely love where we live and feel so blessed to be able to have so many amazing and beautiful things so close by all the time!
Ashley Elizabeth February 19, 2014 - 6:05 pm
Have you ever done the Hood River Fruit Loop? If not I definitely recommend it. There are so many fruit stands and cute places to stop... plus some seriously delicious stuff to eat made from those fruits. Love your list! I too have lived in Oregon my entire life but only went to Crater Lake last year. It was smoked in so not as blue as I had hoped, but still gorgeous.
Renée B. February 19, 2014 - 9:05 pm
These are all great suggestions, Melissa! Round-up is always one of the highlights of our year - just be sure to get your tickets early, because they sell out fast. (I buy ours a year in advance!) I also highly recommend the Fruit Loop!
Melissa Kaylene February 19, 2014 - 9:11 pm
No I haven't been to the Hood River Fruit Loop yet, looks like I'm going to have to check that out! So many great things to do in Oregon <3
marlynn February 19, 2014 - 10:28 pm
The beach is always my favorite part of Oregon, and I can't believe it's already mid-February and we still have been out for even a day trip yet. Sunriver is also at the top of my family's list -- so many great outdoor activities, breweries, wineries, kids' places, antiquing... so fun! Great list, Melissa! LOVE the pic of the kids looking over Crater Lake. Beautiful!
Mary Ann February 19, 2014 - 10:40 pm
I've lived in Oregon my entire life, and I absolutely agree with this list! In fact, it sort of makes me nostalgic to go do these things again this summer!
Yvonne King February 20, 2014 - 6:41 pm
Great suggestions! Thanks! I am a Oregon newbie, so I didn't know about several of the things on this list. I'll pin this for later.
OrangeMew February 20, 2014 - 9:11 pm
I have it on my list to go see the Painted Hill- but haven't done it yet (and not Crater Lake either!)!
Angie Church February 23, 2014 - 2:10 am
great post never realized there was so many great things to do there
come see what I shared at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
My Life In Sweden February 23, 2014 - 6:00 am
Lovely post! Absolutely adored all the photos! And now I know what to do if I ever manage to visit Oregon one day.

Thank you for sharing! Have a great Sunday! :-)
Brittnei Washington February 26, 2014 - 4:27 pm
Wow Oregon looks like it has so much to offer. It is really beautiful. I imagine it gets pretty cold in the winter. I could definitely see my family enjoying some of the sights and fairs during the summer and spring time. :) Thanks for sharing this with us at Countdown in Style. Don't forget to stop by Friday to see if you are featured :)
April @ 100lb Countdown February 28, 2014 - 3:26 am
I've never been to Oregon, although I was born and raised in California and have visited Washington. These pictures are beautiful. I would love to see it for myself. Thank you for linking up with Countdown in Style.
Cynthia Landrie March 2, 2014 - 1:43 am
I always love visiting the zoos in different cities. These seem like fun places! Thank you for linking to the In and Out of the Kitchen Link Party. Hope to see you next time.
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